Congratulations. As to your new question, .69 Caliber doesn't tell you enough about the actual bore size. It sounds like something stamped on the outside of the barrel. Back in the 19th century, bore dimensions varied all over the place.
You need to measure the bore YOURSELF. To the Thousandths of an inch, using a caliper, or micrometer on a lead slug driven into the barrel, and then pulled back out. Only then can you know what size ball to CONSIDER using in the gun. You will want to know both the Groove And Bore Diameters, and then compute the groove depth, to give you some idea how thick a cloth patch you need for that barrel, and ball size.
Before buying a mold, you should consider ordering small quantities of Balls from suppliers, like Track of the Wolf, in various diameters to see which proves the most accurate.
You will want to know the Rate of Twist of the rifling in the barrel, too. On the Index page to this forum, Under MEMBER RESOURCES, you will find an article setting out how to go about measuring the Rate of twist of your barrel. Its listed under " Articles". You will also find LINKS to suppliers. You can find mold makers listed there, and if you click on the name, you can go to their on-line web-site, and catalogs to see what is offered. There are other sources of molds that are not on that list, however, so when you know the exact size of mold you want, come back to ask again about a source. There are also commercial casters who make any size ball you desire. If you are not going to do a lot of shooting, and don't already have casting equipment, it might make more sense buying the balls, rather than casting them. There are mold makers who advertise in the classified ads in Muzzle Blasts, the monthly magazine for the (American) National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association.
Looking at the Track of the Wolf site, they have .672", .675", and .678" diameter round balls for sale, in lots of 25 for $9.99 USD. That Sounds Expensive until you realize that a Round ball those sizes is about one Ounce of lead, EACH, ( 437.5 grains to the ounce)and you have the labor, overhead, and profit to pay over that cost. IT IS expensive, compared to the cost of casting your own, but not if you are only going to shoot the gun a couple of times. Pure lead is running all over the place, but some scrap yards carry it for about $.50-60 a pound, while commercial suppliers are getting at least $1.00 per lb.
UNLESS THAT BREECHPLUG IS REMOVED FOR A THOROUGH INSPECTION OF THE BARREL BY A COMPETENT GUNSMITH, I would not plan to try shooting conicals in the barrel. Chamber pressures are much higher, and you need to know that the gun is in good enough condition to withstand that extra pressure using conicals.
I would concentrate NOW, on removing and replacing that nipple, if you are going to shoot the gun. Its very old, probably made of iron rather than steel, and, I suspect, the inside hole has been worn badly through aging, and neglect. Use a good penetrating oil like Kroil, Break Free, Liquid Wrench, or if those are not available locally, put the breech end of the barrel in a container and cover the nipple with Kerosene( coal oil) and let it stand a week. The more crud you remove from around the base of the nipple, the easier the oil can penetrate the threads, and dissolve the rust. Put some oil down the barrel, too, during the soak: you might as well attack the problem from both sides! If you can't get it out of the bolster afler a week, take the barrel to a gunsmith. He may have to drill the nipple out, but he is more likely to do a competent job of this, and then find you a new nipple, with oversized thread dimension, to put into the gun. He will also tap the bolster properly for the new sized nipple. Use a good quality nipple in the gun. :thumbsup:
