First Remington

[Shenandoah]

I broke down and bought my first Remington from Cabelas. I was looking through my existing cast balls and found a 445 round ball which fits with enough shearing to fit the chamber. I thought these took 45 cal balls?   

[hellgate]

Shenandoah,
Are you sure that's not a typo? 445 vs 454? A .445 would likely just drop right into the chambers. Most of mine are .448" on my 44s. .454 balls wouk in all my 44 C&Bs.

[Shenandoah]

I used the micrometer on the barrel (grooves), it was .443. the cylinder measured .440. The .445 ball should work ok, but after all the readings in this forum, I thought the barrel diameter would be in the vicinity of .454. ?? 

[hellgate]

I can't remember if the Remmies have 4, 5, 6, or 7 riflings. If there is an odd number it can be hard to measure with a micrometer. My dial calipers shot .448 on the chambers of my Uberti Remingtons. My Euroarms and previously owned Piettas all accepted .454 diameter balls in the chambers with shaving a ring (except the Euroarms chamber mouths are chamfered so the ball is swaged when rammed). The bore diameter before the riflings are cut is usually .440 then the riflings grooves are cut to about .006 which makes the groove diameter .452. I can't see a .445 ball working. Either you have a weird gun or the measurements are not coming out right. Too small of a ball will migrate forward in the chambers under recoil and either give irregular ignition or jam the cylinder.

[Wolfgang]

Too small a ball will also cause leading of the barrel. 

[Major 2]

and a possible chain fire...

[Freedom]

And .457's will add both velocity and better accuracy in every gun I have ever tested them in ..In the 15 or 20 different revovlers that I have owned.... in EVERY case the .457's produced better accuracy and improved velocity.

But they are a little harder to load than the .454's 

[Hoof Hearted]

The accepted method here to "size" your bore is to slug the barrel by driving a soft lead ball through it with a wooden dowel and then measure the diameter of that slug with your caliper.........

HH