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Slugging a bore

2K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  xtimberman 
What cal. and what kind of firearm are you trying to slug?

You really should use soft lead if you can - particularly if you are slugging anything smaller than .38. Otherwise, you will be pounding on - and ruining a nice cleaning rod.

Soft lead upsets easily to fill the rifling - as the hard alloys do, but not so easily. You don't need a perfectly sized bullet if you are using lead. I usually use an oversize lead round ball that I pilfered from one of my cap & ball revolver buddies, and tap it into the end of the barrel with a wood or plastic mallet. The excess lead flattens out and can be peeled off with the fingernail. Then I tap and push the lead slug in the bore all the way through with a piece of wooden doweling cut to proper length. (A piece of old cedar arrow shaft is just right for .38/.357!) Craft stores have other various sizes.

If you are getting ready to slug a rifle bore of ~.30 cal, you really need to use soft lead. Wooden dowels of that size won't survive and you'll have to use a sturdy cleaning rod. Start it down the bore with a pistol rod then finish up with a longer rifle rod - otherwise you'll bend the long one.

I can mail you a few .360" balls if you are slugging something smaller than .357. I slugged a .338" bore with one of them recently. I bet some of the fellows here will send you a few .44s and .45s which are more useful for .357-.45 cal. bores. For .45 bores, you need to flatten the ball before tapping it into the bore - to get a wider "print" of the lands and grooves.

xtm
 
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