[arkypete]

Ok, took the Winchester 92, in 45 Colt, out and started working up the loads for it. 18.5 grains of H110 behind a 300 grain gas checked Saeco did very well. Using the same bullet with out the gas check, key holed, shot a pattern, may have punched holes in neighbors target, Heck, it may have winged a couple of buzzards.
I used the gas checked version with 9.5 grains of Unique, did Ok and will explore that further. The 300 gr. slug without the gas check, with 9.5 grains of Unique, shot them everyplace except back at the shooter and that big bee I heard may have been a bullet.
Any way this rifle does not like plain based bullets, or non gas checked.....gas check style bullets.
My intention is to hand lap the barrel. Waiting for the lapping kit to come in. Do you think that lapping the barrel will cure this problem.
Maybe a better idea would be to load a bucket of 255 PB, normal bullet for 45 Colts revolvers, and see what it does.
Jim

 

[RugerNo3]

arkypete, I think I'd try a lapping job on the crown of that piece. You seem capable of kitchen table gunsmithin'. Certainly can't hurt.

 

[John Kort]

arkypete,

Please answer the following and we'll go from there:

Diameter of the bullet -
hardness?
Diameter over the gas check -

Lapping will probably not help. If it's shooting the g.c. bullet ok there are two possibilities I can think of:

1.) The gas check effectively adds bearing surface which helps stability and 2.) If the bullet is undersize and the g.c. dia. as sized, fits the barrel, viola! accuracy!

Let me know . . . . .

Jack  

 

[arkypete]

Thanks Jack for your response.

Diameter of the bullet -
hardness?
Diameter over the gas check -

The diameter of the bullet.....4535
The diameter of the gas check ...454
Hardness of the bullet.......I have no idea, the bullets are air cooled wheel weights with a smidge of tin.
I have not sized the barrel yet, but will do so. I'm guessing that since it's of recent manufacture, the barrel would be SAAMI spec, some where around .452.
I've not recovered any of the spent bullets yet, as they seem to bury themselves in the berm rather deeply.

Jim

 

[arkypete]

Hey Ruger....Thanks.
I've recrowned all of my revolvers in the past with pleasant results. So I guess that I'll give that a shot.
Jim

 

[Contender]

I think John is on to something here. I would not be surprised that the "plain" bullet might be stripping in the bore (too soft for velocity or too small for groove diameter) and when it is checked, the check acts like a wrench to grab the rifling and imparts spin and stability to the bullet.


FWIW,

 

[John Kort]

arkypete,

I should also have asked you what the diameter of the bullet is before sizing to .454"(?).

Also, what is the overall (combined) length of the driving bands without the gas check(?) and including the gas check?

I am estimating that your 18.5 gr. load of H110 is in the vicinity of 1300 f.p.s. The alloy you are using would be ok
up to a minimum of 1500 f.p.s. without gas checks.

Since the gas checked bullet shots fine, I would doubt that  there is anything wrong with the crown.

Let us know on the ? and we'll go to the next step.

 

[John Kort]

arkypete,

One thing I should have mentioned before,  I have shot many of the RCBS 300 grain bullets, both gas checked  and non gas checked in my .45 Colt Marlin Cowboy rifle.
This is the same  bullet that Marshall is now offering.

Anyway, I make these bullets from wheelweights with 2% tin added for better castability.  I shoot the majority of these bullets without gas checks and they typically shoot under 3" at 100 yards if I do my part.  I like 20 grs. of 4227 with  this  bullet  which  turns  up  1,312
f.p.s.  This is ballistically similar  to your load of 18.5 grs. of H110.

I typically size them to .457 dia., but they also shoot well at .454" dia.  This bullet has a bearing surface that is .43" long without the gas check which is good for stability. The gas check addition further extends the bearing surface to .54".  The bearing surface length dimension includes that portion of the bullet in front of the 1st driving band that engages the barrel (.08").

Your bullet may have a much shorter bearing surface without the gas check which would also be cause for instability due to yaw in the barrel.

If you want to send me 5 or so bullets without the gas checks, I would be happy to evaluate them and try them in my rifle, just for comparison. You can Email me and I can give you my address. I'll be happy to send you some of my bullets for you to test as well.

Sincerely,
John