What mold will work for the .50-95 ???

[Chuck 100 yd]

Will the Lyman 515139 bullet work and have proper OAL when crimped in the crimp groove?
I just bought my rifle today(Chaparral 76,28") and already have an offer of a mold for it.
What bullet do you use? Thanks Pards!!

[Hell-Er High Water]

A friend of mine is using the Rapine 512-350-T, 350 grain, flat nose bullet in his Uberti 50-95, M'76 and says that with it crimped in the crimping groove it gives a cartridge of the correct OAL for cycling through his rifle.

You might look at this bullet.

HHW

[Wes Tancred]

Buffalo Arms make two bullet moulds that are stated to be suitable for the .50-95 Express. Their #JIM510300 casts a 300-grain bullet. They use this bullet in their .50 Express cartridges made up specifically for the Uberti 1876. They state the distance from the crimping groove to the tip of the bullet as .340 inch. The nominal overall length of the .50 Express cartridge is 2.25 inches. With a case length of 1.9 inch, these bullets should give a cartridge OAL of 2.24 inch.

The second Buffalo Arms mould is #JIM510350, which casts a 350-grain bullet also stated to be suitable for the .50-95. Its crimping groove to tip length is .350 inch, which should result in a cartridge OAL of 2.25 inch.

I noticed that the brass cartridge carrier in my new .50 calibre Uberti 1876 has a very pronounced bevel at the front of the cartridge trough, so these rifles may forgive variances in cartridge OAL, in the under-size direction, to a degree. The actual length of the bullet trough in the carrier is approximately 2.3 inch, indicating possible tolerance for slightly long cartridges, too.

See—

www.buffaloarms.com

—for these moulds as well as bullets cast in them.

The following web page shows a load for the .50-95 Winchester, using the Lyman 515139 bullet (a very traditional design, with rounded lubricant grooves):

http://www.reloadersnest.com/detail.asp?CaliberID=387&Bullet=Lyman+515139+Cast+Lead&LoadID=9962

The nominal diameter of bullets cast in this mould is .515 inch, and Buffalo Arms claim that the Uberti 1876 in .50 calibre requires a .510 inch bullet. I have not had an opportunity to slug the bore of my Uberti 1876, but a very careful measurement with a vernier calliper shows .510 between the grooves. It may be necessary to resize Lyman 515139 bullets. I still await cartridges and a mould (though I do have the Lyman mould), and have not been able to test fire my rifle yet.

[Chuck 100 yd]

A friend from Leverguns forum offered me the Lyman mold so I was just wonderin ifin anybody was usin one.
The book cartridges of the world sez the 515139 works for the .50-95, I`m sure they speek of origional rifles though.
I can always turn out a push through die if the bullets are too big.
Thanks for the replys gents!  Chuck
My new rifle should be here tomorrow. Cant wait!! 

[Wes Tancred]

Buffalo Arms list a custom sizing die in .510 inch, for the Lyman 45 lubricator-sizer and similar machines, but it costs $44.95 (#BAC510). At that price, I would rather turn one out on the lathe. But Lee have a complete .510 sizing kit for use on ordinary reloading presses, with a bottle of Liquid Alox, for only $13.79 at Midway (#155655).

The Lyman 515139 is a splendid vintage design, and I see no reason why such bullets could not be made to work in the Uberti 1876. I can not do any kind of test until I receive my cartridges, which will ultimately provide the cases.

[Chuck 100 yd]

Thanks Wes, I just found this on the web...
http://www.chaparralarms.com/specs/calibers.htm
Chaparral sez that the proper dia. is .513 and the 515139 is supposed to cast at .515
Darn close I`d say. 
Anyway I am going to buy the mold from him and give it a try. Thanks again pards!

[Wes Tancred]

Ah, yes—your rifle is a Chaparral 1876. Since the .50 Express seems to be a new chambering for that model, I had forgotten that as the thread progressed. I'm sorry. I agree that you may not need to resize Lyman 515139 bullets. If the loaded cartridges will chamber without extra force, all should be well.

In the photograph of your rifle (there was a link to the Gun Broker listing on Paco Kelly's Leverguns forum), the screws and cartridge port cover look as if they may be nitre blued. It is a pretty rifle!

[Chuck 100 yd]

Darn!! My rifle came in today but my dealer (part time , good friend) Did not get home in time to go pick it up at the Post Office.   Oh well, He will get it in the morning. Hope to post a pic this weekend. 

[larryo_1]

I know that I don't have a 50-95 but do have a 45-75.  My suggestion is to slug the bore and then find an old copy of an early Lyman cast bullet manuel (scarce) and find a picture of the original Lyman mold for the 50-95 bullet.  Send that to Hoch custom mold company in Roswell, NM and have him make you a mold that will work.  They are spendy but are well worth it.  they are of the Nose pour type.  I ordered mine this way in November and got it in March.  They are great!  I ordered mine to cast at 0.459 and size to 0.458 for my rifle.  I had them make mine to cast 350 grains with a 20:1 alloy.  Think about this.  It is well worth the extra bucks.  At least that is my opinion. 

[Chuck 100 yd]

larryo_1   Hi pard !  I have a couple of the very fine Hoch molds. I had him make one to the exact dimentions of an RCBS .40 cal 400gr. Bullet that I was using in my .40-65 just to try to make a better quality bullet than the RCBS mold was droping. The hoch bullet measured exactly the same in diameter but would not shoot quite as well as the ones from my RCBS mold. I have never been able to figgure that one out???
Each mold is an individule I guess , Just like the guns we shoot those bullets in.

[larryo_1]

Chuck:
All I can say is that the alloy might be the problem.  I specified my 45-75 mold to be made with that 20:1 alloy in mind.  So far, it is living up to what I wanted.  I have not tried any other alloy in that mold so could run into the same thing that you mention.   

[larryo_1]

Chuck:
One other thing--I also have a Hoch mold for my 40-82 and it isn't fussy at all with the alloys that I have run through it.  They sure are good molds, I'll attest to that!

[evodude]

Chuck, I realize it may be too late to add these potatos to the stew, but I am casting that Lyman 515139 slug, and it is coming out of the mould at .515 with wheel weights as my lead source. It chambers and shoots just fine at that diameter out of my Chappy .50, and gives pretty good acurracy to boot!