My Birthday came early ...

[Wwalstrom]

A guy I work with gave me a box the other day. He used to shoot competition matches with a .50 cal target gun, and said he doesn't plan on competing again. The box had a bullet mold, about 120 or so round balls that he said were rejects that might work for plinking (or melting down), and 17 .45 ACP semi wad cutters. The bullet mold is a Lee "Diameter .500, Weight 188 Gr, 500 RB, 90452, Single".

I measured the wad-cutters with my caliper, and now I'm REALLY tempted to try one or two of the undamaged ones in my Remington New Army. The damaged ones will probably be melted down.

I've also been looking "high and low" for .454 diameter round balls ... all I could find were .451 diameter. On an off chance, I went to a shop near work ... and they had three boxes of .454's. No price tag, so I asked the owner how much ... $7.50 per box. Needless to say, I bought all three boxes! Now I'm tempted to go back and buy the 5 boxes of .457 diameter round balls they have on the shelf.

I've also got a question: I've noticed a few references to guys (Duncaninfrance for one) using "lube pills" in their revolvers. I assume that these are similar to a felt wad, minus the felt. What exactly are these, are they home-made, and if so, how do you make them?

Thanks in advance!

 

[MCgunner]

Lee's conical for the Remingtons is .454 I think. I had one, think I still have it. I have two .457 conical molds for the Old Army. They shoot great. I'd just get a mold rather than hunting for .454 balls. Then, you can make as many as you need. I go to the range a lot just to pick up range scrap lead, might shoot a .22 or something when I'm there, though. I bet there's multiple tons of lead in that backstop. I think of it as my lead mine. Nobody else in the club seems to want it. There's over a hundred members and I know a few of 'em cast, but I'll take it! Haven't bought any wheel weights in a while. Used to get 'em for anywhere from $.25 to $.50 a pound, depending on the mood of the Goodyear store manager at the time. If he was into 'em up to his ears and hadn't gotten rid of 'em, he'd sell cheap. Lotsa fishermen and comercial shrimpers in this town, though, that cast weights and I was competiting with 'em for the lead sometimes.

It was pretty cheap and danged convenient to buy lead shot and use it for casting. Last time I bought a bag it was around 20 bucks, probably has gone up cause that was years ago. That's around a buck a lb. Range scrap is FREE, though. I never have bought lead ingots. They always want too much for it. I'm cheap.

Try http://www.midwayusa.com for molds. I like the Lee molds, prefer aluminum blocks and the Lees are cheap and come with the handles installed.

 

[pohill]

lube pills

Lube pills are small round wafers, maybe 1/8" thick, cut to the diameter of your chamber, (.36, .44, etc) made of beeswax, paraffin, Bore Butter and whatever else you toss in to give them the right consistency. Wayne on the Voy forum (and Smokin' Gun) have great recipes for them. They're used in place of Bore Butter over the balls, and they keep your barrel cleaner. Most guys put them under the ball, over the powder, but when I use them I put them right over the ball. Also, most guys make a pancake-shaped concoction and stamp out the pills with a cutter - I mix up the batter, pour it down the barrel of my revolver (one end is blocked) and when it hardens I push it out and BINGO a lube stick, from which I cut pills as needed.

 

[Duncaninfrance]

No need to add to that pohill except that when I use them they go between the powder and the ball. I never put anything on top of the ball now, makes too much mess!
Duncan

 

[gmatov]

Duncan,

Not to argue, but do they really make less mess under the ball than over? Reason says the most of it would go down the barrel ahead of the ball, under, reason says the blast from the gap would blow more of the lube all over the place. Pressure would do that, and heating the hell out of it would add to that.

I stick with either grease, Bore Butter, etc, over the ball, or my lady's coat felt impregnated under ball wads. Haven't made lube pills, will have to.

I know this is an open forum, but I wish to tell you that my youngest daughter's husband's dad died last night (Thursday). A couple months shy of 59. I might not be here for the next few evenings.

His and my g'son's 3rd b'day a week from now, and he was unable to be at the first 2, one for radiation, keep away from kids for 4 days, another due to losing the driveshaft in his jeep, and now he dies before the 3rd.

Ah, well, life ain't fair sometimes, is it? Was supposed to shoot with him Wednesday, couldn't even get out of bed, died the next evening. I will miss him, wish I had gotten to know him better, sooner.

BTW, just bought my first Bernard Cornwell book, Sharpe's Escape, haven't read it, hope I like it, the man has written 34, no, 35 books, will take me at least 2 months to read all of them, if I can get them all in that time. Hope he is as good as Patrick O'brian with the Jack Aubrey novels. Just picked up another of those, last night. Too much else to read to have gotten to that one, yet, mebbe when I sign off tonight.

McGunner,

Chilled lead shot does contain antimony, which is a hardener, so hope you are not one of them who preaches "PURE LEAD" only. Elmer Kieth did not preach pure lead. It seems it is only the forums who DO preach pure lead.

Cheers,

George

 

[Duncaninfrance]

My condolences George.

I must admit that any lube makes a mess and I do now use felt wads soaked in Mutton Tallow/Beeswax/Paraffin most of the time which are fine.

Ref the Sharpes books, I have read them all and have enjoyed them. Just be sure to read them in the right order although the ones written about India can be read before or after the Napoleonic ones.

Sorry to hear of your loss.
Duncan

 

[gmatov]

Duncan,

Thanks.

I only have this first book. Will have to see how I like it before I buy the rest.

