.454 use in .45 or .50 Flintlock.

[Mythfit]

I am looking at getting a flintlock Kentucky Rifle in .45 because I am hoping that I can use my ton of .454 balls and molds with it. I was thinking of using a wad instead of patching the ball. Can this be done or would it be a better to get a .50 cal and use a really thick patch? I really didn't want to have to retool for a whole new caliber.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Buying a gun to fit the balls on hand is like finding a button and getting a suit made to match. :youcrazy:
Get the rifle to match your wants and needs. Then buy a mould and some casting equipment, melt down the .454s and recast to fit the rifle.
But, this is a do yer own thang game. Do wat ye want. You could get a rifle made with a .46 or .47 cal. barrel.
BTW, the wad thing and super thick patch thing is not the way to go for good shooting.

 

[rafterob]

Neither is the better option. Some target shooters will use an oversized ball and a thin patch, hammering the ball to swage it into the barrel. You could do it without a patch and use a wad but you will deal with lead build up. Shooting an undersized ball with a thick patch will work but not for best accuracy. Melting the balls down and recasting with the correct sized mold for the gun you choose would be my best recommendation.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Unfortunately, nearly all .45's you'll find, custom or production, are going to be bored to take .440" to .445" balls. The .45 designation is a misnomer when it comes to rifle bores. In the long run, unless you've got a percussion revolver to use them in, your choices would be to trade off with another shooter or get a mold that'd most accurately fit the bore of the rifle you have or intend to get. Sorry about that!

 

[Leatherbark]

Try it. Back in the early 80's C.E. Harris IIRC tested using bare .451 balls in a 45 caliber Thompson Center Hawken by using a .45 wonder wad over the powder and swaging the ball into the rifling and seating it. He said it did pretty good as far as accuracy. He had this article in IIRC a Gun Digest book.

If I were to try this I would tumble lube the balls in Lee Liquid Alox first and let them dry and swab between shots.

Good Luck

Bob

 

[Mythfit]

Thanks all, that is just the advice I needed. :grin:

 

[Rifleman1776]

Thanks all, that is just the advice I needed. :grin:

Glad we could help.
What are you going to do?

 

[Mythfit]

Thanks all, that is just the advice I needed. :grin:

Glad we could help.
What are you going to do?

I think I am going to have to get a new mold. They are cheap enough and since I don't want to have to melt more than one .454 ball to make a .50 ball I think I will go with the .45 cal. Also I could always swage a .454 ball down the barrel if I had to.

 

[cutshurt]

I think your going to make shooting your gun a whole lot less like fun and a lot more like work hammering the 454s down your barrel, and could be turning it into a bomb if you leave any air space between powder and ball, because of build up of lead and powder rez, just don't sound like a safe thing to do , to me.

Darrel

 

[Mythfit]

I think your going to make shooting your gun a whole lot less like fun and a lot more like work hammering the 454s down your barrel, and could be turning it into a bomb if you leave any air space between powder and ball, because of build up of lead and powder rez, just don't sound like a safe thing to do , to me.

Darrel

OK I won't do that. I was somewhat leaning towards a canoe gun anyhow and that may have bump that up on the list of my first flintlock.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I think your going to make shooting your gun a whole lot less like fun and a lot more like work hammering the 454s down your barrel, and could be turning it into a bomb if you leave any air space between powder and ball, because of build up of lead and powder rez, just don't sound like a safe thing to do , to me.

Darrel

No more a dangerous practice than regular loading. Soft lead is.....well....soft and malleable. For many years, on the range, I loaded .457" patched balls into a .45 cal. Douglas barrel. Same as any other size except a bigger starting hammer. :wink: (not really, same small brass hammer I always used.) But, for field use, I see no practical advantage, unless maybe only for the first shot loaded at home where the hammers are kept.