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NEW LOADS!• .270 Winchester• .303 British
NEW LOADS!• .270 Winchester• .303 British
$4.99 U.S./$5.99 Canada
April 2006 No. 240Rifle Magazine Presents - HANDLOADER
Printed in USA0 74808 01240 4
0 4
$4.99US $5.99CAN
50 Years!Ruger’s Blackhawk and the .357 Magnum50 Years!Ruger’s Blackhawk and the .357 Magnum
NEW: Federal’s Nontoxic Thunder Shotshells!
“Devastating”.22 Varmint
Bullets
“Devastating”.22 Varmint
Bullets
Super HeavyBullets in the .45 ACPSuper HeavyBullets in the .45 ACP
4 Handloader 240
AMMUNITION RELOADING JOURNAL
RIFLE'S April-May 2006Volume 41, Number 2
ISSN 0017-7393Issue No. 240
6 USRAC ClosesNew Haven FacilityReloader’s Press -Dave Scovill
12 .22 ShortCartridge Board -Gil Sengel
16 BPCR Bullet BCsMike’s Shootin’ Shack -Mike Venturino
18 Vihtavuori N310Propellant Profiles -R.H. VanDenburg, Jr.
22 Handgun PotpourriFrom the Hip -Brian Pearce
26 Ruger Blackhawk.357 MagnumHandloadsfor AllGenerationsBrian Pearce
Page 42. . .
Page 26. . .
Page 50. . .
42 .303 BritishOnce upon a time...the sun never set onthe British EmpireMike Venturino
50 Da Schpringfield!The World Standardin Any LanguageJohn Barsness
60 .270 WinchesterFoundation ofHigh VelocityJohn Haviland
66 HuntingHandloads forthe .357 MagnumIntroduced in 1935the .357 remains thestandard for 71 years.Brian Pearce
72 Super HeavyBullets in the.45 AutoSuper Accuracyand PenetrationBob Campbell
78“Devastating” .22Varmint BulletsInside Look at Modern.22-Caliber BulletsMike Thomas
34 Federal’sNontoxicThunderUltra•Shok HighDensity andHeavyweightWaterfowl Loads.Wallace Labisky
5April-May 2006
On the cover . . .The First Generation Ruger Black-hawk Old Model, circa 1957, isshown with a New Model 50thyear Blackhawk 1955-2005 .357Magnum (foreground). Pistolphotos by Gerald Hudson.
86 Two RevisedReloadingManualsBook Reviews -R.H. VanDenburg, Jr.
90 Redding Big BossReloading PressProduct Tests -Al Miller
92 Catalog CornerSpecial AdvertisingSection -
96 What’s New inthe MarketplaceInside Product News -Clair Rees
00 More on the.32 H&R MagnumBullets & Brass -
06 Testing aNew RifleHunting Handloads -John Barsness
Publisher of Handloader™ is not responsible for mishaps of any nature that might occur from use of publishedloading data or from recommendations by any member of The Staff. No part of this publication may be reproducedwithout written permission from the publisher. Publisher assumes all North American Rights upon acceptance andpayment for all manuscripts. Although all possible care is exercised, the publisher cannot accept responsibility forlost or mutilated manuscripts.
Publisher/President – Mark Harris
Editor in Chief – Dave Scovill
Managing Editor – Roberta Montgomery
Art Director – Gerald Hudson
Production Director – Becky Pinkley
Contributing Editors
Associate Editor – Al Miller
Advertising
Advertising DirectorDonald Polacek
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Handloader® (ISSN 0017-7393) is published bi-monthly by Mark Harris Publishing Associates, Inc.,dba Wolfe Publishing Company (Mark Harris, Presi-dent), 2625 Stearman Rd., Ste. A, Prescott, Arizona86301. (Also publisher of Rifle® magazine.) Tele-phone (928) 445-7810. Periodical Postage paid atPrescott, Arizona, and additional mailing offices.Subscription prices: U.S. possessions – single issue,$4.99; 6 issues, $19.97; 12 issues, $36.00; 18 issues,$48.00. Foreign and Canada – single issue, $5.99; 6issues $26.00; 12 issues, $48.00; 18 issues, $69.00.Please allow 6-8 weeks for first issue. Advertisingrates furnished on request. All rights reserved.Change of address: Please give six weeks notice.
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Wolfe PublishingCompany
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Prescott, AZ 86301Tel: (928) 445-7810 Fax: (928) 778-5124Copyright © Mark Harris Publishing Associates, Inc.
John Barsness
Brian Pearce
Clair Rees
Gil Sengel
Ron Spomer
Stan Trzoniec
Mike Venturino
Ken Waters
Issue No. 240 April-May 2006
AMMUNAMMUNITITIONON REL RELOADING NG JOJOURURNALAL
Background Photo: © 2006 Kenny Bahr
Page 34Page 72Page 26
Page 90. . .106
100
6 Handloader 240
bit over-powered for the Texas brush country, butthey worked out fine.
Details on the scopes include a .75-inch steel tubewith brass fixtures and external adjustments forwindage and elevation. We spent part of the firstday sighting in the rifles and carbines at 100 yards.After the scopes were set up and screw adjust-ments were sufficiently snug, the guns all shot quitewell. The .38-55 I used put two bullets in one ob-long hole about 2 inches over the point of aim, mak-
ing it about right for a 150-yard point-blank shot,200 long paces with a bit of holdover.
