Need some info.

Coop Trawlaine · December 26, 2006, 02:30:10 PM

Howdy Pards,

Got a question; I shoot Pietta '58s with the R&D conversion now here is my question. Bullet size. Which is better .452 dia or .454 dia? I have some of both and starting out reloading and then the question hit my head. Rather look dumb than do dumb.

Fox Creek Kid · December 26, 2006, 04:21:06 PM

Go buy some .457 or better yet .490 lead balls in the muzzleloading section of your nearest gun store or Walmart. Gently pound them into the mouth of a chamber or two of your cylinder with a brass, wood or plastic hammer. Drive the balls out from the other end. DO NOT drive them all the way through from the chamber mouth to rear as you only want the chamber mouth dimension!!! Finally, mike the slugs and you'll have your chamber mouth dimension. That is what you want your bullets to be. ALWAYS buy or size bullets for the chamber mouth diameter & not the groove diameter of the barrel. Remember however that if you are using a Lee Factory Crimp die all this will be for naught as this die sizes the bullet (in the case) to THEIR dimension & not yours. That is unless your diameter matches theirs. Clear as mud?

Coop Trawlaine · December 26, 2006, 08:31:40 PM

Thanks, Pard, "Clear as mud?" Yeah but very thin mud.....I got the idea....

hellgate · December 26, 2006, 10:12:16 PM

I would go with the smaller of the bullets since a lot of the C&B chambers are .448 diameter so you will not get as much case bulge. The C&B is used to a .448 boolit hitting the forcing cone so the smaller one wont get so much swaging. If the truth is known, your barrel is probably .450 anyway.

Ransom Gaer · December 27, 2006, 11:19:32 AM

I'd agree with Hellgate. I have a pair of the Uberti '58's with the R&D cylinders and the .452 work great in them. I have slugged the bores on them and they are right in that .448 range. Also the chambers on those R&D cylinders are really tight. I use them as a gauge when I am reloading. If the rounds will fit in them they will fit in anything.

Ransom Gaer

Fox Creek Kid · December 27, 2006, 08:40:07 PM

QuoteI have a pair of the Uberti '58's with the R&D cylinders and the .452 work great in them. I have slugged the bores on them and they are right in that .448 range.

It's impossible to fit a 0.452 object in a 0.448 hole in a cartridge gun. Slug your chambers as every cylinder can be different, e.g. worn tooling, sloppy workmanship, Friday 5 PM syndrome, etc.

Frenchie · December 27, 2006, 09:55:49 PM

Quote from: Fox Creek Kid on December 27, 2006, 08:40:07 PMSlug your chambers as every cylinder can be different, e.g. worn tooling, sloppy workmanship, Friday 5 PM syndrome, etc.

You left out Monday 9:00 a.m. with a hangover.

Coop Trawlaine · December 27, 2006, 10:24:53 PM

Hey! I just want to thank all of you Pards for your input. Going to try out all the methods suggested, I already use the cylinders as a cartridge gauge, so to speak, got a bad batch of reloads from one company. Not properly sized, they worked good in my long gun but almost 1/2 of them would not even chamber in my cylinders. So now I sort all cartridges upon receipt, new factory loads and reloads.

Again thanks for your help, I can always depend on another cowboy.

Coop