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Pietta 1860 Army question

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markdwhite15

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So I bought a Pietta 1860 Army from Taylor's a few weeks ago. Shot it with the recommended .454 balls, I used Speer swaged. They loaded a little hard, left a sizable lead ring. It shot okay. I decided to check the cylinder and bore dimensions today. Cylinder chambers average was .442, barrel bore was .446, this revolver is marked 2022. Why in the world do they recommend a .454 ball? Thoughts? Opinions?
 
I'm thinking .451 makes more sense to me. Anything will be under bore size after it's in the cylinder.
If .451 still shaves a ring, you're good to go

Some of the period correct conicals I've used were .460 at the band, and they were hard to load .

.454 is just the most common size that "fits all", .451s exist for guns with tighter chambers and .457 is for the Ruger Old Army

On the flip side, I have a Uberti .36 that barely shaves a ring with .375's so I probably need .380 balls.....but they swage in good and tight, there's a "compression ring" on the sides of the ball and I had no chain fires so I keep using the much more available .375 I already have 2000 of. If they're tight, they're tight, the size of the shaved ring is irrelevant in my opinion because it's just excess lead and the ball is still seated properly
 
I had a 2021 made Pietta 60 army briefly. Great shooting gun with roundballs, I probably should have kept it. If you're shaving lead and it's not too hard to load, run it. Mine would shoot on the palm of my hand at 25 yards offhand. I put a taller front sight on it and opened the rear notch, done deal. Enjoy your revolver, they're great guns.
 
I'm thinking .451 makes more sense to me. Anything will be under bore size after it's in the cylinder.
.451" ball is all I shoot in both Pietta and Uberti .44 revolvers. A Uberti 1860 Army and a Navy framed Pietta Marshal in .44 (.451") caliber. fantasy gun. I cast my own and shoot a lot. It still gives the "ring of lead" and never had a chain fire, but I use tight fitting caps on the firing cones.
Respectfully
Bunk
 
I'm new to cap and ball revolvers, but not new to shooting every other type of firearm, both black powder and smokeless. I carried a gun for a living for 35 years. 28 in the military as a tank crewman, airmoble infantryman, and military policeman. Then as state officer on a large well known college campus police department. All that to say I would think the cylinder dimensions should be the same as the bore. Expert opinions would be appreciated.
 
The chambers are typically tighter than the bore, bores run about .451 at the lands and chambers in the .440's range. Each chamber itself can even vary on some Italian repros especially older ones.

45D shoots .45LC in Dragoons with great results with the conversion cylinders, the bores are .45's, not .44

I'm not a Ballistics expert but it seems the ball or bullet bumped up and obturated into the bore after firing. The ball becomes more of an egg shaped oval in the bore
 
I find pietta uses .357 (36) and .451 (44).
And Uberti is closer to .380 (36) and .454 (44).
I don't understand why, but that is how my guns seem to work. It used to be that pietta was not as good as an uberti, but as of late pietta has stepped up the game and seems to be more or above the quality spectrum.
 
I find pietta uses .357 (36) and .451 (44).
And Uberti is closer to .380 (36) and .454 (44).
I don't understand why, but that is how my guns seem to work. It used to be that pietta was not as good as an uberti, but as of late pietta has stepped up the game and seems to be more or above the quality spectrum.
.36's are typically .375 not .357.

Mike
 
.454 will provide more bearing surface in the riflings. As long as it rams easy enough.
Same for .380 in 36.
I would consider a cylinder bore less than barrel bore to be a disadvantage.
 
The .451 is really sufficient for the chambers in .442 and a barrel in .446...
The reason is very simple: when the balls are in the conformation cone and you use soft lead, the pressure of the inflammation of the powder is strong and the bullets are beginning to take the rifling the diameter, so they become larger in diameter and so largely sufficient to go in the deep groves...
Don't worry: in a matchlock with smooth-bore too, when the powder charge explodes, you can see that when shooting in an old cotton bag... or viewing this video:

 
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