.45 colt cast bullet sizing die diemeter?

sixgunnin · May 8, 2017, 04:43 PM

What size resizing die do I need for .45 colt New Vaquero? I will be casting .454 and sizing down to the diameter I need.

Goatwhiskers · May 8, 2017, 04:57 PM

I imagine if you slug your bore and measure your cylinder mouths you will get some real useful advice. GW

sixgunnin · May 8, 2017, 04:57 PM

Ok, there is no standard?

Smoke & Recoil · May 8, 2017, 05:06 PM

Yes, there are standards, but there is the +/- facture too. Be safe and measure
both the cylinder mouth and slugging the bore won't hurt either.

bedbugbilly · May 8, 2017, 05:08 PM

1. Have you "slugged" your bore to determine bore size?

2. What do your cylinder throats measure?

I cast for 45 Colt that I load for a Uberti Cattleman. Mine will shoot .452 as well as it will .454 depending on what mold I'm using and what size they drop.

Rugers are notorious for undersize cylinder throats. If you bore is .452 for example, and your throats are .451 - whatever bullet size you use will be "sized" by the throats - i.e. if you size them to say .452 and shoot them through a cylinder throat that is .451 - then they will be undersize of your bore and you will probably get leading.

Take a sore lead fishing sinker of a proper size - remove the shank and drive it down your bore - then measure with a micrometer - not digital calipers - to determine what the true measurement of the "groove size' is. Take another sinker and put it through your cylinder throat and measure it as well - or use a set of "pin gauges" to determine your cylinder throat size. And mine you - not all of your cylinder throats will necessarily measure the same.

The above is a common practice to determine how a bullet should be sized for a particular pistol. With lead, a bullet .002 oversize will work well going down the bore - but only if the cylinder throats are sized correctly. Common sense dictates - you can push a lead slug through a cylinder throat larger than your bore and then the bullet will conform to your bore size - it's pretty hard to push a lead slug through a cylinder throat that is "undersize" of your bore and expect it to expand once in the barrel. If your cylinder throats are undersize, a competent gunsmith should be able to ream them all to the correct size for your bore size and the bullet size you are using.

sIf you don't have the means to do the above - cast some up and measure them with a micrometer and then check to see if they will slip into your cylinder throats. If not - load up a dummy round with the correct overall length and see if they will chamber in your cylinder. If they will, then load some up and see how they shoot - if not accurate - then look at bore size to cylinder throat size measurements.

I have a 357 New Vaquero that has never shot well and it only gets cast bullets. I need to have the throats reamed on it but I have so many other 38s/357s that I just haven't had it done yet.

Good luck and I think you'll find that in general, in today's pistols, .452 is the accepted size in general. If you are loading them with black powder, remember that you must used a slightly compressed loading and BP lube to keep the fouling soft. If loading smokeless - use an accepted lube for smokeless.

I tumble lube mine in Alox-Paste Wax for smokeless and usually use either Unique or Red Dot. With BP, i use 3F Goex and finger lube the lube grooves with my own BP lube.

Driftwood Johnson · May 12, 2017, 08:58 AM

Quote:

Ok, there is no standard?

Howdy

Ever since WWII the standard groove diameter for 45 Colt has been .451. A .452 lead bullet will give you plenty of purchase in the rifling. I shoot .452 lead bullets in all my 45 Colt revolvers.

Chamber throat diameter is another story. Yes, if the throats are smaller than .451 they will size the bullet down and you may get the bullet rattling down the bore without engaging the rifling very well. Ideally, chamber throats should be the same diameter (.451) as the rifling groove diameter, or perhaps .001 over size.

Slugging the chamber throats and the bore is always a good idea.

Another good test is to take a prospective bullet and drop it into a chamber. Hold the cylinder pointing down and drop your prospective bullet into the chamber. The ideal diameter bullet for that chamber will hang up slightly with the nose of the bullet protruding from the face of the cylinder. Slight pressure will push it through. If the bullet falls right through, it is too small. If a great deal of force is needed to shove it through, it is too big.

Dufus · May 12, 2017, 11:19 AM

It IS important to slug the bore, but for me, there is more importance in measuring the cylinder throats.

I gauge the bullets to that it takes approximately 1-2 lbs of force to push the bullets thru the cylinder.

