Tom-C

uys,

I have one that is frustrating me.
Rossi, 38 spl, 2 inch barrel, J Frame was spiting lead out both sides with 158 gr LSWC and 6.0 gr AA#5.

Passed range rod test.
Headspace = .060
Barrel cylinder gap = .005
Crane and Yoke are straight
Cylinder throats = .359 (maybe .3595 -I don’t have .0005 gages)

Figured it had to be the forcing cone, so I recut the forcing cone to 11 degrees, as deep as I can and put an 82 degree bevel on it

Still spits lead just as bad (I am talking about chunks coming out the sides).

Any ideas on what to try next?

Thanks

dfariswheel

First step is to try different ammo. For a test, use factory ammo not reloads.
This will eliminate the ammo as the problem or indicate the problem is with the reloads.
Doesn't matter if they work fine in another gun, THIS gun just may not like them.

Next check, if you haven't already, is to use a forcing cone plug gage to gage the cone.
The critical dimension is the diameter of the outer mouth of the cone. You can't eyeball the cone, you have to gage it.

If all else fails you might consider doing a Taylor throating of the forcing cone.

Tom-C

Thanks defariswheel,

I used the forcing cone gage and the upper step is .001 or .002 below the end of the barrel. That is what I meant when I said I went as deep as I could go.

I'll try another ammo.

You don't think it could be the cylinder throats? Lead bullet bumps up to .359 in throat and then has to go back down to .357 in forcing cone

dfariswheel

I don't see the cylinder throats bumping the bullet up then down in the cone causing spitting, because you re-cut it to 11 degrees.
That long a cone shouldn't allow spitting, I'd think.
The longer taper would swage the bullet back down.

Another check is the lead the bullets are made of.
Softer cast lead would tend to give problems more than harder swaged bullets.
Hotter loads of the 158 LSWC tend to lead and may spit in a steeper cone.

Buffalo Bore make an extremely soft 158 LSWHP +P load load using very soft lead and loaded to low end Magnum levels.
However, they use a gas check on the bullet to prevent leading and spitting.

Tom-C

Dfariswheel

You were absolutely correct.

I tried the following with no notable spitting:
- 148 LWC @ 450 fps
- MIL-Spec Ball
- Speer 140 gr JHP @ 900 fps
- 125 gr LFP (Georgia Arms) @ 800 fps

I again tried the 158 gr LSWC loads I have with both 5.5 and 6.0 gr AA#5 and the blast from the barrel cylinder gap would leave marks and holes in the paper. This has been my training load for years. The bullets are from All American Arms or Proofmark, both Virginia bullet casters that are out of business. I only have a few hundred of these still loaded. I have mostly switched to the Georgia Arms 125 gr Lead Flat Point. At 800 fps it is a good mid-range training load.

I was surprised how tight this pistol measured out at, with the exception of the cylinder throats. They passed a 357 Match Range Rod without even a “tick” from the edge of the cylinder, but that makes sense because they gage at .3595 and the Match Range Rod is .3458 so the cylinder could be off by .003 and still give the results I saw.

dfariswheel

Some guns just don't "like" some ammo.