Does anyone have a picture of a revolver that has forcing cone damage? What does it come from and how do you repair it? I'm not sure but I might have the early signs of it. Just want to know what to look for. Would shooting 45 colts from my 454 damage the forcing cone? Thanks in advance.

I own a Super Redhawk that is marked 45 Colt and 454 Casull. I image that 45 Colt is less accurate in a 454 Casull, but I don't image it would cause damage.

I have shot 45 colt from my 454 Casull Super Redhawk too.

I would like to hear if someone know differently.

mike,

forcing cone erosion "damage" generally occurs from the "abrasive" and "heat" effect of the powder / load used. Lil'Gun has gotten a bad rap, probably, deserved for forcing cone erosion. Think of "erosion", like in the soil, as opposed to damage and you will develop a mental image easier. The presumption is: unburned powder granules and intense heat are directed upon the forcing cone as the bullet transitions from the chamber throat, past the forcing cone, into the barrel. These factors erode "wear" the metal of the forcing cone. The degree of erosion is dependent on the "intensity" of the loads, the number of loads fired, and the rapidity of firing ( strings of fire - think heat ). Also, consider throat "erosion" in other types of firearms. Does this help?
To repair it, generally requires turning the barrel a thread or two or three, realigning the barrel and recutting the forcing cone. Does it really affect accuracy? Usually, only if severe.

Doc

Shooting too-soft jacketed bullets not intended for .454 pressures and velocity, when shot at .454 velocity can wash out a forcing cone. OR, bunches and buches of rounds. Some powders can also be more erosive than others.
What does it look like? Erosion, eating away at the rifling, so that the rifling doesn't begin where it used to, but rather, further into the barrel. Often, this erosion can be lopsided if barrel/ cylinder alignment isn't nearly perfect.
Cures? Setting the barrel back and re- cutting the forcing cone, or: re- barreling, or: Taylor Throating the existing barrel.
Shooting .45 Colts in a FA cylinder will not cause erosion in the forcing cone by itself. The damage if one finds it, will be in the cylinder.

I read an article a while back about this very thing. If I remember correctly the biggest factor was the hot gases passing between the cylinder and the cone. The heat and gases eroded the cone. If I can find the article I'll post it!

I have a few pictures of a high end revolver that the cone and rifling was worn off center with around 300 factory loads and hand loads with mag revolver bullets at below 55,000 psi. The throats were also worn off center from a too tight cylinder forcing the bullets off center.
I re-cut the cone but you can still see ripples at the rifling that was almost worn away at that point.
Look at the black areas in the throats after I cleaned up the cylinder. It is about .003" wear. The wear is in a different place around the chambers showing the chambers are not in line with the bore.
Those locked up tight as a drum cylinders with line bore chambers can give you grief.


Then what the gun did before and after I worked on it, 50 yards.

A cylinder with a little play that will self align with the right boolit will never wear. You can get some sandblasting from powder at the edges of the cone but it does little harm. This is a SBH with over 61,000 heavy loads with 296. You can see the rough edges yet the gun can still do 1" or under at 50 yards and 1-1/4" at 100. The groove to groove is still .430".
Powders like Lil Gun can ruin a cone fast as can fast powders that reach max pressure in the cylinder. You can even split a cone.
If you see damage fast, the gun is wrong or you need to change what you are loading.

500WE,the Hornady 250X.T.P. is one of those bullets that is too soft for full power .454 Casull loads.The Hornady techs told me that it should not be pushed passed 1600 f.p.s. as it will erode forcing cones in revolvers.The reason I mention it is many shooters use this bullet and don't know about the 1600f.p.s.limit.I use this bullet in my .454 at 1520 f.p.s. and it does great on whitetails and very accurate out at 150 yards.

I'll attest to that! It is one accurate piece!

Very true but the biggest danger is shooting the core out of the wrong bullet leaving the jacket in the barrel. Sure plays hob with the next shot!

I was mainly using bottom end hunting loads for target shooting but they were still on the hot side. I found a load using the 250 gr. Hornady XTP loaded to about 1300 fps. This load hardly has any recoil to it and is accurate in my BFR. I think I have found my new target load.

You should be fine for 100,000 rounds or more. I would be going up in cast boolit weight and play with the gun. Heavy cast should make the BFR sit up and talk.

430, I have no experience in loading cast bullits. Any help or advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

If you don't cast, just use quality boolits like Double Tap, Cast Precision, Beartooth, etc. Stay away from the bulk junk.
Just work loads like you do for jacketed, there are all kinds of listed loads for cast and in general they can use a little more powder then jacketed but you will see that when searching load info.
The 335 gr LBT shoots good with 26 gr of 296. The group I showed was with my 325 gr PB boolit and 26 gr of 296.
You can make cast shoot better then jacketed and it is cheaper.
Lead is also easier on the gun.
A few examples for you. This was my old .44 that I showed the forcing cone. Plain RD 265 gr boolit at 50 and I shot the can at 100. I hit the rail so I aimed higher for the last shot.

Same gun at 200 yards with my 330 gr boolit.

Then my Vaquero at 50 yards.

Cast is GOOD!