Cas City Forum Hall & CAS-L
Special Interests - Groups & Societies => Spencer Shooting Society => Topic started by: Four Sixes on March 08, 2010, 07:20:39 PM
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Howdy,
I am looking for reloading die for my original spencer rifle. I slugged the barrel and the bullet diameter from lane to lane is ~ 0.534". Where can I get the right neck-expanding die? Can I use the starline 56-50 brass? My original spencer rifle can cycle the 56-50 brass without any problem. My question is whether it is safe to use it. Thanks!
Four Sixes
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Your spencer is a 56-56 this cass is shorter than the 56-50 ,Buffalow Arms sells the casses ,the bullet is a heal based boolit ,56-56 boars are slitly taperd genraly starting at around .545 and tapering to .535 for best acuracy get the .546375 rapine heal based mould if you can , the Buffalow Arms cases are made for this mould ,CH dies makes dies for the 56-56 ,good luck
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You'll have a problem with feeding using 56-50 cases and heeled bullets. The OAL will be too long. You will need to trim them back a little to get a good length (about 1.625" works well in my 56-56) CH-4D makes 56-56 dies. They are available from Buffalo Arms, and probably other places too.
What I do is start with cut down 50-70 cases and make 50 carbine brass. When the necks split, I cut them back to 56-50. When they split again, they get shortened to 56-56. When they split again, they get shortened one last time and become 56-56 Ballard (which likes cases shorter than the Spencer).
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Got the 56-56 brass and reloading die from buffalo arms, they ain't cheap. Will buy the 50-70 brass next time and cut them down myself to save some $$$...Still no luck in finding the mold for my spencer rifle. If anyone is selling their rapine mold, please let me know. Thanks.
Have a wonderful Easter!
4-sixes
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Need help in reloading the original spencer rifle!
I can't close the brench after I placed an empty 56-56 brass (50-70 cut down brass from buffalo arms) into the chamber. The end of the brass stick out a bit. The spencer is marked 1860 on top of the receiver area.
Also, I can't expend the 56-56 brass to 0.546" using the CH-4D expending die. I have to turn the die so deep that it ruined one of the 56-56 brass (bulging the middle of the brass). The expender die was marked 517 on top
Any suggestion on how I could make it work?
4-sixes
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Four Sixes,
You might want to take your last post in this thread and use it as a basis for starting a new thread with a different title more in tune with what help you're looking for. This might help you to get more responses from SSS members.
Two Flints
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Need help in reloading the original spencer rifle!
I can't close the brench after I placed an empty 56-56 brass (50-70 cut down brass from buffalo arms) into the chamber. The end of the brass stick out a bit. The spencer is marked 1860 on top of the receiver area.
Also, I can't expend the 56-56 brass to 0.546" using the CH-4D expending die. I have to turn the die so deep that it ruined one of the 56-56 brass (bulging the middle of the brass). The expender die was marked 517 on top
Any suggestion on how I could make it work?
4-sixes
with your brass not fiting you will have to check rim diameeter,should be around .64 inch and over all lenth of the cass,I belivethe Buffalow arms cases are slitly longer than the original casses so they properly fit the Rapine 56-56 healed bass boolit. you do not expand cass mouth to 0.546 as the 56-56 was desighned for a healed bass boolit , the CH dies expand fine for this but you will have to get the proper mould or boolits,are your dies defintly 56-56 and not 56-50
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with your brass not fiting you will have to check rim diameeter,should be around .64 inch and over all lenth of the cass,I belivethe Buffalow arms cases are slitly longer than the original casses so they properly fit the Rapine 56-56 healed bass boolit. you do not expand cass mouth to 0.546 as the 56-56 was desighned for a healed bass boolit , the CH dies expand fine for this but you will have to get the proper mould or boolits,are your dies defintly 56-56 and not 56-50
Thanks Herbert...The rim diameter of the 56-56 brasses are close to 0.64". it appears the rim thickness of the 56-56 brass is thicker than the 56-50 brass (which I could insert the 56-50 brass into the spencer rifle and close the breech). Since I don't have the rapine 0.546 healed mold, I am stuck from making any bullet :(
Any suggestion on how to thin the rim thickness?
