Revolver accuracy went away

[ian45662]

I have a lyman 58 remington that I sent off to have some work done to a while ago. When I got the gun everything was great. I could cover a 6 shot group with a golf ball and it hit right where I aimed it. Now it is hitting low and all over the place. I have changed nothing with the load and the gun has been stored in a nice soft padded case. What is going on :cursing:

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

I have a lyman 58 remington that I sent off to have some work done to a while ago. When I got the gun everything was great. I could cover a 6 shot group with a golf ball and it hit right where I aimed it. Now it is hitting low and all over the place. I have changed nothing with the load and the gun has been stored in a nice soft padded case. What is going on :cursing:

Two quick questions:

1. What type of work was done??

2. "When you got the gun" refers to your original purchase OR when it came back from having the "work" done??

It can be read either way! So for now I'll just say that the nipples could need replacing, or you need to check if the timing was altered by looking for shaved lead near the forcing cone. Once we know a little more, we can better help you.......

Dave

 

[ian45662]

The gun shot like a deam when I got it back from the smith. He timed and lined the cylinders to the bore. He reamed and chamfered the cylinders and put a match grade barrel on the gun and it is .002 away from the face of the cylinder. There was no lead around the forcing cone or anything. I have shot several hundred rounds since I got it back and they have all been good until now.

 

[denster]

Two possibilities. One is the nipples the second would be a lead build up in the bore. If all of your shots are going astray I'd look to the leading in the bore. Nipples don't all go bad at once.

 

[ian45662]

How do I know if there is leading?

 

[redwing]

:idunno: You had all that work done to a six- gun? You can't tell if its leaded? The bore has to be leaded by now if you have not cleaned it from the bore. The bore will needed to scrubed with a brass brush and WD40. Wipe the bore dry and use a lead remover like Butch's Bore Bright or Sweets. These will turn the patch blue until all the lead is removed. A leaded barrel will shoot all over the target.

 

[Maven]

Better still is Chore Boy (copper pad, no soap) cut up and wrapped around a bore brush. Use it as is or with WD-40, Ed's Red, etc.

 

[ian45662]

well i take care of it. i swab the bore after i empty the cylinder and then when i get home i clean real good and lube. i also use crisco for bullet lube. the bore looks good still as shiny as when i got it.

 

[denster]

A leaded bore looks nice and shiny. Pull a lews lead remover through it and I'll bet you pull out strings of lead. Crisco works somewhat to keep fouling soft it is a lousy bullet lube and will not stop leading. The only way to stop leading that I've found is Lee liquid alox.

 

[fredrader]

Just go to a hobby shop and get you some 100% copper mesh and wrap some around a bore brush untill you have to force it down the brl and do it over a piece of paper so you can see all the lead that comes out..Cheap and works every time..I used to have to do it to a $2500 wilson combat .45 I used to shoot bowling pins with and it worked great..

 

[arcticap]

I'm curious about what size & type of balls and brand of powder that you're loading with? Are the balls factory swagged?

Have you ever tried any kind of wads or other lubes besides Crisco?

Maybe for whatever reason, one of these components is adversely affecting your accuracy?

Poor accuracy could also be caused by shooter error or by some part of the loading procedure, for instance the amount of powder, ramming pressure or the size of the balls.

 

[stubshaft]

Measure the chambers and make sure that they are LARGER than the bore diamter.

 

[napolean]

Lets see, You sent the gun to be "accurized"
Afterwards it shot quite well for some time.
Then the groups opened up and nothing had been changed in the load or loading method.
I would not suspect the chamber/barrel diameter as the gun WAS shooting great and that would not have changed.
Are you casting? Did you get a different mold?
Usually leading is not a problem at BP velocities unless the bore is somewhat rough or the grooves are sharp edged. I would certainly try some of the above suggestions for removing lead.
When my ol 58 Rem. from Armi san Paulo was new it lost accuracy after several hundred shots. It also seemed to happen suddenly. A friend brought a small vial of the dreaded mercury over and treated my barrel with it (a long time ago, we didn't know any better) That must have been the problem as next time out it was right on. I believe the new grooves were sharp and "stripping" lead into the rifling. It has never happened again after all these years so I assume that use has smoothed the sharp edges of the grooves.
Jon D

 

[R.M.]

I'd take a look at the crown also. Maybe it got dinged somehow.

 

[madcratebuilder]

It sounds like barrel leading to me. A easy fix with a Lewis lead remover. I've been using one since about 1971 or so. The dead soft lead that is used in BP round balls well lead at lower velocities than your normal hard cast lead shot in center fires, at least in my experience.
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/pid=21587/Product/LEWIS_LEAD_REMOVER

How is that .002 barrel gap working out for you? Any cylinder drag after after a few cylinders are fired?