1851 Navy

[Bad Karma]

I just picked up a Pietta .44. Manual states .454 ball, some forums state .451. Has anyone had any issues with .451? Of course, topped off with grease to prevent a finger from flying or worse. 25 grains (usual load) of fffg

Two points. One, either 451 or 454 will probably work for you. Two, the danger of chain fire is vastly overstated. You won’t lose a finger. At worst you will leave a lead smear on the side of your pistol. A ball, leaving the chamber with no barrel in which to accelerate, will not reach meaningful velocity at all. If you practice muzzle control and range safety you nor anyone else will be in danger.

 

[CLFunk]

Two points. One, either 451 or 454 will probably work for you. Two, the danger of chain fire is vastly overstated. You won’t lose a finger. At worst you will leave a lead smear on the side of your pistol. A ball, leaving the chamber with no barrel in which to accelerate, will not reach meaningful velocity at all. If you practice muzzle control and range safety you nor anyone else will be in danger.

Gonna fire the .451 most likely in the morning IF this wind dies down. If I like the looks of the lead ring. Then I may stick with it per the Pietta recd

 

[Pete G]

Two points. One, either 451 or 454 will probably work for you. Two, the danger of chain fire is vastly overstated. You won’t lose a finger. At worst you will leave a lead smear on the side of your pistol. A ball, leaving the chamber with no barrel in which to accelerate, will not reach meaningful velocity at all. If you practice muzzle control and range safety you nor anyone else will be in danger.

….but your underwear might be a little worse for wear.

 

[oldschoolhunter55]

….but your underwear might be a little worse for wear.

well my pants would be full of it. lol

 

[M. De Land]

6 shots 21 ft free hand.
I am really impressed with the accuracy of this pistol.
Uberti 1851 Navy .36 cal.

Where is your hold on the target? If mine is that well sighted with a 6 o'clock hold on the bull I will leave the sight up front alone. Good shooting !

 

[Catcus Jack]

Where is your hold on the target? If mine is that well sighted with a 6 o'clock hold on the bull I will leave the sight up front alone. Good shooting !

6 o'clock slightly to the left side of the dot.
The distance was only 21 feet.

 

[M. De Land]

6 o'clock slightly to the left side of the dot.
The distance was only 21 feet.

My 51 Pietta is in .36 cal as is my 62 Uberti. I just fit a new cylinder to the 62.

 

[Smokerr]

Two points. One, either 451 or 454 will probably work for you. Two, the danger of chain fire is vastly overstated. You won’t lose a finger.

Agreed.

My take on watching a video of a guy who did push into chain fire was that .451 was getting to where it would do it reliably. Not something I plan to test.

.454 is what is stated per manual and I am not going less than that. I have had no chain fires in 300 rounds shot.

The caveats are there but the biggest is making sure you don't have oval chambers, a lead ring then is evidence of a good seal.

 

[Urban Coyote]

I owned a Uberti 1851 Squareback imported by Western Arms, Leonard Allen if I recall correctly. I traded it off as part of a deal to get my girlfriend's boy into an M70 FWT back in the early 1980's, and I sure miss it. I bought it NIB from a hardware store in Sedalia, MO for about $125. I'm don't remember it shooting groups like your but it was accurate enough and really fun to shoot. Looks like you've got a winner

 

[M. De Land]

Agreed.

My take on watching a video of a guy who did push into chain fire was that .451 was getting to where it would do it reliably. Not something I plan to test.

.454 is what is stated per manual and I am not going less than that. I have had no chain fires in 300 rounds shot.

The caveats are there but the biggest is making sure you don't have oval chambers, a lead ring then is evidence of a good seal.

Or out of aligned seating ram !

 

[sethwyo]

Two points. One, either 451 or 454 will probably work for you. Two, the danger of chain fire is vastly overstated. You won’t lose a finger. At worst you will leave a lead smear on the side of your pistol. A ball, leaving the chamber with no barrel in which to accelerate, will not reach meaningful velocity at all. If you practice muzzle control and range safety you nor anyone else will be in danger.

Yes vastly overstated.
nearly two and a half decades of shooting cap and ball revolvers and I've never had a chain fire.
I remember when I was trying to buy my first one, the chechacos all told me about the chain fire and how all of the rounds would go off at once and how they would go backwards and put your eye out and kill innocent bystanders.