Shooting what bullet through .457 cylinder forcing cone

AGunguy
*TFF Staff*
Posts: 3377
(2/14/03 8:54:52 am)
Reply | Edit | Del All Shooting what bullet through .457 cylinder forcing cone
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gun is pre WW-1 S&W .455 made for the British or Canadians.

Trying to figure out what is the best size bullet to load in .45 Long Colt cylinder that has a .457 forcing cone at end of cylinder before it leaves there and enters the barrel throat.

Barrel is slugged at .452. Get the picture, if I shoot .452 bullets in said cylinder it will have this 1/4 inch section of be oversized .457 in the cylinder forcing cone.

Then the bullet leaves the cylinder forcing cone and enters the barrel throat, but what about that oversize 1/4 inch area in the forcing cone...will it let gasses escape around the bullet and release at the cylinder gap between barrel and cylinder before bullet enters the .452 barrel throat.

I'm hoping to achieve the best accuracy I can, should I shoot oversized bullets like .454 or even .457.

If I do, will it effect the bullet as being too oversized as it enters the barrel throat and cause leading and disrupt accuracy because of bullet reducing its size in the swaging action taken place there.

Gunguy

Edited by: AGunguy at: 2/14/03 9:03:55 am

Xracer
*TFF Senior Staff*
Posts: 3727
(2/14/03 9:54:59 am)
Reply | Edit | Del Re: Shooting what bullet through .457 cylinder forcing cone
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Forget about forcing cone sizes. All revolvers have oversized forcing cones to account for small variations in timing.....and all revolvers leak some gas as a result of the cylinder gap and forcing cone.

I'd be leery of putting a .454 (nominal Long Colt size) bullet thru a .452 barrel. Remember, GG, your "old girl" is 85 years old....treat her gently.

If you're casting your own bullets, I suggest you size them to .452. Otherwise, try using bullets made for .45ACP....they're made to a .452 diameter.

A nice target/plinking load for my .455 Enfield is a 200 gr. SWC, sized to .452, 3.6 grains of Bullseye, with a CCI LP primer. That's using .45ACP brass with half-moon clips.

AGunguy
*TFF Staff*
Posts: 3378
(2/14/03 1:02:05 pm)
Reply | Edit | Del Re: Shooting what bullet through .457 cylinder forcing cone
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK, I hopes yer right. Will shoot .452 buddits and see what happens. But its too darn cold to go shooting as the temps are in the zero to 10 above range.

I am making up some experimental 225 grain lead RNFP buddits with drilled out hollow base in rear that reduces the buddit weight to about 180 to 185 grains. Would have done this with 250 grainers if I had some, but will do that later.

These hollow base look pretty good, but what will happen if I'm lucky won't even need to do this.

Thanks X.

Gunfunguy