[skmarsh77]

Can sombody tell me how to slug a barrel? I am getting an 1895 ss and it has the microgroove barrel. I have read that it will shoot cast bullets but you need to slug the barrel first. how do you do this and is it something I should do or a gunsmith?

 

[papajohn]

I just slugged my 375 barrel (again) the other day, took about ten minutes. I found a soft lead bullet, which happened to be a .358" lead round nose, and stuck it in a vise to fatten it up to about .381" diameter, via trial-and-error. When it was the right size, I used a brass hammer to tap it into the bore from the loud end. (It helps to taper the plug a bit to get it started). As it entered the barrel, I used a piece of wooden dowel rod to push it deeper, feeling for loose/tights spots around the lettering. There were none, much to my delight. When the plug fell into the chamber area, I carefully extracted and measured it SEVERAL times, to get reliable readings. The fattest part is your groove diameter, the thinner areas are the land diameter. Ideally, you want a bullet that's 0.001-0.002" bigger then the higher number. In a .357" bore, that's a slug of .3585" or so. In a 45/70 you might get a bore diameter of .4575 or so, so a bullet of .459 to .460 should work well, depending on the alloy and the hardness.

Keep the questions coming. There's enough experience (far exceeding mine) on this forum to overthrow several European countries, using nothing more than Reloder Seven and lead bullets! ;D

 

[keyston44]

The only other thing I would add to what papajohn said is, lube the barrel and slug really good before starting. For the soft lead part, I went to walmart in the fishing section and picked up a multi pack of assorted sized egg shaped lead slip sinkers. Make sure you use the lead ones and not the other ones they sell.

Key

 

[Floridamarlin]

thanks boys, this is why i am a memeber here..... so much knowledge... I'll be slugging mine this weekend. Been wanting to shoot cast bullets for a while anyway to save on money.

Ozzie
South Florida

 

[35remington]

Don't be discouraged If the resultant slug is hard to measure,because it will be. Microgroove rifling is much smaller than the flats on micrometer or caliper anvils and the resulting slug is difficult to measure groove to groove....typically you will find a measurement that will seem smaller than it should be. If a 45-70, a .460 to .461" bullet will be workable in all instances.

 

[swany]

This is well covered in the gunsmithing stickies, with a couple of links with pictorials.

http://www.marlinowners.com/forums/index.php/topic,28098.0.html

 

[44-40 Willy]

I slugged my 44-40s with .454 round balls for my 44 cap and ball revolvers.

I was looking at egg sinkers the other night at WalMart to use to slug my 357s (did it once before, but didn't write down the results) and couldn't find lead sinkers at all. Everything was "lead free". Guess I need to go find a tackle shop. Either that or stop by Dixie Gun Works next time I'm up that way and pick up some appropriate sized round balls.

 

[StretchNM]

I slugged my 35Rem, 30-30, and 44mag the other day. The only thing I can add is to put a piece of cloth down in the open action to catch the slug. I know it doesn't fall very far from the chamber to bolt, but it just seems to me it could get dinged. So I soften the landing for mine, just to be on the safe side when it comes time to measure.

I oiled my bores and slugs and in one of the rifles I used some grease on the slug. Then I read an article to use a "very light coat of WD40" and nothing more. I think the reasoning was that the thickness of the grease or a heavy oil might affect the accuracy of the slugging job. I don;t know - it's just what I read.

One thing I've been told (and I heeded it): use a thimble micrometer for measuring, not calipers. THe micrometer is more accurate.

 

[ksJoe]

Here's something to read before slugging:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=102629

Just do it carefully

 

[SgtDog0311]

If you'd like to add a visual there are some good YouTube videos on the topic. I came across the concept in the M14 forums while getting ready to reload for that weapon and got pointed there somewhere in the process. Never did try it myself though.

SgtDog