Because I Can

Jim Taylor
[subject]
Thursday, October 25, 2018, 10:54 (2873 days ago)

I get weary of politics and all the crap that goes along with it so I retreat to my loading bench and do STUFF!

Like reloading Heel Bullets in the .44 Special.
Why?
Because I can. Ha!

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The bullet is the old Lyman bullet for the .44 American. It is actually .45 caliber. Lyman no longer produces the mold that I know of, but there are bullet casters who will sell you the finished product.

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For the .44 Special I trim just a bit off the cartridge. Since the heel bullet is the same diameter as the cartridge, if you don't trim it a bit it is a little hard to load in some chambers. Some guns are chambered a bit long and the full length cartridge will work, but it's iffy.

Using the full length cartridge loaded with the heel bullet, it works just fine in a .44 Magnum chamber.

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The bullet is simply shoved into the cartridge once the powder has been added and it's ready to go. The bullets do need lubed. For those who powder coat, it would work really well. I normally use Lee Liquid Alox.

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These bullets are loaded to 700 to 800 fps. I use a light change of either Bullseye or Unique.

Once you have fired the cartridges in your gun, all you need to do to reload them is de-prime and prime the cartridge, add the powder and hand-seat the bullet. The cartridges never need resized if you keep the velocities low to moderate.

What are they for?
Fun.
Why do it?
Because I can.

There is no practical reason other than the enjoyment of messing around with favorite guns.

I love it!!!

bigboar
[subject]
Thursday, October 25, 2018, 11:05 (2873 days ago) @ Jim Taylor

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Does the .38 pistol get it's name from

WB
[subject]
Thursday, October 25, 2018, 12:50 (2873 days ago) @ bigboar

the heeled bullet, same diameter as the case at around .380? Or is it the .375 diameter bulleted ".36 Cap & Ball" adapted to heeled bullet rimfire (.380)?

The truth is mixed up in there someplace.

Maybe certain numbers are more acceptable?

Jim Taylor
[subject]
Thursday, October 25, 2018, 13:35 (2873 days ago) @ WB

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I've always wondered...

WB
[subject]
Thursday, October 25, 2018, 11:07 (2873 days ago) @ Jim Taylor

so the "press fit" on the bullet is enough tension to prevent the low recoil from walking them out of the cases? I bet you could use some type of glue too if you really needed it.

IN this situation upon firing the bullet quickly gets sized down the the chamber throat diameter? Say from .450 to .431", then mashes down a .429" deep lands bore?

I figure it works in that mashing down direction. I can attest the converse does not work as well. As in old Colt .41's. Still I was able to get 5-6" groups at 30 yds. rattling a .386" through .403" throats then down a .401" bore. Exactly the opposite your example.

It can't move because of the "step" in the chamber

Jim Taylor
[subject]
Thursday, October 25, 2018, 11:24 (2873 days ago) @ WB

Where the chamber goes from cartridge diameter to bullet diameter.

I have only shot about a half million of these in one form or another ... started with them when I was 15 ... 57 years ago.

We had one cartridge that was reloaded 1200 times

Jim Taylor
[subject]
Thursday, October 25, 2018, 11:28 (2873 days ago) @ Jim Taylor

and was never resized from the initial time. Low pressure.. no crimp .. cartridge never wears out.

I first read of this in an article by Val Forgett (sp?)

WB
[subject]
Thursday, October 25, 2018, 12:46 (2873 days ago) @ Jim Taylor

when I was about 15 yrs. old. He spoke of shooting old Rolling Block Remington .50 cal. pistols. He used BP and .50 cal. RB. Only had a wood block with a hole in it and a ground nail for loading equipment. Forget what case he used. He had made a powder dipper/measurer from another case. I guess cut down .50-70 boxer cases.

A friend has several of the centerfire .45-70 Govt. (literally) cases that look smooth or rimfire. I told him they were worth quite a bit each to collectors. Bet him he had $1000 worth of antique ctgs. in that old ammo can. His dad was a member of the Ctg. Collectors Assn. and had passed on. He didn't know what he had.

I needed some .41 Colt bullets one time and didn't have any. I had cases so I loaded some "blanks" with dacron ahead of the powder. Looking over my bench I found some .40 S&W cast bullets with a steep ojive. I stuck it in the .41 Colt case backwards! It was a .401" bullet anyway. Loading them single shot they did great! The .41 Colt has smooth chambers since originally the Colt used heel bullets too. Only later they switched to a hollow base .386" which fit inside the case. Being soft lead the inertia, likely more than gasses, upset the bullet to mostly fill that .401" bore.

What fun on a rainy cold day.

I've shot 44's out of the 45 Colt

Jim Taylor
[subject]
Thursday, October 25, 2018, 11:34 (2873 days ago) @ WB

with about the same results.

Nicely done Jim.

SPB
[subject]
Thursday, October 25, 2018, 11:17 (2873 days ago) @ Jim Taylor

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I was in error about the bullet .. it's for the Colt 44

Jim Taylor
[subject]
Thursday, October 25, 2018, 11:26 (2873 days ago) @ Jim Taylor

not the S&W. It is Lyman #430185

Targets

Jim Taylor
[subject]
Thursday, October 25, 2018, 11:30 (2873 days ago) @ Jim Taylor

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