I lost track of the number of whitetail we took, butthe number 37 was mentioned during dinner on thelast evening of the hunt. Some of us also took theopportunity to drop a few javelina, feral hogs andcoyotes.
Ballistics for the Winchester factory loads usedare listed as 1,300 fps for the 255-grain flatnosejacketed bullet in the .38-55, 2,390 fps for the 150-grain flatnose in the .30 WCF and 2,230 for the 117-grain bullet in the .25-35 WCF. That works out to987 foot-pounds (ft-lbs) at the muzzle for the .38-55,1,902 ft-lbs for the .30 WCF and 1,292 for the .25-35WCF, all listed for 24-inch barrels. Energy numbersdrop to 802, 1,356 and 904 ft-lbs, respectively, at 100yards. Going by the notion that a minimum of 1,200ft-lbs is required at impact for deer-sized game,.38-55 and .25-35 WCF bullets should have bouncedoff, but I’ll leave that debate for another time.
We all left Texas with enough field notes and ob-servations for a good story. Upon returning home,however, I received a phone call from Scott Grange,the USRAC/Browning representative who wason the hunt. Scott said FN (Fabrique Nationale
About a month ago as this is written, I
was invited to hunt whitetail in Texasby the folks at United States Repeating ArmsCo. (USRAC), aka Winchester, and MossyOak. The hunt featured the Model 94 Win-chester chambered for the .25-35 WCF, .38-55and .30 WCF (aka .30-30). Rifles had 26-inchbarrels; carbines featured 20-inch tubes. Sev-eral of the rifles were topped off with repro-ductions of the long-gone Wm. Malcolmriflescope. The scopes were about 30 incheslong, and the models we used were all 6x, a
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D a v eS c o v i l l
USRAC CLOSES
NEW HAVEN FACILITY
USRAC CLOSES
NEW HAVEN FACILITY
SWAN SONG FOR
MODELS 94, 70 AND 1300
RELO
AD
ER
’S P
RES
SR
ELO
AD
ER
’S P
RES
S
The swan song for the Model 94 inadvertentlyturned out to be an industry outing in Texas. Daveused a .38-55 equipped with a reproduction Wm.Malcolm 6x scope to take several whitetail and acouple of javelina.
The “Wm. Malcolm” telescopic sight was origi-nally manufactured from 1855 up through the
1940s. Tube diameter varied from .5 to .8125 inch.Power ranged from 3x to 20x with achromaticlenses mounted in brass fittings that were mountedto the steel tubes. Historians like Nick Stroebel(Old Rifle Scopes, Krause) tell us the Wm. Malcolmscopes were certainly among the best available.
The Leatherwood Hi-Lux Optics reproduction tele-scopic rifle sight is available in .75-inch tube diame-ter and can be mounted on most black powdercartridge rifles using existing dovetail cuts for thefront and rear barrel sights. The “Wm. Malcolm”versions of the long, tube-type riflescopes are nitro-gen filled to prevent fogging. Lengths vary from 28to 32 inches. Scopes are shipped with fully ad-justable external mounts and 4-inch eye relief. Theeye piece is adjustable for focus.
The rear scope mount features a Vernier scale forquick reference, allowing adjustment to accommo-date short- or long-range targets in mere seconds.Options include a heavy recoil base plate, fine ele-vation adjustment attachments, recoil ring and sun-shade accessories.
Handloader 240
would continue, along with fire-arms manufactured in otherUSRAC facilities, including over-under shotguns, the Super X3shotgun and Super X semiauto-matic rifle. The date for cleaningout the inventory and whateverelse might be necessary was
March 31, 2006. Whether or notthat leaves the option of produc-ing “special editions” of theModel 94 or 70 at some futuredate is still open, although noth-ing will come out of the formerConnecticut facility.
Scott suggested the reason forclosing the New Haven plant wasrooted in finances – going brokeis more to the point. As I under-stand the situation, the cost ofdoing business in Connecticut isa bit steep, hence the companylost money on everything manu-factured in that plant. The logicalargument then is to raise pricesor reduce expenses, but the folksin Belgium obviously did not seeit that way. I’m sure folks will de-bate the issue with other well-intentioned arguments as well,but I’m not here to debate theoptions. The folks at FN have
D’Armes de Guerre) that ownsUSRAC and Browning, announcedthe Winchester New Haven, Con-necticut, plant was closing itsdoors – out of business. Modelsaffected were the 94, 70 and1300. The Model 86, 92 and 95lever actions made in Japan
8 www.handloadermagazine.com
“WM. MALCOLM” TELESCOPIC RIFLE SIGHT“WM. MALCOLM” TELESCOPIC RIFLE SIGHT
The reproduction Wm. Malcolm scope is availablein lengths from 28 to 32 inches and easily mountsin existing dovetail slots for front and rear sights.
•
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Handloader 240
70s will rise somewhat, while theample supply of Model 94s willkeep the prices fairly stable, forawhile at least. I don’t have aclue about the market share orpopularity of the Model 1300shotgun. Interestingly, the Model94 is still the most popular sport-ing rifle/carbine ever made. Savefor a short hiatus during WorldWar II, the Model 94 has been incontinuous production 112 years.The Model 70 has been onshelves for 70 years. (Are thoselast two numbers a coincidenceor what?)
