Good evening folks. I have finally torn down my one owner recently added FA CASULL model in 44 mag with 10 inch barrel.
It has truly only had a single box of ammo thru it. This gun should transcend the Model 83 and be a PRE Model 83, as it is the Model CASULL. This is an early gun, dating back to the late 70's.
Who cares. The important point is I tried to drop a .431 diameter LEE 310 with FP and GC in a throat. It stopped abruptly a long ways back. I then decided to size a few to 429 and 428, as those are the other dies I have to shrink them. None of those made it any further. Well to the naked eye, no further. So I pulled some once fired cases, sized (they slide right in so the chamber is tight but not .001 above SAMMI minimum tight).
I fed the cases with the LEE bullet, seated to the longest crimp groove to give absolute maximum powder capacity.
The 431 was not even tried. I ran the 429 and 428 only. The case stops about .075 inch from complete in each case.
I then ran a few more cases after sizing the ENTIRE bullet, just as much as the die could do. The went .050 and then stopped. Well the 429 went .050 and stopped. The 428 slid right in like it should.
Now the bullets cant be jackhammered out of the cylinder by themselves in any diameter. I have not slugged the but I expect a .427 or even 426 groove diameter is ahead of that cylinder. I really DONT want to mess around with slugging the bore on this gun. I figure if they built it tight, well then leave it alone and fit a bullet well to the cyl and go shoot it. Keep it simple.
So the QUESTION is since the 428 fits nice and the 429 DOESN'T FIT AT ALL, SHOLD I BE SWEATING THE TINY BULLET DIAMETER???
I've never had a chamber this tight. I could seat short to the second crimp groove and all problems vanish but then I loose a .1 inch capacity in the case.
With 428 diameter STILL NOT BEING ABLE TO BE PUSHED with a hammer through the throats (I may be exaggerating a tiny bit but no bullet of any diameter 428 or larger will pass through with any amount of force)----- ShouLD I SHOOT 428 or TAKE THE LOSS in capacity and shoot 429???
I know it's a stupid question but I figured maybe there is another FA owner or custom revolver owner or ANY owner who can validate the use of a 428 in a tight revolver. My SUPER DUPER tight Bullberry eats 431's but kisses the nose a tiny bit on the leade as its inserted. Cold days,you dont feel it, like rubbing velvet. Hot days just like wet velvet. Very little friction. But thats not a revolver.
Side bar..... I finally cleaned and inspected my US Arms Seville in 357 MAX, 10 inch. I had the same circumstance with it as well. I usually shoot in my TC, 200gr RCBS FN sized to 363 (just an unsized lubed bullet). I tried that on the Seville which is a ROLEX of machinery.... no go. Same as the FA. Tried a 358 same bullet,NO GO>
Seated in a virgin case, the 363, stopped .2 short due to the case expanding as the bullet was seated.
Tried same with 358, nice clean perfect bulge free case. Slid right in.
Just like the FA, the 358 in the Seville wont pass even being hammer through but fits nicely just about .030 from the cylinder face.
The FA could eat a much longer bullet but it would have to be an LFN with long ogive.
Ive never had a revolver that would only eat SPEC bullet diameters. Like NOMINAL crap Lyman and RCBS put out for dimensions. This is new for me. I have made fat bullets for everything else I own. And rarely read anyone using .358 or .428 for diameters.
Thanks for listening and pondering the findings.