Lead Bullets?
- Thread starter ZVP
- Start date
Huh? The bore diameter on a .44 C&B revolver is the same as that of a .45 colt cartridge revolver. Both take a .451-.454 piece of lead. I have a Uberti .44 dragoon that likes .457 balls. That's why the conversion cylinders are chambered for .45 colt/schofield, Lead bullets are called for because percussion revolvers are not made of the same steel as a cartridge revolver. They were made to be fired with black powder and soft lead bullets. Even though you replace the percussion cylinder with a modern steel cartridge cylinder, you are still using the same barrel. Jacketed bullets will ruin the rifling.
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I sorta thought that the barrel steel used with BP revolvers was less strong than that used on Smokless Powder guns. Evidently there is more than that one reason. You guys are giving me a good education here!
I tried some 250 gr Cast bullets through my '58 Remmie using the same 30 gr Pyrodex charge as I do with lead balls. Wow the recoil was sure a lot more but that's expected from shooting a projectile twice as heavy as a Ball. They sure shot with authority and really impacted in the dirt levee behind the targets, causing a small landslide where thry hit.Balls just make a puff and go in.
Come to think of it, I wonder what pressures I was generating? My buddy who gave me the Bullets to try was shooting his Colt Army with 40 gr of BP behind his bullets.
GoshI'm going to be carefull doing that from here on and load a lighter charge (say 25 gr of Pyrodex) as to not overpressure the shot!
Where would a guy find pressure information for cast bullet loads??? It'd be prudent to have this information handy.
Since I started shooting BP Revolvers I have been told that I could "fill her up" with powder and shoot as it wasn't enough pressure to blow the gun up.
Needless to say, Being a cautious sort, I still fill from a powder measure not even from a flask cause I'm leery of that 1/3 LB of powder the thing holds and I like my hands and arms!
Another thing?
How much powder/pressure do they proof these revolvers at? That'd be intresting to find out.
I know that airgun companys like Crosman and Sheridan/Benjamin suggest air charges of 80% of the max the valves can easilly contain. Lots of folks push airguns with overcharges and blow the seals. Usually the gun won't blow.
This pressure thing is VERY intresting!
ZVP
I tried some 250 gr Cast bullets through my '58 Remmie using the same 30 gr Pyrodex charge as I do with lead balls. Wow the recoil was sure a lot more but that's expected from shooting a projectile twice as heavy as a Ball. They sure shot with authority and really impacted in the dirt levee behind the targets, causing a small landslide where thry hit.Balls just make a puff and go in.
Come to think of it, I wonder what pressures I was generating? My buddy who gave me the Bullets to try was shooting his Colt Army with 40 gr of BP behind his bullets.
GoshI'm going to be carefull doing that from here on and load a lighter charge (say 25 gr of Pyrodex) as to not overpressure the shot!
Where would a guy find pressure information for cast bullet loads??? It'd be prudent to have this information handy.
Since I started shooting BP Revolvers I have been told that I could "fill her up" with powder and shoot as it wasn't enough pressure to blow the gun up.
Needless to say, Being a cautious sort, I still fill from a powder measure not even from a flask cause I'm leery of that 1/3 LB of powder the thing holds and I like my hands and arms!
Another thing?
How much powder/pressure do they proof these revolvers at? That'd be intresting to find out.
I know that airgun companys like Crosman and Sheridan/Benjamin suggest air charges of 80% of the max the valves can easilly contain. Lots of folks push airguns with overcharges and blow the seals. Usually the gun won't blow.
This pressure thing is VERY intresting!
ZVP
The metal hardness may have played into that. They mean it when they say "ONLY pure soft lead"
AS long as you follow most of the rules with B/P its really hard to do damage. You can't shove enough powder in there to blow anything up, but if you go off the reservation then you may be courting disaster.
Several "brilliant" ideas (like a "starter" charge of "just a couple of grains" of modern smokeless under some B/P) & you'll be called "Lefty" with good reason.
AS long as you follow most of the rules with B/P its really hard to do damage. You can't shove enough powder in there to blow anything up, but if you go off the reservation then you may be courting disaster.
Several "brilliant" ideas (like a "starter" charge of "just a couple of grains" of modern smokeless under some B/P) & you'll be called "Lefty" with good reason.
Yeah- I would think a hard cast lead bullet would build up more pressure than the soft pure lead. A Remington with the top strap ought to be a stronger choice than the 1860 Colt. There is a 240 gr "Caddo" bullet (check the internet) that some Florida folks have used on wild hogs and the reports are on small 60 pound hogs the 240 gr goes in at the nose and out the tail- penetrates the whole hog. I'm not sure on the powder charge but it is high and they may be using Ruger Old Armies which are in a class by themselves as far as strength however the ROA isn't an exact copy of an original.
On that old tale about use all the powder you want, that would be for round balls and even then there are limits. I think England proofed their barrels with double charges AND double BALLS (not conicals). If the barrel didn't break they proofed it.
On that old tale about use all the powder you want, that would be for round balls and even then there are limits. I think England proofed their barrels with double charges AND double BALLS (not conicals). If the barrel didn't break they proofed it.
maillemaker
New member
The Kirst FAQ page states that jacketed bullets are possible - BUT - they will cause excessive wear in the soft Italian barrels.
http://www.kirstkonverter.com/FAQs.pdf
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