So Someone Tell Me About Cutting an 11° Forcing Cone

[Cholla]

I love working on firearms and lately handguns. It's my understanding that a "true" forcing cone is desireable so I'd like to cut the cone on a couple of my .44 Specials. I've been to Brownell's website looking at the tools but they offer several cutter diameters. Is the diameter of the cutter dictated by the diameter of the barrel at the forcing cone?

Thanks in advance for any help!

Cholla

[sackpeterson]

Measurement of the breech width would dictate the width of the breech face cutting attachment. You often true this up when you recut the forcing cone, and the face cutter comes in their standard kit.

Off the top of my head I can’t visualize why there would be a width spec for the 11% cutter attachment that cuts that edge in the breech itself, this being the actual ‘forcing cone’. Typically the one cutter is suitable for any barrel between say .30 and .45.

I have the general purpose Brownell’s set. It works very well.

[bradshaw]

Cholla.... "I'd like to cut the cone on a couple of my .44 Specials."

Sounds ominous. At the least, ARBITRARY. As though all factory forcing cones somehow are crooked, out-of-round, rough, or not deep enough. Note I did not say TOO DEEP, as that is a common offense. How do you cure an overly deep forcing cone by cutting it? And how do you hand hold a tool like a cleaning rod and true a crooked cone? Wouldn't the cutter want to follow the imperfection?

First order of business, if you're worried about your collection of cones, is to look at each individually, carefully, preferably with an Optivisor or magnifying glass, with an eye to roughness, tool marks, or asymmetrical depth of cut. Then and only then should you consider "improvement." Before embarking on remedial action, target revolver as deliberately as possible at minimum 25 yards. Keep and notate targets.

The job of the forcing cone is to guide the bullet----without shaving----into the rifling. As not all chamber exits line up perfectly with the bore, some forcing cone is necessary. The less the better. In an ideal world, the bullet glides through a chamber exit (throat), bullet diameter or barely greater, and enters the rifling perfectly straight. The forcing cone cannot straighten a tipped bullet. A crooked or oversize forcing cone can tilt a straight bullet.

A revolver bullet carries a huge responsibility to tune chamber-to-bore alignment. A bullet which slip-fits the chamber exit enjoys heal support as the shoulder enters the barrel. Manufacturers like to argue that the bullet helps to align the chamber to the bore. I expect this is true, but the transition is apt to take a toll on the bullet's shape and balance.

Many relationships affect revolver accuracy. Plainly, a revolver with a harmony of firm tolerances----firm groove diameter and chamber exits; close chamber-to-bore alignment; concentric, smooth, preferably short forcing cone----should deliver match accuracy. Some things are less important than others----a revolver with .005 to .007" chamber offset (misalignment) may, in the presence of a superb barrel with short forcing cone, print 2-inch groups at 100 yards.

Study the subject. Study includes cool shooting technique and the TARGET. The target is your friend. Even as it tells you what you don't want to see. The target is where practice and theory are proved, or disproved.

All of which is to say, the forcing cone is a very serious component of revolver accuracy.
David Bradshaw

[bradshaw]

Cholla.... to address your original question, "About Cutting an 11-degree Forcing Cone," the .44 Specials you mention may have the 11-degree cone. It is the industry standard, a detail seemingly missed in articles published over the last third century advocating "home improvement' of the forcing cone.

To express my reservations another way, a home-brewed forcing cone job raises more questions than it answers, and would kill my interest in a used gun so "improved."
David Bradshaw

[sathington]

The Internet has led me to believe that an 11degree forcing cone is superior to the angle the come with from the factory, which is 5 or 8, if I recall.

Is that truly the case, or just a ruse to sell forcing come cutters? I'm genuinely curious and inexperienced all at the same time.

On an aside, I truly appreciate reading everyone's posts here. They are very insightful and from the mouths (minds?) of folks who are truly experienced in the ways of sixgunning.

[sathington]

Posted while Mr. Bradshaw was posting and got an answer. Sorry for the redundancy and thanks for the answer.