4-sixes
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before you thin the rim check the size of the head of the cass just in front of the rim it should be no more than 0.559 inch ,some 50-70 casses can be a bit biger stoping the cass going all the way in ,this has hapened to me and i thined the rim a couple of though with no inprovment till i relised the real problem,but if you have to thin the rim a lathe is realy the way to do it whith 50-70 brass you can take a couple of though of the face of the rim then youse large pistol primers but you have to be precice or the primers will sit proud(VERY DANGROUS) I would fist try rounding of the edge of the rim if it has not allready been dun then if they still do not fit tell Buffalow arms about the problem with the casses also check weather the chamber ia free of burs dry firing has damaged a lot of these old guns around the chamber ,yously easly removed with a metal scraper
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Hi Herbert,
The base is 0.559 in the 56-56 brass. But the rim is measured as 0.062 (56-50 rim measured as 0.057 which I could close the breech block). I am screwed since I don't have lathe to do the job :(
Trying to get the original spencer to fire is tougher than I could manage...LOL
Called Buffalo arms today and is waiting for their reply...hope they will call me back and give me some suggestion.
4-sixes
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Hi Herbert,
The base is 0.559 in the 56-56 brass. But the rim is measured as 0.062 (56-50 rim measured as 0.057 which I could close the breech block). I am screwed since I don't have lathe to do the job :(
Trying to get the original spencer to fire is tougher than I could manage...LOL
Called Buffalo arms today and is waiting for their reply...hope they will call me back and give me some suggestion.
4-sixes
somtimes but not always starline 56-50 brass cut to lenth anealed and fireformed will work ,i would give this a go before i gave up on the brass ,if it extracts after fierforming it will be the simpelest way ,you can youse any boolit that will fit in the cass mouth to fierform as acuracy does not mater,then maybe somone could give you a few healed based boolits to make up some cartriges ,till you can find a mould,dont give up the end will be very satisfying
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http://www.neihandtools.com/catalog.html
Go to page 14
I looked in at NEI Handtools, Inc. Their .525 - 379C looks like it is intended for the .56-50. Don't know, but if a Rapine mould can't be located give them a call.
NEI also shows a .540-440-SH, which appears to be a heeled bullet.
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4-6's
If you can't close the breech on a Buffalo Arms 56-56 case (cut down 50-70s), then that is an issue. They should fit just fine.
My experience with the cut-down Starline 56-50 brass was that it was too small to extract properly in my 1860R. When I cut down my own 50-70's, I wound up filing down the back to get them to fit, because the head spacing was too big. The same rifle took the Buffalo Arms brass with no issues.
Let me see if I have anything still in the basement - I may have some brass or a dud round floating around. I sold my rifle and kit last year (to get an Evans), but I think I might have something.
If you want the 535xxx mold from Rapine - find the guy's phone number and call. I talked with him last year, and he was still in business, and may have one on the shelf, or can crank one out for you. I was very pleased with the mold.
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the NEI 540-440-SH boolit is for the percusion Sharps and has a pointed nose so i would not youse it ,the .525-395 is the best designed boolit i have seen so far for the original 56-50 Spencer,I think i have to have one,If you can get in touch with Rapine bullet mould ,the number i hav yoused was(215)679-5413 though if he has retired it probly not working now ,I would try to get the .546375 mould as the 56-56 bore is slitly taperd yousl starting at around .545 and tapering to around .530 ,so you will get beter acuracy and less leading with the slitly larger boolit
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Thank you all for your suggestions. Will check out the NEI mould.
Hi Bead Swinger, please let me know what you could find in your basement :)
Trying to test the CH-4D 56-56 die last night using both 56-50 and 56-56 brass with no success. Doesn't crimp well...don't know why ??? Please if anyone have some extra 56-56 cast bullets lying around, send me an email...thanks!
Well, will reload some ammo for my repro 56-50 rifle instead for some needed "boom therapy" this weekend...hahaha ;D ;)
4-Sixes
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Howdy, Pards,
This may NOT be much help as Lyman no longer makes the mould I use (533476AX), but the principle might help if you can locate the right mould or have one made. When I discovered that M1860 carbines have a tapered bore, going from about .545" just ahead of the chamber to .535" at the muzzle (22" barrel), and I did NOT want to use heel bullets, I discovered that using hollow based bullets with a cast diameter of about .538" and the inside of the case necks reamed for about .004" smaller than the bullets (I used cut down .50-70 cases, which make the walls thicker at the resultant new mouth of the .56-56 cases), would allow the rounds to chamber (I sometimes had to run the finished round partly into the sizing die), and produced quite acceptable accuracy, even using smokeless powder! With BP and a .535" bullet the hollow base slugs should expand into the grooves.