For my part, I already ownenough pre-World War II Model94 rifles and carbines, and theModel 70 in the safe is cham-bered for the only caliber of in-terest in that rifle, a .375 H&Hthat shoots exceptionally well.Then, too, I’ve had the opportu-nity to use a good number ofModel 70s in a variety of calibersover the years, and they are finerifles, make no mistake.
I suspect the demise of theModel 70 is due in part to the factthat it is probably the mostcopied sporting rifle in the coun-try – the three-position safetyconcept being pirated by a num-ber of rifle makers. At least Idon’t see anyone clamoring for abutton on the side of the receiveror a sliding tang safety. JohnBarsness made a remark aboutthe “controlled round” feedingfeature as well, but anyone canget that in a dirt-cheap surplusMauser. Come to think of it,you can put a three-positionswing safety on a Mauser aswell. Maybe the gazillion surplusMausers contributed to the de-mise of the Model 70.
As for the Model 94, who knowswhat happened. My personalopinion is that Winchester triedtoo hard to change the design,making carbines that looked likerifles, and vice versa. Whateverhappened to the basic rifle, light-weight rifle and carbine? Policyseems to have been to dream upsome variation of the basic model,
weighed the issues and made adecision.
One of the most interesting out-comes from all this is that Win-chester Models 70, 94 and 1300are selling like hot cakes, eitheras the result of folks speculatingon future values now that thedoors are closed or to purchasethe rifle or shotgun they werethinking about anyway. Eitherway, I suspect the value on Model
10 www.handloadermagazine.com
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hype it to writers who probablydidn’t care in the first place, andstand back while the ordersflooded in. Unfortunately, thepublic has grown tired of thatsort of marketing technique –witness the demise of the .307,.356 and .375 WCFs, while the lit-tle .30 WCF still outsells all theother Model 94 calibers com-bined, and the age-old .38-55,which was to be replaced by thenew-age .375 WCF, is still plod-ding along.
Then there are those well-inten-tioned “writers” who have beendamning lever actions with faintpraise for years – suggesting theyare limited to 150 yards or lessowing the parabolic trajectorycurve and minimal energy re-quirements someone ginned upover a bottle of “who hit John” ina motel room at an NRA conven-tion 50 years ago.
Someone suggested that thecowboy action crowd shouldhave kept the Model 94 in busi-ness, but the 94 was never of anyvalue to anyone who just wantsto dribble bullets out the barrelfar enough to topple a steel cut-out of a Yosemite Sam parody atspittin’ distance.
But, I digress.
Chances are, USRAC failed be-cause it attempted to be allthings to too many folks. GeneralMotors, Ford and Daimler/Chrysler are having the sameproblems – too many models,along with the financial burdenbrought on by union labor, readthat “benefits.” An article in theWall Street Journal pretty muchsummed it up when the inventorywas counted – 67 models fromGM. Competition from govern-ment subsidized foreign automo-bile manufactures – read Toyota– aren’t helping either.
I’m getting side-tracked . . .again.
There is also the Europeanmentality to deal with. WhenSmith & Wesson was owned by aBritish outfit, those folks had
pretty much decided, based onwhat they read in the New York
Times and law suits brought onduring the Clinton administra-tion, that the firearms industrywas dying. So, they ran S&W likeit was dying. The same might besaid of FN regarding the demiseof the Model 94, 70 and 1300, al-though that fails to explain whyBrowning isn’t involved in themess – at least not yet. Eitherway, USRAC didn’t have signifi-cantly more variations of theModel 70 and 94 than Ruger hason the Model 77 or Remingtonhas based on the Model 700. Thatmight suggest that diversity is theproblem, or it is not the problem,or could be a problem for Rugeror Remington. Take your pick.
Then, there’s the lawsuit inwhich USRAC and another partysettled out of court. Details arehighly guarded, but the “agree-ment” apparently includes royal-ties on a patent infringement thatmight have had the net effect of“nickel-and-diming” USRAC todeath, the proverbial “straw thatbroke the camel’s back,” alongwith union labor costs. (No, I’mnot antiunion, but firearms man-ufactures are not bazillion dollarindustries and can’t survive reor-ganization, as might be done withGM, Ford or Daimler/Chrysler,and was done with Chrysler sev-eral years ago. Maybe USRACneeds a Lee Iacocca.)
Either way, the timing of theout-of-court settlement and theFN announcement are too closeto ignore. In time, however, thelid will fly off, seriously dis-rupting the way the industrydoes business. Right now no oneseems to be talking, at least notpublicly, save for a comment ortwo in the New Haven newspa-per and on CNN that revealednothing of significance.
So, that’s it. It would be nice ifsomeone (or a group of folks)would pick up the now-defunctmodels, but I suspect complica-tions – cost of doing business –limits options.
April-May 2006 11www.handloadermagazine.com
•
26 Handloader 240
a huge success and back orders continued throughthe entire Blackhawk Flat Top production. Besidestheir mechanical virtues, they were handsome re-volvers, and it’s no wonder that demand remainshigh today, becoming classics in the purest sense.Original issue retail price was $87.50.
In 1962/63 the Blackhawk underwent changes.First, the steel micro-adjustable rear sight was
Brian Pearce
Few sporting handguns canboast of being in continu-ous production for morethan 50 years, with more
than a million being sold, but theRuger Blackhawk .357 Magnum can.During the past 50 years, it has un-dergone many changes, and a dis-cussion of the handgun, its featuresand the ins and outs of handloadingseem appropriate.
