Sluggin' the Bar'l....???

[swampsavage]

1. I've never slugged the barrel on any of my firearms. I hear about it often but haven't a clue about how to go about it. For instance, how do I go about it on lever actions? Do I drive it all the way through from the muzzle? Same for revolvers.

2. I've tried to find egg sinkers the approximate size but all the ones I have are way off for the purpose.

If I can get the answer for #1 question I can probably cluge up a solution for #2...I can probably drill out a steel plate with bit diameters a bit oversize and drive the lead through first before slugging.

I currently have the following calibers to consider:

.30 - 92 yr old Win 94
.30 - 25 yr old Win 94
.30+ - Mosin Nagant
300 Savage
7X57 Mauser (Ruger No1)
280 Rem (Win M70)
405 WCF (Ruger No1)
45/70 - Pedersoli Sharps
44 Spl/44Mag - Ruger SBH, S&W Mod 24, 44 Mag Carbine (Ruger)
45ACP - Colt and Kimber 1911's

I have plenty of pure lead so could also make up rudimentary molds (see drilling steel plate above)

Any suggestions truly appreciated, especially re: the lever actions, revolvers, and auto's noted in question #1. I can deal with the single shots, bolt actions, and 45ACP's as I can drive the slug in and out from the same end.

[wallenba]

I have on occasion, stripped the jacket off of spent 45 slugs, squashed them into an H & I sizing die close to barrel diameter. Then "bumped" them with a hammer until they were bigger than bore. With a clean barrel, I then put a little vaseline in the muzzle and on the slug and tap it in with a hard plastic hammer. If it goes in good it will shave off a little ring of lead. With some dowel rods cut to various lengths tap it through, it does not take too much effort. Be sure to catch it before it hits the floor. If the bullet core is too big to fit in a die, flatten it on two sides with a hammer until it is long but square, and small enough to fit in the die.
Best is to buy some BP round balls of various sizes to have around.

[HangFireW8]

1. I've never slugged the barrel on any of my firearms. I hear about it often but haven't a clue about how to go about it. For instance, how do I go about it on lever actions? Do I drive it all the way through from the muzzle? Same for revolvers.

I've found that oversized slugs are usually not necessary. The process of pounding a lead slug through a bore is more than sufficient to cause the soft lead boolit to conform to the bore diameter.

I generally make 3 slugs per gun, muzzle, throat and through. I tape them to an index card and put them in a small file for future reference after measuring them. I copy the measurements over to the rifle log, the same log where I record all shots fired, scope or sight adjustments, any gunsmithing changes, etc.

The primary thing you need to slug bores is a strong metal rod of the right diameter. By right, I mean as little under bore size as possible without actually interfering with the rifling.

For slugging a rifle muzzle, it is pretty easy, put a little light oil in the barrel, tap a boolit into the muzzle with a brass hammer (just in case you slip) and then pop it out with a cleaning rod. Just how far depends on the amount of cleaning rod wear on the gun.

9For an old military gun cleaned by Privates, I might do two or three muzzle slugs, at increasing depths, to learn just how funnel-shaped the muzzle really is.)

For the lead/throat, do the same only use a short, strong rod. For a Marlin, it is pretty easy to drop the bolt and clean or slug it just like a bolt action. Not sure about a Winnie.

Use your long, strong rod just under caliber size to run one all the way through. Very lightly oil the bore with a oil-wet patch first. If you use a cleaning rod, you will probably destroy the cleaning rod, which might be OK if it is done anyway.

Revolvers are the same only you remove the cylinder completely, find a hunk of metal that fits inside, clamp it in a vise, set a boolit on it and push down the barrel onto it. For revolvers you'll also want to slug each cylinder, for that you really will need an oversized slug.

-HF

[mooman76]

You can make slugs easy by drilling into a good solid piece of wood like oak. Use that for a mould. I prefer not to use wooden dowel rods. If one splits and wedges under the slug you will play holy He!! trying to get it out. I use a soft steel rod wrapped with tape every so often. For pistol I use a piece of cleaning rod. Some prefer something softer like a brass rod. You can get the fairly cheap at Home Depot.

