RotoMetals2Reloading EverythingInline FabricationRepackbox
MidSouth Shooters SupplyLee PrecisionTitan ReloadingMCD Products

Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: Himmelwright Wadcutters questions.

  1. #1
    Moderator Emeritus


    Trey45's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Dismal Swamp NC
    Posts
    4,436

    Himmelwright Wadcutters questions.

    As many of you know Himmelwright wadcutter molds are again available through BRP Products, a board sponsor. This design was by an engineer and revolver target shooter, the president of the American Revolver Shooting Association for a while in fact, and features a short (3/16-1/4" pointy nose) and then a pronounced wad cutting shoulder behind that. The design is intrigueing.

    My questions are: Has any one used these designs and if so what did you think of the accuracy and stability? And secondly, has anyone read Himmelwright's book on revolver and pistol shooting, and what did you think of it?
    Give us this day our daily lead.

    Sic Semper Tyrannis.

    If you don't want 1984 you're going to need some 1776.
    WWGWD

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    HeavyMetal's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Orange county, Ca.
    Posts
    3,944
    I have seen the boolit but not the book.

    From what I can make out in picture, no real boolit, it looks like not only a spire point on it but two diameter driving bands as well.

    One wonders if they were ment to cut paper in steps so as to leave that real clean edge for scoreing?

  3. #3
    Boolit Master


    MakeMineA10mm's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Central Illinois
    Posts
    2,287
    Quote Originally Posted by Trey45 View Post
    As many of you know Himmelwright wadcutter molds are again available through BRP Products, a board sponsor. This design was by an engineer and revolver target shooter, the president of the American Revolver Shooting Association for a while in fact, and features a short (3/16-1/4" pointy nose) and then a pronounced wad cutting shoulder behind that. The design is intrigueing.

    My questions are: Has any one used these designs and if so what did you think of the accuracy and stability? And secondly, has anyone read Himmelwright's book on revolver and pistol shooting, and what did you think of it?
    Link?

    (Don't see them with any kind of link or billboard here on the CB pages, but that doesn't mean they don't contribute...)
    Group Buy Honcho for: 9x135 Slippery, 45x200 Target (H&G68), 45x230 Gov't Profile, 44x265 Keith


    E-mail or PM me if you have one of the following commemorative Glocks you'd like to sell: FBI 100yr, Bell Helo, FOP Lodge1, Kiowa Warrior, SCI, and any new/unknown-to-me commemoratives.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
    Bent Ramrod's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Southern Arizona
    Posts
    4,327
    I have the book and the mould. The mould is Ideal 358302, and I believe at one time it came in two different weights. Haven't cast any boolits with my specimen as I haven't played around with the .38 Special much. The book is geared towards the target pistol shooter circa 1928, although it does have a great deal of information on historical, military, pistols, revolvers and cartridges which were currently available, powder, primers, ballistics, handloading, casting, gunsmithing and repairs, "stopping power," etc. It's illustrated with some nice woodcuts and photos; it's interesting to see what Thomas Anderton and Eugene Patridge actually looked like. It's probably as informative, for its time, as Keith's later Sixguns book was. Definitely worth a spot on any shooting library bookshelf.

    I read it quite a while ago and am just thumbing through it tonight, but cannot find any mention of Himmelwright's own bullet design on casual inspection, although he does talk about wad cutter and other such designs. I have the 1928 edition, which was revised from the 1908; maybe Himmelwright decided his design wasn't that much better than others. Or maybe I'm just missing it.

  5. #5
    Banned
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    The Island of Misfit Toys
    Posts
    5,951
    Quote Originally Posted by MakeMineA10mm View Post
    Link?

    (Don't see them with any kind of link or billboard here on the CB pages, but that doesn't mean they don't contribute...)
    Bruce has a spot down in the vendor sponsor area along with his catalog. He is a rather new vendor/sponsor even though some of us have been getting moulds from him for several years now.


    http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/...ad.php?t=58620

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
    GLL's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    California
    Posts
    3,582
    Here are a couple photos of the original 429220 Himmelwright wadcutter.

    The first shows a couple from my original mould while the second is from Glen Fryxell’s .44SWC article.

