Author Topic: Hollow base bullet/mould for .38 Colt/.38Special R&D conversion  (Read 18550 times)

Offline Biermeister

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Good morning,
   Does anyone know of a mould for hollow base bullets to be used in .38 Colt/38 Special for Colt & Remington Conversions ?
   Picked up an 1861 Uberti Navy and ordered an R&D cylinder in .38 Colt. Can't wait till the cylinder comes. What kind of accuracy can I expect out this combination? I plan on using APP as the powder.  Can you shoot .38 special cowboy loads or do you have to use the shorter Colt cartridge? Thanks.
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Offline Cactus Cris

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Re: Hollow base bullet/mould for .38 Colt/.38Special R&D conversion
« Reply #1 on: February 28, 2007, 03:52:53 PM »
I use a Rapine HB mold that drops a 148 gr. RNFP HB.  Shoot them in a pair of 58's .36  short barrel w 15gr. 3f BP.  That is all ya can get into them.  The length is longer than normal & takes up the room.  I use regular 38 spl. cases.  By far the most accurate pistols that I shoot.  They are capable of one ragged hole at 20yds off a sand bag.  Plus they are a hoot to shoot. ;D
    Not sure where you can get Rapine molds anymore.  Someone will help here I'm sure.
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Offline Oldelm

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Re: Hollow base bullet/mould for .38 Colt/.38Special R&D conversion
« Reply #2 on: February 28, 2007, 06:52:32 PM »
CC.........thanks for posting that info on the 148gr hollow base from your Rapine mould. I haven't been able to find that mould, but I did pick up an old Lyman #358431  .38 cal mould that casts a 160gr Keith type hollow base SWC. I got it awhile back, and am just getting around to casting some bullets in soft lead. Here's a pic of what they look like.....

http://i2.tinypic.com/2yukfmp.jpg

....am lookin forward to trying them out, maybe I'll try your load of 15gr FFFg.

Here's an article that mentions the Lyman #358431..........

http://www.sixguns.com/crew/theme.htm



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Offline hellgate

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Re: Hollow base bullet/mould for .38 Colt/.38Special R&D conversion
« Reply #3 on: February 28, 2007, 11:25:42 PM »
The trouble with Lyman HB or HP molds is they are all single cavity and that makes for tedious casting. I like their 4 cavity molds and LEE 6 cavity molds so I can get 6 months worth of casting in one day. You may also want to look for swaged lead HB WC bullets. They are usually 148gr wad cutters and are fairly soft. Speer or maybe Hornady might make them in bulk.
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Offline Capt. Augustus

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Re: Hollow base bullet/mould for .38 Colt/.38Special R&D conversion
« Reply #4 on: March 01, 2007, 08:40:39 AM »
I've used the Hornady HBWC for quite some time.  I haven't done any accuracy tests but at SASS ranges it's done fine.  I seat it out about a 1/4 of the bullet length.  I also have had success with a regular .38 125 grain bullet in converted Uberti Navies, go figure.

Offline Grapeshot

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Re: Hollow base bullet/mould for .38 Colt/.38Special R&D conversion
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2007, 09:19:28 AM »
I've been using a Corbin Swage die set with my Single Stage Press.  Corbin Mfg Supplies out of Whit City, Oregon makes them for just about any press that's set up similar to the RCBS Rock Chucker.  Just tell them what you want and they will make it for you.  It's a bit pricy, but you can take any commercial bullet and modify it to a hollow based model with the use of an external punch and a point forming die in the shape and caliber you want.  Great for turning 148 grain HBWC's into HBRN, or HBRNFP, or HBSWC's the end result is only limited to your imagination.

I'm at work so I don't have acces to my Corbin litterature, but a google search should put you into their web site.

