454 Casull bullet size

[bbailey7821]

Does anyone know what sizer die to use for the Casull. I've always used .452 for my long colt, but just got my hand on an FA Field Grade and didn't know if it was the same.

[RobS]

FA have tight tolerances............you will more than likely be fine at .452 if they will chamber and if not then .451 will be the next option. Slugging the cylinder throats will tell you for sure and slugging the barrel will tell you even more regarding the groove diameter relationship to the cylinder throats. A Freedom Arms revolver should be made correctly regarding the above aspect (the groove diameter to cylinder throat) so if your .452 bullets snuggly push through the cylinder throats then you are probably good to go.

[454PB]

My F.A. model 83 will accept nothing larger than .452".

[bbailey7821]

Thanks guys! That's what I thought, but wanted someone who had actually loaded for this gun.

[Marlin Hunter]

I don't know about the Freedom Arms Pistols, but the Taurus Raging Bull takes .454 boolits. The barrel slugs to .453.

[Humbo]

My FA revolvers also have .452 throats. Slightly larger bullets, and they won't chamber.

[prs]

Well; I reckon I'm off my nut. I can understand a "454" not being bored for 454. I am aware of the history of the SAA in 45 Colt and modern manufacturing going to .451 barrels out of convenience, I suppose. But if the cylinders will accept a .454 loaded cartridge, then what is it that would allow a tighter "throat" to keep a loaded cartridge from loading? Surely we are not using an OAL that has the cartridge forced in to the throat before firing.

For example, my Ruger SSBVs easily chamberd all six rounds in the cylinder with .454 boolits. The cylinder throats were originally WAY undersized to the tune of .449 or some crazy tight spec (I think all of the Rugers were that way at the time). The barrels sluggest at .451 or .4515. Needless to say, the guns were not impressingly accurate with lead boolits, but they shot the larger than throat booilts with no indication of problems; other than accuracy. I reamed the throats to .4535 and they shoot better than I can appreciate.

Chamber, thoart, forcing cone, barrel; all in a slightly decending order -- right -- wrong?

prs

[Dogchaser]

My FA revolvers also have .452 throats. Slightly larger bullets, and they won't chamber.

.4528 and really have to push them in.

[lwknight]

Chamber, thoart, forcing cone, barrel; all in a slightly decending order -- right -- wrong

I think ...uh err right!
So far I have been lucky with my 4 revolvers that none of my cylynder throats are smaller than the barrel bore.

[WHITETAIL]

7821, Welcome to the forum!

[Rickk]

My FA needs .451 or it is very difficult to seat the cartridges in the chambers, especially with the heavier bullets. Wayyyy tighter than my Ruger chambers! It is an older one. Maybe they were tighter than recent production?

[454PB]

Well; I reckon I'm off my nut. I can understand a "454" not being bored for 454. I am aware of the history of the SAA in 45 Colt and modern manufacturing going to .451 barrels out of convenience, I suppose. But if the cylinders will accept a .454 loaded cartridge, then what is it that would allow a tighter "throat" to keep a loaded cartridge from loading? Surely we are not using an OAL that has the cartridge forced in to the throat before firing.


Chamber, thoart, forcing cone, barrel; all in a slightly decending order -- right -- wrong?

prs

Yes, but if the boolit portion that protrudes from the case is larger than the throat, the loaded round will not fully seat in the chamber. In the case of the Freedom Arms revolvers, they are fitted with cylinders that have very accurately machined throats (mine are all .452") and any boolit sized larger will be very hard to impossible to chamber. Since F.A. cylinders are countersunk for the cartridge rims, any cartridge that protrudes more than a few thousandths will prevent cylinder rotation.