[mroliver77]

I just cast pure lead boolits. One can size them down by rolling between two pieces of flat steel or oak plank. You could turn a round ball into a cylinder this way also.
I also slug the throat section and fit boolit to it. You can find out the over all length of chamber to fit brass oal perfectly and also find he i.d. (o.d. of neck portion of case)of the neck portion to use in correctly fitting a boolit.With this info one sometimes finds they need a boolit much larger than the barrel slug would lead him to believe.
Jay

[ironhead7544]

I have used the slugs from LBT. Made specially for it. Works great. Check the website. I have also used soft cast bullets but the LBT slugs are a lot easier.

[mooman76]

Small roundballs work ideally. You don't need much and the bigger the object or bullet, the harder it is to slug through but certainly still doable.

[dicko]

[QUOTE=swampsavage;1047322]1. I've never slugged the barrel on any of my firearms. I hear about it often but haven't a clue about how to go about it. For instance, how do I go about it on lever actions? Do I drive it all the way through from the muzzle? Same for revolvers.

Some might call this reply blatant advertising. I prefer to think of it as market research. I have been a commercial bullet caster for the last coupla decades. Ex gunsmith, too. I am writing a series of E books, some firearm related, others about machining. Intend to sell via website not yet set up. Presently have two books complete, want to finish at least one more before starting website.

One of the two books is a little (12 page) volume about slugging barrels. Wrote it because I knew a lot of guys want to do it but don't know how. It is very easy. My book shows it in extreme detail, and explains how to measure odd groove barrels (5 and 7 groove slugs can't be miked). Am prepared to send it to you in return for two undertakings. First, that it not be sent to anyone else. Second, if you find it good, report that on this forum. If you don't find it good, by all means report that too.

My e mail address : boothroyd@polka.co.za

Dicko

[CHD]

I know this thread is a little old, but I've been chasing down the same questions and found this youtube video helpfull on how to make a slug to do the slugging with. I am cheap and dont want to go buy a box of balls for the one or two that I will need, thats why this solution seems so pertinent. Two part video... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuNoo4m6jso Ammosmith (on youtube) also has helpfull videos on the slugging process. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR_WiL8Dkgw

Good Luck.

[Papa smurf]

SWAMPSAVSGE ------- Papa Smurf here and I have never slugged a barrel either. Im 72 and 55 or so years ago, an oldtimer then told me to insert a cast bullet into the end of the barrel and if the forword part was a snug fit it would work just fine. This method has yet to fail me. I load mostly .30 cal and 8 mm rifles and .357 and 38 spl in handguns. Leading seems to be more of a bullet hardness and or a gas check needed or not problem. I'm shure this response will generate quite a few guys with varied results , all of them welcome . More info allways needed.
Good Shooting ------------------Papa

[FAsmus]

The job is really so simple!

Just take a normal cast bullet load, go out to the nearest deep snow drift and fire your bullet into it on a horizontal plain.

Go find the spent bullet. It will provide the most precise measurement of your barrel as can possibly be acquired anywhere, anytime. AND it will avoid hammering (shudder) anything through your wonderful barrel with a hardened rod of any kind!

The snow will stop the bullet in absolutely pristine condition - this is the time of year where plenty is available too!

By the way, testing a load in this way also will tell you lots of interesting stuff about gas-cutting of the bullet base (if you're using PB bullets).

Good evening,
Forrest

[Jim]

Yup, Forrest, that does work good! But, if it's July or you live in Florida, there might be a problem trying to find a user friendly snow bank.

[MtGun44]

It would seem that a hard and undersized boolit may well NOT have fully obturated to
fill the bore. With soft alloy, it should work - but there is the seasonal shortage of
snowbanks and long cycle time waiting for the spring thaw.

Soft round ball works fine. DO NOT use wooden dowels! Remove revolver cyl from gun
to slug.

Bill

[FAsmus]

Bill;

Sure-enough that any such test should start with something well oversize in the first place!


Jim;

I agree; ~ In some cases, where a test really needs to be done a fellow has to go somewhat above timberline to find a suitable snowdrift.

Good afternoon,
Forrest