Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Is there really a correct way to slug a bbl???

I've been slugging bbl's for many years by using individual 2" sections of hardwood dowels, in the appropriate diameter, to get the lead slug down the bbl. That being said, I've been told I'm all wet.

So, I would like to know the correct way to pound in a lead slug, and what is the favored type of rod, or sections of rod to use.

I'll post this query in a couple of different forums here, and hopefully get the information needed, if I really am doing this incorrectly.

Respects,
Richard

Use a soft steel rod from the hardware store, largest size that slips done the bore. put it a vise w/ about an inch sticking out horz. pound the end sticking out w/a large hammer to expand it just above slip fit. Then file it carefully all the way around to slip fit the barrel(use a mic). use this rod to push your slug down the bore but only after you have lubed both the rod and the slug. This is the way Veral Smith (LBT Molds) says how to do it and it works and won't scratch anything. Sooner or later you will break off/shatter ect a wood dowel. Muddy

You NEED to go read some Roy Dunlap.

Did you just say hardware store SOFT steel ?
Are you aware that you can get O1 drill rod in both metrics and English sizes CHEAPER than some cadmium plated crap ?

Cross, NOT PLATED, I said plain soft steel. I have been making throat slugs for about 25 years now using Veral's method. BTW I do own and USE my Dunlap. Muddy

....and we find "plain soft steel" WHERE ?

Hot rolled, cold rolled ?

Sounds like a really brilliant idea,...great potential to screw up the barrel before even getting the mold finished.

I'm missing something here,....could you get us up to speed on what Roy said about the BEST choice of materials for this sorta' work ?

GTC

Just to follow up, in the absence of a coherent (or otherwise) response,...Roy Dunlap advised POLISHED, CLOSELY FITTED DRILL ROD as about the ONLY material to put anywhere's NEAR a rifled bore.

I don't particularly "revere" old Roy,....but certainly hold the ornery old bastid in a LOT higher esteem than this Veral Smith cat.

It's been my task to "Adjust" some LBT molds over the years,...while at the same time being graced with ready access, ownership, and opportunity to use and review a HERD of OTHER great American made molds,....Lyman, RCBS, SAECO, Lee, Hoke, Brooks, Leeth, Walt Melander, Pope, Colt, Sharps,....etc.

Pistol shooters may writhe in the throes of orgasmic bliss over Veral Smith's product,...I don't like offset parting lines in a CB, and my capacity for any woody goes flacid when I see em'.

This "soft hardware store steel" BS is just that,...BS.

WHOOoooo, 25 years ?

my math gives me a 28 year edge on your vast experience, pup.

see the post immediately above

Thx

GTC

I too use a piece of polished 9/32" drill rod in .30 calibers, and a.311 buck shot for a slug if I am reasonably sure the bore is close to nominal dimensions, or a soft .32 bullet if I suspect sloppy dimensions. In any event, use as soft a piece of lead as you can, only big enough so that you can push it through the bore not hammer it.

Actually since I shoot mostly cast bullets anymore I don't bother too much with slugging the entire bore. I prefer doing a chamber cast instead (either with Cerrosafe or a lead pound cast) to determine throat diameter and leade configuration as that is what one needs to address when sizing lead bullets. A cast that includes an inch or so of the rifling too tells you all you need to know.

For those who live where things like 3' drill rod aren't filling up the hardware store shelves, www.use-enco.com is having 25% off plus free ground shipping now until 11/30. Enter promo codes "special" and "offer".

Question about slugging a bore, if your not going to firelap for a consistent bore size what is the point? I have only done rifles intended for case bullets such as my M92 in .45lc, but it was clear the barrel was not super consistent. I could easily feel the constriction points under the rear sight and at the barrel band, sometimes the bullet just slides at points and sticks in others.

When I was done firelapping the bore appeared to more consistent all the way through and groups were cut in half.

I'd say you just asked and answered the question.

GTC

Just shoot it thru. It's not so difficult.

http://www.castpics.net/subsite2/HowTo/Slugging%20the%20Bore.pdf

Regards, Woody

I slug a barrel with any round ball which is larger then the bore. Once the slug is started down the barrel, I push it through with my Dewey rod of the appropriate size. It ain't rocket surgery, guys.
If it seems a little loose at the start, I run a steel rod up to the slug from the breech, then run another rod down to the slug from the muzzle and bump the slug up so it's a tight fit. As the slug passes down the bore, if it comes to a tight spot, I push it back out and measure it to get the diameter of the loose portion. Then I'll run it back down through the tight spot and measure again to get the diameter of the tight spot. It is easy to feel a couple tenths. If there is a loose portion in the middle with tighter sections on either end, the loose portion cannot be measured since the diameter of the slug is necessarily reduced by pushing it through the tighter portions at either end.
Sometimes the feel on the slug seems to indicate a tight spot right at the throat. Usually this is not really a reduction in diameter. Rather it is a widening of the lands due to displacement of the metal by the throating portion of the reamer. This could be because the reamer was dull or was pushed too fast. One can usually see this flaw with the borescope.
There can be other flaws which are not really tight spots per se. I had a Marlin 45/70 which seemed to have a tight spot at the location of the rear sight. Turned out the doevtail was just too tight. This was evident when the "tight spot" disappeared when the rear sight was removed. GD