777 and the .31 pocket pistol ?

[Maj.Bull S. Hitter]

Seems I can't find info on using 777 in a pocket pistol.Sure I could use something else, but then I would have a seperate powder for only the .31.I did try it, but was wondering if anyone else has had any experience with the pocket pistols and 777.

Gotta love those little buggers

[Dick Dastardly]

Sounds like a good project for this afternoon.  I have a lil spur trigger Remington .31 with a Kirst Konverter cylinder.  It shoots .32 S&W.  I also have a good Big Lube™ 80 grain bullet mold and have cast up a good supply of Big Lube™ bullets with it.

I've been loading all the FFFFg under that bullet that I can compress.  I'm thinkn' that the 777 might have a bit more energy.  It needs more energy, badly.

Thanks for a good idea.  I'll report back.

DD-DLoS

[Adirondack Jack]

777 can be loaded in any durn thing ya got, if ya follow the following basic rules.

Load with VERY LITTLE compression for guns/loads where fairly low pressure is a good idea. These would include brass framed guns, old pocket pistols, and small cannon. If you add more powder and more compression, chamber pressures will go up fairly dramatically. I have shot rounds with heavy compression and heavy bullets and got back primers resembling 25,000 PSI pressures like ya get with hot smokeless rounds.  Loads like that would blow up yer little gun, period.  But if ya put in just enough 777 FFG to gently seat the ball against it ya will be fine.  if it kicks more than ya want, reduce the powder and put a single thin wad in there under the ball.

DD, I have used 777 FFG in .32 S&W with 77gr. LRN and very modest compression in my 1882 vintage smith breaktop with no issues.

[Dick Dastardly]

That's where I was goin' AJ.  I wanted a little more than the 400 fps I was getting.  The gun shoots high now because it's in recoil before the bullet exits.  A little more velocity and it ought to start hitting where it looks. . .

Thanks,

DD-DLoS

[Maj.Bull S. Hitter]

 Don't have the conversion cylinder, only cap and ball.It sure is fun shooting this way but will at sometime get or make a conversion cylinder.
It does shoot high,aim at the bottom of a gallon milk jug to hit the center at  ten yards.Taller front sight should fix that.

[Montana Slim]

Don't have the conversion cylinder, only cap and ball.It sure is fun shooting this way but will at sometime get or make a conversion cylinder.
It does shoot high,aim at the bottom of a gallon milk jug to hit the center at  ten yards.Taller front sight should fix that.

Mine shot quite high also, so I made a taller sight. It is a great shooter now that the balls go where you aim!

Best,

Slim

[Galloway]

Montana, can you tell us how you afixed the new sight to the barrel?

[Dick Dastardly]

I loaded up a dozen .32 S&W and fired them out of my lil .31 Rem spur trigger pocket pistol with the Kirst Konverter.  Used .3cc of FFFg 777.  They shot high, but not as high as it did with .3cc FFFFg Holy Black.  I didn't set up the graph, but I'll do it soon and report back.

The bullet used was the relatively new Big Lube™ DD-32-80 RNFP.

FWIW, I don't expect great accuracy out of that gun.  The rifling was cut with a dull tool run fast and hot.  It's rough as a cob from the factory.  More like a file than a finish.  I intend to see if I can find a way of smoothing up that rifling.  It's gotta shave lead and collect fouling.

DD-DLoS

[Adirondack Jack]

I loaded up a dozen .32 S&W and fired them out of my lil .31 Rem spur trigger pocket pistol with the Kirst Konverter.  Used .3cc of FFFg 777.  They shot high, but not as high as it did with .3cc FFFFg Holy Black.  I didn't set up the graph, but I'll do it soon and report back.

The bullet used was the relatively new Big Lube™ DD-32-80 RNFP.

FWIW, I don't expect great accuracy out of that gun.  The rifling was cut with a dull tool run fast and hot.  It's rough as a cob from the factory.  More like a file than a finish.  I intend to see if I can find a way of smoothing up that rifling.  It's gotta shave lead and collect fouling.

DD-DLoS

Sounds like a candidate for some of that abrasive fire lapping stuff.  I don't see why ya couldn't coat a few dozen bullets and fire em with a warm charge of 777 to wring er out a bit, splashing the barrel with water between shots so the abrasive gets to the steel and isn't riding on fouling.....

[Dick Dastardly]

This thing's rougher than that AJ.  I think I may have to use a chain saw file first.   I've never seen rifling that rough.  It's not the groves, it's the lands.  That means the barrel was rough before they started to cut it.  I think it was bored with a dull tool run hot and fast with no cutting oil.

DD-DLoS

[Montana Slim]

Montana, can you tell us how you afixed the new sight to the barrel?

