The forcing cone thing

[Dead Dog Jack]

Anyone care to tell me what is the forcing cone "procedure" they get done when they send their pistol to the gunsmith? I understand that some folks get action jobs and what not, but am not clear on the whole forcing cone fix.

Furthermore, if the forcing cone is sub-par out of the box, why are the manufacturers not addressing the issue?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts. DDJ.

[Montana Slim]

The function of the FC is to "funnel" the bullet into the bore. It will reduce distortion of the bullet, particularly if/when things are not a PERFECT line-to-line fit. I like 11 degrees, cut all my own, my Pa's and perform the service for friends from time to time.

Why do mfgrs not address???
Better to ask them, but I'll guess that it costs money (more finish time, work & tooling).

Regards,
Slim

[rifle]

I hear tell the different degrees forcng cones are better for some bullets than others. The 11 degree for round nose and jacketed and the like and the 18 degree for bullets like the semi-wad cutters like the Kieth bullets. The 18 degree is wider than the 11 degree.
I like to use an 11 degree reamer for cap&baller revolvers shootin ball. I can lengthen the cone and widden it some and make a nice funnel to get the balls entered into the bore well. Not many guns are perfectly aligned with the chambers to the bore on a revolver. The forcing cone helps relieve the breech end of the barrel to let the bullets or balls in without distortion to a great degree and with a better centering into the bore.
You can get a go-no-go type plug gauge for different cal. to get the forcing cones right without too deep or too shallow.
Some guns have no forcing cone and others have very small degrees of cone to the breech end.
I'd guess the manufacturers skimp on the time and tooling to do forcing cones since a gun will still shoot with a poor forcing cone and even a non existing cone. It takes a pioted reamer to get the forcing cone concentric with the bore to aid accuracy. Sane with a crown on the muzzle or the faced off machined breech end or muzzle end not crowned. The pilots need to be perfectly snug with "no play' at all. That takes time and effort and moey to make sure the pilots fit all the guns perfectly. Tolerances run from here to there and that means piots have to be all different sizes even for identical guns. It's the pilots I'd say make it difficult for the manufactuers. Some crowns and forcing cones are done on lathes. That takes time and expertise. That's why you see rough forcing cones with those lines running around the circle of it. The boring bar used doesn't make a perfectly smooth surface but that process doesn't need perfectly fitting pilots either. Saves time.
Anyway...at times a cap&ball revolvers chambers aren't all 60 degrees fromone another. Like three in and three out. The only fix is a new properly machined cylinder but........with an elongated and widdened forcing cone the "balls" in those revolvers can be helped into the center of the bore. Saves getting a new cylinder. Sure the barrel is fitted or machined to acomodate a defective cylinder but with the older guns......if you get them to shoot real well with a widdened and elongated forcing cone(because they shoot balls) the fix isn't cost prohibitive. The same goes for conicals too but you can't open a forcing cone too wide for then.They can cant going thru the forcing cone and deform too much. The longer bullets sometimes shoot better because of that. with a slightly opened forcing cone. The longer bullets being long enough,I think, to reach to the rifling lands thru the forcing cone and still be supported by the chamber throat so the bullet does't cant going thru the cone a lot and shave a lot of lead and deform the  bullet as much. My opinion anywhooo......

[Dead Dog Jack]

Thanks for the info, guys.