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Post by flyingzebra on Mar 20, 2021 19:19:49 GMT -5
I'd made a comment on a thread here regarding a brass maker and the 32-20 case. I noted that there wasn't any brass anywhere to be had. Someone sent me a message here offering a pocket full of brass and I jumped on it. I have very few pieces here in my stash. I figured today was a good enough day to take the 32-20 bin off the shelf and see what I have. This old family hand-me-down hasn't been on the daily driver rack since I got it. Bore is dark, and I didn't have enough supplies to make a serious effort to get it breathing. Since I was going to have a pot of bhn12 alloy going anyway for the 25-20, I figured I'd brush off a couple of ancient 32 caliber moulds too. I cast very few bullets, really just enough to get a handful of them to measure and size to see what would run in the Colt's chamber. It wants no more than .313 right now, but the chamber just might be scabby and want a brushing and polish. Here's one loaded that I'd typically just cull back into the pot, but since I had the rifle out it made sense to see if the bore would send it straight to the target without tumbling. That's cast from the Cramer 52D mould. It's a 95gr WFN, should give a good whack. The front sight is missing the bead finial of it's blade. Rifle hits high, but it's sending the neat little flat nose bullet straight on to the target. That's a good thing. Later today I'll probably add some alloy to the pot and get a proper heat on the mould, to cast a pile of those up to run in the coming week or so. That old rifle had spent a couple or three generations taking coastal blacktail and smaller game (the western coastal blacktail can be quite small, also quite good eating) until some time around the 60's or 70's when it was set up for hibernation. I'm not yet seeing a good reason why it should be kept in the cabinet for the duration. Maybe it'll get out for a critter-gittin' walk with me some time soon...
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Post by Encore64 on Mar 20, 2021 19:36:13 GMT -5
Excellent project and I sent you a text message...
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Post by ezekiel38 on Mar 20, 2021 20:37:03 GMT -5
How cool I want to follow this one along!
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Post by bullseye on Mar 20, 2021 22:05:21 GMT -5
Those old Lightning's were some really neat rifles! The Cramer 52D is an excellent bullet design & is replicated as the Saeco #325 these days... This will be a most interesting thread.
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Post by flyingzebra on Mar 20, 2021 22:46:21 GMT -5
Here's a better example of the two 32 caliber bullets that I've been handling today. I went back into the workshop to do a quick run with each mould at proper working temperature. The cherry number for the pointy one is 314-656, and the mould looks like a Cramer, but it doesn't have Cramer stamped on it. It comes out at 90 grains. It needs to be good and warm, and the pot needs to be running just over 700f in order to fill that little band in front of the crimp groove.
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Post by flyingzebra on Mar 22, 2021 21:08:52 GMT -5
Between yard and auto maintenance projects this weekend I was able to sift through some things in the loading room. Found a few pieces of virgin Star Line brass that was left over from a favor my dad did for a friend many moons ago before he passed away.
I also found a small stash of 100gr cast bullets from X-Treme Bullets, a local outfit. Nice little bullet. Kind of looks like a mini LFN, plain base hard cast etc.
Going through the manuals, I found a load at under 15000 CUP that's getting about 1250fps
That sounds about right for a 135 year old rifle.
I got the rifle to the shop today to polish the chamber and find a front sight blade. Found most of an old vintage Marble's tang sight that'll end up being perfect for this rifle. Had to lean on eBay for a part for it, but found what I need.
Got back to the hill, loaded a fresh piece of brass with one of the 100gr LFN bullets and chased rocks with a progression of that load to see how the chamber polish job affected things - success on all counts so far.
Wind up here is cold and snappy, from all directions. I won't bother with targets until at least the next calm day, but from what I'm seeing on squirrel trunk and rabbit head sized rocks, this is looking like it's going to work out.
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Post by flyingzebra on Mar 22, 2021 21:11:49 GMT -5
Here's that little 100gr LFN loaded for fur.
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Post by bushog on Mar 23, 2021 8:13:08 GMT -5
Is that pointy mold a Modern Bond?
I have a version of it.
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Lightning
Mar 23, 2021 9:39:34 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by flyingzebra on Mar 23, 2021 9:39:34 GMT -5
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Post by bushog on Mar 23, 2021 10:15:43 GMT -5
Yep!
Their molds are awesome!
I've got a pile of them.
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Post by bushog on Mar 23, 2021 11:33:57 GMT -5
Here's a pic of the 311-608 that I think you have as well and speaking of the .25-20, a 257-500 that casts a 61.3gn bullet from my 1:9 lino alloy.
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Post by patdaddy on Mar 23, 2021 19:35:53 GMT -5
I too have an old Lightning in 32-20 that i’ve yet to shoot. Also got my grandpas old ‘92 Winchester, and i’ve got a Low Wall coming. All in 32-20.
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Lightning
Mar 23, 2021 21:48:08 GMT -5
via mobile
Post by flyingzebra on Mar 23, 2021 21:48:08 GMT -5
Here's a pic of the 311-608 that I think you have as well and speaking of the .25-20, a 257-500 that casts a 61.3gn bullet from my 1:9 lino alloy. My mould is marked twice, one above the other. N-311-656 E-314-656 From what I see on the page that I linked, those designations are identical, one listed in the class for 32-20 and the other for the 32 S&W Long, either listed as a 101gr bullet, although I think the bullets came out at 90 grains. The descriptions on the catalog pages suggest 1:20 for the pistol bullet and 1:15 for the rifle bullet. I'm using wheel weights with added tin via tin/copper solder wire added to the pot.
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Post by bushog on Mar 24, 2021 11:58:26 GMT -5
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Post by bullseye on Mar 24, 2021 17:56:51 GMT -5
Greg, I'm jealous of your MB 257-500... I've been searching for a mold for a long time for my Marlin 1894CL that prefers bullets in the 60-70gr range.
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