577 Super Snider build and chamber reamer size

I'm just about to make a 577 Snider chamber reamer for an upcoming project
And due to @40mm asking about reamers I thought I should get cracking

Vulcan barrels have all the drills, reamers and button to make me the barrels in any twist from 1:25 to 1:50

I have dies and 24 gauge magtech brass and have made one case from this brass through my dies and happy with the results

I have modified a 550 grain 577 minie bullet mold to drop 620 grain flat base bullets

What I'm hoping to get from a couple of forum members ( on loan just to measure ) are some fired and sized 577 cases
I want to look at what the various brands of dies re size to do that I can make my new chamber reamer to cover most or all of the available dies in NZ
Most guys will have Lee dies
I have British made ones that fit in a standard press

Vulcan won't be making these barrels for a few months yet
But I'm getting two
@40mm sounds like he might want one
@Scout is always keen for big bores

Anyone else want a brand new chrome molly or stainless steel 577 barrel for cartridge rifle or muzzleloader ?

I have two frames to barrel ready to go
First is an 1869 Swedish rolling block sporting 16 gauge shotgun frame. These were made from sold out of service 12.7mm rimfire service rifles.
Having been a 16 gauge shotgun the hammer nose is already modified to feed the 16 gauge case so the smaller 577 snider 24 gauge based case is a nice easy fit
Second I might stub and barrel a Baikal 12 gauge single barrel to 577 snider ! Why ? Why not !
And I will be building a stainless steel 577 muzzleloader as well. Totally utilitarian proper hunting ML that hit hard and makes big holes in protein

Standard Snider case should take 100 grains FFG under the 620 grain bullets
Attachment 202379

That's a 2" snider by the 2 1/2" Magtech patent brass

This is the 1869 frame with a dummy barrel stub in it
Knox will be much shorter and diameter of cutter will be much greater so radius between octagonal and round will be much more open
Attachment 202380

I have seen this in the raw and am fascinated and impressed with your cleverness especially the .22 mags. I'll send you a case when I get home no need to return it.

My Snider dies set fits in a standard 7/8" reloading press

The sizer on left screws in from below and stops at the small bottom shoulder
Works well
Plus neck flaring die
Seating die and case holder courtesy of @TentmanAttachment 202382

Amazing

Where did you get dies from
I'm trying to find a 11/4 inch press under the cost of an arm and a leg for mine

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Originally Posted by Boxton

Amazing

Where did you get dies from
I'm trying to find a 11/4 inch press under the cost of an arm and a leg for mine

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I got very lucky on those dies
Was a bit worried they would struggle to form the magtech to snider
But it was very easy with the annealing done properly

Some time soon I need to set up the automatic annealer and run all the magtech cases through

Looks interesting, will look forward to your updates.

I have recently ordered a couple of 9mm barrels from John at Vulcan

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Originally Posted by Fssprecision

Looks interesting, will look forward to your updates.

I have recently ordered a couple of 9mm barrels from John at Vulcan

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@Fssprecision he was working on them during last weekend when I was in his workshop ... he should have been working on my two 30-30 barrels

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Originally Posted by akaroa1

@Fssprecision he was working on them during last weekend when I was in his workshop ... he should have been working on my two 30-30 barrels

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But he's been a bit preoccupied with the heavy rain because he has a very stroppy stream near the workshop and he lives in fear of it breaking out and invading his special place

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Originally Posted by Boxton

Amazing

Where did you get dies from
I'm trying to find a 11/4 inch press under the cost of an arm and a leg for mine

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Im guessing thats thread size????so std dies screw directly in and dont have the daft quick change bit ....

Yes.
Most presses use a 7/8 die
I have snider and MH dies that use a 11/4.
Some presses have a collet that unscrews and you can screw in the larger die.
Mine doesn't
Still looking for a cheep ish second press to work on these
Some Rigby nitro and other big bore stuff also use the heavier dies too.