In 1953 Bill Ruger offered shooters a new .22 LongRifle sixgun, the Single Six, and it took many yearsfor production to catch up with orders. Recognizingdemand for a centerfire single action, in August1955 Mr. Ruger introduced the Blackhawk .357Magnum, which was soon nicknamed the “FlatTop.” These handguns had significant designfeatures and were among the most reliable everproduced. The springs (including mainspring, pawlspring, trigger spring and cylinder latch spring)were coil piano wire, making the lockworknearly unbreakable. The firing pin was framemounted, eliminating primer flow issues often as-sociated with this cartridge, and the action offereda most pleasing sound and feel while thumbingthe hammer.
The Ruger single action also featured a micro-adjustable rear sight and ramp front. Standard bar-rel length was 45⁄8 inches, with 61⁄2- and 10-inch ver-sions being offered at a later date. Guns werecrafted entirely from steel, with the exception ofthe XR3 aluminum grip frame. This was a mixed
blessing. The weight of a revolver with a 45⁄8-inchbarrel ran 38 ounces. Had the grip frames beenmade of steel, weight would have been increased toaround 45 ounces. Seven ounces may not seem likemuch, but wear a sixgun on the hip all day afield,and it is noticeable. On the other hand, the alu-minum grip frame nicked easily, and the black an-odizing wore off prematurely. A steel grip framewould appear to be of higher quality. Regardless,the XR3 grip frame felt good in the hand and of-fered the natural pointing characteristics and simi-lar feel of the famed Colt Peacemaker. The gun was
www.handloadermagazine.com
In August 1955 Mr. Ruger introducedthe Blackhawk .357 Magnum.
RugerBlack .357Magnum
RugerBlack .357Magnum
changed to an aluminum version, and the Flat Topframe was replaced with “ears” or “frame ribs” thathelped support the sight while elevated. The ejectorrod housing was changed to aluminum and the gripframe redesigned to the “XR3 RED” designation.The cylinder and frame size remained unchanged.This version was produced through 1972.
The Blackhawks produced from 1955 through
1972 were crafted from 4140 chrome-molybdenumsteel and easily handled the .357 Magnum. (Thiswas during an era when industry working pressurelimits were established at 46,000 CUP, which hasbeen lowered today to 35,000 psi.) Cylinders weresimilar in size to the Colt SAA (but definitely notthe same) with an outside diameter of 1.670 inchesand an overall length typically between 1.600 to1.605 inches. Chambers were not countersunk, andmaximum overall cartridge length was limited to1.665 inches. And rather than having bullets seatedmore or less flush with the end of the cylinder, it’sbest to have around .005 to .010 inch clearance inthe event that bullets walk or jump slightly underrecoil. This is not a common problem with this car-tridge, but it can happen. For this reason, overallcartridge length is usually limited to 1.655 to 1.660inches.
April-May 2006 27www.handloadermagazine.com
hawkhawk Handloadsfor All
Generations
Handloadsfor All
Generations
The 50th anniversaryBlackhawk is offeredfor a limited time only.
Fifty years ago, the RugerBlackhawk was a sensation.
We have now come full-circle.
Handloader 240
When using jacketed bullets in the .357 Magnum,there is generally little concern regarding overallcartridge length, as most feature a cannelure orcrimp groove that keeps cartridges within 1.590inches (SAAMI recommendation). Exceptions in-clude bullets designed for silhouette competitions,such as the Speer 180- and 200-grain total metaljacket-silhouette (TMJ-SIL) and Hornady 180-grainHP-XTP (at least when seated in the lower crimpgroove).
There are popular cast bullet designs that featurea nose too long to work correctly in Flat Top andold model Blackhawk revolvers when used withfull-length .357 cases. For example Elmer Keith de-signed Lyman mould 358429 (weighing 173 grains)in 1935, prior to the introduction of the .357 Mag-num cartridge. The early version of this bullet fea-tured square grease grooves, a full-caliber frontdriving band, a nose length of .395 inch and was anexcellent bullet for all .38 Special revolvers.
When loaded in the .357 Magnum case andcrimped in its crimp groove, the overall cartridgelength is 1.683 inches, excessive for old modelRuger .357s. Lyman has changed the specificationsof this bullet over the past 75 years, with the cur-rent version having a nose some .018 inch shorter,for an overall cartridge length of around 1.665inches. So loaded they will chamber and fire, butthe meplat is flush with the end of the cylinder.
In recent years variations of the LBT Long FlatNose design have appeared, which can share thesame problem as the above Keith bullet. Some sug-gest employing .38 Special cases, then loading tosimilar pressures as the .357 Magnum – somethingI’ve certainly done. But there are a couple of prob-lems. First, most .38 Special cases are not as thickor as strong as the Magnum case, and they occa-sionally split full length or completely separate justforward of the head on the first loading. And caselife is unacceptably short. There are some (but notall) +P and +P+ .38 Special cases that can safelywithstand higher pressures, but there is always thepossibility of one of these “Magnum” .38s finding itsway into an ancient or weak revolver that cannotsafely digest such loads. A good alternative is totrim .357 Magnum cases back .010 or .020 inch to1.260 or 1.270 inches (depending on the bullet beingused). This may sound time consuming, but withtoday’s electric case trimmers, it can be accom-plished in reasonable time.
