.40cal GM Flint barrel on order

[roundball]

Bit the bullet and ordered a GM .40cal Flint drop in barrel for the TC Hawken...15/16" x 32".

Figure a good range load would be 40grns Goex 3F, maybe double that for hunting.

Lucked out and found 9 boxes of Hornady .395 for $2.50/box.

Does anybody know if the .40cal can still use a 3/8" ramrod, or do they run smaller?

 

[Packdog]

Roundball,
You can use a 3/8 for a .40. It is pretty tight but works well. As much as you shoot, I think you are going to love the .40. It is a pleasure for the shoulder, accurate and very economical.
Be sure to give us a range report.
Ken

 

[Bountyhunter]

3/8" = .375, so its gonna be a tight fit. 5/16" = .3125". Might fit better.

 

[roundball]

Packdog / Bountyhunter

I sure hope it'll take 3/8" rods cause I have a houseful of them and wouldn't have to buy extras...plus I need to order some jags and get them coming but don't want to order the wrong ones.

Guess I need to call GM and ask which size rod they ship with it so I can at least order something that should let me get started...couldn't tell from the website.

On the other hand, I have several .45cal jags...could turn one of them down on a belt sander in a pinch...already planning to do that with a spare short starter.

I have a ton of TC prelubed .018" pillow ticking patches I use with .440s, should work with .395s.

 

[Packdog]

I have turned a .45 jag down pretty quick by chunking it in the drill and turning it against a file. Worked well and I did not have the shipping for a 2.50 part. I hate shipping charges for small items. :cursing:
RB, I know you have seen a couple of the TN rifles I have built. .40 cals and have used both size rods. I like the looks of the 5/16 on a slim TN rifle but I have to say the 3/8 feels a little better when ramming the ball down. Maybe not better but safer.
Another good reason for a SS or Brass range rod.

 

[Dave K]

I agree, a 5/16" rod does look better. I feel a 3/8" is a tad on the snug side. I would turn one down to about 11/32" to get all the "meat" I can. Actually a 11/32" rod fits ok in commercial made thimbles that my gun has.

 

Roundball ya might want to start with a smaller charge of say 25 gr. for target out to 25 and 50 yards. The one grain per caliber, kind of doesn't apply as much when you get under .45 cal. There's one thing thats great about the small calibers, and it's that they are cheap to shoot. My squirel/ wood chuckie, small critter load is only 50 grains and that's for out past 60 yards. With these little guys point of aim at 15 yards is also point of aim at 80 yards. Good luck with her, even thought everyone knows 1 in 48 twist ain't very accurate :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

Bill

 

[Packdog]

I think he is getting small enough with the caliber that a 1 in 48 will do OK. :rotf: :rotf:

 

[rice1817]

I had a Missouri made Hatfield rebarreled from 36 to 40. I had pipes for a 3/8 rod installed, but a crooked 5/16 works well enough to hold in the thimbles. I use cast 395s, but after reading an article in Muzzleloader I experimented with .375s and an .018 patch and found that it loads easier and still shoots close enough for purposes of plinking and close range squirrel hunting.

 

[roundball]

Packdog / DaveK

I know exactly what you mean about spending as much for shipping as an item costs!

I just mic'ed some rods...the brass rods I use in the thimbles are a standard 3/8", but I only use them for the occasional reload while hunting...so if the 3/8" will slide downbore at all, that should work OK for the occasional hunting reload.

The good news is that the stash of TC's polymer coverd fiberglas range rods I have are actually a little smaller, at 11/32"...if they'll work easily I will have lucked out...so for now, I'll just turn down a couple .45cal jags and wait for the barrel...make the final decision with a hands on test.

 

[roundball]

"...even thought everyone knows 1 in 48 twist ain't very accurate :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

Durn...and here I already went and plunked down my money :cursing:
:rotf:

 

[Packdog]

That's good to hear. I just bought some .390 to try out. I was hoping they would load a little easier than .395s and keep the accuaracy.