Just waiting to get picked up to recover a Hippo Bull we shot last night in the bloody water & checked in here !

Nice to see this coming together, something I have been going to do for years & years but have no talent to actually do.

Here we have a man getting things done, even some of my stuff lol

Appreciate this !

@Scout can come do the range sessions for me

I think he wanted a Baikal conversion at 7 pounds all up !
Shooting big bore rifles brings on early onset mental decline

that slip on recoil pad will be needed for that!!!!!!

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Originally Posted by Micky Duck

that slip on recoil pad will be needed for that!!!!!!

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Oh yes indeed

But it should just be a sting and long recoil
I don't expect it to be as bad as you might think
And I will pay particular attention to the expected finished rifle weight

if fitting recoil pad,leave it as big as possibly can......and when YOU want to fire it...open up rear cavity behind buttplate and slip in a snug fitting cylinder filled with lead from memory we could fit close to half a pound in ours...helps soak up recoil but because weight is at shoulder it doesnt effect handling or swing.heck my pump 12ga has 11oz in it!!!

There was a pound of lead in the butt of my .72 cal musket but it made it slow and sluggish
With it out the rifle came alive at 6 pounds even
But it also wears a slip on butt plate also !

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Boxton

Yes.
Most presses use a 7/8 die
I have snider and MH dies that use a 11/4.
Some presses have a collet that unscrews and you can screw in the larger die.
Mine doesn't
Still looking for a cheep ish second press to work on these
Some Rigby nitro and other big bore stuff also use the heavier dies too.

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@RUMPY......it it feasable for this fella to RETHREAD a std 7/8th" hole out to 1 1/4" surely there will be enough meat/metal to do so???? @Boxton local engineering firm might just be your new best friend..... OR if you are really cunning you can use TWO locating rings,one top and one bottom of the press body if you cant get it rethreaded just get it bored out to barely accept thread firmly and secure it top n bottom....

As long as there's enough steel left around the edges it could be done I think.
1 1/4 (I assume UNC) has a tapping drill size of just over 28mm and 7/8 has a major diameter of 22.2mm.

Drilling and tapping the hole dead straight would be the most important thing.

Hi
Thanks for suggesting these options
Alternatively I'm still looking for a second press
I have missed a couple...mostly because of my stupidity
But will explore your options

@Boxton My RCBS press has a removable bushing to use snider and M-henry dies but was too short for 50 BMG so have Lee 50BMG press also if you wish to use them.

Thanks Ted
I'll take you up on that
Great to meet you last night
Sorry we didn't get to talk more
B

At some stage I feel that meeting some fine fellows as Micky Duck suggests from this forum is going to become a higher and higher priority
Especially if said fine fellows foul my feed with such finesse and fine items such as modern snider building and use of appropriate size tools

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Originally Posted by Boxton

At some stage I feel that meeting some fine fellows as Micky Duck suggests from this forum is going to become a higher and higher priority
Especially if said fine fellows foul my feed with such finesse and fine items such as modern snider building and use of appropriate size tools

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Well I'm doing it anyway

But would like The reamer reader to be of use to others who have different dies
Sure I can make it sized to what my dies and magtech actually are
But if I think it's a good idea there's a chance other equally ##### guys might want to try it also

I have
Dies
Brass
20mm tool steel for the reamer. Special order for the really big cases and enough for 5 reamers . So other big bores could eventuate
Three suitable actions

Vulcan has all the 577 barrel making tooling on hand now and likely to make my first run of barrels in around 2 months time

I can make the chamber reamer while I'm waiting for the barrels based on the bore diameter specs from tooling makers
If the pilot is a fraction large I can reduce it on the tool and cutter grinder even after hardening and tempering

Reamer will be 6 flutes with full size rim and proper lead at the neck for potentially as big a 750 grain bullets

Have you thought of making a second, undersized reamer for making dies?

