Slugged 45 colt barrel found .454

Finger Toes

Finger Toes

Regular
Rating - 97.4%
37   1   0
Location
Yellowhead County
I slugged my Rossi 92 barrel with a 50 cal lead round ball and was a little surprised to find .454 with the micrometer. I noticed a few tight spots in places I wasn't expecting as well so maybe even bigger than .454 in the other areas.

I haven't put it on paper just plinking with some mild campro plated reloads so far.

I was planning on working up some warm hardcast lead in this rifle but I'm not wanting to get a barrel full of lead from an oversized bore. Am I crazy to get some .454 hardcast and start blazing?
 
I'd repeat the slugging a time or two, and check with another micrometer if possible to confirm. If it is indeed .454, you could just powder coat some .452 cast bullets, or some molds throw a fat "as cast" bullet that might be the right size, if you're into casting.
 
I have a Rossi carbine in 45 Colt. I'm assuming an older one as it doesn't have the safety on the bolt.. Never slugged the bore but cast my own bullets and sized to 454. Accuracy more than acceptable for the rifles intended purpose.. Fun to shoot plinker and not expensive to feed with my home cast bullets . A nice looking, fun to shoot pllinker in an interesting caliber for the handloader/bullet caster.
 
I have a browning 1892 that's .431 or so and the solution was 3 parts.

Turn a larger expander for my die, I stole that idea by comparing the expander between the standard and "cowboy" rcbs dies for my 45-70, lo and behold the expander are different diameters.

Beagled my bullet mold with a couple strips of aluminum tape. Drops them at .433 or so

Turned a sizing die to .432 for my lubesizer.

Works well now, honestly I think just the expander button and beagling the mold will do it. That expander makes a big difference with lead bullets especially plain base
 

Attachments

  • 44.pdf
    287 KB · Views: 2
mbogo3 said:
Like the groove diameter on the 44-40 all over the map from .426-.430 just no standard between manufacturers. Similar issue with the .45 LC
Click to expand...
I was trying to be funny. I see I failed. I haven't had luck with the Rossi line so I was taking a bit of a shot at them. I never even thought to slug mine. One thing thing they all did well enough was shoot straight.
 
45 Colt was originally .454". Sometime in the first half of the 20th century, colt changed this to match 45acp diameter and simplify their barrel making.

If the groove diameter is .454" you should use .455" or larger cast bullets. Or use jacketed bullets like campro plated and don't worry about it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom