Pistolero
Well-Known Member
I needed a .431 sizer die for the 624, so decided to take one of Keith's nice basic blanks
and drill and bore and polish it up to that. Turns out that to get a .431 bullet, you cannot
have a die which will take a .431 gauge pin, which is actually .431-.0002 or .4308 diam.
The one'Aw, sh*t' move was drilling the holes for lube after polishing. Dumb. Had to carefully
knock out the burrs with a couple of seconds of 400 grit shop cloth on a split dowel, then repolish
slightly. Did manage not to increase the diam measurably, what I was fearing.
The alloy Keith uses cuts very nicely. I was able to drill up to .422 with a 27/64ths drill after drilling
it up in a couple of steps. Then bored it to .430 and polished the last 0.001, checking by driving bullets
through it and measuring them. Once I was getting .431 bullet sout, I tried the .431 gauge pin.....no go.
So, definitely some spring back with sizing normal cast bullets, somewhere around 0.0005 or so on this
size of bullet.
I recommend slightly breaking the top edge of each O-ring groove with a file to prevent broaching
your Star sizer's base.
Bill
and drill and bore and polish it up to that. Turns out that to get a .431 bullet, you cannot
have a die which will take a .431 gauge pin, which is actually .431-.0002 or .4308 diam.
The one'Aw, sh*t' move was drilling the holes for lube after polishing. Dumb. Had to carefully
knock out the burrs with a couple of seconds of 400 grit shop cloth on a split dowel, then repolish
slightly. Did manage not to increase the diam measurably, what I was fearing.
The alloy Keith uses cuts very nicely. I was able to drill up to .422 with a 27/64ths drill after drilling
it up in a couple of steps. Then bored it to .430 and polished the last 0.001, checking by driving bullets
through it and measuring them. Once I was getting .431 bullet sout, I tried the .431 gauge pin.....no go.
So, definitely some spring back with sizing normal cast bullets, somewhere around 0.0005 or so on this
size of bullet.
I recommend slightly breaking the top edge of each O-ring groove with a file to prevent broaching
your Star sizer's base.
Bill
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