Pulled the factory out by clamping the sight in the vise and then rapping the gun with a small rubber mallet.
The replacement blade was then inserted, tapped home and then the barrel peened along the edge of each side.
If your looking for cosemetic beauty, make a sight peening tool from sheet or bar stock. This allows peening along the entire length of the sight with one "whack".

best,

Slim

[Paladin UK]

Thought I`d add to the thread......

My little ol .31 also  shot too high sooooooooooooooo.....

Got me an old bolt sawed the top off and spent about 2 hrs filing and ended up with a smaller version of the Uberti 58 dovetail front sight!!



Shoots POA now Im really pleased with it
Paladin (What lurvs the Holy Black ) UK

[litl rooster]

DD, that's and interesting boooolit  the 32-80 grainer, have you tried it with fffg Holy Black or just the 2 you mentioned.

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy Rooster,

Yup, I tried FFFg in the .32 S&W with the DD-32-80 Big Lube™ bullet.  There's more room in there than I had with the Lyman or LEE profiles, but not as much as I wanted.  With FFFg the velocity was too low and so the gun shot high.  I wanted to lower the impact point by raising the velocity some.  It worked with FFFFg bp and FFFg 777, but the gun still hits a mite high and I'll be changing the front sight to a taller one.

Also, I've got to find a way to smooth up the rifling.  The groves are fine, but the lands are rough as a cob.  I'm talkin' ROUGH here.  There's no way that lil gun can shoot right until I get that bore smoothed up.  Simply shooting abrasive bullets isn't the answer here.  I'm going to have to make a mandrel and spin it in the bore.  I'm thinkn' some 600 grit emery paper first, then jewelers rouge.

I like the gun, after Walt Kirst slicked it up, and I really like shootn' it.  The whole gun fits in my open hand.  Cute lil thing.

DD-DLoS

[litl rooster]

600 grit might be too fine to start. It's a shame it came to you that way.

  This boolit sounds like one I need for my Lemon Squeezer

[Trap]

  D D  Is yours a brass or steel frame? I have a brass frame and would love to have a conv. cyl. Thought that with such a small bore could keep the pressure low enough to not stretch the brass?? Can't find anyone to supply a 32 Conv. Cyl. ??

[Dick Dastardly]

Walt Kirst is a personal friend.  He says he won't make his cylinders for brass frame guns.  His reason is that somebody would load 'em with too strong loads and eventually the gun would fail.  It's a legal thing.  My gun is a steel frame gun.  It went from Cabelas to me and directly to Walt.  He hand fitted the cylinder to the gun.  As far as I know, I've got the last one he'll sell for those guns because the Italian quality control on that particular gun is so sloppy that all the conversion cylinders have to be hand fitted and timed.

Mine is very smooth and the timing is superb.  It's what you would expect of a Kirst product.

Then again, the cylinders for my brace of ROAs simply drop in and fit as good or better than the Ruger original C&B cylinders.  Their quality control is that much better.

So, that's the long answer.  The short answer is no.

Sorry about that.

DD-DLoS

[Dick Dastardly]

That cute little spur trigger pistol is now over at the only Waunakee in the world.  Jerry Wakkinen, master gunsmith, iis installing a taller sight on it. He will also give me some information on how to smooth up that .32 caliber tube.  However, he asked me how many rounds I'd shot thru it.  I replied maybe a hundred, give or take a handful.  He remarked that there was absolutely no sign of leading and that perhaps I should just shoot the gun and enjoy it as is.

I didn't have the time to explain that the ONLY bullets I'd shot from it were Big Lube™ .32s. . . .  So, here's a rough bore that don't lead.  Jerry thought it ought to, but it didn't.  I'll take the time to explain the benefits of Big Lube™ technology to him next time we meet.

So, that's the update on my lil gun.  It'll come back with a taller front sight and I'll be able to hit the broad side of the barn, from the outside.

DD-DLoS

[Maj.Bull S. Hitter]

Waunakee?DD,where abouts in WI are you from? I'm over to the west part of Sheboygan county,Town of Greenbush area.

back to the .31. I have used 7 grains of 777 and round balls. Was wondering if anyone stuffed the cylinder full of 777?

[Dick Dastardly]

I'm in Sun Prairie, just a mite too close to that liberal suck hole of a state capitol we've got.  Think of it this way.  Dane county is on the left side of the state and Madison is on the left side of Dane County.   I'm east of that five miles, but not east enough.

We'll probably cross trails at one of the shoots this summer.  "Hang 'Um High" at Oconomowoc is a good one.  I'm a member at Beloit and that club is expanding it's Cowboy Action area a lot.  They've got room for 13 stages now, long range stuff and side matches.  Lots of camping space although pretty primitive.  I like it that way.

I've not shot my lil spur trigger gun with the c&b cylinder.  Timing is all off.  Works great with the Kirst Konverter cylinder and .32 S&W is a cool little caliber.  I'll let ya know how it hits when Jerry gets done with it.

DD-DLoS