Tight Chambers

PJ Hardtack · February 17, 2011, 01:56:09 PM

My Taylor's Uberti-made '63 Remington 44-40 conversions have tight chambers.

What is a good method of polishing them without removing critical dimensions? There is a step/shoulder ahead of the final reduction at the chamber mouths which are right on for spec. I don't want to enlarge them.

Pettifogger · February 17, 2011, 06:02:44 PM

Is this with new or reloaded ammo? 99% of the time the problem isn't tight chambers with reloads, it's that the dies don't set the shoulder back far enough. Most .44-40 dies need to be shortened a bit for them to properly resize the shoulder.

Abilene · February 17, 2011, 06:32:51 PM

Howdy P.J.,
What Pettifogger said. I ground some off the bottom of my Lee sizing die and it did help. But also in order to load .429 bullets I have to use Winchester or Starline brass (thinner). If I load .427 bullets I can use almost any brass.

PJ Hardtack · February 19, 2011, 10:56:38 AM

Abilene/Pettifogger

Brialliant! Beats the hell out of the advice I've been given on another forum re: 400 grit on a dowel, etc. First I'll try setting the sizing die as low as it will go. If that doesn't work, I 'll grind off - how much?

I really like these guns and don't want to 'Bubba' them with a basement workshop quick fix.

Pettifogger · February 19, 2011, 03:29:31 PM

FIRST make sure your bullet/brass combo isn't to big for your chambers. E.g., if you are using a .430 bullet and Remington brass the combo might simply be to large for your gun. You might have to try a .429 or .428 bullet and Starline or Winchester brass, etc. Also, it is very easy to set the crimp a little to tight and create almost imperceptible bulges in the case either at the crimp or the base of the bullet. IF everything is OK, just take out the cylinder and drop six rounds into the chambers. If they don't bottom against the back of the cylinder, measure how far they are sticking up. That plus a few thousands more is how much to remove from your sizing die.

Delmonico · February 19, 2011, 04:56:43 PM

Take a magic marker and color up a few of the rounds and try to chamber them. The rub marks will tell you where the problem is. If they are on the shoulder your die ain't setting them back enough. A slight spot all around behind the crimp a ways means you've bulged it with to tight a crimp. Right at the crimp and back it's got to tight a neck.

On anything, guns, cars or such it's best to figure out what the problem really is before you try any fix.

Fox Creek Kid · February 19, 2011, 05:15:19 PM

SAAMI specs for the 44-40 are all over the map because it is such an old cartridge and because it has a slight taper. 99% of factory chambers are too small and need to be opened up with a finish reamer. I had that done to all my 44-40 revolvers and turned them into tackdrivers. If the chamber mouths are smaller than the groove diameter you are wasting your time. It'll never shoot to its potential. Slug the barrel and determine diameter.

http://www.cylindersmith.com/

Pettifogger · February 19, 2011, 05:39:28 PM

Quote from: Fox Creek Kid on February 19, 2011, 05:15:19 PM
SAAMI specs for the 44-40 are all over the map because it is such an old cartridge and because it has a slight taper. 99% of factory chambers are too small and need to be opened up with a finish reamer. I had that done to all my 44-40 revolvers and turned them into tackdrivers. If the chamber mouths are smaller than the groove diameter you are wasting your time. It'll never shoot to its potential. Slug the barrel and determine diameter.

http://www.cylindersmith.com/

Chambers or throats? What you are describing and what is in your link are throating reamers, not chamber reamers. Let's not confuse the questioner.

Fox Creek Kid · February 19, 2011, 09:23:53 PM

I know that, Pettifogger. I guess I should have pointed that out. He might get by by opening up the throats first, especially if he shoots smokeless. That's why I posted the link.

PJ Hardtack · February 20, 2011, 11:01:33 AM

Thanks y'all!

I'll mark some cases/cartridges and see what results. The bore is .429 and the chamber mouths are .428/.429.

I've already learned that ANY bulge or deformity in a loaded round precludes chambering, one of the causes being over-crimping. I got spoiled with my Henry and '66 being able to digest anything I feed them.
I use Winchester brass exclusively and have .427/.429/.430 bullets. I put some commercial .430 thru' a .429 sizing die and it didn't reduce them enough to solve the problem. My own cast .429s and commercial .427s and .429s are not a problem.

The evidence points to the cases and that in turn points to the die and my reloading methods. I'll eliminate those before I do anything to the guns themselves. I've seen too many good guns ruined by 'Bubba' gunsmithing, 'tuning' and 'tweaking'. In the Army, it was overcleaning that was the culprit.

Montana Slim · February 23, 2011, 04:45:51 PM

Its a common problem. I have Lee dies & talked to customer service. They took mine back and removed some material at the bottom as previously described....this set the die back to a minimum chamber. Works great now.

I used a stone to remove material on another die I'd had for many years for my .223 AR.

Regards,
Slim