An excellent general-purpose cast bullet for the.357 Magnum is Lyman mould 358156, which typi-cally weighs around 160 to 165 grains in solid form
28 www.handloadermagazine.com
Ruger Blackhawk.357 MagnumRuger Blackhawk.357 Magnum
In 1962/63 the Blackhawkunderwent changes.
Since 1955 the Ruger Blackhawk.357 Magnum has undergonemany changes. Top to bottom:1955-era Flat Top, 1972-era oldmodel Blackhawk with rare fac-tory-installed brass grip frame,1975-era New Model Blackhawkstainless steel, 1985-era Bisleyand 2005-era 50th anniversaryedition.
April-May 2006
During 1955 through 1972,Ruger used two basic rifling sys-tems on the .357 Blackhawk: sixlands/grooves and eight lands/grooves, both with a one-in-16-inch, right-hand twist. From ahandloader’s standpoint, there isreally no difference and neitherseems to generate more or lesspressure than the other. Theyeasily stabilize bullets weighing
from 110 to 180 grains, and goodaccuracy has been observed withselect 200-grain cast semiwad-cutter (SWC) bullets.
Barrels do tend to vary ingroove diameter, and it can bebeneficial to slug the bore ifusing cast bullets. I have sluggedaround two dozen .357 Black-hawks over the years, with mosthaving a groove diameter of.3575 to .3580 inch. Throat sizesusually run .358 inch (a numberthat was determined by measur-ing six revolvers, then averag-ing). When assembling cast bulletloads to be used as a one-size for
(depending on alloy) or 155 to160 grains in hollowpoint form.In addition to having a gas check,it features double crimp grooves.For guns that require cartridgesbe kept within industry specifica-tions, it can be crimped in theupper groove, but in old modelBlackhawks, it can be seated inthe lower crimp groove for anoverall length of 1.655 inches.This allows greater powder ca-pacity than if the bullet is seatedin the upper crimp groove in thefull-length .357 case, or seated inthe lower crimp groove in a .38Special case. Using an identi-cal powder charge, chamberpressure is reduced. For thosewanting maximum velocity, thepowder charge may be increased.If casting is accomplished withcare and the correct alloys and
lubricants used,most guns are ac-curate with this
bullet.
29www.handloadermagazine.com
Left, 50th anniversary barrel markings signify a mile-stone for the Blackhawk. Above, the 50th anniver-sary is of New Model design.
Above, New Model Blackhawk revolvers are fitted with a transfer bar,allowing the safe carry of six cartridges. Right, an ejector alignmentpawl or plunger aids in aligning chambers with loading trough on the50th anniversary Blackhawk .357.
Left, front sights of the 50th anniversary Blackhawk(above left) is shown with the original Blackhawk.Below, the 50th anniversary features a Flat Topframe with a micro-adjustable rear sight, like theoriginals. Right, note the cylinder size differencesin length and outside diameter ofthe New Model Blackhawk (left)versus the old model Blackhawk.
Handloader 240
sary” version but a regularproduction gun. In addition tothe 45⁄8-inch barrel, 51⁄2-, 61⁄2- and71⁄2-inch barrel lengths could beadded.
I would also like to see this“.357 frame” offered in .44Special and .45 Colt and be-lieve they would sell well. An-other chambering that would
be interesting(and is cer-tainly possi-
ble) would bethe .41 Magnum.
As we go to press,Ruger has announced
a 50th anniversary FlatTop .44 Magnum for 2006,
and while I am glad to see thisoffered, I hope Ruger doesn’toverlook the potential of con-tinued sales of the tidy .357frame.
The folks at Ruger indicatethat the 50th anniversaryBlackhawk .357 Magnum willonly be produced through theyear 2005. I have encouragedcompany officials to continueoffering it, not in an “anniver-
multiple Blackhawks, cast bulletsare generally sized to .358 inch,which seems to give the bestoverall accuracy.
In 1973 Ruger discontinued theBlackhawk (aka “old model” and
“three screw”) in favor of theNew Model Blackhawk. All previ-ous models were best carriedwith an empty chamber directlyunder the hammer, as the ham-mer safety notch and/or trigger
sear could break if bumped, andthe gun would fire. The new ver-sion featured a transfer bar thatallowed the safe carry of six car-tridges without the possibility ofa blow to the hammer acciden-tally setting off a round. The NewModel Blackhawk lockwork ismarvelous and has proven one ofthe most reliable ever, but puristslamented the loss of the fourdistinct clicks while working theaction.
Another change that occurredwas the discontinuance of the.357 Magnum frame. Prior to thistime, .357 Blackhawks were builton their own frame and, as previ-ously stated, were of similar sizeto the Colt SAA (but fitted withadjustable sights). When the NewModel Blackhawk appeared, allcenterfire calibers – including .30Carbine, .357/9mm, .41 Magnum,.44 Magnum and .45 Colt/.45 ACP– were built on the larger .44Magnum frame (with the excep-tion of the Single Six .32 H&RMagnum). This resulted in a .357Magnum cylinder that measuredaround 1.640 inches long and1.730 inches in diameter. Thepoint being, the New Model re-volver will accept cartridges withlonger overall lengths, and it isno longer necessary to trim cases(as described above) when usingbullets with .395-inch noses andlonger. Cartridges can be loadedto an overall length of 1.690inches, which still leaves .010inch clearance at the chambermouth in the event that bullets
KEEP IT ALIVE!KEEP IT ALIVE!
