Load for Brass 1851 navy

[eggwelder]

Looking for recommended bullet and ball sizes plus charge load for an ASM 1851 Navy in 36.
what you guys use? Not interested in beating this thing apart with max charges, planning on using it more as an introduction to Cap and ball for new shooters as opposed to loading for the apocalypse.

 

[Larry Akers]

.375 ball, 15 gr 3F, about 12 gr volume of cornmeal or farina or cream-of-wheat filler to bring ball to the mouth of the chamber.

 

[Throwdown58]

A max charge will not beat it apart whatsoever. I have used max charges for decades in my brass guns, at times every weekend for SASS matches, and they are no worse for wear. If you want mousefart loads, use the cream of wheat.

The best bullet for that gun are the Colt or Richmond labs mold at erasgonebullets.com. Right now they are out of stock. Lee also makes a 375-130 that you can find on ebay. Or a .375 roundball as others have suggested, which is most common.

If you don't want to cast or learn casting, there are some .375 roundballs out there to buy. You just have to look around. You can buy the bullets at cartridgekits.com which also makes the best paper cartridge system for bp revolvers.

Here is a video on casting for these guns:

 

[Grenadier1758]

Do measure the cylinder mouth. I have found that most of the 36 caliber revolvers that I own, the cylinder mouth is 0.375" and a 0.380" ball is required for the best fit.

 

[Throwdown58]

I don't understand why people have to complicate things for newbies. As soon as you post something like this, you create a vacillation effect where this guy says this and that guy says that. As you well know, the traditional ball for a 36 revolver is .375, and whether you buy swaged balls or cast your own, they shave, and that is all you need them to do. It centers them in the cylinder. Most newbies don't even have a caliper, nor do they even know what .375 even means. But they can google that and they will get what they need.

 

[eggwelder]

not sure if i fall into newbie category,i do own calipers and know caliber size...
i suppose if i`m a newbie- its to brass framed .36 cal revolvers, and have seen several beat to beyond saving because of max loads, mouse farts it will be

 

[Jim Nasium]

I have the same revolver and load .380 ball with 15 grains out to 25 yards. I was surprised to find that it's pretty much POA-POI out to 25 yards with that loading. Out at 50 yards and beyond I load 20 grains because my steel plates are thick and I found they ring a little louder with 20 grains. I didn't find that the extra 5 grains changed the trajectory all that much.

 

[FishDFly]

Mr. Akers is spot on.

 

[Grenadier1758]

I don't understand why people have to complicate things for newbies. As soon as you post something like this, you create a vacillation effect where this guy says this and that guy says that. As you well know, the traditional ball for a 36 revolver is .375, and whether you buy swaged balls or cast your own, they shave, and that is all you need them to do. It centers them in the cylinder. Most newbies don't even have a caliper, nor do they even know what .375 even means. But they can google that and they will get what they need.

You are correct in that the traditional ball size for a 36 caliber revolver is 0.375". White I do know is that when I bought the 0.375" balls for my 36 caliber Reb revolver from Navy Arms made by Uberti, I could slide those balls into my cylinder with my finger. When I fired a round balls would fall out of the cylinder. I asked my father (I was still in my teens) a tool and die maker what was going on. Another learning experience for me as I learned how to read the markings on a Vernier caliper. The chamber mouth on all six cylinders was 0.375". This was a slip fit. Lesson here was not to rely on what I read in the literature, but to rely on the results of measurements of the equipment on hand.

Cap and ball revolvers being built in the 1970's were built to a pretty wide range of tolerances. What would be complicated to a new owner of a cap and ball revolver would be trying to figure out why this geat 36 caliber revolver built in 1978 by a reputable manufacturer won't hold the recommended traditional diameter ball in the cylinder. It might be okay, but then it might not.

 

[vervillev]

Blackie Thomas has a couple of YouTube vids on brass framed revolvers. Good info along with Throwdowns video.

 

[Jim Nasium]

Another learning experience for me as I learned how to read the markings on a Vernier caliper. The chamber mouth on all six cylinders was 0.375". This was a slip fit. Lesson here was not to rely on what I read in the literature, but to rely on the results of measurements of the equipment on hand.

