.36 cal Round Ball

S

Shotput79

New member
Went the the gun shop today to see if he had anymore .375 rd ball for my .36 Colt and they were all gone. I pick up a box that was setting where the .375s had been and the box had .350 on them. I took a box up and ask the fellow what these fit, and he had to look them up. He came back and had the book in his hand and said they were for the .36 cal revolver, and showed me the list in the book and sure did have them in the list right under the .375s. The list looked like this
.350
.375
.380
and after those three it went into the .45 cals and on and on. My question is have anyone used .350 size rd ball in there .36 revolvers befour? Don't you think they would be to lose a fit for the revolver?
 
Hello, Shotput79. While I agree those .350 dia. balls would be too small for a revolver...perhaps that clerk was just too busy that day to look closer...You see, I have a Thompson Center Seneca .36..and the proper sized ball for use with a cloth patch is .350".
 
A .36 cal rifle

Hi tool. I never thought of that. The .36 cal rifle. Wow bang my on head. I should have knew that. I.d like to have one of those with the long barrel and the wood going all the way to the end. I guess I'm thinking of the rifle jed shoots the oil out of the ground with on the Hillbillies. What kind of rifle is that. It sure looks good.
 
Some folks buy .380 balls and some swear by them.
I have tried the .380 balls in one of my .36's and they give no advantage. However, I do have an Uberti with a slightly oversized chamber and a .375 ball works forward during recoil. I specifically bought the .380's for this gun but the doggone Hand Spring broke before I could try them in it. Gotta fix that soon!
I suspect that those .380 balls will cure any problems with the Uberti.
You might go around the net and find some for your guns?
HTH,
ZVP
 
Make Your Own!

Just get a Lee lead melting pot, a lead ladel and a Lyman 2 cavity .36 round ball mould. That way, whenever you need any more lead balls, you can cast them up. By the way, casting round lead balls is as 'Easy, Easy, Easy.
 
Hawg

+2

After my casting session yesteday, my hands were a bit achey this pm.
(a function of age??). Anyway, I'm thankful my molds were Lee. The heavier lymans would have made the problem a bit worse.
By the way, I finally was able to get the Lee 6 banger. Can't believe what I've been missing. Really piles up the bullets fast.
 
The .350 balls are made for single-shot .36-caliber rifles and pistols, not revolvers. You need a ball of at least .375 inch for .36-caliber cap and ball revolvers.
In the .36 rifle and single-shot pistol, the .350 ball is enclosed in a cloth patch, essentially adding to its diameter.
Those .350 balls are wrong for a .36 cap and ball revolver. I doubt you can bring them back to the store, especially if you've opened the box and broken the seal, but save them for trading stock.
You may find someone at a gun store, or even during your own garage store, that wants them.
It takes a little setup to get into bullet casting: mould, lead melting device of some type, flux, heavy gloves, plastic-faced hammer (I've yet to find a hardwood stick that works as well), etc. And it takes a little research and experience but it's not mind-numbing.
You should do your casting outdoors, or at least in a garage or shed with plenty of ventilation. It's not the sort of thing that should be done on the kitchen stove.
You won't get lead poisoning from the "vapors" of melted lead, as many claim. You'd almost have to boil lead to get that, and lead begins to melt at about 625 degrees Fahrenheit. It would take a WHOLE lot more heat to get lead to off-vapor.
However, the biggest exposure to lead poisoning is getting it on your hands, then transferring it to your mouth via eating, drinking or smoking. Always wash your hands thoroughly after bullet casting.
The certainty of tiny droplets of lead on the surface around the casting pot is why I don't recommend the kitchen stove be used. You run the risk of later contaminating food.
Besides, melting scrap lead usually brings plenty of smoke from contaminants, and when you flux the lead you'll certainly create smoke.
Mess up Mama's kitchen and she's likely to brain you with your new bullet mould! :rolleyes:
 
You can drop beeswax into the pot for flux but I don't bother. I use a plastic handled screwdriver to cut the sprue.
 
robhof

Jed's rifle was a Tennessee rifle, a poor mans Kentucky/Pennsylvania rifle. The difference is no nose piece and iron fittings throughout. DGW sold a kit version for a long time, made by Maruko of Japan.:D
 
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