Question for Jim T

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Rusty
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Question for Jim T

Post by Rusty »

Jim, you posted some pictures some time ago about a little priming tool your dad built along with some information about a "slip bullet" he used to cast. I was wondering if you might have any measurements or more details about the slip bullet? Thanks,
If you're gonna be stupid ya gotta be tough-
Isiah 55:8&9

It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled.
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JimT
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Re: Question for Jim T

Post by JimT »

It's been a long time ... let me look around and see what I can find.
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JimT
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Re: Question for Jim T

Post by JimT »

Rusty ...

I don't have the dimensions of the bullet or the mold any more. The bullet was basically a heel bullet with long body and a very short nose section. It was designed for low velocity loads. In the 38/357 normal charges were between 2.5 gr. and 3.0 gr. of Bullseye.

Because of the heel design and the full case diameter nose section, brass that was shorter than normal had to be used. In the .357 the .38 Special brass was just perfect. In the .38 Special you had to use .38 Long Colt brass or trim the Special cases.

Once the cartridge was fired in your gun you never needed to resize it again. Case preparation was simply firing it in the gun you were going to use it in and then making sure there was no remaing crimp .. lightly reaming inside case mouth.

The loading steps were:
Deprime
Prime
Add the powder charge
Seat the bullet with thumb pressure

Since the brass was not sized or crimped it never wore out. Dad had one case he kept count and it was reloaded and fired over 1200 times.

Once your brass was set up to use with these bullets, the only loading tools needed was to deprime and prime. The bullets were not sized. They were shot as cast. We lubed them with various things originally but when Lee came out with their Liquid Alox we just went to that.

The oversize nose of the bullet was larger than the "step" in the chamber (the area where the chamber goes from cartridge diameter to bullet diameter). Being oversize the bullet was "held" in the cartridge by this "step" in the chamber and that kept the primer from popping it out. This gave the same effect as a crimp .. it allowed time for the powder to get lit. It all happens in microseconds but essentially, that is what is going on. By the time the bullet moved .100" it was sized down to the chamber throat diameter and continued on its way to the target.

These were fun short range practice ammo. We used them for practicing aerial shooting ... fast draw ... rapid fire point shooting at moving targets etc. We shot many thousands of these back in the 1970's and 80's. I know I shot around 400 pounds of lead cast into these bullets one year. When I started shooting heavy .45's and then the 454 and 475 I quit shooting the lighter stuff. Now that I have gotten older I am going back to the lighter loads!


This is a rough drawing of the bullet:

Image

Mold and bullet:

Image

Image

Image
Rusty
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Joined: Mon Sep 03, 2007 6:37 pm
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Re: Question for Jim T

Post by Rusty »

I'm with you on the light stuff. I've found out I have some spinal problems that make malfunction drills with one of those slab sided self shuckers a little hard. I've gone back to wheel guns for everything these days. A J frame is much more comforting that a 10 shot Glock. I was looking for a way to do some short range practice and from what you said your dad's bullets would be a great place to start.
If you're gonna be stupid ya gotta be tough-
Isiah 55:8&9

It's easier to fool people than it is to convince them they have been fooled.
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JimT
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Re: Question for Jim T

Post by JimT »

They had very light recoil ... light bullet plus light powder charge ... made them pleasant to shoot. I have not fooled with them for many years and don't even have any of his bullet molds anymore.

If you're careful with them, a .360" to .375" diameter round ball pressed onto the mouth of a .38 Special cartridge with 3 gr. of Bullseye makes a nice light load. I said "careful" because the ball can drop off the case and spill your powder charge ... but they are fun to shoot. A little Lee Alox on them or tumble them in graphite ..
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