Author Topic: shooting conicals (Read 938 times)

ksbackwoods · « **on:** April 17, 2005, 02:42:30 AM »

Tried out some conicals yestarday I cast for a friends 58 Remington replica. They were alot louder and kicked more than I expected. Sounded about like a .44 mag and several times the loading lever came unhooked and dropped down. Is this normal or is something wrong?
They are cast from pure lead out of a lee 450 mould lubed with crisco and parafin. I don't know what the powder charge is because his flask is not marked but one charge will fill the hole almost half way and the seated bullets are well below the face of the cylinder.
Any help appreciated.

Jay

Ramrod · « **Reply #1 on:** April 20, 2005, 12:38:40 PM »

Everything sounds normal except for the loading lever, usually only the Walkers do that. The catch might be at fault. Even though it seem everyone is using roundballs nowadays, most folks forget or don't know that the government issue ammo for these guns were conicals. North and South, in the Remington 58 or the Colt 1860, and in the southern wartime production guns, conicals with 25-30 grains powder in a paper cartdridge, was what they used.

ribbonstone · « **Reply #2 on:** April 20, 2005, 12:56:11 PM »

Given the same powder charge, conicals will recoil more and seem more "aggresive". No real problem with conicals...just keep in mind the basic rule: if they don't seat straight, they won't shoot straight.

Not knowing the powder charge is seldom a good idea...may want to give us an idea of that charge...if you've no other way of checking, can try that charge in various empty cartidge cases and then post...can get a good ball park idea of the charge if you've no scale or graduated measure. In this case, with conicals, would think that a charge that would fills a .38special case would be about all you'd want to go....and one that is just a little less than taht would proably be better in the long run.

Having the loading lever drop isn't normal for a Rem. Would look at the loading leaver's latch/spring....usually, it's a pretty stiff spring and a deep "bite".

flamenblaster · « **Reply #3 on:** May 08, 2005, 11:30:01 PM »

Smokin_Gun · « **Reply #4 on:** May 20, 2005, 09:07:19 PM »

1858 Rem Holds 35 grains with room for a ball and a ring a lube around it? Tell your friend to try filing the kotch where the lever catches or take out the spring ans stretch it, or both.

ribbonstone · « **Reply #5 on:** May 21, 2005, 04:02:41 AM »

Have noticed that some of the lever's spring loaded latches are not getting a full "bite" into the notich that loackst them. Length is worng, and some are just ahnging on by the very tip...and that tips wears with use.

Cure is to CAREFULLY drive out the little pin that holds that spiring loaded latch...the latch and coil spring that holds it will come free from the loading leaver. The latch is "split"...deepen the notch with a needle file. By deepening the notch, the latch will stick out farther and fully engage the notched stud on the barrel. Can also streach the spring a bit to increase tenstion, but usually full depth contact does the trick.

Has an added bonus...by having the notch engage fully, it's still under a little spring tension, and the lever won't rattle.

Not just a rem. problem...have had Colt-clones with that rattle and barely engauged leaver latch. Did the same thing to them, setting them for a bit of spring tension when locked into place...removed that loading leaver rattle sound.

Conicals can shoot well...the only "trick" is that if they aren't seated straight, they won't shoot straight. Easier to "cock" a conical in seating...ball is too "dumb" to seat crooked.

Smokin_Gun · « **Reply #6 on:** May 22, 2005, 12:40:40 PM »

Quote from: ksbackwoods

Tried out some conicals yestarday I cast for a friends 58 Remington replica. They were alot louder and kicked more than I expected. Sounded about like a .44 mag and several times the loading lever came unhooked and dropped down. Is this normal or is something wrong?
They are cast from pure lead out of a lee 450 mould lubed with crisco and parafin. I don't know what the powder charge is because his flask is not marked but one charge will fill the hole almost half way and the seated bullets are well below the face of the cylinder.
Any help appreciated.

Jay

The Civil War powder charge in the Remington and Colt .44's was 24 gr powder with a paper wrapped conical bullet.

ksbackwoods · « **Reply #7 on:** May 31, 2005, 01:32:33 AM »

Thanks for all the help guys.
Unfortunately my buddy's house got broke into and all of his firearms were stolen. The guys who did it have been caught and some of his stuff has been recovered but he hasn't gotten any of it back yet, and I don't know if the revolver has been found. If he gets it back we'll try out you'r suggestions.