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tennmike
Senior MemberPosts: 27,457 Senior Member
Did a little bullet casting yesterday afternoon
tennmike
Senior MemberPosts: 27,457 Senior Member
I was short on .32 pistol bullets so I cast a few yesterday afternoon. Need to size and lube them this afternoon.
“I refuse to answer that question on the grounds that I don't know the answer”
― Douglas Adams
― Douglas Adams
Replies
― Douglas Adams
And the aerial view of your house after a loading mistake near a bulk purchase of primer compound...
It's a Lee #90301 double cavity mold. 100 grain bullet. The Lee website says it's a .311 diameter mold, but my bullets all come out of it at .313 to .3135 diameter.
― Douglas Adams
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... now who's bringing the hot wings? :jester:
Looks like a pretty good bullet. I like a number of Lee's handgun moulds.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury(II)_fulminate
D
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... now who's bringing the hot wings? :jester:
Jerry
Mercuric primers ruin brass. After a reload or two, the brass will get brittle enough to split after being exposed to mercury-based priming compound.
Jerry
Mercury fulminate is VERY sensitive to static charge. It is also VERY sensitive to pressure. Made some in an advanced chemistry class. As long as it is wet it is workable. Once it dries, it's a bomb waiting to go off for no apparent reason at all. Lead styphnate isn't really hard to make, but the chemicals to make it are nasty, and a couple are hard to come by. You may have to make them yourself, and the making is also nasty. Full face mask with organic filters time.
I make my own bullet lube with the same recipe that Jerry uses. Good stuff, and cheap to make.
Sizing and lubing will be done in the Lyman Lube Sizer. I'll size these to .312 for .32 S&W Long and .32 H&R Mag. I also have the size die and top punch for .311 for .32 ACP bullets I cast. They are 70 grain pills.
I use the same .312 size die with a different top punch for .303 British.
― Douglas Adams
Ben's Red will do quite nicely for rifles - it's what Ben seems to use it for mostly himself. I've gone with an extra 5% beeswax in it - just seems too gooey otherwise.
"Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
And for those wondering, it's not a sizing issue between my slugs and the commercial ones. I've measured representative samples of both (20 each) and they all were the same size.
Don't or can't you run them through a Lyman Luber-sizer- die that brings them down to final desired diameter?
http://ads.midwayusa.com/find?dimensionids=4294846309&newcategorydimensionid=5671
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
That's what I do, Big Chief. I've got a lot of money tied up in Lyman Lube Sizer dies and top punches. I like the Lee sizers for pre-lubed bullets, but they only offer .311 and .314 sizers for .32 cal. The .311 is fine for .32 ACP and .314 for some of the old .32 cal. cartridges, but I've found that .313 is the right size for my .32 cal. Ruger Single Six and my old .32 cal. revolver that shoots .32 S&W Long.
― Douglas Adams
Gary Reeder pistol smith recommends .308-.309 in all .32 caliber revolvers.
I go by what gets printed on the target downrange. .312 is what works for me. .311 gives me leading in forcing cone and barrel.
Edit to add: I also get good accuracy from the unsized .313 bullets in the Ruger and the .32 long revolver.
― Douglas Adams
That's the only that I didn't care for was the gooey part. I only have a little left and will add more bees wax next time.While I'm at it I'm going to try some of Mr. Jerry's recipe.
Is there an amount for each ingiedient or do you just mix equal parts?
(Click on picture to enlarge.)
― Douglas Adams
Thanks would appreciate it.
Melt one toilet wax ring and about 2-3 tablespoons of general-purpose automotive chassis grease, NOT disc brake wheel bearing grease in the double boiler. Disc brake grease has too high a melting point to mix well without getting the mixture hotter than the boiling water bath can do. Add paraffin such as candle wax or jelly sealing wax from the canning supplies aisle at Wally World. Hot weather- - - -more paraffin. The idea is to make a stiff mixture that will fill lube grooves well. Either set a bunch of bullets base down in a shallow pan and pour the melted lube around them, then cut the bullets out of the hardened lube with a drilled-out straight wall brass case. If you use a lube-size machine pour the melted mixture into the cavity of a Lubersizer where the lube stick would normally go. I can get 4-5 fillings of my Lubersizers with one batch of home brew lube- - - -total cost about 3 bucks! When toilet rings are on sale at the local big box store like Lowe's of Home Depot, I stock up! One grease gun tube of chassis lube will make 10 batches of lube or more. If bright colors crank your tractor, use those tapered dinner candles in whatever color you like to stiffen the mix.
Jerry