Slugging a barrel

[Bavarianbrit]

I finally got my old .318 diameter? 8x58R Sauer back from my gunsmith on Thursday. Muir had told me to slug the bore to be sure of the diameter . So I took a soft .38 lead cast bullet left over from before the pistol ban (ask your grandfather) filed it off a little to reduce the diameter then tapped it into the chamber leade with a short steel undersized rod about 8 inches long, the barrels underlug was held in a metal vice with copper protection the barrel was held vertically off the floor the muzzle resting on a thick wooden box below for resistance. I had some 6mm stainless rod longer than the barrel so I took out the short rod inserted the long rod with some clear Sellotape wrapped around the tip to up the diameter and keep it centralized for protection to the rifling. The bore had been deep cleaned for a half hour first of course. The tapping seemed to be giving the same resistance all the way down to the muzzle so it seems to be nice and parallel or worn equally!!. Here is the slugged bullet.

 

[moeggesit]

I often use oversized round balls, or if I don’t have any of a suitable size, any other undersized pistol bullet compressed until it is oversized. Never thought of filing it down though.. once sized, it should really pass through quite easily with a cleaning rod though. Good luck finding bullets.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

I often use oversized round balls, or if I don’t have any of a suitable size, any other undersized pistol bullet compressed until it is oversized. Never thought of filing it down though.. once sized, it should really pass through quite easily with a cleaning rod though. Good luck finding bullets.

H&N copper plated lead bullets are cheap but are .323 diameter, they draw down to .318 when lubed very well with no deformation.

 

[moeggesit]

H&N copper plated lead bullets are cheap but are .323 diameter, they draw down to .318 when lubed very well with no deformation.

Sounds like plan, I imagine you still have to limit the velocity? I’ve used plated bullets but never past 1200fps.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

Sounds like plan, I imagine you still have to limit the velocity? I’ve used plated bullets but never past 1200fps.

Correct, H&N state they are not to be shot over a stated velocity. As this drilling is ca. 1920 the velocity should anyway not go over 575 M/S 1880 FPS for the 8x58R Sauer calibre. A short range deer calibre only.

 

[Bavarianbrit]

I just obtained 19 berdan primed once fired 8x58R Sauer cases so to deprime them I had an idea.
The seating dies are always made slightly oversize compared to the sizing dies so I put my CH4D seater die upside down in my press so that the base was 5mm over the 7/8x14 thread then locked it down with a standard nut. The slightly tapped the case into the die and then with a garnish awl tapped at 45 degrees into the primer sideways while levering down on the awls handle at the same time, it worked a treat with no damage to the primer pockets. This trick would work on any berdan case. Now I need to find the right primers or mod/reduce them with .22lr case as sleeves to take boxer primers with a drilled centre flash hole.

 

[Smellydog]

You be careful filing that toxic lead!

 

[Stalker62]