Ruger Blackhawk.357 MagnumRuger Blackhawk.357 Magnum
The groove diameter of most Blackhawk .357s runsaround .3580 inch, with a few measuring .3575.
Bullets fromLyman mould358156 and seatedin the lower crimpgroove have anoverall cartridgelength of 1.655inches.
30
•
walk slightly under recoil. (TheNew Model Blackhawk alsoshares the same frame/cylindersize as the Bisley, Vaquero andBisley Vaquero.)
50TH ANNIVERSARY BLACKHAWK
FLAT TOP .357 MAGNUM
Celebrating the 50th anniver-sary of the .357 Blackhawk,Ruger has introduced a specialNew Model Blackhawk .357 thatwill only be offered in the year2005 (although dealers shouldhave them on the shelves wellinto 2006). The gun is a moderncopy of the original “Flat Top” in-troduced in 1955 with a framesize basically the same as theoriginal. (Many shooters pres-sured Ruger to bring back the“.357 frame,” and I’m happy to
see that it has finally suc-cumbed!) As indicated, the six-gun is fitted with a flattop frame,micro-adjustable rear sight andramp front. The grip frame isshaped basically the same as theoriginal “XR3” but made fromsteel rather than aluminum, andthe width has been narrowed to.435 inch, rather than the .500inch of the originals. The stocksare made from checkered blackrubber with the Ruger emblem,giving a look similar to its ances-tors. The action is of “NewModel” design with transfer bar,allowing the safe carry of six car-tridges. Barrel length is naturally45⁄8 inches.
One of the complaints associ-ated with the New Model Rugersingle action often surfaces while
31
50th Anniversary RugerNew Model Blackhawk Flat Top .357 Magnum
bullet powder charge primer velocity(grains) (grains) (fps)
125 Hornady XTP-HP H-110 20.0 CCI 550 1,385140 Speer JHP W-296 18.0 1,331158 Speer Gold Dot HP Lil’Gun 19.0 1,403
Enforcer 14.8 CCI 500 1,280158 Hornady XTP-HP W-296 16.6 CCI 550 1,255155 Lyman 358156HP cast 2400 15.0 CCI 500 1,369156 RCBS 38-150-SWC cast W-231 5.5 996173 Lyman 358429 cast* H-110 15.5 CCI 550 1,337* Cases cut to 1.250 inches.
Notes: Starline cases used throughout.Be Alert – Publisher cannot accept responsibility for errors in published load data.
Cast and jacketed bullets in the .357 Magnum offer top performance.Left to right: 156-grain RCBS 38-150-SWC, Lyman 358156 hollowpoint(shown seated in upper and lower crimp grooves), 173-grain Lyman358429, 158-grain Hornady XTP-HP and 158-grain Speer Gold DotHollow Point.
During 1955 through 1972, Ruger used twobasic rifling systems.
April-May 2006
Handloader 240
turn in 16 inches. Throat andgroove diameter run .3575 inch.(The above comments are notcriticisms but are only mentionedsince this is a modern copy of theoriginal.) Overall the fit and fin-ish is among the best I have seenfrom Ruger in a long time.
The trigger pull was too heavyto really assess the accuracy ofthe new Flat Top so was light-ened to 3 pounds before firing.Several handloads were tried,and it proved worthy with sev-eral 25-yard groups cutting underone inch. The 158-grain SpeerGold Dot HP over 19.0 grains ofHodgdon Lil’Gun produced 1,403fps, and five shots clustered into.75 inch. The gun liked cast bul-lets too, as 15.0 grains of Alliant2400 drove the Lyman 358156HP(155 grains) 1,369 fps andgrouped under one inch. (Thislast load was crimped in theupper crimp groove for an over-all length of 1.575 inches.)
Fifty years ago, the RugerBlackhawk was a sensation, andfrom 1955 through 1962, produc-tion figures were never enoughto completely fill orders. We havenow come full-circle and areagain excited about the latestFlat Top .357 Magnum, a gun thathas been in a continual backorder mode all year, just like theoriginal.
Comparing the 50th anniversaryto one of the first Blackhawksbuilt (and given Judge Don Mar-tin by Bill Ruger), the top strap isnoticeably (.044 inch) thickerand the base of the front sightwider. The cylinder is of thesame diameter but measures1.585 inches, .020 inch shorterthan the original (so the overallcartridge length is best kept to1.635 to 1.640 inches). The riflingis eight groove, rather than six,and the rate of twist remains one
loading and unloading. When theloading gate is open and thecylinder rotated, if the chamberis allowed to go slightly past theloading trough, the cylinder can-not be rotated backward butmust be revolved completelyaround to access that chamberagain. The 50th anniversaryBlackhawk (as well as the NewVaquero) features an EjectorAlignment Pawl, which is basi-cally a spring-loaded plunger fit-ted in the rear of the frame that isactivated by the cylinder ratchet.The cylinder naturally centersthe chamber with the loadingtrough. In the event that thechamber is rotated past the load-ing trough, it can easily be ro-tated back (counterclockwise)for realignment. This is a hugeimprovement over previous NewModels, is simple and shouldprove reliable.
The 50th anniversary gun feelsgood in the hand, although ex-perienced shooters will instantlyfeel the balance change andadded weight thanks largely tothe steel grip frame. The samplegun weighed in at 45 ounces,some 7 ounces more than anoriginal.
