Henry BBX 45c is back, long rambling post...

[DsGrouse]

Cleaned, rinsed, dried, deprimed about 4 gallons of 45 colt brass.



This depriming cup was empty when I started.

[DsGrouse]

Small update. I've made some adjustments. Including a change to my case flaring die, and using a different tie for crimp. I picked up a new front rest, and did some careful adjustments to my shooting.

This is from mixed brass at 60yds.

Two five-shot groups: Smith and Wesson 1854 45 colt 250grn blue bullets 1080fps suppressed (Bushwacker 46) 8.2 grns CFEP, 1.595 coal

[BigAl52]

Nice shooting. Good to see the Smith is treating you right

[DsGrouse]

I'm planning on doing the same test with the henry. I need to clean and reload the brass.

[fortyshooter]

Some really fine shooting there DsGrouse! I need to get moving on some 45 ACP loading myself.

[DsGrouse]

Whelp, i broke down and slugged my three barrels
Henry BBX 45 colt 0.451 bore diameter
Henry BBX 357 mag 0.3574 bore diameter
And
SW 1854 45 colt 0.4525 bore diamater

[5shot]

Very interesting. Based on what I "thought" I knew your Smith barrel is on the big side but yet it shoots very well. My Henry .45 Colt barrel slugs just a hair under .451" and I size my cast bullets at .452". That should be a perfect marriage but cast bullet accuracy has run from fair to poor so far while it will group very well with 250 XTP's. A bore scope peak into the private parts revealed very smooth rifling and no significant flaws. It's sitting in the back of the safe right now and sometime this winter I'll take another run at it.

Congrats on having two good shooters there!

[DsGrouse]

That should be a perfect marriage but cast bullet accuracy has run from fair to poor so far while it will group very well with 250 XTP's.

If you are inclined to do me a favor, would you slug your barrel? It felt like the end of my barrel, the last 6 inches or so, was choked down. The majority of the round ball on the Henry was slightly under .451, but there were two areas where it was .451 dead on.

The Smith 1854 and the BBX 357 didn't feel choked like the Henry BBX 45 colt.

This info gives me a bit to work on. The barrels on the Henry BBX's are new. I have several loadings for the 357 that I like. I need to check to see what the 45colt likes. The Smith seems to like just about everything, even though the barrel looks like this...


I have new stuff for polishing the Smith 1854 barrel on the way; I'm not going to try hand lapping yet.

So correct me if I am wrong,

I should be shooting the following for these guns:

Henry BBX 45 Colt, 0.451 jacketed and 0.452 lead
Henry BBX 357 mag, 0.357 jacketed and 0.358 lead
Smith 1854 45 Colt, 0.452 jacketed, and 0.453 lead

[DsGrouse]

A more in-depth post can be found on my substack.
https://open.substack.com/pub/evandesha ... Share=true

[5shot]

DsGrouse

My Henry Colt barrel slugs at just under .451". I'd estimate between .4508" and .4509" and there's no noticeable constriction or loose spots. The rifling is very smooth and the rifle should be a bullet casters dream but thus far it isn't. According to conventional wisdom the pictures from the bore scope would tell us that your Smith would'nt be very accurate but yet it is. I guess every gun is a law unto itself.

If it was mine, I wouldn't do any fixing on that barrel. Just shoot it and enjoy!