Sticking balls

I have not yet experienced this problem with a revolver, Uberti, Pietta or original. I have seen something similar with too large of a patch used with a roundball getting snagged by a ramrod, but that is obviously not the case in this situation.

If I were convinced the face of the rammer was some how creating a suction seal with the ball, one may want get hold of a replacement rammer. I would then alter one of the rammers by adding a groove(s) to the face of it so no suction seal with the ball could occur. Reason I suggest getting a second rammer is because it’s hard to replace material once removed if it doesn’t improve things and possibly causes an issue when altered.

Probably a similar scenario to when I had bullets covered in lube sticking to my ramrod, and coming back up when I was loading my Enfield musketoon.

Be sure and let us know how you fix this. I've never heard of or experienced anything like it. When I seat my round balls they go in hard and stay put. I'm wondering about your chambers too.

Flycaster said:

Hi Guys,
Pick up an unfired, used Uberti 1851 yesterday. At the range today, the balls would pull back out of the chambers at loading.
.375 dia. balls.
Anyone else experiencing this?
Thanks Flycaster

Click to expand...

Watch this video,just happened on it yesterday.

Basically there is a lip on front of cylinder that cuts ball too small for chamber diameter .watch!!

Johnnyntrain said:

Watch this video,just happened on it yesterday.

Basically there is a lip on front of cylinder that cuts ball too small for chamber diameter .watch!!

Click to expand...

This makes sense but I struggle with how it happens. I assume during manufacturing the cylinder's are drilled from the mouth side or accepting side for ball and powder. The other cone end would be too small the start the drill operation there. I don't understand how this lip is created, even if starting from the cone end on a smaller bit and making a full pass through and then setting up on the other side with a larger diameter to make the mouth cuts shouldn't create a lip like this.

Does anyone know how this is potentially created?

JRL1164 said:

This makes sense but I struggle with how it happens. I assume during manufacturing the cylinder's are drilled from the mouth side or accepting side for ball and powder. The other cone end would be too small the start the drill operation there. I don't understand how this lip is created, even if starting from the cone end on a smaller bit and making a full pass through and then setting up on the other side with a larger diameter to make the mouth cuts shouldn't create a lip like this.

Does anyone know how this is potentially created?

Click to expand...

Pretty simple. Whenever you machine across an edge, say the face of the cylinder, after the cylinder chambers are machined, there will be a burr at the edge of the bore into the chamber diameter. If you reversed the process, and machined the chambers after finishing the face of the cylinder, there would be a burr on the face of the cylinder. All comes down to how large the burr is and how it is managed. The gentleman in the video simply put a slight chamfer in the mouth of the chamber to remove the offending burr.

SDSmlf said:

Pretty simple. Whenever you machine across an edge, say the face of the cylinder, after the cylinder chambers are machined, there will be a burr at the edge of the bore into the chamber diameter. If you reversed the process, and machined the chambers after finishing the face of the cylinder, there would be a burr on the face of the cylinder. All comes down to how large the burr is and how it is managed. The gentleman in the video simply put a slight chamfer in the mouth of the chamber to remove the offending burr.

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This makes sense, I was assuming the length of the cylinder has already been cut and drilling was one of the last operations.

I always lightly chamfer each chamber, just enough to slightly break the edge. It easy to do by hand with several different tools--I use a counter sink. A couple of turns does the trick. You can barely see the chamfer when done. I like the fact that the round ball, all of it, is tightly swaged into the chamber instead of having a ring cut off. None of my guns display the problem mentioned by the OP. I have a dozen Uberti .36 Navies and all of them chamber a .375 round ball without issue. I do this chamfer to any of my percussion pistols, no matter the caliber or manufacturer.

William P Sepessy said:

I always lightly chamfer each chamber, just enough to slightly break the edge. It easy to do by hand with several different tools--I use a counter sink. A couple of turns does the trick. You can barely see the chamfer when done. I like the fact that the round ball, all of it, is tightly swaged into the chamber instead of having a ring cut off. None of my guns display the problem mentioned by the OP. I have a dozen Uberti .36 Navies and all of them chamber a .375 round ball without issue. I do this chamfer to any of my percussion pistols, no matter the caliber or manufacturer.

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I feel like the .380 balls are for older .36 repros that had sloppy chamber dimensions.

Well this has been enlightening. I just finished casting some .380 round balls. I loaded a ball into each empty chamber, using the jb weld filled ram.
I then drove them out from the nipple side, and measured them.
1.Had no sticking balls
2.The chambers miked .373
I don't think the .375 dia. balls had enough bearing surface.
i'll be using .380 dia. balls from now on.
Thanks for everyones help.
Flycaster

To this relative newbie, this whole thread with each and everyone's input, right or maybe not - shows how well informed and experienced this whole group is. So impressed, guys. What a fine place we have here.

How old is this Uberti?

I'm glad you got it worked out, if you can cast .380 balls then you're set.

William P Sepessy said:

I always lightly chamfer each chamber, just enough to slightly break the edge. It easy to do by hand with several different tools--I use a counter sink. A couple of turns does the trick. You can barely see the chamfer when done. I like the fact that the round ball, all of it, is tightly swaged into the chamber instead of having a ring cut off. None of my guns display the problem mentioned by the OP. I have a dozen Uberti .36 Navies and all of them chamber a .375 round ball without issue. I do this chamfer to any of my percussion pistols, no matter the caliber or manufacturer.

Click to expand...

Exactly so. I have been steatibg accuracy with a Uberti 1861 .36 Navy trying both .380" ball and Colt Cartridge bullet with powder cvharges increasing from 15 grains to 20 grains in 1 grain steps. Having read about this I started checking the projectile seating. Every time completely tight and firmly seated.
My chamber mouths are chamfered which seems to make loading easier.
Respectfully
Bunk