Iron Mike Golf
Blackhawk
- Joined
- Feb 15, 2010
- Messages
- 945
I got my Beartooth Bullets fire lapping kit last week and last night started my fire lapping. I was expecting to need to fire 100+ rounds, but it is looking like it will be far less than that. Let me start my giving you a picture of my starting point:
I bought a used stainless RH Hunter in Aug 2010. That's .44 magnum with a 7.5 inch barrel. It shoots jacketed real fine. Most accurate load I have shot (99% of my shooting is at a 50 ft indoor range) is 210 gr JHP (XTP and Remmy bulk) over 27.5 gr H110/W296 and a CCI 350 primer. Scoped off bags at 50 ft, I can get almost all groups well under half inch and quite oten under a quarter inch. One evening I have back to back 5 round groups of .17 in. 1 inch at 75 yrds (again, scoped and rested) is not to difficult. I have only shot a few groups at 100 yds and those were around 1.25 to 1.5 inch. This gun will shoot.
The bore slugged at .430. Throats pin gauge (a minus set from Grizzly) at .432. I pin gauged the bore. A .416 slips muzzle to back of cylinder frame no problem. A .417 would only go 1/3 the way into the muzzle. I could see tool chatter marks on the lands both at the muzzle and just forward of the forcing cone.
I would get leading shooting cast (which is why I am fire lapping) and could feel constrictions and heavier leading both under the front sight and the barrel threads at the front of the frame. I size to .431. I search in vain for a load that would not lead. The best I could do was about 30 rds before lead fouling affected group size.
I made up 24 rounds of lapping bullets. I rolled them only about 15 seconds. I wiped my first one dry and could barely feel the abrasive. Nowhere near as much as 320 grit sandpaper. I decided to try leaving them "wet". My starting load was 3.2 gr Titegroup and a CCI 350. No filler. I wipe the nose of the bullet before seating them nose first. Excess paste fills the lube groove. I wipe the base of the bullet and the case after seating. I only did 4 cylinders, fearing stuck bullets. I had rolled 100 and did not want to have to mess with all of them being stuck in the bore, so these 24 were test rounds. I had ordered 300 bullets.
Following direction, I fired one cylinder at a time, followed by cleaning. I checked after each round for a stuck bullet, but had none. I stopped checking that after 4 cylinders. By the way, you really really need to make sure the chambers are squeaky clean. I had a couple of instances of a bit of abrasive left being and making it impossible to chamber.
I also pin gauged the bore between cylinders, starting after the second cylinder. After just 2 cylinders, the .417 pin gauge now would go in 90%! So I continued. I shot all 4 cylinders last night. Now the .417 gauge will go snugly past the front sight and falls through to the forcing cone, and then stops.
I loaded up another 24, but think I may not need that many. The tool marks near the muzzle are not as bad and the ones near the forcing cone are gone. I slugged the bore again this morning and it is still at .430.
I'll post follow-ups as I continue the project.
I bought a used stainless RH Hunter in Aug 2010. That's .44 magnum with a 7.5 inch barrel. It shoots jacketed real fine. Most accurate load I have shot (99% of my shooting is at a 50 ft indoor range) is 210 gr JHP (XTP and Remmy bulk) over 27.5 gr H110/W296 and a CCI 350 primer. Scoped off bags at 50 ft, I can get almost all groups well under half inch and quite oten under a quarter inch. One evening I have back to back 5 round groups of .17 in. 1 inch at 75 yrds (again, scoped and rested) is not to difficult. I have only shot a few groups at 100 yds and those were around 1.25 to 1.5 inch. This gun will shoot.
The bore slugged at .430. Throats pin gauge (a minus set from Grizzly) at .432. I pin gauged the bore. A .416 slips muzzle to back of cylinder frame no problem. A .417 would only go 1/3 the way into the muzzle. I could see tool chatter marks on the lands both at the muzzle and just forward of the forcing cone.
I would get leading shooting cast (which is why I am fire lapping) and could feel constrictions and heavier leading both under the front sight and the barrel threads at the front of the frame. I size to .431. I search in vain for a load that would not lead. The best I could do was about 30 rds before lead fouling affected group size.
I made up 24 rounds of lapping bullets. I rolled them only about 15 seconds. I wiped my first one dry and could barely feel the abrasive. Nowhere near as much as 320 grit sandpaper. I decided to try leaving them "wet". My starting load was 3.2 gr Titegroup and a CCI 350. No filler. I wipe the nose of the bullet before seating them nose first. Excess paste fills the lube groove. I wipe the base of the bullet and the case after seating. I only did 4 cylinders, fearing stuck bullets. I had rolled 100 and did not want to have to mess with all of them being stuck in the bore, so these 24 were test rounds. I had ordered 300 bullets.
Following direction, I fired one cylinder at a time, followed by cleaning. I checked after each round for a stuck bullet, but had none. I stopped checking that after 4 cylinders. By the way, you really really need to make sure the chambers are squeaky clean. I had a couple of instances of a bit of abrasive left being and making it impossible to chamber.
I also pin gauged the bore between cylinders, starting after the second cylinder. After just 2 cylinders, the .417 pin gauge now would go in 90%! So I continued. I shot all 4 cylinders last night. Now the .417 gauge will go snugly past the front sight and falls through to the forcing cone, and then stops.
I loaded up another 24, but think I may not need that many. The tool marks near the muzzle are not as bad and the ones near the forcing cone are gone. I slugged the bore again this morning and it is still at .430.
I'll post follow-ups as I continue the project.