Found their web site: www.corbins.com

e-mail:  sales@corbins.com
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Offline Cuts Crooked

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Re: Hollow base bullet/mould for .38 Colt/.38Special R&D conversion
« Reply #6 on: March 01, 2007, 02:24:14 PM »
I've been using a Corbin Swage die set with my Single Stage Press.  Corbin Mfg Supplies out of Whit City, Oregon makes them for just about any press that's set up similar to the RCBS Rock Chucker.  Just tell them what you want and they will make it for you.  It's a bit pricy, but you can take any commercial bullet and modify it to a hollow based model with the use of an external punch and a point forming die in the shape and caliber you want.  Great for turning 148 grain HBWC's into HBRN, or HBRNFP, or HBSWC's the end result is only limited to your imagination.

<snip>
e-mail:  sales@corbins.com

Now that sounds fascinating! I have long followed threads, here and elsewhere, about the 38 conversions of C&B guns. I don't have any but like the idea. (I do have an open top in .38 special but it's not the same as the conversions) This looks like an ideal solution to the heeled/hollowbased bullet issue that comes with conversions.

Thanx fer the info, pard! It's a perfect example of what we're here for! 8) ;D
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Offline Biermeister

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Re: Hollow base bullet/mould for .38 Colt/.38Special R&D conversion
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2007, 12:33:40 PM »
Thanks  pards. Lots of good information. Think I will buy some hollow base wadcutters and see what works the best and go from there. Probably use APP as the propellant. Thanks again.
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Offline Halfway Creek Charlie

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Re: Hollow base bullet/mould for .38 Colt/.38Special R&D conversion
« Reply #8 on: March 05, 2007, 10:29:55 PM »
You can get the 38 hollow based bullets from Old West Moulds. Moulds also. Bernie Knowles is his name I buy my 44 Rem C.F. heeled outside lubed bullets from him and I'll be getting some 38's too as I just bought 2 1851 Navy's (pietta and one R &D Drop in Cylinder for one of them.

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Offline rifle

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Re: Hollow base bullet/mould for .38 Colt/.38Special R&D conversion
« Reply #9 on: March 06, 2007, 08:33:50 AM »
From what I understand using regular hollow based wadcutters can cause key hole yaw of the bullets when the barrels are left as is,percussion grooves and lands. The use of bullets that are regular shaped with hollow bases works well though. It stems from the thickness of the wadcutter skirts of the hollow base not flaring out well so the gases are sealed. The regular shaped bullets that are sold at River Junction and R&D(I think) have thinner skirts to the hollow bases so they open up and seal and are accurate. I've read that with the regular(not wadcutter) bullets and smokeless and blackpowder that the Rapine(mould) and River Junction bullets make the revolvers,as it reads in a couple of articles in gun magazines,"the single most accurate revolver I own". Well, it all has to do with the bullets skirt on the hollow base. The thin skirt seems to be the way to go with bullets. Actually since R&D lines barrels for the nominal 38 groove diameter at .357  pretty cheaply it's not a bad idea to just have the barrels lined to that size so regular,easily attainable, 38 bullets can be used. Authenticity may be a part of the equation so the hollow based or "heeled bullet" may be the only way to go for some Hombres. I like the idea of the heeled bullet since it can be had to fit the grooves without the barrel lining or the dependence on lead obstuation to fit the hollow base to the bore of an unlined percussion barrel. The cost of a heeled bullet mould and the custom crimp die that has to be used for heeled bullet may dissuade some. The hard core "authenticity" junkies may have to go the heeled bullet or hollow based bullet route. I think the heeled bullet was "the one" back in the day. Outside lubed and fittin the bore consistantly. I have a conversion that has the lined barrel. I can work up loads fer my little Colt Navy using any commercially available 38 pistol bullets. That's convienient but.....I just may have to get a standard "non lined" barrel and go the "heeled bullet" route.  There are moulds available. Single cavity. I don't really mind single cavity noulds. They are slow but so am I. I like the meditative qualities afforded a cast bullet aficionado. Hell...."back in the day" people bought loaded ammo at the hardware stores or trading posts or.....sat around the camp fire and painstakingly cast one bullet at a time with those moulds on the end of those tools that were made for reloading the ammo. The tools that sometimes came with the gun and were kept in the saddle bags with lead for reliable source of bullets. Anywhooo......when I first got my Navy Colt converted to cartridge and used wad cutter bullets the accuracy was horrible. Just plain ass horrible. They still hit the target at 20 and even 25 yards but hit sideways a lot.Key holes from the yaw caused by the bullet not sealing the bore. I didn't find any way to crimp a "heeled bullet" back then so I had my barrel re lined to .357. Well....I could say that the little Colt Navy is one of the most accurate revolvers I own. It has gotten rid of ground hogs digging holes in the hill behind the barn. It has put squirrel and rabbit delicacies on the supper table. It has erradicated marauding racoons eating all the dog and cat and chicken feed in the barn. It has provided hours and hours of fun plinkin when the wife aka "Junk Yard Dog" and I needed to kill pop cans. It's good fer lookin at too and carries well when out in the field. With the use of the short 38S&W cylinder(has a 38special cylinder too) it's easy to carry lots of cartridges too. I shoot 38 Colt cartridges from the 38special cylinder too. All 38 sized .358-359 bullets sold everywhere that shooting and loading supplies are available. I guess I'm saying,in a nut shell, that the lined barrel that shoots the .357-.359 bullets is the most convienient eway to go with a converted 36calibre revolver. Some people discourage the conversion of the percussions to cartridge. I don't but I can see the point. When someone asks,"why convert a perfectly good percussion revolver?" , I'm set aback for a second or two as my mind tries to justify the hassel and expense of a conversion. I usually say," well I guess I do it because it can be done". ;D  Side note.....I should add that I don't have an R&D conversion on my Colt Navy. I bought a kit in the form of the old "legal Defender",to convert the pistol, back in the mid 80's for $49.999. One just sold on e-bay for $192.00. I was shocked because the Legal Defender can be a pain to fit and the easier conversion of the R&D is only $225.00 and the easier Kirst conversion is $289.00 and those two have a loading gate contained in the conversion package. The legal Defender has no loading gate. A person has to keep the revolver pointed downward some when cycling the action.

