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Old May 21, 2010, 09:00 PM   #26
sltm1
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Just personal preference here, but it's never been anything but good for me. I chamfer the chamber mouths, not for Sam Colts reason (but I like that alot), but because those little slivers that get cut off the ball sometimes get caught between the cylinder and the forcing cone. Also, I use a lubed felt wad under my 454 RB to avoid cookin' off the round in the next chamber. I punchout blanks from old felt hats and soak them I warm Bore Butter. I've got a lube recipe using wax, tallow and oil that I want to play with in the future, but even with merely Bore Butter, I've never had the powder contaminate enough to notice a difference in trajectory, or performance and having to not clean my barrel for 75 or more rounds is a nice extra.
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Old May 21, 2010, 09:04 PM   #27
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What tool would be best for punching out your own wads for 44 cal( uberti remmy- doubt it matters..)??

Last edited by RemTim; May 21, 2010 at 09:23 PM.
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Old May 21, 2010, 10:55 PM   #28
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so instead of filing the cylinder to chamfer it would it be better to use a 1/2 in drill bit on slow slow speed to make it uniform all the way around?

in my bison all i did was fill completely with powder, compress wad and powder, press in ball, remove ring, cap and fire...
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Old May 22, 2010, 12:27 AM   #29
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What tool would be best for punching out your own wads for 44 cal( uberti remmy- doubt it matters..)??
You can get a set of cheap hole punches from Harbor Freight.
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Old May 22, 2010, 12:44 AM   #30
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I will have to get some hole punches and try making some wads myself. I can't see paying the price of commercial ones.
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Old May 22, 2010, 12:56 AM   #31
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look at the wads cabelas has they are like 7 bucks...
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Old May 22, 2010, 01:00 AM   #32
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I bought a set of seven punches from Harbor Freight for a smidge over 5 but thats been a while.
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Old May 22, 2010, 01:13 AM   #33
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I might try agri supply first since it is local, if not I'll get me some at Harbor Freight. Never used wads. If all you guys do, then I guess I should try them out.
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Old May 22, 2010, 09:18 AM   #34
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It's true than hard fouling can fill the grooves of the rifling in a cap&baller. Seen it many times when the revolver isn't loaded properly or is not cleaned between shots.
If the wax/lube used for lube pills(grease cookies) is made of paraffin wax,bees wax,lube it doesn't cause trouble in the summer heat. If there is a little trouble then a little more paraffin wax in the recipie can solve any softness from heat problems. The pills go under the balls and atop the powder.
There's really no need to chamber chamber mouths. Sam Colt and his explanation for the chamfers makes sense but the chamfers use would be negligible as the benefit would be minimal. Gas expands equally in all directions so the lateral gas ring shooting from the cylinder gap goes other than just laterally anyway. The gas also hits the arbor and bounces into chambers.
Chamfered chambers aren't a "no-no" but their benifit is minimal also. Why? Most people don't realize that a ring is shaved from the balls circumference even with the chamfer or bevel on the opening of the chamber. The ring is not noticed since with a chamfer the ring isn't shaved at the beginning and is pushed into the chamber by the plunger that almost always is a close fit to the chambers walls.
The concave to the end of the plunger isn't there to be pretty or to not flatten the face of the ball but...is there to swag lead of the balls front part "against the chamber walls to seal the chamber". Look inside the chamber when a ball has been pressed in by a loading lever plunger and see it for yourself.
If you want a chamber to truely not shave a ring from the ball ,whether it's seen as it comes off at the beginning of a sharp edged chamber or is shaved off while lower inside while it stays in the chamber and can't be seen as the plunger presses it in under it, the chamfers have to be "multible". The top edge of the chamber that is put lower inside the chamber,and still shaves a ring of lead, by the top edge being chamfered creates another edge. It's just lower in the chamber. That lowered edge created by the first top edge chamfer has to also be chamfered by a different angle chamfer tool that has less angle to it. Then another angle chamfer tool to smooth that new edge is used. The resulting new smaller edges can then be chamfered or smoothed with sandpaper to create a funneled opening to the chamber.
The funneled opening is the only opening to a chamber that doesn't shave a ring of lead from the ball. Lead would still be swagged upwards as the plunger seats the ball but it isn't cut from the balls and remains intact to the ball and is swagged against the chamber walls by the concaves edge that's on the front of the plunger.
