How do you load bullets?

[broknprism]

I stuffed my 1860 Colt with charges and balls, and it was easy as pie, but the 200 gr round nose bullets (made by Buffalo Bullets) designed for cap and ball revolvers are a mystery to me. I wanted the extra energy and heard rumors they were out of business, so I bought 5 boxes of them, but I can't see how to get them in the chambers. Do you have to load this type with the cylinder off? I can't position them right for a straight-down ram motion, and yet the mfg designed them for guns like mine.

 

[jtmattison]

I feel your pain. I have an 1851 Navy and I cast the Lee 200 grain conical for it. I cannot load mine either. They won't clear the frame.
I bought a loading stand and remove the cylinder to load these bullets.
IMO it's worth the trouble. They are really accurate and pack more punch than a roundball.

HD

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

The original conical for the Navy Colt weighed 140 grains in pure lead. The loading aperture in the barrel boss is designed for bullets in this weight range. Heavier (longer) bullets don't work with the factory loading system.

None of these conicals is a true round nose. In fact, the loading aperture on a Navy Colt is in the shape of these projectiles. Real round nose bullets and anything with a meplat isn't going to work. With the .36 conical, the idea is supposed to have been to give the Navy a throw weight equal to the .44 Colt's ball.

Then the overseas factories started building .44 caliber "Navies"--a gun that never existed. But they didn't alter the loading aperture, so trying to load a .44 conical is not happening. The original .44 Colt conicals varied some, but 219 grains seems to have been the heaviest.

If you don't mind grinding away on your revolver, you may be able to open up the aperture enough to take the larger conical. But space is pretty tight in that area, so I would measure very carefully. On my Navys, all of .36 caliber, I don't think there is any way I could ever get anything longer than the 140 grain standard conical in there. Good luck.

 

[LeMat1856]

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.
. may 18 / 03:25


russT,
where do you find .44 conicals ? i've looked everywhere and all i see are those factory .451 buffalo's (i need .454 for the ol' lemat).

~d~

 

[Blizzard of '93]

you may have to buy a Lee conical mold to get the right sized slugs for your LeMat.
Dixie may have them, I don't have their current catalog.

 

[broknprism]

"...grinding away..."? On a 2nd gen Colt? : )

The bullets look sweet. Sort of barrel-shaped with a round nose in a shape as if a ball had been cut in half. I guess I'll send them back (if I can remember where I got them!) and exchange them for balls. Disappointing.

 

[jtmattison]

"...grinding away..."? On a 2nd gen Colt? : )

The bullets look sweet. Sort of barrel-shaped with a round nose in a shape as if a ball had been cut in half. I guess I'll send them back (if I can remember where I got them!) and exchange them for balls. Disappointing.

You can get a simple loading stand for under $20 delivered. It's a bit of a pain to have to remove the cylinder to load them but it may be worth your while. It is for me.
I think I got my loading stand from The Possibles Shop.

HD

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Mine are all 2nd Gen Colts too and I wouldn't grind on them for love nor money. You can buy a mold the produces the correct conicals for these guns on-line but you'll have to watch for them. Try Lyman--they used to have them. Make sure they know that the mold is for a percussion Colt revolver. The .44 mold produces a conical that is correct for all .44 Colts right on up to the beloved Walker!

 

[Poor Private]

YOu can get one, a loading stand that is, from Traditions Firearms for $16.99 no including shipping in either .36 or .44.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I just remembered that Dixie Gun Works used offer a service where they would make a mould to your specifications. Might be worth giving them a call.

 

[Mike 56]

Their used to be a guy on surplusrifle.com that sold 44cal BP bullets. I have a loading stand now before i bought it i used to seat bullets in my 51 Colt with my short starter.
Mike