Hello there

[SimmerinLightning]

Not a CAS shooter, but I am interested in many of the guns. I had an 1851 and an 1860 long ago but ended up giving them to my brother. Fifteen years later I think I want a pair of navies. One question: is there a source for large quantities of balls, such as one can order cast bullets? The two places I normally order from don't offer balls.

I also have a fuzzy historical question. Percusssion revolvers never fell completely out of use, but is there an approximate point at which they would have become uncommon? I suppose at some point the majority of them had been either converted to accept cartridges, or discarded in favor of more modern firearms.

[Blair]

Both CCI/Speer and Hornady make lead round ball on ball bearing machinery.
.375 is recommended for the 36 cal.

Generally speaking, the fourth quarter of the 19th Century is the beginning of the end for cap & ball revolvers.
However, some may be in use through to the end of the first quarter of the 20th Century.
There is no definite date.
My best,
Blair

[Dick Dastardly]

Ho Blair,

I took the liberty of borrowing your poem and putting it up on my Facebook page.  Hope you don't mind.

DD-MDA

[Blair]

DD,

Not at all! In fact I am pleased.
It was written by Rudyard Kipling, and should be in the public domain by now.
Had I had the inspiration to write this Poem, I would have changed the last line to... "the Soldier is forgotten and God is slighted."
My best,
Blair

[Dick Dastardly]

Ho SimmerinLightning,

Come join us.  We have the most fun you can have with your cloths on.  Adventure, relationships, pure enjoyment await you.  Come.

DD-MDA

[Fingers McGee]

Not a CAS shooter, but I am interested in many of the guns. I had an 1851 and an 1860 long ago but ended up giving them to my brother. Fifteen years later I think I want a pair of navies. One question: is there a source for large quantities of balls, such as one can order cast bullets? The two places I normally order from don't offer balls.

I get mine from the Log Cabin Shop.  Usually order 2000 at a time.

http://logcabinshop.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=184_157_15&product_id=24935

And, welcome to the forum SimmerinLightning

[Fingers McGee]

Both CCI/Speer and Hornady make lead round ball on ball bearing machinery.
.375 is recommended for the 36 cal.

Blair, Even though the .375 ball is recommended for the .36 Cal revolvers; I've found that the .380 is a better fit in Ubertis and was recommended by Colt for the 2nd Gens.  the .375 balls work fine in Piettas; but I just use the .380s in everything.

FM

[SimmerinLightning]

Thanks for all the inpit, everyone. I must admit I am surprised that lead balls are a little more expensive than cast bullets. Alas, so many things in the firearms world are not as cheap as they once were.

[Don Kenna]

I can only echo Fingers McGee's comment about the .380 balls being preferable to the .375 in many, if not most, .36 caliber revolvers.  It's unfortunate that Hordady and Speer .36 caliber swaged balls are of .375 caliber.  I've actually had the latter stick to my revolver's loading lever after attempting to seat them.  The only "factory" .380 round balls are cast.  I primarily shoot Colt 2nd Generation percussion revolvers when I shoot such, and if memory serves, Colt actually recommended .378-inch balls for their .36 caliber revolvers.  Those probably would be ideal, but try finding a mould for .378-inch balls, let alone factory balls of that diameter.  Actually, Ohaus did make such a mould a couple of decades back, and I did manage to get one a couple of years ago.  Although it seems a fine mould, I've so far been too lazy to use it.  I purchase my .380 round balls from Track of the Wolf.   

[Crow Choker]

SimmerinLighting: Except for one Uberti 51' Navy 36 capper', I mainly shoot 44 caliber cabn' ball revolvers. When I first got my '51, I bought both .375 and .380 balls to see which performed best. The .375's are what you read as recommended, but I had read on this forum and other places that the .380's sealed better and possibly gave better accuracy. I did find that the .380's may had a accuracy edge, but they shaved a better thin ring of lead when seating. The .375's seemed to seat tight, but didn't shave much of a ring of lead. As 'Fingers' pointed out, the .380's work best in Uberti's and .375's in Pietta's, but he uses .380's in all. Fingers knows his stuff! You didn't say what breed of '51 you had. I cast all my bullets/balls for everything I shoot(except 22LR), so when I looked for a .380 RB Mould, I couldn't locate any. I do admit I didn't search the ends of the websites from A-Z. I get a lot of reloading items from Midsouth Shooters Supply. They showed Lee .375 RB moulds in their catalog but not .380. I asked them if they ever stocked them,  they advised no, but that they would order me one at no extra cost. Had a double cavity in a short time. Good outfit, excellent service, prices, etc. You can find them on the web. Have cast/shot a lot of .380's since and happy with the results.

[SimmerinLightning]

I don't presently own one, though I see a pair of Uberti 1851's in my future. The 1851 I had before was a Pietta I found in a pawnshop years ago; the 1860, I have no idea the make although I bought it NIB. You cast your own: what kind of lead do you use? I know balls traditionally are made very soft or from pure lead. Is there any reason to avoid harder alloys?

[Cuts Crooked]

Is there any reason to avoid harder alloys?

A couple......harder alloy won't "bump up" as well to engage the rifling. When you are starting with chambers that are slightly smaller than bore diameter this is pretty important.  And it would be harder to seat the harder balls into the chambers, putting more stress on yer loading lever.