 

[Rebel]

You might try some .380's for a .36 cal revolver in it too.

 

[TN.Frank]

5/16" is pretty much standard on 40cal and smaller, at 45cal you bump up to 3/8" but if you can get a 3/8" to fit then go for it. I'd run 35-40grs of 3fg for a target/general purpose load and go to 60-65grs for a deer load. 80grs might be a bit much in a 40cal, heck, that's what I was using in my 50cal for a deer load.

 

[roundball]

5/16" is pretty much standard on 40cal and smaller, at 45cal you bump up to 3/8" but if you can get a 3/8" to fit then go for it. I'd run 35-40grs of 3fg for a target/general purpose load and go to 60-65grs for a deer load. 80grs might be a bit much in a 40cal, heck, that's what I was using in my 50cal for a deer load.

It was just my initial thinking based upon the old adage of caliber = powder charge for targets, and double that for hunting...plus Lymans manual lists 25-80grns of Goex 3F with a .395 in a .40cal caplock, so pressure in a flinter should even be less...we'll see...I have one deer stand that overlooks a trail crossing a drainage ditch close at 25yds...when one walks up to that ditch they stop and look around before going down into it and up the other side...plenty close enough for a little 90grn ball in the heart.
(heck, here I am already shooting deer with it and they haven't even shipped it yet :grin: )

 

[TN.Frank]

LOL, I do the same thing. I've already killed a boat load of dove with my Cumberland Fowler and I've only shot it twice at a milk jug,LOL. Now, if dove season would just get here maybe I can go hunting for real. :v

 

[roundball]

Just got off the phone with Cains Outdoor in West VA (good size TC & GM dealer)...he confirmed the 3/8" rods fit no problem...the .40cal being .400 and the 3/8" rods being .375...he also recommended the 3/8" as it was stronger.

Turns out I only had one spare .45cal jag to consider turning down, so I went ahead and ordered some .40cal jags & ball pullers to fit 3/8" x 10/32" rods.

(got the ball pullers just in case I'm at the range or out hunting and some fool dry balls his .40cal)

.395s are on their way...just have to make a couple short starters...range is closed next weekend so I have two weeks of down time anyway.

 

[amccall]

Roundball, I have a 40 cal 1" on my T/C. Most accurate gun that I have. The only gun that I was able to shoot 3 shots through the same hole. 3/8ths rod will work, I just checked it. I use 35-40 grains for targets with 0.18 ticking for patches.
I just realized I was in the flintlock section. How did you get that barrel. Could you pm me about it because that is the barrel that I am looking for. My 40 cal. is percussion, but I have a 15/16 ths T/C that is so lonely for a 40cal flint barrel.
:thumbsup:

 

[Rebel]

He Bear, a flint barrel is what Roundball is talking about that he ordered. So maybe they are available now?

 

[roundball]

Roundball, I have a 40 cal 1" on my T/C. Most accurate gun that I have. The only gun that I was able to shoot 3 shots through the same hole. 3/8ths rod will work, I just checked it. I use 35-40 grains for targets with 0.18 ticking for patches.
I just realized I was in the flintlock section. How did you get that barrel. Could you pm me about it because that is the barrel that I am looking for. My 40 cal. is percussion, but I have a 15/16 ths T/C that is so lonely for a 40cal flint barrel.
:thumbsup:

I bet that 1" x .40 is heavy...is that the Cleland Match Rifle?

He-Bear, GM doesn't make the .40cal Hawken drop-in barrel as a Flint version...but they agreed to take an existing new .40cal caplock barrel, replace the breechplug with a Flint, and reblue everything for $60.

(same way I got my .58cal drop in Flint barrel a few years ago...paid them to make one in Flint the same way)

Do you already have & use a TC Flint lock on some rifle or another...I've found 3/4" black English flints are outstanding in my TC locks.