Pietta .36 Navy

[FishDFly]

I recently purchased a Pietta .36 Navy pistol and the seller said to use between 18 and 22 grains of powder which is about right.

He said to use a. 360 balls and I asked why? He said that Pietta had at times designed their pistols to use .360 balls, this pistol was made in 2004. Has anyone else heard this?

My experience has been to use either .375 or .380 balls in my Uberti .36’s.

Think I will start with .360 and see how much lead is shaved when seating the balls.


I use a loading stand to seat the balls and am not worried about stressing the loading lever.

 

[BullRunBear]

I've always used .375 round ball in my Pietta 36 calibers, both Remington and Colt models. Never heard of using .360 and not sure I've seen that size commercially. Please let us know how the smaller size works out.

Jeff

 

[Grenadier1758]

Measure the chamber mouth. Get a ball 0.005" larger in diameter. I have never heard of using any thing other than a 0.375" or 0.380" diameter ball in a 36 caliber revolver. A $10 Harbor Freight caliper is cheaper than a box of balls and you can use the calipers (or splurge on a micrometer) to measure ball diameter, patch thickness or anything that needs to be precisely measured.

 

[Pete G]

000 buckshot measures.36, but they are too small for a .36 revolver. Sounds to me that the store clerk was not familiar with BP revolvers.

 

[Zonie]

I recently purchased a Pietta .36 Navy pistol and the seller said to use between 18 and 22 grains of powder which is about right.

He said to use a. 360 balls and I asked why? He said that Pietta had at times designed their pistols to use .360 balls, this pistol was made in 2004. Has anyone else heard this?

My experience has been to use either .375 or .380 balls in my Uberti .36’s.

Think I will start with .360 and see how much lead is shaved when seating the balls.


I use a loading stand to seat the balls and am not worried about stressing the loading lever.

My old 2001 Dixie Gunworks catalog shows several .36 cal C&B pistols made by Pietta and lists the chamber diameters.
1851 Colt = .368 chamber. Recommends a .376 dia lead ball
Spiller & Burr = .367 chamber diameter. Dixie recommends a .375 dia lead ball.
Remington New Navy = .366 chamber diameter. Dixie recommends a .376 dia lead ball

My old 2008 Dixie Gunworks catalog shows the same Spiller & Burr with the same size chamber.
1851 Colt = .367 chamber diameter. Dixie recommends a .376 diameter lead ball.
Remington Belt Pistol = .366 chamber diameter. Dixie recommends a .376 lead ball.

Notice that the dates on these catalogs encompass the 2004 date your gun was made.

I find it totally unlikely that Pietta would have made a .36 caliber C&B pistol with a size outside the .366-.368 diameter range in 2004 so, I think the seller was wrong.
I also think his recomendation to use .360 diameter balls is totally wrong.

Just use the .375 diameter lead balls like the rest of us use and you'll be happy.

 

[bigted]

Yes please do NOT use the .360 balls. These will more times then not give chain fires. Stay with what you know ... .375 or .380.

The users guide will refer you to .375 for Pietta revolvers in 36 cal. Your seller is WRONG. Folks should study their homework BEFORE beginning to sell these reliable and fun revolvers and give advice to others.

 

[FishDFly]

My old 2001 Dixie Gunworks catalog shows several .36 cal C&B pistols made by Pietta and lists the chamber diameters.
1851 Colt = .368 chamber. Recommends a .376 dia lead ball
Spiller & Burr = .367 chamber diameter. Dixie recommends a .375 dia lead ball.
Remington New Navy = .366 chamber diameter. Dixie recommends a .376 dia lead ball

My old 2008 Dixie Gunworks catalog shows the same Spiller & Burr with the same size chamber.
1851 Colt = .367 chamber diameter. Dixie recommends a .376 diameter lead ball.
Remington Belt Pistol = .366 chamber diameter. Dixie recommends a .376 lead ball.

Notice that the dates on these catalogs encompass the 2004 date your gun was made.

I find it totally unlikely that Pietta would have made a .36 caliber C&B pistol with a size outside the .366-.368 diameter range in 2004 so, I think the seller was wrong.
I also think his recomendation to use .360 diameter balls is totally wrong.

Just use the .375 diameter lead balls like the rest of us use and you'll be happy.

Zonie, thank you. I was hoping you would respond.

I had a feeling he was wrong, but did not wish to argue with him since he has far more knowledge than I do on pistols, he is a High Master shooter.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Obviously he doesn't have much knowledge on cap and ball revolvers. However I don't know if that sales person would be interested in being corrected.

 

[FishDFly]

Obviously he doesn't have much knowledge on cap and ball revolvers. However I don't know if that sales person would be interested in being corrected.

Sir, obviously you do not know whom you are referring to.

He happens to hold a High Master ranking in the NMLRA classifications and is not a sales person from a "Big Box store.

Should you own a "Chris Haygerman" Old Army ROA, you might be better qualified in .36 revolvers and .360 balls to make such decisions. His pistols start at $1,000 when they come up for sale.

Can you share your NMLRA classification??

 

[bigted]

Wow, color me confused.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I don't know whom the NMLRA High Master Classification shooter is.

I don't have a NMLRA classification. I have been shooting 36 caliber cap and ball pistols since 1964(Navy Arms "Reb" by Uberti. In my youth and ignorance at the time I did buy 0.360 balls for it. Actually some of the 00 buck shot would kind of sorta fit. These fell directly into the chamber and would fall out on recoil. Chain fires were common. So I do know from practical experience what happens when a 0.360 ball is used in a pistol that really requires a larger ball.

I have never heard of a "Chris Haygerman" ROA. Google doesn't seem to have heard of it either. It may very well be a very special sleeved and tuned pistol. In which case there would be no relevance to Pieta or Uberti 36 caliber revolver.

