Author Topic: 38/55 Cast bullet  (Read 732 times)

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Offline Bodock

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38/55 Cast bullet
« on: December 02, 2006, 05:03:27 AM »
Have wesson & harrington 38/55, Lee .379 mould.  Barrell groove seems to ne .379.  Using fireformed cases shot from this rifle and a homemade mouth expanding tool, cases obviously swell and will not chamber in rifle untill i remove decapping pin from sizer and resize loaded round enough to chamber.  Then i get keyholing, poor accuracy.  What should i do. Sized cases or in spec.

Offline Haywire Haywood

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Re: 38/55 dast bullet
« Reply #1 on: December 02, 2006, 01:28:55 PM »
This is a notorious problem with H&R 38-55 rifles and cast bullets.  Oversized bores with undersized chambers.  The only real solution to the problem is to get a gunsmith to ream your chamber large enough to chamber the fat bullets and then to only resize your fired brass enough to grip the bullet so you don't overwork them by blowing them out to fit your reamed chamber and then squeezing them back down to SAAMI standard with the sizing die.  This solves the bulge in the case too.  They do usually shoot jacketed bullets reasonably well tho if I recall.

good luck,
Ian

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Offline Veral

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Re: 38/55 Cast bullet
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2006, 10:45:31 AM »
   Another solution to the tight chamber problem is to neck turn or neck ream your brass, with turning being the best option of the two, as it eliminates varying thickness of the case mouth, which guarantees optimum bullet centering IN THE CHAMBER.

   I strongly recommend that you lap the barrel, or at least check it out for precision using LBT push through slugs, as poor barrels are certain destroyers of cast bullet performance.  Lapping it with the LBT bore lap kit will solve that problem.

   Since the Lee mold is casting large enough for this oversize barrel, it bullets from it should shoot accurately at moderate velocities, but the design probably won't be strong enough for full loads, even with the barrel lapped.  If you can't get tack driving accuracy after the above treatment, order an LBT mold to fit the new dimensions, and LBT bullet lubricant if your not already using it, and you will get accuracy, at full power.   If your on too tight a budgit to order our mold, at least get LBT lube, as it will do wonders toward wringing the maximum velocity from any bullet design, this with accuracy and freedom from leading.
Veral Smith