What size round ball?

[Siam]

I have a 45 cal. percussion rifle that I have never fired (was purchased in about 1974) I am confused about the size of round ball I need. See .440, .445, and .457. Which do I need to buy?
Thanks, Ed

[Junk Yard Dog]

I use the .440 and a patch with my CVA, .445 may fit with a thinner patch, but .457 is way big, that's the size used in the Uberti .44 revolvers.

[mogunner]

.010 under bore size. Lots of folks use pillow ticking from material stores to make their patches.

[Sgt. Rob]

According to Last of The Mohicans, a silk patch will get you a little bit farther!

Semper Fi, Rob

[Junk Yard Dog]

Only silk I have are a couple of neckties, I bought them 25 years ago and they are still perfectly good, hate to cut them up, they were expensive.

[Siam]

I use the .440 and a patch with my CVA, .445 may fit with a thinner patch, but .457 is way big, that's the size used in the Uberti .44 revolvers.

Thanks for the info.
Ed

[bunkysdad]

Old post, but what the heck. Undersize in the rifles, and single shot poistols, and oversized in the revolvers. .457" in the Ruger Old Army too.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I also use .457's in the Uberti revolvers, a slightly tighter fit, but this only matters when loading it into the cylinder. Each ball is sized as it's rammed in, that little ring of lead you see once the ball is down into the chamber. If ever you fail to see that ring then you have an undersized bullet, not good.

[bunkysdad]

Oh yeah, that is good to remember. It shaves off a bit of the lead when it seats the ball.

[websterz]

Old post, but what the heck. Undersize in the rifles, and single shot poistols, and oversized in the revolvers. .457" in the Ruger Old Army too.

I don't see a can of Crisco amongst your supplies. You DO grease the front of the cylinder, right?

[Junk Yard Dog]

You grease the entire pin, I use white grease for that, it's especially important when the pins are smaller like on the ROA, or the Remington. If he uses Wonder Wads it is not necessary to grease the cylinder against chain fire, the Wonder Wad accomplishes this and lubricates the ball.

[bunkysdad]

No Crisco, but I failed to get the Wonder Wads in the picture. They go between the powder and ball. I have often wondered how you could get a chain fire when the ball is shaved as it is seated anyway, but I don't want to learn the hard way.

[bunkysdad]

Oh, by the way. You see those powder pellets just behind the Speer bullet box? Those are 30 gr Pyrodex charges, and they work great in the Old Army, although I usully shoot 35 grains of loose powder. The pellet is crushed when the ball is seated I think.

[Junk Yard Dog]

The pellets also last longer in storage, I bought a couple of jars of them for the big .50 CVA probably 10 years ago and they are not a clumped up mess that the loose powder becomes in a few years.

[iwuzwhatiwuz]

JYD what do you use for your patch material for your Jukar CVA?

[Junk Yard Dog]

Wonder wadds for .45 bores, or a round .30 USGI cleaning patch greased up with crisco. Of late I have been using the Wonder Wads, I get mine from Dixie Gun Works. You can cut something out of an old T shirt, or bed sheet material, lube it up with Crisco or black powder lube and you are good to go. Place patch cloth material over the muzzle after you grease it up, push the ball down with a ball starter and trim away the extra material with scissors.