M14 no dash with tight throats

[TippyRacer]

Hi all, looking for a little advice-
I stumbled into a Model 14 no dash 6" a while ago, in most excellent condition. Dates to around 1959 or 1960 I believe for the short run of no dash's?
Really nice piece, but never shot as accurate at 50 yards as I believed it should, but I always figured it was the "trigger actuation mechanism" and not the gun, even tho I'm good enough to know I'm not throwing shots a lot, or knowing when I do. So I had it apart giving it a good cleaning last weekend and realized I had never measured the cylinder throats! A quick check with various lead projectiles that will & won't pass and my loading Mitutoyo digital mic indicates the throats vary from somewhere around .356 - .357.
So it looks like I need to send the cylinder off to get reamed/honed to .358 for the strictly lead boolits I shoot in this.

Would anyone care to pass along a recommendation on whom to use as a Smith revolver smith? I know this is not a big or difficult job, but finding another one of these in this condition at a good price is not likely, so I am looking for someone to pat my head and say something comforting like telling me "it's alright, use xxxxxxxx"
Or you can jump up and down and yell at me for even thinking of messing with it if you want!

Thanks!

 

[RGPM1A]

Cast bullets are almost always oversized by at least 0.001" in general and sometimes more for certain guns. I think you are good to go w/o having anything done to the cylinder. I think if you have the chambers honed to 0.358" you will kill any chance of accuracy with jacketed bullets and probably do the same thing for cast lead bullets too.

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

Cast bullets are almost always oversized by at least 0.001" in general and sometimes more for certain guns. I think you are good to go w/o having anything done to the cylinder. I think if you have the chambers honed to 0.358" you will kill any chance of accuracy with jacketed bullets and probably do the same thing for cast lead bullets too.

Actually, this is incorrect.

Cast bullets do shoot best when they are about .001" over bore diameter, and throats that are right at, or over the size of the bullet by .001" are absolutely the best proposition. So, for maximum accuracy, say that your bore slugs .3575". You will want your throats to be the exact same, or over by .001".

As for a gunsmith- there are lots of them around the country that are good, but here in my state Mag Na Port is one of the best.

You can buy the throating reamer from Dave Manson here in Michigan (in the city of Grand Blanc) for less money than shipping and having the work done combined will cost, and do it yourself. It's really quite an easy job.

 

[Tslepebull]

Cylindersmith.com comes highly recommended and their prices are reasonable.

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

Cylindersmith.com comes highly recommended and their prices are reasonable.

+1
I forgot to mention them and Cylinder & Slide.

 

[Alk8944]

Not saying the throats are not the dimensions you cite, but before deciding they are "undersized" do this. Slug the barrel, and then see if the slug will pass through the throats. If everything is correct the slug should pass through the throats with light to moderate resistance. If it falls through freely the throats are already bigger than necessary. If it takes more than a pound or so pressure to push the slug through the throats then you need to address enlargening them. To do anything based simply on the fact that they don't measure .357-358 would be pre-mature.

 

[Nightowl]

I have found the throats on virtually all my .357 guns are right at .357 + pr - .0005, but really close. I have a couple of .45s that run about .457 to .458 though. I don't know how it affects their accuracy. It seems to me that oversize throats and a nominal barrel would be more accurate than undersize throats and an oversize barrel.

 

[RGPM1A]

Actually, this is incorrect.

Cast bullets do shoot best when they are about .001" over bore diameter, and throats that are right at, or over the size of the bullet by .001" are absolutely the best proposition. So, for maximum accuracy, say that your bore slugs .3575". You will want your throats to be the exact same, or over by .001".

As for a gunsmith- there are lots of them around the country that are good, but here in my state Mag Na Port is one of the best.

You can buy the throating reamer from Dave Manson here in Michigan (in the city of Grand Blanc) for less money than shipping and having the work done combined will cost, and do it yourself. It's really quite an easy job.

So following what you say wouldn't it not be good to size the chambers for cast bullets? They would have to be 0.359" wouldn't they. And then wouldn't the chamber be oversized for jacketed bullets? Seems to me you would want the throat to be right at 0.357 so both cast and jacketed would work. No?

 

[Tslepebull]

Cylindersmith web site has a wealth of information on cast bullet fit and performance. Also see Lead Bullets Technology for information on bullet fit.

The revolvers I have had reamed for cast bullet use have shown significant improvement in accuracy (precision) with no loss of accuracy when using jacketed bullets. All also showed a decrease (as in none) in leading.

 

[Gun 4 Fun]

So following what you say wouldn't it not be good to size the chambers for cast bullets? They would have to be 0.359" wouldn't they. And then wouldn't the chamber be oversized for jacketed bullets? Seems to me you would want the throat to be right at 0.357 so both cast and jacketed would work. No?

No, what I am saying is that if your bore is .357 for example, then cast bullets that are .358 will work best as a rule, and you want your throats to match that bullet size, or at most be .001" over nominal bullet diameter. You never want your throats to size down a bullet.

 

[major kong]

Go for it, especially if you know you are going to be shooting mostly lead through it. I've got a similar dilemma with a new M29. The throats are .429 and it doesn't shoot lead bullets nominally sized @ .430 worth a crap. I can take those same lead bullets and shoot them in a Ruger with throats sized .431 and get very good accuracy. I think I've decided to get mine opened up--the only thing holding me back is that it does shoot jacketed and plated bullets @.429 well. Anyhow, I can't help you with who to send it to--I've got a local guy that is good that I will take mine to if I decide to do it. I say do it and don't feel bad about it. My personal experience with this issue totally supports what Gun 4 Fun is saying.

 

[RGPM1A]

To OP Tippy. Penn Bullets will sell you custom cast bullets sized to a wide range of values for a given caliber. IMHO better to fit the bullet to the gun rather the gun to the bullet.