If by chance that the cylinders and the bore measure the same, then it might be worth while to have the cylinder throats reamed to a slightly larger diameter.

If one or so cylinder throats measure different that the others, then some accuracy will be lost.

Once you get the revolver "tuned" in this manner, it will be Katy bar the door.

Brownells offers cylinder throat reamers for the more common calibers.

May 8, 2017, 04:43 PM	#1
sixgunnin Senior Member Join Date: March 24, 2017 Location: Montana Posts: 182	.45 colt cast bullet sizing die diemeter? What size resizing die do I need for .45 colt New Vaquero? I will be casting .454 and sizing down to the diameter I need.

May 8, 2017, 05:06 PM	#4
Smoke & Recoil Senior Member Join Date: August 23, 2008 Location: East shore of Lake Michigan. Posts: 714	Yes, there are standards, but there is the +/- facture too. Be safe and measure both the cylinder mouth and slugging the bore won't hurt either. __________________ Sent from my Tandy 1000

May 8, 2017, 05:08 PM	#5
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 3,287	1. Have you "slugged" your bore to determine bore size? 2. What do your cylinder throats measure? I cast for 45 Colt that I load for a Uberti Cattleman. Mine will shoot .452 as well as it will .454 depending on what mold I'm using and what size they drop. Rugers are notorious for undersize cylinder throats. If you bore is .452 for example, and your throats are .451 - whatever bullet size you use will be "sized" by the throats - i.e. if you size them to say .452 and shoot them through a cylinder throat that is .451 - then they will be undersize of your bore and you will probably get leading. Take a sore lead fishing sinker of a proper size - remove the shank and drive it down your bore - then measure with a micrometer - not digital calipers - to determine what the true measurement of the "groove size' is. Take another sinker and put it through your cylinder throat and measure it as well - or use a set of "pin gauges" to determine your cylinder throat size. And mine you - not all of your cylinder throats will necessarily measure the same. The above is a common practice to determine how a bullet should be sized for a particular pistol. With lead, a bullet .002 oversize will work well going down the bore - but only if the cylinder throats are sized correctly. Common sense dictates - you can push a lead slug through a cylinder throat larger than your bore and then the bullet will conform to your bore size - it's pretty hard to push a lead slug through a cylinder throat that is "undersize" of your bore and expect it to expand once in the barrel. If your cylinder throats are undersize, a competent gunsmith should be able to ream them all to the correct size for your bore size and the bullet size you are using. sIf you don't have the means to do the above - cast some up and measure them with a micrometer and then check to see if they will slip into your cylinder throats. If not - load up a dummy round with the correct overall length and see if they will chamber in your cylinder. If they will, then load some up and see how they shoot - if not accurate - then look at bore size to cylinder throat size measurements. I have a 357 New Vaquero that has never shot well and it only gets cast bullets. I need to have the throats reamed on it but I have so many other 38s/357s that I just haven't had it done yet. Good luck and I think you'll find that in general, in today's pistols, .452 is the accepted size in general. If you are loading them with black powder, remember that you must used a slightly compressed loading and BP lube to keep the fouling soft. If loading smokeless - use an accepted lube for smokeless. I tumble lube mine in Alox-Paste Wax for smokeless and usually use either Unique or Red Dot. With BP, i use 3F Goex and finger lube the lube grooves with my own BP lube. __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

May 8, 2017, 04:57 PM	#2
Goatwhiskers Senior Member Join Date: April 8, 2009 Location: Batchelor, La. Posts: 579	I imagine if you slug your bore and measure your cylinder mouths you will get some real useful advice. GW

May 12, 2017, 11:19 AM	#7
Dufus Senior Member Join Date: December 10, 2014 Posts: 1,965	It IS important to slug the bore, but for me, there is more importance in measuring the cylinder throats. I gauge the bullets to that it takes approximately 1-2 lbs of force to push the bullets thru the cylinder. If by chance that the cylinders and the bore measure the same, then it might be worth while to have the cylinder throats reamed to a slightly larger diameter. If one or so cylinder throats measure different that the others, then some accuracy will be lost. Once you get the revolver "tuned" in this manner, it will be Katy bar the door. Brownells offers cylinder throat reamers for the more common calibers.