New Ruger 9mm carbine

[srb08]

Do you know what they are sized to?

Lance, have you thought about slugging the barrel?
To streamline the process of trying to find the right diameter bullet for Ruger single actions, I used egg shaped sinkers to slug the barrel and pin gauges to measure the cylinder. Made the process a lot faster. I use a brass hammer to start the sinker into the barrel, then use a cleaning rod with a brass jag to tap it through.
Below is a 1/4 oz weight, with an OD of .378. I use this size for .38/357 barrels.
Should work fine for a 9mm. You will need a good micrometer to measure the groove diameter.
Being a takedown rifle, you have the advantage of being able to start the slug from the breech.


Here's one that I used for measuring a .45C Bisley.

For a cheap and easy way to measure a barrel, it works pretty well.
Just a thought.

 

[Czed]

Do you know what they are sized to?

.357
They were actually 148gr my friend makes them for idpa
They've used them for 15+ year's
Glock 17 and springfield trophy match
Many many thousands
I'm getting more off of him soon.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks, yes, I am planning to slug the barrel. May do it now that the snow is here. I have read that Ruger 9mm bores tend to be large.

 

[FergusonTO35]

I didn't have any suitable sinkers for slugging the bore, however I did mic some bullets. Looks like they are dropping at what the manufacturer says they will. The Lee 356-120-TC (which the carbine does not like at all) are around .356, the 358-125-RF are a bit over .358. The Arsenal Molds 359-130-RF is dropping around .3585. S0, the latter two bullets should work well in it. I may start sizing all my 9mm bullets to .358 if all my chambers will accept them, that will keep things simple. I already flare the cases with the Lyman M die so that the tapered case won't resize the bullet down.

 

[Redfin]

Lance, have you thought about slugging the barrel?

Would you care to explain the purpose of this?

I could google but I would appreciate your explanation.

 

[FergusonTO35]

He is referring to driving a soft lead slug through the barrel and then measuring it to determine the land and groove diameters. This measurement then gives a baseline for you to determine what bullet diameter would be optimal. Lead bullets ordinarily need to be .001-.003 larger than the groove diameter for best performance, whereas jacketed and plated slugs usually match the groove diameter.

 

[srb08]

Would you care to explain the purpose of this?

I could google but I would appreciate your explanation.

Here's the Readers Digest version.
Slugging the barrel allows you to measure the groove diameter of a barrel. When shooting lead bullets, you want the bullet to be slightly larger, .001-.002, than what the barrel diameter measures. The oversize bullet, if made of an appropriate alloy, will provide a good seal and prevent gas blow by, which results in poor accuracy and lead deposits in the barrel.
When you slug a barrel, you can also feel any tight sections in the barrel. The threaded section of revolver barrels where the threads screw into the frame, can be squeezed when the barrel is attached. The tight spot swages the bullet and results in a loose fit in the rest of the barrel and can have a detrimental affect on accuracy.

 

[srb08]

He is referring to driving a soft lead slug through the barrel and then measuring it to determine the land and groove diameters. This measurement then gives a baseline for you to determine what bullet diameter would be optimal. Lead bullets ordinarily need to be .001-.003 larger than the groove diameter for best performance, whereas jacketed and plated slugs usually match the groove diameter.

Bingo!

 

[Redfin]

Thank you. I have not delved into the intricacies of shooting cast.

 

[Czed]

I remember my friends in cowboy action
In the 90s
Having accuracy issue's with the
Ruger blackhawk 9mm/.357 and 45acp/45lc
They would make custom sized cast bullet's to fit the oversized bores
And accuracy greatly improved.
Ruger must've corrected these issues
I haven't heard anymore about them.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Ok, making some progress with the carbine. Turns out it really likes the Lee 358-125-RF, and either .357 or .358 sizing works. With 3.8 grains IMR Target seated to 1.030 it shoots about the same as the 4.7 grains IMR Target/115 grain jacketed that I have been using. The 358-125-RF works great in longer barrels. It has a longer bearing surface than most and I fill the top crimp groove with lube so the bore gets coated well. This is makes sense, as my Marlin .357 also shoots great with this bullet. Guess I better start looking for a six cavity version!

 

[FergusonTO35]

I shot the carbine some more yesterday, and had some pretty terrible groups. The trigger is rather stiff, and I think it is pulling me off target if I don't perform a perfect squeeze. This is already difficult with arthritis in my dominant hand. Now that the weather is turning sour, I think I will drop off the carbine at the gunsmith for a trigger job.

 

[Backtroller]

Volquartzen makes a drop in but it’s ridiculously expensive. Like $275. I was expecting an M1 Carbine quality trigger. It’s better than that at least.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Yeah, I looked at that one and it's more than half of what I paid for the gun. Nice to have if you got the cash, but I'll see what the 'smith can do first.

 

[Backtroller]

I would try that too. I wouldn’t spend that much either

 

[FergusonTO35]

With the weather turning bad, it's a good time to get the arsenal tuned up.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Got the carbine back from the gunsmith, trigger is way better now. I took it out to 30 yards when I got home and it was making really nice groups. I loaded up some rounds with 4.0, 4.2, and 4.5 grains Green Dot under the Lee 358-125-RF that it likes, should be able to try them out next week.

 

[srb08]

Glad to hear things are working out.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Thanks, if I can get it to shoot even close to good as my Marlin .357 Ill be very happy.

 

[FergusonTO35]

Well, looks like things are not working out. Perfect weather for shooting today with little wind and mild temperatures. At 50 yards the previously mentioned reloads, which shoot great in all my handguns, were absolutely terrible. Some rounds aimed at one 16x16 target would strike the other one next to it!

Went back inside and cleaned the bore really good, found zero leading or other issues. Went back out and put 5 rounds each of three different types of factory rounds through it as a baseline. Accuracy improved to roughly minute of bad guy but nothing more as seen in the picture. At 50 yards with quality factory ammo I don't think a 2" group is too much to ask for. So, back to Ruger it goes!