Looking for some sample bullets for my 56-50 (just the bullets)

Roscoe Coles · March 17, 2009, 12:52:41 PM

I just got all the parts to get my original Spencer up and running (for which I will be making a detailed post a bit later when I find my darned camera!) and I just got a few cartridge cases from Buffalo arms (2 of each of the type they sell) and I am trying to figure out what is going to work best in this gun. What I need are 10 or so cast lead bullets of about .513-.515 cal so I can try out the cases and see which ones work and make a decision on which mould and dies to buy.

So, for those of you out there casting bullets, can I persuade someone to send me 10 to try? I will be happy to pay for shipping etc. Just send me a PM. Thanks

Roscoe

Herbert · March 17, 2009, 09:27:42 PM

have you sluged the barell,most origanal 56-50s slug around .520,relined springfild barells are a bit tighter

Roscoe Coles · March 18, 2009, 04:29:12 AM

I did one better, I made a new barrel out of a Douglas premium 50 cal barrel. This gun was an absolute basket case that I traded for a repro BP revolver (which should tell you just how bad it was). Over the years I have rebuilt it as a shooter. This all started long before any repros were available and I might not do it now (though it was in very rough shape).

Herbert · March 18, 2009, 09:49:09 PM

do you know twist of barell,geting a rifle to shoot well has a lot to do with bulet lenth in realition to barell twist,for instance the only bullet i can get proper acuracy out of new armi sports spencer with a1in 20 twist is a lyman 435gr .975 inch long bullet,slower twist the shorter you can have the bullet,hence more pouder

Roscoe Coles · March 19, 2009, 12:30:30 AM

I will check the twist but at the moment I want to know what happens to the cases when I pull the trigger so I can figure out which cases and dies I need. Making it accurate will come a little later.

Fox Creek Kid · March 20, 2009, 02:26:06 AM

Quote from: Roscoe Coles on March 19, 2009, 12:30:30 AM...Making it accurate will come a little later.

Maybe not if you don't match the bullet to the twist rate & correct diameter.

When shooting cast bullets in ANY gun you should always slug the bore to be sure as rifling cutters & button heads wear and people at the switch make mistakes. There's no use in asking anyone for cast bullets until you know the groove diam. to the thousandth. That way people will know if they will be able to send you some samples of properly sized bullets.

Roscoe Coles · March 20, 2009, 04:06:05 PM

I made the barrel from a Douglas barrel blank built for 50 cal Sharps chamberings. It is .512 in the grooves with a 1/36 twist. So, in general, this barrel should take bullets between .513-.515. As for bullet weights, if you have a magic bullet for this barrel let me know, but the proof comes in the shooting not the measuring. What I am trying to figure out now is which case to purchase, the cut down 50-70 ones or the factory Starline 56-50s. Since I built the barrel myself it is not like a factory barrel or a current production barrel so every step is an adventure.

Herbert · March 20, 2009, 10:47:57 PM

i was thinking of rebareling a spencer myself, i was wundering weather you yoused achamber reamer or just shortend existing chamber if you yoused a reamer could you tell me were you got it

Roscoe Coles · March 21, 2009, 05:53:20 PM

Well, when I did this there were no chamber reamers for 56-50 Spencer and no brass available for them so I chambered it with a boring bar to take 50-70 cases cut off 1 1/10" long. Years ago a friend named Nick Worthington came up with a strange load to shoot in his original Spencer which we quickly named "50 Worthington Weird." Since my case is a bit longer my pals instantly dubbed it "50 Blanchard-Worthington Weird Long." Having said that, if I did the job today I would chamber it with a proper chambering tool to kae advantage of the Starline brass.

If you do a google search you can find places that rent chamber reamers. This is a good way to go if you are only going to chamber one of two guns at one time. The price is about 1/3 to 1/2 of the purchase price and the reamers are inspected to insure that they are to spec before they are sent out. I have had very good luck going this way for things I was not going to many of. I still buy some reamers which will see more use (like 9mm or 45 colt).

I am waiting on the one part I need to finish my Spencer project and when it is done I will be writing an article on this gun and all the work I have done on it to make it a shooter so keep your eye open to see some photos.