A ring shaved from the ball from a lowered chamfered edge is not really intact to the ball and is just pushed out by the ball that still has a shaved edge. You just don't see the shaved ring since it's pushed in under the plungers edge. That's better than having the shaved rings cluttering the cylinders face as you load though. I've always wondered why people think a sharp edge that's lower in the chamber can't shave a ring from the ball when that edge can be just as sharp as the top unchamfered edge of a chamber. I guess because the ring isn't seen since the plunger pushes it in.
Anyway if you don't want a ring shaved from the ball and want the lead to stay intact and all part of the ball then a "funneled" chamber opening is needed.
Of course if you don't mind the little rings of lead cluttering the cylinder face as you load the unchamferd chamber is as efficient as the chamfered chamber. The plunger doing it's job of not only pushing the balls in the chambers but also pushing lead of the ball against the chamber walls.
If the concave isn't the right shape or size to do it's job of poushing lead of the ball against the chamber walls then you have to shape the concave on the front of the plunger to do it's job well. Some cheaper made guns don't have a proper concave on the front of the plunger. Some plungers have the front edge too thin and actually imbed into the lead and pull the balls back out after they have been pushed in the chambers. That is a case for stoning the face of the plunger so the edge is more wide. Also making the edge of the plunger face less sharp with sand paper helps. That can round off the sharp off the edge of the plunger face.
Anyway if your lead balls are the right size they can't be plungered intomthe chambers and made any other shape than the shape of the front ofmthe chamber. If the chamber is out of round then the ball is out of round. Since the chambers are so often tappered in a cap&baller that then shapes the balls when they are pushed into the tapered part of the chamber. Often the very beginning of the chamber is not tapered and the taper starts a little into the chamber.
I guess since when a chamber is chamfered the lead is still pressed into the chamber by the plunger it could help guard against chain fire so that's good. I'd rather use at least the double chamfer to help keep the lead ring of the ball pressed in around the outside edge of the balls with the ring still intact to the ball,so to speak. If I were to want "no lead shaved" off the ball I'd go to the multiple chamfer and then sand paper that to a funneled opening. I guess if a chamfer tool were made that had the right angle to it that that tool could cut or ream or lap a funneled opening to the chamber. That wouldn't be a chamfer though but would be a funneled opening.
Anyway, the tappered chambers the Italian guns have must be there to insure the balls are sealed in the chamber and guard against chain fire. The deeper you put the balls in the chambers the smaller it gets and the fit to the bore is worsened. That must be why they say the balls seated to the top of the chambers are more accurate. Those balls would be larger in diameter than the ones pushed in further.
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Old May 22, 2010, 09:31 AM   #35
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Thanks guys. I desired no lead shaved in order to retain a rounder ball not to enhance appearance. Of course, I don't care to have the ends of the chambers white, but proper technique is much more important. I think I'l probably choose to wmel wax over my balls from now on.
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Old May 22, 2010, 10:38 AM   #36
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From what I've read...bigger balls are better because they have more contact with the rifling, making the pistol more accurate, along with sealing better.

Cream of wheat is used as a filler so there are no airspaces between the powder and ball. Felt wads (lubed or dry) are used as fillers and they scrub the bore. Corn meal is used as a filler and it also scrubs the bore clean. Corn meal compresses, cream of wheat doesn't.
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Old May 22, 2010, 10:46 AM   #37
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what flavor of cream of wheat?
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Old May 22, 2010, 10:56 AM   #38
RemTim
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what flavor of cream of wheat?
Vanilla would be a nice touch.With a touch of crushed glass.
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Old May 22, 2010, 11:06 AM   #39
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crushed glass is just evil... kinda like that old man that shot me in the ass with rock salt when i was 13 for walking in his yard... that reminds me i gotta call grandad...
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Old May 22, 2010, 11:21 AM   #40
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Code:
kinda like that old man that shot me in the ass with rock salt when i was 13 for walking in his yard...
A man can get in serious trouble for actions such as that.
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Old May 22, 2010, 11:30 AM   #41
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My loading procedure is powder, lubed wad, ball, cap & fire, repeat. .36s get .380 balls & .44s get .454s. Wads are bought from bpstuffllc or dry precut in bulk and lubed with beeswax/bore butter or TC lube mix. Can shoot a complete 2 day SASS match using this procedure without having any fouling problems. On high temp/low humidity days, I may have to relube the arbor & wipe the cylinder face off after 4 or 5 cylinders full.