I am at a loss as to why he would suggest using a 0.360" ball in a pistol that is well documented to require a 0.375to 0.380 ball. Perhaps he should have been selling a "Chris Haygerman" ROA. Perhaps you should be asking the seller why he made his recommendation.

I regret the inference that he doesn't know anything about 36 caliber cap and ball revolvers.

Now, when you get your pistol, measure the diameter of the cylinder mouth and report back to us to confirm that the suggested ball size was correct. Of course, being from Missouri, I would like you to "show me" some pictures

 

[Long Johns Wolf]

I don't know about the .36 cal. Pietta made percussion revolvers.
At some time in the 2000s - ca. 2010? - Pietta adjusted the rifling groove dia of their .44 cal. percussion revolvers to chamber mouth diameter to optimize accuracy like what you have in a modern cartridge revolver.
This approach i.e. same dia of chambers and rifling grooves was also used in the making of the Belgian Centaures (1959 to 1973).
Also ca. 50 % of the Spanish Santa Barbara made Remington NM 1863 Armies have their rifling groove dia adjusted to the chamber dia.
Long Johns Wolf

 

[drobs]

FishDfly, since you are not loading on the gun, you ought to try some 0000# buck (.380 dia). I've been playing with a tub of them bought here:

https://www.ballisticproducts.com/Super-Buck-Lead-0000-8-lb_jar-380/productinfo/SBK40/

Price per ball is one of the cheapest around. I've been loading it on the gun and it is a little harder than pure lead but not much so. I'm able to shave a nice ring on my 2018 Pietta 1851 Navy. Haven't bent the loading lever yet...

 

[AZbpBurner]

If this guys is so high & mighty qualified, experienced and a 'Master Shooter', then who were you to question his ball size recommendation and post an inquiry here to begin with? You seem to take exception to others here criticizing him, only to have you indignantly defend him.

Tis' a puzzler, indeed.

 

[M. De Land]

I've been looking for a cheap steel frame 36 Navy 51 for some time that needs an overhaul but no luck so far. Cabella's had a sail on them earlier this year for $149.00 but in .44 which was never an original offering.
Looked at them again today in steel frame and they wanted $249.00 for them so it looks like if I want one I'm going to have to dig down into the lint in my pockets and see if I can find the rest of the scratch. Life is harder when your a tight wad!

 

[drobs]

I've been looking for a cheap steel frame 36 Navy 51 for some time that needs an overhaul but no luck so far. Cabella's had a sail on them earlier this year for $149.00 but in .44 which was never an original offering.
Looked at them again today in steel frame and they wanted $249.00 for them so it looks like if I want one I'm going to have to dig down into the lint in my pockets and see if I can find the rest of the scratch. Life is harder when your a tight wad!

Cabella's seems to have the Black Powder Revolvers sale at the most inopportune times. I was hoping that they would've had a sale for Black Friday. No such luck. Knowing them it will be on Christmas Eve of Christmas day.

I bought my steel frame 36 cal 1851 Navy Pietta during their last $50 off all Pietta sale. Now I want a 2nd one as it's way more fun to shoot 2 at a time than just 1.

I'd say wait for the next sale but understand $ burning a hole in the pocket and wanting something now. I understand you used to be able to buy Cabella's gift cards online at a discount. Not sure if that is still the case but that might be a way to get a $200 or less 51 Navy.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Cabella's has been bought out by Bass Pro and I think things may be different in the future. They may not be as forthcoming with good sales on the cap and ball revolvers. I hope that isn't the case. I was in the local Cabella's a few weeks back and I always enjoyed scrounging around in the Bargain Cave. It is now closed. I had found a couple of great deals on returned merchandise there over the years.

 

[Rat]

I don't know whom the NMLRA High Master Classification shooter is.

I don't have a NMLRA classification. I have been shooting 36 caliber cap and ball pistols since 1964(Navy Arms "Reb" by Uberti. In my youth and ignorance at the time I did buy 0.360 balls for it. Actually some of the 00 buck shot would kind of sorta fit. These fell directly into the chamber and would fall out on recoil. Chain fires were common. So I do know from practical experience what happens when a 0.360 ball is used in a pistol that really requires a larger ball.

I have never heard of a "Chris Haygerman" ROA. Google doesn't seem to have heard of it either. It may very well be a very special sleeved and tuned pistol. In which case there would be no relevance to Pieta or Uberti 36 caliber revolver.

I am at a loss as to why he would suggest using a 0.360" ball in a pistol that is well documented to require a 0.375to 0.380 ball. Perhaps he should have been selling a "Chris Haygerman" ROA. Perhaps you should be asking the seller why he made his recommendation.

I regret the inference that he doesn't know anything about 36 caliber cap and ball revolvers.

Now, when you get your pistol, measure the diameter of the cylinder mouth and report back to us to confirm that the suggested ball size was correct. Of course, being from Missouri, I would like you to "show me" some pictures

Grenadier, you will now be called: "High Master Grenadier". Please address me likewise, as "High Master Rat". Thank you. Those who like to join us, feel welcome.

 

[Rat]

But wouldn't the Grand Poobah have known that? Does sound like a possible explanation. If the OP has other .36 caliber pistols, as stated, has he not tried a .375" in the gun by now? Results?? Car 54, I mean, FishDfly, where are you?

 

[Grenadier1758]

Well Rat, I certainly don't deserve being in a High Master Class. While I can hold my own when competing in my Gun Club's pistol competition on good days, I am not in any sort of ranked class other than being experienced.

However, I have made mistakes and the pistol in question may have been modified so that a .360 ball is correct. I would be willing to stand corrected and make the suitable apologies. As stated by the OP, there was no indication that the pistol sold to FishDFly was other than a standard Pieta 36 Navy revolver.