Books kill me. I bought one that was the last in a series, had to buy all the others, then, after each, would have to reread the others because of references to something I must have overlooked. Good enough to reread, though, to my mind.

Cheers,

George

Oh, I'm back because of the holiday weekend. Cannot inter Sunday or Monday.

 

[Smokin_Gun]

Dang I'm Broke Lube Pills

My condolences George...


I made these up and sure glad I did. Best thing I have ever used on my Revs. Colt or Rem it don't matter. I shoot all day with out binding up from fouling. Surprised me! Also cleanup is a breeze, I have used just water on a patch and wipe barrel dry it was clean. Anyway here's the recipe:

What I did was start out with:
Parafin comes in a brick divided to to 4 like a stick a butter, I used a stick.
Then 1/4 of a Toilet Seal Ring(Beeswax)substitute with beeswax or use just the parafin.
Then 8-10 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
The Olive oil is the Lube as Wayne told me the Waxes just carry it and keep the pill as you want it.
And that made alot about 600 pills...abpout 1/8" thick for the most part, LoL!...a good level stiff heated pizza pan is the best thing to pour your mix into...so mix cools evenly .

And worked good for me...you need to try your best guess and add/subract as you like them for your use.

 

[gmatov]

Smoke,

Thanks. Pretty good turnout today, considering the Memorial Day weekend.

Was a biker, most of them are probably on their whatcha'callems, them rallies, where bunches go for a long ride.

Memorial Day off, interment Tuesday. Hard on the boy, but he enjoyed the last 10 weeks with his dad. We finished a room for him to live in that long ago, was able to be there to pass off. Not in a nursing home. Was mobile up to a little over a week ago, passed away rather peacefully.

After the viewing closed, my daughter said "I don't look forward to doing this for you." I said "I want you to do it, I have buried one of my daughters, want to die before any more do." Lost one at age 32, 26 months ago. Goddamned hard thing to have to go through.

Maudlin' old fart that I am. I don't wanna outlive ANY more of my kids. Hell, I wanna stay around long enough to see the last of my 5 g'kids grow up. Might not be able to, the youngest is less than a year old.

I'm officially retired, now, mebbe that will help me keep on keepin' on.

Cheers,

George

 

[Duncaninfrance]

I'm officially retired, now, mebbe that will help me keep on keepin' on.

My father said, after he retired he got so busy that he didn't know how he found the time to work! At his cremation he had "I DID IT MY WAY" played and we celebrated a life not mourned a death, I can still hear him chuckling!!

You got to think POSITIVE George!
Duncan

 

[Haymaker]

Looking for .58 cal Mine' Ball moulds

The 500gr original wt &/or lighter bullets. Haven't found a lot of sources so far
Any suggestions?

*EDIT NOTE* - DRAT! I Thought I was posting a New thread, FUBAR

 

[gmatov]

Haymaker,

Don't worry about it. We even look up stuff that isn't pertinent to all of us.

Here's a link to the page at http://www.bosesguns.com/SearchResults.asp

for the Original 575 cal Minie, 500 grs, next to the last from the bottom.

I buy my moulding tools from him, price is decent, delivery very good, and think delivery charge pretty good, too.

Dunca,

Oh, I do think positive. I'm positive my kids/g'kids aren't gonna let me get any rest for the next 20 years or so. Wouldn't have it any other way.

Looking for a bigger grasscutter, just now. The youngest's new house has an acre of grass to plant and to be cut, I have an acre of my own. Think we can get 'em bth cut with say a 60 inch belly mower on a light Kubota than we can do either with my Sears 18 horse model that's about 25 years old. So, that's what I'm hunting, now.

1 year old's sick today, took the 3 year old to the toy store. Made me watch him play with everything in the store for about 3 hours. His mother called, where are you, said he didn't want to stop, she said tell him it's time to leave, told him, he looked around headed for a toy, to add to what we'd already picked, headed for the checkout.

Great little boy. One of 8 great reasons to stick around, 5 grands and their mothers.

I plan to be here a good while longer.

Cheers,

George

Hope you have some of your own toddling or scampering around. Or old enough to go shooting with you soon.

 

[Smokin_Gun]

I got mine from Lee .575" 500gr Minnie Ball... have had it for years, great mold not expensive.

 

[Low Key]

Chilled lead shot does contain antimony, which is a hardener, so hope you are not one of them who preaches "PURE LEAD" only. Elmer Kieth did not preach pure lead. It seems it is only the forums who DO preach pure lead.

George,

I didn't notice this thread until today...my condolences for your loss.

I've recently started casting my own balls. I've only done a few hundred and they're working out fine. I know that the lead you can pick up at a shooting range out of backstops and off the top of the ground will contain other metals as hardners (such as antimony and bismuth and maybe tin)? I've also heard a lot about not using wheel weights for casting lead because of these metals added as hardeners. Am I correct that of these different metals lead will melt at the lowest temperature? If so then would I be able to let these other metals rise to the top of the pot and skim them off to leave the lead more pure and softer? I don't really mind if a tiny bit of these stay in the mix, but I don't want to cast the balls so hard that they put undue stress on the rammer on my guns.

 

[arcticap]

500 grain Minnie

Here's a guy on auctionarms.com who has 4 different weights available and will mix and match. Here's his current auction that's about to expire, but he renews it all of the time, so search for all of his current auctions under his name.

http://www.auctionarms.com/search/d...al mini-balls. you get 100 pcs. free shipping