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Originally Posted by Ross Nolan

Have you thought of making a second, undersized reamer for making dies?

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Yes and no

Dies are out there
The big presses are currently an issue
But if being used in original sniders they are unlikely to need a full sizing after forming and firing

I can form cases for guys who need a few

I just want a little more data from other guys case / dies combos to calculate the reamer size that will work for the majority

Could just make for my dies and magtech but they might be under size for others to use the reamer

ok....SO why not go old school and make whackamole dies for it....pretty sure thats what sf90 was doing on the old forum...I will see if can find thread where he showed his dies,which were made at home... would save a LOT of faffing around would it not???

FishnHunt - New Zealands Famous Hunting and Fishing Forum Since 1995 - Black powder and the cheap ass

on pages half way through..he still using press but not as we know it.....Attachment 202578

I got my two 577 Snider Bertram cases from @Fssprecision today and compared them with my own made cases formed from Magtech 24 gauge brass

Very happy with the comparative sizes

As I expected the Bertram rim is 0.35mm larger diameter
Magtech rim is 0.15mm thicker which is a surprise
Case base is 0.1mm smaller on the Magtech and this was probably not touched by my dies
All other dimensions are very close

Now I just need some kind forum members to submit their fired and sized cases to increase the data set before I draw up the final reamer dimensions and cut into my huge diameter piece of tool steel
Something fired and sized from the more common Lee dies would be great

I put a kynoch case in the post today for you

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Originally Posted by Marty Henry

I put a kynoch case in the post today for you

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@Marty Henry good man

The bigger the data set the better the result
Expect to see barrel maker this week and nudge along the 577 barrels
Have a nice restoration to take along for him to shoot
So that might inspire him

I re formed 24 gauge magtech brass to 577 Snider yesterday

Will take it to Vulcan barrels tomorrow as inspiration to start on my two new 577 1:25 twist barrels

Magtech formed nicely into 577 Snider
Process is
Cut to 51mm
Anneal
Form in full length die with plenty of lube
Clean
Re anneal
Re cut to final length. Brass was 0.75mm longer from being formed

Have two more boxes of 25 to form to snider so need to find an easier way to cut to length than using the lathe

Attachment 205781

mini drop saw? Hobby shops may have one

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Originally Posted by Walker

mini drop saw? Hobby shops may have one

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Yes they seem to be what get used

Just need to see who has what and if anything is in stock

Whap a hole through a block of steel at the right length, hacksaw off then clean up with a file? Sounds brutal but works and quicker than machining.

As it's supposed to be a super snider you should have left the brass full length surely (-:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Marty Henry

As it's supposed to be a super snider you should have left the brass full length surely (-:

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There is more than enough space in a standard snider case

But if it goes well I might make a 577 2 1/2" light nitro

In a strong action ( Baikal 12 gauge single ) the 577 Snider case would be plenty as a light nitro and you could go up to a 750 grain bullet

Quote:

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Originally Posted by akaroa1

There is more than enough space in a standard snider case

But if it goes well I might make a 577 2 1/2" light nitro

In a strong action ( Baikal 12 gauge single ) the 577 Snider case would be plenty as a light nitro and you could go up to a 750 grain bullet

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Just don't use your Magtech cases consistantly for Nitro loads. They dont have much of a web and start thinning out very rapidly in my experiance.

Its popular amongst the old blokes to fire a couple of nitro rounds through their BP cartridge rifles at the end of a shooting session to help clean the bore. Strange but there you go.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by norsk

Just don't use your Magtech cases consistantly for Nitro loads. They dont have much of a web and start thinning out very rapidly in my experiance.

Its popular amongst the old blokes to fire a couple of nitro rounds through their BP cartridge rifles at the end of a shooting session to help clean the bore. Strange but there you go.

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Personally the magtech are for BP only
They formed perfectly to the snider cases

But I can see they would not be nearly as easy to form into 577-450 MH

If I try nitro it would be with Bertram brass