Minié Balls for the Parker Hale 1858 Enfield
 

As most of you guys know, last October I acquired a really nice 1858 Enfield by Parker Hale that I've yet to shoot.



As March approaches, the weather down here in S.E. Louisiana is going to get mighty nice for spending a day on the rifle range. So I'm getting ready.

A Rapine 577460 mold came along with the gun.



So today I cast a bunch of Minié balls and did a quick quality control sort with a digital scale. This is what I got.



Somewhat to my surprise, the "460 grain" mold threw balls in the 490 grain range with pure soft lead. I figure I have 52 very good quality balls and another 21 to use for sighting in, plinking, etc.

Now here's my dilemma. Those nice shiny Miniés are averaging .584 diameter and won't enter the muzzle of the gun. I slugged the bore and get something around .581 (it's hard getting a precise reading on the slug with five lands and grooves).

As I understand it, for a gun like this I want the Miniés to be about .002 under bore size. A 37/64" drill bit is 0.5781 diameter. Would it be feasible to use a 1/2" Hex Nut, drilled out with a 37/64" bit to make a sizing die for those bullets, and use my bench top drill press as a press to push the bullets through the die?

I use my rock chucker press for small sizing and a bullet swaging press for the harder to form deals such as hardened bullets or swage forming a jacketed bullet. The real difference between the 2 is the swager has a bit more beef to the linkage as well as a longer handle for much more pressure. You, with your ingenuity, could easily rig up a sizing die in place of say your seating die on your reloading press. (I think you have a reloading press)

Drill presses have a rack-and-pinion set-up for lowering the quill, compared to a direct lever drive for a loading press. I'm not sure what the pressure requirements for swaging bullets, but it could be enough to mess up your drill press.
Paul

You might be able to rig something up Semi, but you might risk deforming the hollow base if they're not centered really well. If the base is deformed even slightly, it may not expand properly and gasses will escape around the bullet. If it were up to me, I would source out a better quality mold from someone such as NEI for a quality rifle such as that. Seems as though I've heard and read as many bad reports about Rapine molds as I have good.

Don't know if I ever mentioned it but, I have an original 1858 two band Enfield like yours. Sure wish it could talk...

BPS

Semi if you have a loading press maybe, instead of a nut, bore out a 7/8" bolt to the proper diameter and run it right into your press. Then you can place a small piece of flat stock on the ram and run the bullets up into the homemade sizer. The flat stock should keep the bullet's base from deforming.

That might work but there's a fine line as to how hard those bullets can be. They rely on the skirt expanding into the rifling upon detonation.

BPS

After a bit of Googling and considering my options, I ended up ordering a .580 push through sizing die from Lodgewood Mfg. Col (http://www.lodgewood.com/Push-Thru-S...Die_p_491.html). It will certainly be better than anything I could fabricate, and isn't much more expensive than the drill bit I would need to buy for a do-it-yourself attempt.

Expect a range report in a few weeks.

That's great Semi,

Keep the charges low, those thin skirts are prone to coming apart if you push them too hard. What do you plan to lube them with?

BPS

I was thinking the same thing. But I also know how much you like to tinker. After all, anyone that designs and builds a ML receiver is above the average tinkerer!

This guy was making sizing dies to your specs for under $30. Not sure what he is charging now.

http://www.doughtyent.com/#!dies/cee5