Questions Answered

 In the post below, Sport Pilot asks:

How much flame cutting did your M-66 have above its forcing cone

Hardly any.  Back in the day, flame cutting was a bugaboo that we talked about a lot.  It was generally accepted that the 125 grain loads were responsible for most of the flame cutting.  I carried the Federal 125 grain load for duty, but shot very little of it.  

My favorite, go-to load was a reload of mine that featured a .38 Special case, anyone's primer, a hard cast 158 grain semi-wadcutter and 4.3 grains of Unique.  That has always been my go-to .38 Special load.  It has accounted for dozens, if not hundreds of rabbits, armadillos, skunks, and raccoons.  That load probably counted for 99% of the bullets down the barrel.

When younger son sent the revolver off to be reworked, Smith and Wesson sent it to their Performance Center.  As far as I know, they were not concerned with the minimal flame cutting.  If they considered it dangerous, the gun would have been scrapped.

Next up, DreW458 asks:

Do you know the hardness of those RanchDog bullets?

Nope.  The cast recipe for them was 10 lbs of my wheelweight metal, with 1 lb of scrap linotype.  As soon as the sprue was sut, they were dropped into a bucket of water by my feet.  Then, they were dipped in liquid alox, run through a .358 sizer, and re-dipped in alox. I have no clue what the hardness was.  If I ever measured it, I'd have to look in my notes.

Younger son has that mold now, along with my Model 66 and m Marlin 1894C.  That Marlin had a 16" barrel, and I think that a 20: tube would detract from the handiness.