BTW, FWIW, and while I do NOT necessarily recommend the use of smokeless powder in these original guns, I have found that the internal volume of cut down .50-70 brass (Dixie Gun Works older stuff), and the Relative Sectional Density (weight in grains, divided by 7000, divided by the square of the diameter of the bullet) of most of the suitable bullets are very close to those of the .45 LC! A commonly quoted charge of Unique produced velocities in the 850 ft/sec range for the 411 gr. bullet. BTW, I cast these out of #2 alloy, rather than softer, as I seem to get better results! IMR 4227 also produced good results with this bullet design.
Regardless of what loads you use, you must crimp the case mouth firmly, and prolonging case life of cut down .50-70 brass requires annealing the upper half of the case. I set UNprimed brass on top of a pill bottle, filled with water so it won't float, set in a pot of water so that the lower half of the case is submerged. The pot is on a lazy susan, so I can turn it by hand. I use a propane torch aimed at the case mouth and what is above water level. I turn the lazy susan and when the case discolors (it probably will NOT turn "cherry red"), knock the case off the pill bottle into the water to quench in the anneal.
As long as you don't try to magnumize the loads, you can get pretty good results using CAS-level data for .45 LC for the .56-56 and .56-50. [I can assume no responsibility for the use of the above information in guns other than my own, and maybe not then!
Hope this helps.
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Thank you all for your suggestions. Will check out the NEI mould.
Hi Bead Swinger, please let me know what you could find in your basement :)
Trying to test the CH-4D 56-56 die last night using both 56-50 and 56-56 brass with no success. Doesn't crimp well...don't know why ??? Please if anyone have some extra 56-56 cast bullets lying around, send me an email...thanks!
Well, will reload some ammo for my repro 56-50 rifle instead for some needed "boom therapy" this weekend...hahaha ;D ;)
4-Sixes
this another problem with the 56-56 a crimp is hard to managre ,the boolit is the same diameter as the outside of the cass,i have found with the proper healed boolit after loading you remove the decaping rod from the full lenth sizer and run loaded cartriges through this die works very well or you could get a custom crimp die made simular to the lee factory crimp die ,i did this for my Evans and it works very well
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Thanks Herbert and Trailrider for the tips :)
Here is another dumb question I have...if the barrel is tappered from 0.546" in the chamber to 0.535" at the muzzle...will the 0.546" bullet get stuck in the middle of the barrel or blow up the barrel???
Has anyone try the Lee 54 cal R.E.A.L bullet, resizes it down to 0.546" and use it as a single shot. The one that I have measured 0.548" at the top ring, 0.544" at the 2nd ring, 0.536" at the 3rd ring and 0.529" at the bottom ring. Any thought or comment?
4-sixes
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Thanks Herbert and Trailrider for the tips :)
Here is another dumb question I have...if the barrel is tappered from 0.546" in the chamber to 0.535" at the muzzle...will the 0.546" bullet get stuck in the middle of the barrel or blow up the barrel???
Has anyone try the Lee 54 cal R.E.A.L bullet, resizes it down to 0.546" and use it as a single shot. The one that I have measured 0.548" at the top ring, 0.544" at the 2nd ring, 0.536" at the 3rd ring and 0.529" at the bottom ring. Any thought or comment?
4-sixes
No. The bullet tapers down in the bore just like in a sizing die. Granted, the pressure will rise a little bit compared, say, to a bullet that is .535" all along, but the compressive strength of the bullet, combined with the dwell time in the barrel being relatively long means that the stresses in the bullet will dissipate in the form of heat. (I would NOT shoot jacketed bullets in a tapered bore, however.) Also, the bullet you describe has very little of it that is "full diameter" to start with. Original Spencer ammo in .56-56 varied all over the place. As measured ahead of the case mouth, some were as small as .535, but many were as large as .555" to .557", depending on the brand! (See "Spencer Repeating Firearms" by Roy Marcot.)
The 3-1/2" - 5" groups (depending on the loads I used) I generally got with my carbine at 50 yds has more to do with the poor sights and my old eyeballs. The Spencer, especially the carbines were not intended for long range arms, and the relatively low ballistic coefficient of the bullets and the low velocities tended to make the bullets drift to the right at longer ranges. But think of comparing the Spencer (and the Henry) to the main battle rifles of the day. In more modern times, the main battle rifle such as the M-1 Garand or M-14 if compared to, say, a Thompson, an M-3, or M-16/M-4. The MBR puts out very accurate fire out to say 600 yds, whereas the latter arms were intended to put out a high volume of fire at a shorter range. What do we call such guns nowadays? (I won't use the language here, but the initials are "A" "R"! :P) Think of the Spencer as a Civil War AR! ;D This was true even when the breechloading Trapdoor Springfields were introduced. Unfortunately...especially for the 7th Cav...the policy after 1868 or so was to go to the long-range, single shot breechloader, instead of the assau...t (oops!) rifle. The native insurgents were under no such restrictions.
