Pound cast

creosote

Well-Known Member
I made some slugs today by drilling holes in a chunk of oak. I think I'll get a few useable ones.15224531237921388391495.jpg
Now I'm making a rod to do the smashing.
Using a 3/8 rod I heated up the end, gave it a few whacks with the hammer.
Now my question. What diameter would you make the flaired contact?
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I'm measuring a browning "92" it's a 1978 with the funky rifling. I can put a .424 gauge in the muzzle. Is .015 enough clearance? .4 09 or should I make it smaller? I was going to use electrical tape raps as spacers on the rod. Maybe a gas check in front of it. Thanks. Mark
I know .424 is large my ruger sbh is .416, m29 is .417 and the contender is also .416.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
I know the B-92 barrels run a touch large.
like 430 large, they just have shallow rifling like 6 or 8 of them airc.
I use 430 jacketed bullets made from 40 S&W cases in mine.

if the 424 will fit I would go with that diameter, you don't want it scraping it's way down the barrel but close is okay.
 

Paul Gauthier

Active Member
I have read of making good slugging slugs is to cast them in the case the gun uses, fired cases of course. then use an impact bullet pullet to remove it from the case. I haven't tried it yet myself, still on the back burner, but sounds good to me.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
you want it close, but a little small so it pounds up.

using a fired case for the pound slug is a good idea, fill the 44 case a little past half way with harder alloy then chamber the soft slug on top, then come in from the barrel and mush it up.
 

Ian

Notorious member
You have a lathe, turn and shape the rod to fit inside a fired 9mm case, put a couple wraps of electrical tape around the brass and spiral it all the way up the rod, and use that. You're going to nick your lands using a steel mushroom end.
 

fiver

Well-Known Member
40 S&W are generally 424 so the 9mm would work very well, they should be around 380 or so OD.
 

Ian

Notorious member
I personally like room for a little tape, even cartridge brass condoms are no guarantee against nicks in the lands if the tip of the rod snaps sideways as they are wont to do as they "whip" from being smacked with a hammer. Rubber O-rings around the rod are extra insurance and eliminate the need to make bushings of tape to keep the rod from flexing when hit on the end.
 

Will

Well-Known Member
I bought different sizes of drill rod years ago that are a close match to the bore of the rifle I’m working on.

I always tape the rod really heavy at the top where it meets up with the crown.
I’m not going to lie I get nervous every time I do one.
 

bns454

Active Member
I bought different sizes of drill rod years ago that are a close match to the bore of the rifle I’m working on.

I always tape the rod really heavy at the top where it meets up with the crown.
I’m not going to lie I get nervous every time I do one.
Chunks of heat shrink for wiring work really well too shrunk onto the drive rod.
 
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creosote

Well-Known Member
Thanks everyone, there's a few good ideas I didn't think of.
I'll try them tomorrow.
 
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creosote

Well-Known Member
Ian, fiver,
Thanks for the idea about using a case as a condom. The 40 s&w case was a little big, so I drilled a 13/32 hole in a piece of scrap and made a swaging die. Found out I had to reduce the diameter of the rod also. (like you said) Oh yea, and gave it a bevel to self center.
I annealed it first so it went thought easy. Only stretched it .030 .
DSCF2930.JPG
I don't think it's possible to have said to myself "that aint gonna work" any more times than I did. But I still call it fun.
Here is the finished result. Boy is it difficult to measure those tiny lands. It feels like I'm going to smash them. there's 12 of um.
Does 12 measure the same as 6? Do they appose each other like a 5 grove? I get .431 to .434
DSCF2933.JPG
I also tried using a 44 case as a mold for a slug. it worked fine. Just remember to take the crimp out of the case first.
Just after I patted myself of the back for a perfect tape wrap job, I measured it. ooopps. to much. I ended up having to stretch the tape a little and got the perfect fit.
Now I need to find a mold maker.
 

Ian

Notorious member
Looks like that worked pretty well to me, are you a believer now? :rofl:

The nice thing about the soft lead pound cast is it's more durable than sulphur and more dimensionally stable/correct than the low-temp alloys like Cerrosafe. A pound cast is "forever" and you can reference it for years, even track throat wear with it and it and after 15 years will still be an apples-to-apples comparison with a fresh one.

I have a .45 Colt chamber that looks just like that, big, long gap around the bullet nearly case diameter going forward for quite a way, impossible to support that part without making a heeled design.

Accurate, LBT, or Mountain Molds would be my go-to sources.