FM
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Old May 22, 2010, 11:33 AM   #42
RemTim
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crushed glass is just evil...
Yep, kinda mean, I must confess....I'd have to hate someone pretty bad to do that.
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Old May 22, 2010, 11:39 AM   #43
RemTim
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My loading procedure is powder, lubed wad, ball, cap & fire, repeat. .
That's pretty much mine without the lubed wad; just a lubed ball. Gotta try enyaw's recipe.
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Old May 22, 2010, 03:16 PM   #44
B.L.E.
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I have been using Circle Fly brand .455 diameter 1/2 inch thick fiber cushion wads, prelubed with Bore Butter, for my bullseye target shooting.
They fill the chamber when using target loads, it's easier than messing with Cream of Wheat at the range and they keep the bore scrubbed clean while I shoot.

Plus, they are a lot cheaper than Wonder Wads.
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Old May 25, 2010, 08:34 AM   #45
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Hello all
Here is my own method for loading my Remington 1858 .44 NA made by A. Uberti.
Gunpowder standard of 0.85 gram to 1.00 gram by shooting distance (25 meters to 40 meters).
Semolina "couscous" medium grain. 1.25 gram to 1.00 gram. Flour is too thin, while the semolina may scrub the barrel of the carbon left by the previous shot.
In a small box, I stock my bullets .454 round and I lay a large knob of grease gun. By shaking the box, the bullets will be covered with a thin pelicula o grease.
I use .454 which provides a good seal (this was not good with the .451 or .457 which was putting on too). The bullet is properly crimped.
When we get the first shot, the heat melts the fat and the tightness is perfect.
I load all six chambers, generally ... we should charge 5.
It will be necessary to repeat the operation for the next chamber.

Here's a link to video and see what happens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM4PEqUiBfc

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Old May 25, 2010, 01:35 PM   #46
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Here's a source for felt to make your own felt wads: Duro-Felt

Item Width Length Thick Density Price
FM1812H 36" 12" 1/8" 0.36 gm/c3 - Hard F-1 $12.00 each
FM1824H 36" 24" 1/8" 0.36 gm/c3 - Hard F-1 $23.00 each
FM1836H 36" 36" 1/8" 0.36 gm/c3 - Hard F-1 $30.00 each
FM18H-1 54" 12" 1/8" 0.36 gm/c3 - Hard F-1 $16.00 each
FM18H-2 54" 24" 1/8" 0.36 gm/c3 - Hard F-1 $26.50 each
FM18H-3 54" 36" 1/8" 0.36 gm/c3 - Hard F-1 $40.00 each
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Old May 25, 2010, 06:22 PM   #47
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Good flick Sebou, thanks for sharin' it ... and with a Remington 58 no less :O)
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Old May 25, 2010, 07:41 PM   #48
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Sebou,

How many cc's of couscous were you using? I couldn't tell if it was a homemade scoop made out of a casing or a Lee powder scoop.

And that was a mighty fine pistol you were shooting, it makes me want to get a Target Model as a companion to my regular Pietta, they might birth me a 5 inch model.
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Old May 26, 2010, 10:22 AM   #49
sebou
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Hello all,

Smokin_Gun I'm happy to know that you have fun with this video.

wittzo
Quote:
How many cc's of couscous were you using? I couldn't tell if it was a homemade scoop made out of a casing or a Lee powder scoop
.

Currently, in the video i'm using around 1,25 grammes of "couscous" semola
(lol, it's smell like a grill lunch )
I have a brass & wood scoop with gradual weight level.

Remember that this is not a very accurate load, but it is sufficient for shooting fun. In competition, the shooter is always looking for the perfect recipe for optimum precision and score.
I have frequently shot a soda box between 25 - 50 meters with my Remington target model !
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