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Thanks Charles for the NEI link :) They do have some nice looking molds.
Trailrider....I know what you mean... ;D ;D
I will see if the Lee .54 R.E.A.L bullet cast in soft lead will work in my spencer rifle (not carbine) or not and see if the 56-56 sizer die could size it down for me or not. Thank you all! ;)
4-Sixes
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Try this:
http://www.reelreports.com/store/RAPINE-BULLET-MOLD-160416677737.html (http://www.reelreports.com/store/RAPINE-BULLET-MOLD-160416677737.html) If this is real, then the asking price is very good.
Also, I found a little bit of brass from my 1860R:
- 56-56 case made from 50-70, but is too short (head spacing is good, should chamber and eject well)
- 56-56 case made from Starline 56-50 case (Should chamber well, but doesn't eject well)
- 56-56 blank made from a 45-70 case. The rim has been pressed out to fit an original, and cut down and rounded so it should chamber, eject and feed well. Note that the critical distance is from the inside of the rim to the curve on the bullet.
If you're having trouble with the crimp on the 56-56 die :'(, use harder lead. Heeled bullets are notorious for popping out of the case, and the only way I could get my bullets to stay in (besides glue) was to throw more tin into the melt and get the hardness up.
If you want the brass I found, send me your snailmail address offline.
'Good shootin' 8)
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Hi Bead swinger,
the bidding for the rapine mold ended :(
I found this but not sure if it will work or not after sizing it down to 0.546"
https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.com/item.asp?sku=000152654657
Thanks for the information.
4-sixes
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Try this:
http://www.reelreports.com/store/RAPINE-BULLET-MOLD-160416677737.html (http://www.reelreports.com/store/RAPINE-BULLET-MOLD-160416677737.html) If this is real, then the asking price is very good.
Also, I found a little bit of brass from my 1860R:
- 56-56 case made from 50-70, but is too short (head spacing is good, should chamber and eject well)
- 56-56 case made from Starline 56-50 case (Should chamber well, but doesn't eject well)
- 56-56 blank made from a 45-70 case. The rim has been pressed out to fit an original, and cut down and rounded so it should chamber, eject and feed well. Note that the critical distance is from the inside of the rim to the curve on the bullet.
If you're having trouble with the crimp on the 56-56 die :'(, use harder lead. Heeled bullets are notorious for popping out of the case, and the only way I could get my bullets to stay in (besides glue) was to throw more tin into the melt and get the hardness up.
If you want the brass I found, send me your snailmail address offline.
'Good shootin' 8)
Interesting thing: I got bertter accuracy from bullets cast from Lyman #2 mixture than from softer lead/tin! Also, it was much easier to get the crimp to hold.
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I think the problem you'll have is that the .546 will go great down the barrel, but will not go into the case unless you machine a heel onto it. And definitely harder is better. The heel is somewhere around .512
Have you tried calling Rapine about making up a mold?
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No luck on calling Rapine :(
I don't know what to do with the 50 buffalo arms 56-56 brass that I had ordered since they won't fit into my spencer (rim is too thick)...The Buffalo arms won't even call me back after I left them a message.
Anyone know how to trim the rim of 56-56 brass down by hand? I wish I have a lathe and drill press and gunsmithing tools then I could make all kinds of good stuffs myself :P (Dear Santa....I will be a very good boy this year!...hahaha :D)
Ummm....will the .54 cal ring-tail bullet works if I only use it as a single shot, not loading it in the magazine tube. (Crazy idea)
4-Sixes
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4-Sixes
Did anyone measure the thickness of the base on their 56-56 brass and see if it matched yours?
I am assuming you are saying that the brass goes all the way into the chamber but the base is too thick.
Is it possible that the block that was put in your gun when it was converted from rimfire wasn't made right and that is why the Buffalo Arms brass doesn't fit.
Hambone
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Hi Hambone,
I installed the block myself so that it is possible that I may have not install it correctly. Here is the pictures of the 56-56 brass in the chamber. As noted in the picture, the rim is outside the chamber just enough in preventing the closing of the center fire block.