Offline Muddog13A

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Re: Hollow base bullet/mould for .38 Colt/.38Special R&D conversion
« Reply #10 on: October 01, 2020, 11:49:06 AM »
Not too sure of that combo, However I got  good results with  their 1851 Navy, cavalry 7.5 inch barrel and  Remington 38 short colts, [ standard 125 gr lead rn, 3.2 grain powder charge, slow, ]  grouping 4 in a 3 inch group, with the 5 th at 5 inches , and all just left of the belt buckle, at 25 yards..not bad for the first ever on that pistol.  Takes time to get used to the pistol and sights, given  my older Navy  [ BP ] used a V notch opposed to the square sights on the back.


Offline Onty

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Re: Hollow base bullet/mould for .38 Colt/.38Special R&D conversion
« Reply #11 on: January 07, 2021, 10:55:08 AM »
Another source of high quality molds, including hollow base, is MP-Molds https://www.mp-molds.com/ . Look here https://www.mp-molds.com/bullet-casting-equipment/?pa_pb-bb-gc=hollow-base . They make so called Cramer style, from brass, 2 cavity and 4 cavity:



If you want solid base bullets from the same mold, just flip pins. Since points will be down and protruding, they could be easily damaged, so better options is to purchase additional flat base pins. Another possibility is to have some cavities FB, some HB, and cast both styles at the same time.

Everything mentioned about hollow base (HB) molds, works for hollow point (HP) also. Hollow point could be round style, pentagon, shallow or deep.

Of course, they make plane, solid base molds too.

One thing about MP-Molds, they make cavities by peripheral milling on CNC mill, so cavities are perfectly round. On top of that, mold could be made in various diameters; .357, .360, .362, etc, without additional cost. If you want something like that, contact them so they could make you one in a next run of the molds you want.

Offline Coffinmaker

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Re: Hollow base bullet/mould for .38 Colt/.38Special R&D conversion
« Reply #12 on: January 08, 2021, 11:03:29 AM »

 :)  Very Cool   ;)

I shoot Hollow Base bullets in my 1851 .36 Conversions.  Alas, store bought bullets.

 

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