    Bruce at BRP has cut me a custom mould with a modification of the original
    design by 45 2.1. This new interpretation is nice because it has a crimp groove !

    http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/...ad.php?t=58620

    Jerry







    BRP 45 2.1 design




    Himmelright's personal S&W 1st Model .44Special Target HE
    Last edited by GLL; 08-01-2009 at 08:44 PM.
    S&W .38/44 Outdoorsman Accumulator

  7. #7
    Boolit Master Glen's Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2006
    Location
    The great Pacific Northwest
    Posts
    995
    From the Ideal Handbook #33 --

    360302-S. For .38 S&W Special revolvers. Bullet, as illustrated, cast of 1 part Tin to 25 of Lead, will weigh about 112 grains. It is very accurate for short range and cuts a large clean hole in the target. Designed by A. L. A. Himmelwright. See Table of Pistol Charges. (Can also furnish mould to cast bullet with base band about as wide again, weighting about 130 grains. Special list.)

    429220. For .44 S&W Russian revolvers, designed by A. L. A. Himmelwright, former president, United States Revolver Association, especially to cut a clean full sized hole in the target and give the shooter the full value of his shot. Known as the "wad cutter bullet". Should be cast of 1 part Tin to 20 of Lead. See Table of Pistol Charges.

    From the Table of Pistol Charges --
    .38 Special
    for the 358302 (112 grain version):
    2.5 grains of Bullseye is listed as generating 790 fps
    6.6 grains of Unique is listed as generating 1215 fps

    for the 358302 (130 grain version):
    2.5 grains of Bullseye is listed as generating 850 fps
    3.5 grains of Unique is listed as generating 1000 fps

    .44 Russian
    429220 (175 grains)
    2.8 grains of Bullseye is listed as generating 725 fps


    I have worked with both of these bullets (not much, but enough to get a feel for them), and the challenge comes in finding a suitable nose punch for sizing/lubing them, as well as seating stem for seating them in the loaded cartridge. I made a nose punch out of 1/2" aluminum round stock where I center-drilled the nose and only used the shoulder of the forward driving band to size them. For seating, I just use the standard RN seating stem, although this blunts the nose of the bullet slightly (visible in the picture above). So far I have just plinked with them and haven't done any serious group shooting.
    Glen

  8. #8
    Moderator Emeritus


    Trey45's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Dismal Swamp NC
    Posts
    4,436
    Thank you all for the very valuable information and pictures, I greatly appreciate the time you all took to help me with this.
    Give us this day our daily lead.

    Sic Semper Tyrannis.

    If you don't want 1984 you're going to need some 1776.
    WWGWD

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
    GLL's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2005
    Location
    California
    Posts
    3,582
    Bruce also cut me a 4-cavity mould which duplicated the 360302-S .
    2 cavities @112 grain + 2 cavities @ 130 grain.

    This photo is from his BRP catalog. Pretty "California"pink and all !


    Jerry

    Last edited by GLL; 08-02-2009 at 01:05 AM.
    S&W .38/44 Outdoorsman Accumulator

  10. #10
    Boolit Master


    MakeMineA10mm's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2007
    Location
    Central Illinois
    Posts
    2,287
    Quote Originally Posted by 357maximum View Post
    Bruce has a spot down in the vendor sponsor area along with his catalog. He is a rather new vendor/sponsor even though some of us have been getting moulds from him for several years now.


    http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/...ad.php?t=58620
    Thanks! (Hole new forums seem to keep springing up here at CB. I can't hardly keep up... )
    Group Buy Honcho for: 9x135 Slippery, 45x200 Target (H&G68), 45x230 Gov't Profile, 44x265 Keith


    E-mail or PM me if you have one of the following commemorative Glocks you'd like to sell: FBI 100yr, Bell Helo, FOP Lodge1, Kiowa Warrior, SCI, and any new/unknown-to-me commemoratives.

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy appleseedgunsmith's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Tennessee
    Posts
    205
    Old thread yes. But yes I have. Had one made in 20 ga
    Very stable. Cuts pretty holes(next to original aluminum prototype)
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	FB_IMG_1592436609591.jpg 
Views:	6 
Size:	56.0 KB 
ID:	327534

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy 20:1's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2023
    Posts
    163
    15 years?

  13. #13
    Boolit Master


    Join Date
    Nov 2022
    Location
    Middle Tennessee for now. WANT TO BUY land out west, somewhere cool and dry!
    Posts
    1,555
    Time flies doesn’t it?

    20 gauge? Tell us more please! What wads are you loading with? 220 Savage by chance?

  14. #14

  15. #15
    Boolit Grand Master
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Central VA
    Posts
    5,814
    Give that thing a hollow base and make it 58 caliber and you have the Hogdon bullet like RCBS makes. It’s very popular with the North-South Skirmish crowd for our muskets!
    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check