Any suggestion in resolving it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e29/SSSMod/SSSMod2/56-56_brass_001.jpg)
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e29/SSSMod/SSSMod2/56-56_brass_002.jpg)
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e29/SSSMod/SSSMod2/56-56_brass_003.jpg) (Photos re-posted by Two Flints)
4-Sixes.
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If the action cycles smoothly when emty you have instaled it properly,that cass seems to be out a long way ,can you measure the reabate for the rim ,even a thick rim should fit ,if posible do a chamber cast,that will give you all the measurments you need, but for starters try sanding the cass just in front of the rim and see weather this inproves fit ,some 50-70 brass can be slitly over size here compared to the 56-56 chamber demitions
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If the action cycles smoothly when emty you have instaled it properly,that cass seems to be out a long way ,can you measure the reabate for the rim ,even a thick rim should fit ,if posible do a chamber cast,that will give you all the measurments you need, but for starters try sanding the cass just in front of the rim and see weather this inproves fit ,some 50-70 brass can be slitly over size here compared to the 56-56 chamber demitions
Hi Herbert,
the rim of the 56-56 brass is 0.062" (a bit bigger than the 56-50 rim measured at 0.057"). Will try to trim down the 56-56 rim to see if it will fit. (If it doesn't fit, must quit....LOL...OJ lawyer)
Hasn't done any chamber cast before....will have to learn it someday.
4-Sixes :)
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4-Sixes
Here is something I would suggest you try. Lift up the cartridge keeper lever and insert a piece of brass into the chamber backwards and see if the rim goes in flush with the edge of the chamber. If not then the rim is probably too thick.
If it does go in flush then the brass is probably too long. 56-56 brass should be about .875 long, rim .645 diameter and the rest of the case about .559 diameter since it is a straight wall case. 56-50 brass would fit even though it is too long because it is tapered down to.543 on the bullet end. If you have to trim the case down in length trim slowly because your chamber could be slightly different.
Hambone
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Just a quick note to let everyone know....The Rapine Bullet Mould Mfg. Co., of East Greenville, PA has closed it's doors. After making countless bullet moulds for the shooting community Ellsworth Rapine has retired and is out of business.
JH
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One other thing to check for. If your Spencer has been dry fired a lot, the firing pin/slide can raise quite a dent on the side of the chamber. That can prevent complete chambering any round, no matter what the rim dimensions. I have fixed at least two Spencers with this problem. It's not hard to remove the dent using needle files.
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It didn't look like anyone addressed the issue of safety. Just for the record, I shoot an original and I'm sure many others here do as well, so they are safe, at least with black powder (and lots of fun). The 56-56 is a bit more of a challenge but it is the original. I've spotted a Wilder's rifle, if I can snag it, you can bet I'll shoot it!
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One other thing to check for. If your Spencer has been dry fired a lot, the firing pin/slide can raise quite a dent on the side of the chamber. That can prevent complete chambering any round, no matter what the rim dimensions. I have fixed at least two Spencers with this problem. It's not hard to remove the dent using needle files.
Thanks for the note Arizona Trooper. The chamber appears to be in good order. No dent.
I slowly filed down a 56-56 case rim by hand using a small hobby file and check offen until it fits into the chamber and close the breech completely. It does. At least one down and 49 more brass cases to go. ;)
4-sixes
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can you get measurments of other 50-70 rims,made by difrent makers or maybe othes could post thickneses of difrent brands that fit in there rifles 56-50 & 56-56 rim thickness was the same in original cartriges ,i will start Bertrum Brass 50-70 cass modified to fit in a original 56-50 carbine,rim thikness 0.065 ,when proper thikness is worked out and compared to youse Buffalow Arms casses can be checked to see if they are the right thickness if they are not i am sure they would fix the problem ,i just went back and looked at your earler post stating the difrence in rim thickness of the 50-70 brass and the starline 56-50 brass was 0.005 to me your photos look lick the cass is out further than this sugesting your rim diameter is to large, try puting a cass in the chuck of a drill and slitly reduce the diameter,i think this may fix the fit if not you can reduce the thickness whith a safe edge file on the front of the rim by turning in the cuck not the best way but sure beats slowly doing it by hand,another thort looking at original rimfier cartriges they have a radious on the edges of rim ,try puting a slight bevell on the leading edge of the rim and see weater this seats the cartrige deeper if this works it will save you a lot of work
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:'( Sad to hear that Ray Rapine has retired. He was most helpful to me about 20 years ago in designing moulds for the .56-56 Spencer. I wish him the best in his leisure years.