32 www.handloadermagazine.com
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Brian found the New Model Blackhawk Flat Top .357 Magnum accu-rate with cast and jacketed bullet loads.
Handloader 24090 www.handloadermagazine.com
too and topped by a round plas-tic ball, 1.8 inches in diameter.It’s very comfortable to use, easyto grasp and an aid in controllingspeed and pressure. The extralength of the ram’s stroke, 4.4inches, makes loading magnumrounds – even the longest ofthem – a snap.
The linkage connecting the op-erating handle and the ram multi-plies the applied leverage severaltimes over. Joining the operatingarm’s platform and the press aretwo heavy steel arms, each 5.4inches long. Another 21⁄2 inchesseparate the center of the boltconnecting the cited platform tothe base of the ram. Now, anyfirst-year engineering studentshould be able to figure out themultiplier effect between the op-erating handle and ram, right? Ofcourse – and when you do,please let me know, okay?
Whatever the numerical figure,it certainly takes much of the ef-fort out of case forming. To getan idea of just how much, some.375 H&H and 7mm magnumcases were shoved through a .350magnum form die. As an accom-panying photo reveals, shaping.350 cases out of the H&H hulls
required the latters’ mouths besqueezed down a couple of thou-sandths, the shoulders increasedand shoved back slightly morethan .5 inch. Smaller loadingpresses can handle such chores,but most require a noticeableamount of extra muscle to do so.Although the Big Boss needed atad more effort to reshape those.375 cases, I’d estimate the extragrunt required amounted to lessthan 5 percent above normal.The same proved true when .350hulls were formed from 7mmmagnum brass.
On the other hand, necking
Redding’s Big Boss reload-
ing press lives up to itsname for it’s certainly big – andheavy, too – tipping the scales at161⁄2 pounds! It was designed fordedicated handloaders, the oneswho churn out reloads by thescore; wildcatters who need apress that can take the work outof reshaping cartridge cases;black-powder fans who competewith large-caliber rounds oncefavored by buffalo hunters ortheir modern counterparts, whodelight in shooting custom-builtrifles chambered for .50-calibermachine gun cartridges at targets1,000 yards or more distant. ABig Boss press can handle allthose chores with ease.
To begin with, its square frameis 31⁄2 inches wide and 41⁄2 incheshigh, leaving plenty of room in-side for ram, cartridge case,primer catcher, primer arm andfingers. In addition, the frame’soffset 36 degrees. That permitsthe handloader an unobstructedview of what his fingers are try-ing to do when installing a shell-holder, placing a cartridge casein it, removing one or seating abullet’s base on a case neck. Thatfeature is bound to save a lot ofneck craning.
An adapter bushing, which isscrewed into the top of theframe, accepts standard 7⁄8-inch,14 threaded reloading dies. Foroversize dies, the bushing can beunscrewed and the larger diesmounted.
There are two mounting holesin the 1⁄2 inch thick bench plate(the horizontal plate designed torest on a supporting surface),which allows the press to bebolted securely to a table orworkbench.
The operating handle is offset
REDDING BIG BOSS
RELOADING PRESS
REDDING BIG BOSS
RELOADING PRESS
PR
OD
UCT TES
TS
PR
OD
UCT TES
TS
The Big Boss press – note theposition of the primer arm whennot in use.
Re-formedcases (left toright): .45-70to .40-70, 7mmMagnum to.350 Magnum,.375 H&H to.350 Magnum.
some .45-70 cases down to .40-70demanded no extra muscle at all.
In an accompanying photo, theprimer arm can be seen hangingdown from the frame. Reddingrefers to it as the “Smart” primerarm without explaining why itwas so baptized. After using it forawhile, I began to agree with thechoice – when it’s working, theprimer arm requires very little at-tention from the handloader.
When the time comes to primecases, the primer arm is simplyrotated up and over until its headrests against the groove milled inthe side of the ram. After that,the case to be primed is placedin the shellholder and the ramraised. That lifts the base of thecase high, and because the groovebecomes shallower as the rammoves higher, the head of theprimer arm is tilted until theprimer cup is approximately at a45-degree angle to the benchbelow, making it easy for thehandloader to place a freshprimer in the cup.
Next, the ram is lowered, bring-ing the head of the case down to-ward primer cup and primer. Asthe ram lowers, the groove in itsside deepens, permitting theprimer arm to rotate down untilit rests on the press’s benchplate, placing primer cup andprimer directly beneath the shell-holder’s primer hole and thecase’s primer pocket. Furtherdownward movement of the rammarries primer cup, primer andprimer pocket.
Despite the built-in leveragemultipliers and weight of theram, that long operating handleencourages deft control. Severaldifferent boxes of cartridgeswere reloaded, both rifle andhandgun (including 7mm-08 Rem-ington, .30-06, .280 Remington,7mm Remington Magnum, .38Special and .44 Magnum), and inevery instance, each primer wasseated carefully, slowly, and nonewere crushed or distorted. Al-though that primer arm might
look like an afterthought – or anadd-on – it’s a darned clever de-sign.
Cups for both large and smallprimers are included with eachof the big presses.
