Daddy Likes his 45colt 92

[donhuff]

After getting my new NOE mold and casting up a good supply of lead. I went out and shot a bunch on a few different trips to the range. I was disapointed a little cause I remembered my old blackhawk shooting better groups than I could get out of it with the new bullet. My 92 was doing good with the bullet but I felt that it too, was not getting the sized groups that I felt it should be getting.

I checked everything I could check on the two guns only to find that they were as they should be, and have been since I got them. The ruger is bout 30+ years old and I have had the R92 about a year. So that lead me to think that this new bullet was somehow the problem. I did not see how IT could be the problem as it was almost just like the old Lyman slug that I had been casting for a long time.

But that got me to thinking that maybe, it could be the cases and my loading process. I got the calipers and checked a bunch of my old brass and found that I had about .060 difference in the length of my brass. I don't sort brass for pistol rounds but just throw it all into one pile and load it up. Well, I looked it over and saw that I had more FC brass. I took all of the Federal empties and sized them, then deburred the flash hole and made sure that they all had the same size flash hole. Trimmed them all to the shortest length of the group, and deburred. Then I weighed a bunch of the bullets and took the biggest pile of the same weight +- 1/2 grain. Weighed my powder charges for 50 rounds (that takes too long, but I have an idea how to fix that). Assembled the hole mess with two different loads, and put a medium crimp on them.

Went to the range and was happily surprised right off the bat when the ruger shot groups "like it use to". So then I got out the 92 and shot a few @ 25 to make sure the Weaver scout scope was pretty close, before moving the target to 100 yards.

Boy was I glad to see it grouping better than I was expecting. I guess these lever guns respond to the same "tricks" that the bolt guns do ie....good, careful, reloading, and paying attention to the details. I only had time for these two targets before I had to get back to the house to go to the movies with the wife. I sure did want to stay longer though as I felt like I was on a roll and did not want to stop. I felt good about the Unique load but then when I shot the 2400 load, and three of them went into one hole, I was shocked!!! And I have to think that I am the fault for the two being a "pennys width" out from the other three in the cloverleaf.

[klr]

Nice work, Don. Thanks for sharing your experience. I always learn something from your posts. I bought a bunch of mixed once-fired .357 mag and now I'll trim before loading.

[akuser47]

Glad to see some rewarding results. thanks for sharing.

[Tuco Ramirez]

Yep little stuff can and will make all the difference in the world... I try to have a system of checking everything but still forget sometimes or get in a rush.

[picketpin]

Nice work and good Shootin'! It does feel good when a range trip proves you loads firearms and skills..


James

[mr surveyor]

uuuuhhhhh..... he missed the penny.....





JD

[akuser47]

uuuuhhhhh..... he missed the penny.....





JD

good one

[mr surveyor]

Don

I think you're on to something with the trimming. I have a thread concerning extreme spread in velocities where I thought my numbers were just a bit too high. Every charge was hand measured and all other factors the same .... other than brass length - which affected the crimp. I finally got around to trimming that same batch of brass and prepping it for loading the exact same loads to test again. I don't think the length itself was the culprit in my case, but how the length affected the crimp consistency. I had planned a range day for this past Saturday, but a buddy was having to beat the weather and install a septic tank and field lines .... looonnnnggg day (and we finished the absolute necessaries in the rain during the last couple hours of daylight). My son is planning to leave me stranded next week for his "sideline job", so I will probably be playing hookey from work for a couple of range days.

I'm really interested in the relationship of accuracy and velocity consistency as related to brass length and crimp consistency. I am somewhat anal about case length with my .30-30 brass, as I would be with any bottle necked brass, but really didn't consider the straight walled pistol brass needing that much attention. Now, I think it does.

JD

[Ranch Dog]

Great work Don, it looks like the bullet, rifle, scope, and your load work has paid off! What do those bullets end up weighing in at? Don't know if you are a whitetail hunter there in GA but if so, those bucks have something new to worry about!

Looking forward to your range report mr surveyor!

[donhuff]

uuuuhhhhh..... he missed the penny.....





JD

You SA
I'm gonna tape a penny to my next target and show you.....well maybe not. I'd probably spend all day out there trying to hit the dang thing.
Maybe I should start with a $20 bill, and work my way down