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Can anyone post a picture of the cast rapine heeled bullet and its dimension? Thinking of ordering a custom make bullet mold. Thanks.
4-Sixes
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Hi Four Sixes,
Does this link help you at all? Thought I'd give it a try for you.
Two Flints
http://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index.php?topic=23777.0
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Thanks Two Flints.
I should have mentioned it is for the 56-56 cal. Sorry about that. Contact NEI for making a custom mold but they need the heeled size of the 56-56 bullet and other dimension information.
BTW...anyone had any trouble in casting 515 bullet from the modified Lee mold. I am getting irregular shape at the base (not a full circle). not sure why?
4-Sixes
(PS: found this on the web and not sure if it is the right dimension for 56-56 cal...please comment, thanks)
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Two Flints
Do you still have any of those bullets I cast for you? NEI or someone else could copy them. Does anyone have a 535380 who would be willing to send a few bullets to Four Sixes for getting a mold made? The issue with the bullet is the Ogive
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Hi Bead Swinger,
I'm not sure that I still have the ones you sent me? In any case they are in Maine and I am here in MA for another two weeks. Then, I'd be able to look see.
Two Flints
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Thanks Two Flints and Bead Swinger for your assistant in getting the heeled bullets for my Spencer rifle :)
BTW....I have any other question for the group. The rear stock in my Spencer rifle is loose. I can feel it moving up and down as I cycliing the breech block. It hleps a little after I tighten all the screws that attached to the rear stock (trigger graud, hammer side plate etc). But then it will start shaking again after a few cycling the breech block...anyone have any idea on how to resolve or improve it? Thanks in advance again.
Regards,
4-sixes
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when you take the magizine tube out you can see a nut that goes around the outer magizine tube ,this tightens the stock to the action
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Hi Herbert,
Do you mean that I have to remove the stock too? I don't see the nut after I removed the loading tube. If you don't mind, would you be kind enough to send me a picture. Thanks!
4-sixes
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Hi Herbert,
Do you mean that I have to remove the stock too? I don't see the nut after I removed the loading tube. If you don't mind, would you be kind enough to send me a picture. Thanks!
4-sixes
You do not remove the stock ,but removing the butt plate makes it easier,the nut is the largest round peice that goes around the magizine tube ,it is easily reconised because it has a slot ither side of the magizine tube,you will have to make a screw driver to fit,i have not got a camera to take a photo but if you have another look i am sure you will see what i am describing
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Thanks Herbert...I saw it once I removed the butt plate. You are right, it is such a big 'nut'...LOL ;D
4-sixes
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Finally get 4 of the Rapine 56-56 heeled cast bullets. Attached is the picture of it with my paper patched 56-50 bullet using Dakota Widowmaker Lee Modified mold and the 56-56 cartridge loaded with paper-patched bullet. Will try them out to see how accurate they will be in my original Spencer rifle.
Here is the demension of the heeled bullet:
Height: 0.7425"
Heel diameter: 0.517"
Last band: 0.5335"
curve part of the bullet: 0.5320"
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e29/SSSMod/SSSMod2/Spencer_56-56.jpg)
Not sure if Dakota Widowmaker could be interested in making a modify mold to cast the heeled bullet 56-56 cal...I will be the 1st one to order one :)
4-sixes
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Finally got the chance to test the 56-56 reload today. Pretty happy with the result 9ten shots with one flier) ;D
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e29/SSSMod/SSSMod2/56-56_Spencer_grouping_50yd.jpg)
Bench rest: 50yd
Load: 35 grain FFF with 0.03" wad
Bullet: paper patched 515" bullet from modified Lee mold; sized to 536"
Shooting as single shot
4-sixes ;)
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Hi Four Sixes,
You posted, "Finally get 4 of the Rapine 56-56 heeled cast bullets". Where did you get them? Source?
Thanks for sharing your good shooting ;D ;D
Two Flints
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Hi Two Flints,
I got the 4 heeled bullets from Pat Kaboskey (262-363-4625 call to place orders evening after 6 pm CST)
Address: S. 80 W. 30650 Meadowlark Circle, Mukwonago, WI 53149
He does Civil War Era Custom Bullets. Good luck!
4-Sixes
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good shooting,these guns are capable of very good acuracy,i sugest you you check the chamber end or the rifling it is oftern around .545 tapering to .535 at the muzell if you have found a sourse of boolits you may as well get the best one,proper fit will reduce leading and inprove acuracy for longer strings of shots,good luck you are nealy there