Slugging barrel alternative

[robertbank]

Have a .455 Webley I want to slug. As an alternative I thought I would try shooting a bullet into a large pail of water. How much water in depth do you think it would take to stop the bullet. I have one pail about 2.5 ft deep.
Hope this doesn't qualify for the dumbest question asked!

 

[grendelbane]

I doubt that 2.5 ft of water will stop a non-expanding pistol bullet, though it would stop a great many hollow points.

Your approach to slugging a barrel is interesting, but it is not unusual for soft lead bullets hitting a hard substance, (which water is at that velocity), to deform somewhat. This might mess up the plan.

The very lightest powder charge might work. I once cut out the bottoms of 2 liter soft drink bottles and stacked them up 3 high to get water to shoot into. It worked, but was awful messy.

 

[robertbank]

Hi

Thanks for the reply. Yes, I expect it to be a bit messy alright. Might try 2 1/2 ft of water with a towel at the bottom of the pail. Should work...I hope.

 

[cropcirclewalker]

How aboutcha go to yer local hardware store, buy like a 6 foot chunck of 6" pvc pipe and a glue on cap.

Maybe steel pipe would be better. Just in case the water deflects the bullet on impact.

 

[robertbank]

cropcirclewalker

Why are the simplist solutions so difficult for such a twit like me to figure out? Thanks and that is exactlly what I am going to do. Hope there is a place in heaven for those of us who are so mechanically inclined!

 

[joeyt]

Easy way to slug barrel

The last time I slugged a barrel I tapped a lead bullet down the barrel with a wooden dowel. Seemed to work pretty well.Joeyt

 

[Jim Watson]

It's not as easy as they show on CSI.

I once shot a hole in the bottom of a 30 gallon garbage can with a .380 JHP that didn't expand, although the .38 Special LHP had mushroomed and settled to the bottom beautifully.

I once tried squibbing a .44 Russian specimen bullet with about a grain and a half of powder and a box of rags. Boy, that was loud in the basement.

A lead ball to get a short bearing surface for easy driving and a 7/16" (11mm) rod or hardwood dowell would be more manageable; for me at least.

 

[cropcirclewalker]

for curiosity's sake, the other day when I was in Lowes getting some lead free solder, I strolled over to look at the pipe. 10 ft. section of 4" PVC was like $21.00 Not counting the cap it could be a high price to pay for a long deep bucket of water.

 

[JNewell]

Betcha firing into the PVC tube will blow the tube up like a grenade...

I'd try, maybe, firing the bullet with only a primer. Heck, many handloaders do this, unintentionally. It's unlikely (but you are on your own here) to exit the muzzle and the worst case in the other direction is that it doesn't make it past the forcing cone and you don't get your econoslug. Likely result is that it gets part way down the bore and you get what you wanted.

As I said, though, you're on your own here...nothing on this page has the ring of authentic safety (there's a reason they sell those slugging kits!).

 

[BluesBear]

Easy bore slug

I use an old cartridge case slightly larger in diameter than the barrel I want to slug.

Cut the head off of the case so you only have a hollow brass tube remaining.

Set the tube upright on a heat resisnet surface. I use an old 3" square ceramic tile.

Take a crayola crayon. Melt it with a propane torch and let it drip intp the case.

Slide the plug out while still warm and after it completely cools tap it through your CLEAN barrel with a wooden dowel.

Measue it with your micrometer.



Yes, a Crayola IS much better than the generic crayons from IHOP.

No, candle wax or parafin is too soft.

Why? Because the crayon wax is hard enough to hold a true diameter yet will easily shave down to size to fit through the barrel.

IF The barrel is CLEAN you won't end up with a wax buidup in your bore.