Hollow base bullets - loads and loading

[Flinch Morningwood]

Since I have found out that if I grind the loading ports myself in my 1851 Colts for the R&D conversion, I will have to keep them forever (including being buried with them AND the percusion cylinders AND a letter from my local Sheriff  ), I went ahead and ordered a hollowbase mould from Old West Moulds (Thanks for the tip HCC!).  It is just the plain hollowbase - not the hollowbase heeled.

Now my question is - Do I have to get powder up in the hollowbase???  I have always been told NEVER leave an airspace or gap in a BP cartridge...so how do folks deal with the hollow base issue???   

...or is it not a problem?

Also, anyone have loads they have used successfully with this set up?  I have ordered some 38 Long colt brass to go with them.

Thanks for the help...

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

HMMMMM! I thought Bernies moulds were Hollow base and heeled. Guess I'm wrong. Dang it, and that's the first time too.....LOL
What is the Dia. of the bullets?

Bernie's a great guy to deal with.

Pour the powder into the hollow and measure it then pour powder into the case to the base of where the bullet seats, then add that measured hollow powder to the rest. It'll be forced into the hollow when you seat the bullet. All will be well.
some folks add a card over the powder, but I don't. I don't add lube to the holloe either. I oustide lube them.

[Hell-Er High Water]

Little Al,

Like Halfway Creek Charlie says, after you figure out your overall cartridge length, bullet seating depth and the amount of powder compression that you want, fill the hollow base with powder and add this to what you have in the case to determine your final overall charge.  Also, like he says, the powder will be pushed up into the hollow base when seating the bullet.

In my 38 Long Colt conversions with R&D conversion cylinders I am using a Lyman semi-wad cutter, hollow base mould that has been in my family for 40 to 50 years now.  It is Lyman bullet No. 358431-HB and is a Keith design from probably the 1950's.

I use 38 special cases and seat the bullet so that the overall cartridge length is 1.385" +/-.  This fits in my R&D, gated conversion cylinders with room to spare.  The case is crimped on the nose in front of the first band.  Both the lube groove and the original crimping groove are filled with lube and this has been more than adequate when shooting real BP loads.  This particular combination ends up with a charge of approx 15.0 grains of GOEX 3F powder.

This has turned out to be an accurate load at CAS ranges with no keyholing.

Any combination similar to this should give you satisfactory results.

HHW

[Hell-Er High Water]

For anyone that may be interested, there is one of the Lyman 358431-HB moulds on eBay at this time.  This is the same bullet that I mentioned in my last post.

HHW

[Flinch Morningwood]

Got the mould from Bernie on FRI and it is great.  Once I got the hang of it, it was casting great hoolow base bullets.  I highly recommend his work....

1 at a time is fairly slow but it's kind of fun working ith the base plug.....

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

WHAT! you didn't get the 6 hole Gang mould?? LOL
Bernie is a great guy. Getting time to order some more stuff from him.

I hear he's building a 44 Henry Flat mould for a pard here. Based on his 248 grn bullet. That's the one I use...... The 44 Henry Flat C.F. will be used to convert a 45LC Henry to 44 Henry Flat C.F. and I'm going either that route or the 44 Rem/Colt C.F. as soon as I can acquire a 44 Henry or 1866 Winchester in 45LC. and do the conversion. It is neat to shoot the old time cartridges.

[Flinch Morningwood]

Okay - next question:

What is the Over All Length (OAL) for the R&D 1851 conversion cylinder round?  I have all the peices (except the conversion cylinder) and want to put some bullets together....

Thanks for all your help, Pards! 

[Halfway Creek Charlie]

YA got me on that one!
Don't own one.

Look for the dimension of a 38 Long Colt OAL. Your cartridges should be that length.
38 Spcl brass may be too long to keep the OAL at the 38 long Colt OAL.

That's all the help that Ii can give you.

[Hell-Er High Water]

Little Al,

With the R&D gated conversion cylinders in 38 Long Colt in my revolvers I seat the bullets in 38 Special cases to an overall length of 1.385" +/- and crimp on the nose just in front of the first band.  See my previous post for the details on this load.

HHW

[Flint]

The cylinder is marked 38 LC, and that cartridge will fit with a typical conical or round nosed bullet.  If you use 38 Special cases, you are limited to Hollowbased Wadcutters, which are available from Speer, Hornady and Remington.  I seat them above the case mouth about 1/16 inch, both to be SASS compliant, and to help recognize whether or not the cartridge is fired or not.

I prefer Remington 148gr HBWCs as they lead the least, they have a dirty, ugly black lube all over, and can gum up the seating die after 100 rounds or so, but they shoot very clean.  The Speer 148 gr HBWC will lead the bore a bit, but is my second choice.  The Hornady has a knurled surface, presenting points of soft lead to the bore above the wax lube, and they lead the bore the most.

I have loaded Cleanshot (yes my powder is that old) rather than real bp as the bullet lube is most likely incompatable with BP.  Normally, I load with Titegroup, 231, or Trailboss.