A primer catcher is also part ofthe package. It’s simply a blackplastic box, 2x1.1x1.2 incheswith a magnetized steel bottomthat clings to the cast iron benchplate and can be placed next tothe ram where it can catch thespent primers as they’re kickedout of the sized cases. After thelast hull is deprimed, the catchercan be removed, emptied and putaway until needed again.
Redding’s Big Boss press is notonly able to accommodate everyforeseeable handloading task,but it will also do so with ease.Even when kicking out hundredsof rounds in a session, a hand-loader’s physical output will beminimal, thanks to that multiplierlinkage between operating han-dle and ram.
As far as longevity is concerned– well, admittedly, nothing lastsforever – but it’s hard to believethat any handloader, no matterhow active, could wear out oneof these huge presses in a singlelifetime. As a guess, I’d say theremust be at least two generation’sworth of use built into each BigBoss, maybe more. Look oneover and see if you don’t agree. –Al Miller
April-May 2006 91www.handloadermagazine.com
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96 Handloader 240www.handloadermagazine.com
C l a i r R e e s
CORBIN .50-CALIBER
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keeps each half of the tool inexact alignment while force isbeing applied. This same tool canalso be ordered for any specificbullet diameter from 0.10 inch to20mm.
Instead of employing the sud-den impact of a mallet-type tool,the CBP-50 eases the bullet outof the case. Pyrotechnic rounds –including explosive bullets – canbe pulled without much risk ofignition.
Collet pullers are similarin concept but much
slower to operate. Thesepullers use screw closures thatapply pressure and close the col-let fingers and are then un-screwed to release the pressure.The Corbin Bullet Puller auto-matically opens with light springpressure and closes firmly witha slight movement of the hand.It combines the speed of opera-tion of the spring-loaded-fingerdevice with the clean, mar-freeoperation of collets, while avoid-ing the impact of hammer-typepullers.
The CBP-50 puller is designedto properly grip a standard 0.510diameter .50 BMG bullet. Itshould not be used to pull .50-cal-iber bullets of other diameters,e.g., .512 to .514 inch. These spe-
let. Lowering the press ram gen-tly pulls the bullet free of the car-tridge case without marking ordistorting the projectile.
Most bullet pullers gouge or cutthe projectile with spring-loaded,self-locking grippers that dig intothe sides of the bullet and hold itagainst the extraction force. TheCBP-50’s compression grip leavesvirtually no sign of the pullingoperation. As soon as the opera-tor relaxes his grip, a coil springslightly opens the tool to releasethe bullet. A steel guide pin
capable of reloading .50 BMGrounds.
The operator first inserts aloaded cartridge into the shell-holder then raises the ram with-out a die in the press head. Thepuller – which resembles long-handled pliers – is rested acrossthe top of the press. The usergrips the tool handles in onehand while operating the presswith the other. A precisely sizedorifice in the tool grasps the bul-
The first time I tried reload-
ing, the manual I was follow-ing flipped to another page whenmy back was turned. I didn’t im-mediately notice the change andended up loading 40 rounds of.308 Winchester ammunition to.30-30 velocities.
I was married, going to collegeand worked in a shoe store tokeep financially afloat. I discov-ered my mistake two days beforedeer season began and spent partof my next shift at thestore pulling bullets inthe back room with amallet-style puller thatheld the base of eachcartridge in a collet.Once all the bulletswere pulled, I dumpedthe powder from eachcase and made sure I used theright load next time around.
A new manual bullet puller de-signed for .50 BMG bullets is nowbeing offered by Corbin Manu-facturing, the bullet swage peo-ple in White City, Oregon. Onething that sets this apart fromother bullet pullers is that itdoesn’t depend on collets or im-pact force. Too, there are nospring-loaded blades to dig intothe bullet.
“This puller was built to safelyremove pyrotechnic (tracer)rounds as well as inert bullets,”said Dave Corbin, company pres-ident. “It was also designed toavoid cracking powder grains orbreaking the priming pellet inlive rounds.”
The Corbin Bullet Puller (CBP-50) removes bullets from loadedcartridges safely by using thegentle but powerful leverage of aheavy duty reloading press likethe CSP-2 or CHP-1. However, itworks with any reloading press www.riflemag.com
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cial versions can be ordered bysimply indicating CBP-C for“custom” and specifying the ac-tual diameter of the bullet.
Corbin’s .50 BMG bullet pullerretails for $69.50. To order one,or for more information, contactCorbin, Dept. HL, PO Box 2659,White City OR 97503; or visit thewebsite: www.corbins.com.
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“This is my ‘stopper,’” he said,shucking a shell from the cham-ber and handing it to me. “TheseBrenneke slugs will stop a bearcold. If one charges, I’ll fill himso full of lead he’ll be too tired toreach us.”
I was impressed that Brennekemade the only slugs Ed wouldtrust his life with. While he cur-rently relies on big-bore rifles,his Brenneke-loaded Ithacasaved the bacon of more thanone client.
Brenneke has now updated itsGold Magnum and Classic Mag-num 12-gauge slugs to providebetter performance. The GoldMagnum is designed specificallyfor maximum accuracy and powerfrom 12-gauge shotguns with3-inch chambers and rifled bar-rels. Five-shot groups measuringless than 4 inches across at 100yards are the norm.
The substantial mass and crosssection of the distinctive Bren-neke® slug – which weighs a full600 grains (13⁄8 ounces) – is saidto transfer more energy at thetarget than virtually any compet-
April-May 2006 97www.handloadermagazine.com
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