newbie here... looking to get started casting... a couple of my toys...

[Magnum Wheel Man]

Hi... I'm Magnum... I just turned 55 this year... got started into guns pretty late in life... ( well I had a single shot 410 when I was a kid ) but when I started dating my current wife, her dad was a collector... so I figured I'd buy "a" versatile rifle & "a" versatile handgun, & could borrow anything specific from my FIL... well I got hooked, & I didn't know it at the time, but my FIL was grooming me to manage his collection... he died 16-17 years ago, & today the collection has grown 6-7 times more than he had...

I'm more of a revolver bolt action & single shot kind of guy, & a couple years ago we built a walk in gun safe room / reloading & storm shelter room to store everything & load in ( 2 loading benches )

I have a very good buddy that is a retired tool & die guy, that has been working on guns his whole life... we've come to an agreement, that if he needs a little extra money on the side, I get something customized... so I have many you guys may find interesting...

right now I'm playing with quarter bore revolvers... I have a custom 8 shot stainless blackhawk chambered in 25 ACP ( my answer to the 22 LR shortage... besides I'm not a rim fire fan, since you can't reload them ) I also commission a custom barrel for my Contenders nearly each time I do a custom in another gun another I'm playing with right now, is a wildcat 257 Special... Ruger Single 10 converted to center fire with a new 8 shot 257 cylinder... 257 Special are 22 Hornet cased straightened out & trimmed to 38 special length... I also have a Contender barrel for this caliber...

the 25 Auto revolver is my newest custom revolver, the 257 has been done for a while now... the pair I had done before the 25 was a conversion of a pair of Pietta 51 navies that were converted to cartridge guns & chambered in 38 Long Colt, with .357 barrel liners to keep groups tight...

thought I'd start out here with pics of these guns... but as my forum name indicates I do like magnum guns & also own a custom 50 A.E. super Blackhawk so I do love the big bores as well...

here is my 25 ACP Blackhawk... & my 257 Special...

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

BTW... why is there not a rifle section here??? I assume there are people here that shoot cast bullets in rifles... I have a Rolling Block in 32-40 fast twist, & one in 40-65 as well as several Martini customs that get fed cast bullets regularly...

 

[smokeywolf]

Welcome to the forum sir. I am a sixgun lover as are most on this forum. To the best of my knowledge all here love rifles and routinely cast and load for them. I look forward with interest to seeing a pic(s) of the 50 cal. Blackhawk and your 40-65, as I also load for 40-65, but a lever action.

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

as you wished... Navy Arms 40-65 Rolling Block... & 50 A.E. Blackhawk ( BTW... reason I chose 50 A.E. is I have a collection of Automags & have one in 50 as well as a custom Marlin lever action in 50 A.E. as well )

 

[smokeywolf]

Very nice. Gotta love the gun porn.

 

[Brad]

An 8 shot 25 ACP. Now that is something I have never seen before. I gotta ask, how well does it group at 25 or 50 yards.

 

[JWFilips]

Wow;
25 ACP that is a "bugger " to reload for! ( I know) Best to start with something easy! I would start with the 40-65! Just My Humble Opinion!

 

[Brad]

There isn't a rifle specific area, they can just go in the "cast bullet shooting and testing" area.
You have some quite unique guns there. I like that. The 257 special is an interesting concept too.

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

Thanks for the positive comments guys...

BRAD... so far it shoots as good or better than any 22 with every load I've tried...

here is the last time I had my 17" 25 ACP Contender barrel out ( all groups shot with 50 grain Mag Tec FMJ bullets

JW... I've been reloading for close to 25 years... & collecting casting equipment nearly that long... I'm not rich by any means, but have more money than time... so I always end up buying cast bullets... I have a ton ( literally ) of cast ingots I helped my FIL smelt before he died... so I better find the time to start casting soon... I have loaded a lot of 25 ACP with FMJ, & the Speer Gold Dots, I also have 500 factory cast lead RN bullets I've been mixing in... & my buddy made me a FN mold when we did the gun, & he cast me 50 or so bullets & I know those shoot well... but I have been told the bigger bullets are more forgiving & a better place for new casters to start... I also have a custom mold for both my 50-70 GOV, & my 50 A.E. so those bullets might be a better place to start my casting

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

a couple more of the 257... ( that one is really a sweet heart ) started out as a stainless Single 10 but the barrel & cylinder are carbon steel, so I had the steel high polish blued, & the stainless polished, then put on a set of buffalo horn grips with Ruger medallions... that is as pictured above...

pictures below are the gun "in the white" during testing, prior to cosmetic finishing...

 

[Magnum Wheel Man]

suppose I better throw out there a pic of those 51 navies... with fire blued custom parts... they have a TJ's barrel liner in them & custom cylinders, & barrels trimmed to "gun fighter" length... both started out as new gun bought on sale at Cabellas for $159.00 each out the door with some $25.00 off coupons used during a sale now chambered in 38 Long Colt...

 

[KHornet]

Good thread, welcome aboard!

 

[JWFilips]

Magnum;
Guess I misunderstood from the title of your post "newbie here" Wasn't sure of your experience ( please pardon me)
I have reloaded 25 ACP and 32 ACP with cast for a number of years ( with Ranch Dog Cast boolits) Actually my most conciliable carry gun is .32 ACP auto with the RD boolit and a stiff charge of Unique!
But I'm old and I do not have a progressive loader so They both are a real bugger for me to reload.
Nice "unique " Guns you have there. Welcome aboard!
Jim

 

[9.3X62AL]

No experience at all with the 25 ACP, though I somehow acquired an RCBS die set for the caliber a few years ago. It appears that the caliber can do accurate work when housed in an accurate platform with decent sighting gear on board, though.

I did a quick net check on your 257 Special, and could not locate any info on the caliber. Could you share an info source, or your own data on performance standards for the caliber? I'm interested to know bullet weights and velocities from revolver barrel lengths. I already cast and load for the 25-20 WCF, and have plans for a Single-Six opened up to 32 S&W Long. This 257 Special sounds like a varminter's delight.

 

[Cherokee]

Welcome !! Unique guns...very nice. 25 ACP Ruger would be fun. I load the 25 for my small auto, no problem for me. Keep sharing your experience.