Necessity is the mother.

Started by Baltimore Ed, October 06, 2021, 01:30:32 PM

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Baltimore Ed

Started on a primer oriented project last week. As I have twice as many small rifle/ pistol primers [9000] than I have large pistol primers I needed a way to use the small ones to stretch the large primers. Came up with 2 thoughts. I have 85 pcs of .455 MkII brass with small primer pockets, they drop into my Vaquero cylinders fine except for the occasional rim touching the center raised ratchet area. After numerous tries i have finally machined a .020 thick spacer to go between the thin case rims and cylinder but doesn't bind anywhere and the hammer sets the srp's off fine. I did turn down the raised ratchet a hair and replaced the too weak mainspring. Only made it a 5 shooter as it's kinda delicate. Need to make a couple more. I've blued it now.
The other idea was to get a .45 acp cylinder fit to my Vaquero to use the small primer 45acp cases [have 500 plus]. Knew I was saving those aggravating small primer cases for something. This way I can use small primers in my SA and DA revolvers and 1911 [WB] and lg primers in my rifle ammo. Instead of using 120 lg primers/shoot I'll use 60 small and 60 large. I just won the auction so the acp cylinder won't be here until next week. Hopefully things will get back to some kind of normal before we all are using airsoft.
"Give'em hell, Pike"
There is no horse so dead that you cannot continue to beat it.

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Baltimore Ed

I've figured out the machining technique on the shims and made a nicer one yesterday. Need one or two more like that. Now I have them in my two main 4.5 inch vaqueros. I had lightened to hammer springs to speed up my duelist shooting but found that they wouldn't set off the small rifle primers every time. Scrounged around in my spring box and luckily found one that was long enough to get two pcs 24 coils long. I used my drill press to install them. No way I could have done it by hand. They worked fine but felt too heavy so I clipped one coil off my Bowen tuned gun and one and a half off the stock gun. Both feel about the same and set off the harder primers fine. I did have to turn down the ratchet radius as it was interfering with the larger .455 rims on some of the chambers. Either differences in the brass or in the cylinder machining. My .45acp small primer brass came today so now I've got plenty for WB and will only need to use my large pistol primers in my cas rifle reloads.  Also found another box of .455 small primer fiocchi.
"Give'em hell, Pike"
There is no horse so dead that you cannot continue to beat it.

Baltimore Ed

The .45acp cylinder to be here Monday. It's in Raleigh. As the cylinders easily swap on my 3.5 in Birdshead and 7.5 in Vaqueros I'll try to fit this one to them. Shot some .45 acp srp loads in the AO 1911, gun ran fine and rang and clanged my steel.
"Give'em hell, Pike"
There is no horse so dead that you cannot continue to beat it.

Baltimore Ed

My 45acp cylinder finally arrived. Thought it was blued but now I think its matte stainless. Did Ruger offer a blasted finish .45acp single action? It fits except that the piece [collar?] the protrudes from the cylinder around the base pin is too short. With the gate open it spins fine but with the gate closed the cylinder is touching the bbl and partially binding. When I looked harder I saw where the collar? does not touch the frame. I did fire 5 rds of my small primer 45 acp loads through it ok. Any ideas on how to add a spacer to this? Some kind of endshake washer that I could epoxy on the cylinder?
I also built another nice shim for the .455 brass so both of my 4.5 in vaqueros will work with small primer .455 Webley.
"Give'em hell, Pike"
There is no horse so dead that you cannot continue to beat it.

Baltimore Ed

More investigation and feeler gauge measurements show that my cylinder window on my 3.5 inch is not true. With the slop in the 45colt cylinder there was no issues with cases rubbing but using the tighter fitting acp cylinder I'm having some binding on the top of the window. I think I need to remove a little bit more. While I'm increasing the distance from the chambered case and the frame I'm not increasing the distance between the case and firing pin. Once I get the frame right then I'll redo the s/s collar [red ring] that I built as I've shortened it too much so it's not doing anything.
"Give'em hell, Pike"
There is no horse so dead that you cannot continue to beat it.

Baltimore Ed

First thing, I did some horse trading and converted 2 bricks of cci small primers to cci large pistol primers. Might do one or two more. Made a second collar that is a tad longer but still having an issue. I have excessive play in the rear of the cylinder as the stop pushes up on the cylinder closing the cylinder gap. I found a piece of .250 in rod that fit in the cylinder and frame base pin holes. Tightened it up perfectly. No more binding. I've ordered a power custom base pin that's supposed to be .2495 dia. When I get the new base pin installed I'll see how it does.
"Give'em hell, Pike"
There is no horse so dead that you cannot continue to beat it.

Mustang Gregg

B Ed:

This is working for you and it's great!
What keeps the 0.020" shim from turning when the revolver is empty?

Much obliged,
Mustang
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Baltimore Ed

Nothing keeps it from turning. It's just sitting there, can't fall out. I might need to bump it with the bullet nose of my cartridge to align it with the chambers when i reload. I had thought about adding something to the chamber side of the solid spot to keep it from moving but decided it wasn't necessary. Going to try them out again next Saturday as that's our next shoot.
"Give'em hell, Pike"
There is no horse so dead that you cannot continue to beat it.

Baltimore Ed

My base pin showed today. Dropped right in. No more wiggle on the rear of the cylinder. With C45S loads I was still rubbing occasionally at the rear of the cylinder window, ten o clock ish. Hit it with a fine flat file, 180 and 220 grit paper. Tried some 45acp too. Seems to be 100% now. But I'm going to have to tinker with the head of the base pin. Its too big [and ugly] on my short bbl birdshead, can't remove the cylinder or eject brass. I might try shooting it at this weekends match and next week cut it back like the original base pin is made.
"Give'em hell, Pike"
There is no horse so dead that you cannot continue to beat it.

Baltimore Ed

Shot the first half the Saturday shoot with my shimmed .455 vaqueros but used the 45acp birdshead after lunch. Shot .45 Cowboy Special loads in it. Did fine. Ran my Model 24 Marlin pump and .45 1894 Trapper. Getting to really like that little rifle. Wore a frock coat for my pilgrim outfit. It was sunny but cold.
"Give'em hell, Pike"
There is no horse so dead that you cannot continue to beat it.

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