Slugged Barrel - Has anyone tried it?

[jimreed1948]

I have been reading a lot on this forum and GTA regarding people washing pellets, lubing them as well as checking head and skirt diameters. I understand why you would want to do this trying to get better accuracy, but I was wondering if anyone has tried slugging their air rifle barrel. Slugging is a means of checking the exact size of internal size of the barrel. In the past, a person would use pure lead and hammer it in the barrel and then remove it. Using a set of mic's, they could determine the size of rifle round they would need to match the barrel. Now there is simpler method to use and you no longer have to hammer the lead in. When firearms have been recovered after a crime has been committed and it can no longer be fired, this is a common method for the examiner to use to see if the recovered slug from the body matches the weapon recovered.

My thoughts is if you knew the size of the slug you made, you can then match it to the pellet head size to get it even more precise.

 

[Cookie]

A common practise.

If you don't have a tight fitting pellet then squash one a little.

Push gently and smoothly with a dowel or cleaning rod. Push back from other side to permit sizing of different parts of the barrel, especially the end for any choke.

 

[jimreed1948]

That may work. The PB I have seen slugged usually have about an inch of substance applied. It forms right to the lands and grooves and gives a very good reading.

 

[ajshoots]

Jim, I have been playing with sizing pellets based on actual bore size via slugging. It has proven to be very beneficial.

 

[jimreed1948]

Thats interesting. Do you mic the slug and then compare that to the head of the pellet?

 

[ajshoots]

Measured the slug then ordered a sizing die.

It was sort of an accident. I ordered the die for a bullet barrel that didn't work out. Had the die and decided to try it on some pellets since the bullet project failed. Lucky the die was a perfect size for the stock choked barrel as well.