I agree Grenadier. I have the same revolver as eggwelder like I said. Both the ASM and my Uberti wouldn't shave a ring off a .375, so I use a .380 round ball.
It's as simple as that. They just work better in some cases, so it's certainly worth mentioning. If he had asked about a Pietta I'd have kept my fingers off the keyboard as I don't own one and I've read they do well with a .375 ball.

Most newbies don't even have a caliper, nor do they even know what .375 even means.

I would sure hope most "newbies" know what size projectile they're working with. If not it's certainly not a bad idea to talk about it. lol

This is for you Grenadier...
One of my more valued tools that I am fortunate to own.

 

[wb78963]

.OFF THREAD A MOMENT
This puzzles me because 375" works perfectly in my Piettas, As a matter of fact I was shooting all but one pair of .36's last week and the bench top was littered with little pieces of wire shavings. The pair that was not shot was my Capt. Schaeffer replica presentation pieces. No reason except I was running short of .375" ball and did not feel like casting any. plus I wanted to exercise some .44 Colt Army revolvers which I did, and did a lot.
BACK TO THREAD
As far as brass framed revolvers go and just to be sure,because you are not fighting outlaws or renegade indians I would stick to whatever 15 grain or less loads that shoot most accurately. As far as accuracy is concerned Larry Akers has it right any filler will do. My experience is grits, malt-o-meal. or even corn cob tumbler media will suffice.
Stay safe
Make smoke
Bunk

 

[Jim Nasium]

If he had asked about a Pietta I'd have kept my fingers off the keyboard as I don't own one and I've read they do well with a .375 ball.

This puzzles me because 375" works perfectly in my Piettas

 

[Throwdown58]

It is only some Ubertis that they don't shave in, and even in those they are very tight and pretty much swage down into the chamber. They will absolutely not fall out of any gun I have ever owned, and though I am much more of a 44 guy, I have had more than my share of 36s. Right now I have a Colt 2nd gen (uberti) five shot sherrif in 36, and the Eras Gone Richmond doesn't even fit down in the cylinders. Nobody who has shot 36s would argue that a .380, if you can get the mold, is better, but that's not for newbies. When you are cultivating interest you have to make the path very clear and simple, and you who are actually arguing the point are the reason why a lot of people are turned off. I deleted the expletive Zonie. But we really should make an exception here. Stupid is as stupid does.

 

[Dashing Leper]

My Uberti Leech & Rigdon will not shave a .375 Hornady, and when I tapped the ball out again there was at a least one spot on the edge where it did not swage the lead. It's an invitation for a round walking out under recoil, if not a chainfire. That box of .375 is meltstock at this point.

 

[Zonie]

In the 2008 Dixie Gun Works catalogs they gave the chamber diameter for most of the revolvers they sold.
The size for the .36 caliber Uberti seems to be a consistent .372" for 6 different pistols they made/make. That would shave .003 off of the diameter of a .375 ball which would be only .0015" off of each side. That is about 1/2 the thickness of a average piece of brown human hair from a scalp.
A piece of lead that thick might tend to fold over or be smeared off rather than actually making a loose piece.
In any case, if a .375 diameter ball is walking out of the chamber during recoil it would be a good idea to find a larger ball to shoot in that gun.

A Pietta made Dixie 1858 Remington Navy chambers are .366". A pietta made Dixie Colt 1851 Navy is .367". A ? made Dixie 1851 Brass frame chambers are .368".

 

[Jim Nasium]

Throwdown58 calls a guy stupid who's trying to explain to someone with questions that some cylinders have different bore diameters, but then makes it sound like cap and ball is some form of advanced mechanics...

Stupid is as stupid does is right.

 

[Jim Nasium]

The size for the .36 caliber Uberti seems to be a consistent .372" for 6 different pistols they made/make.

This would easily explain how a .375 ball could end up with light beside it. Any minor imperfection or dent could amount to .003", and that's if your ball was exactly .375" to began with. A .380 would give you .004" on each side to play with. It also gives you a ring shave, which was a great indicator to look for when I was learning on my own. This information didn't overcomplicate anything for me. It helped me know what to look for, and I had a successful experience.

 

[eggwelder]

I`ll be measuring the chambers when it gets here, and i`ll ask the guy i got it from what he was using. This is my new revolver.

 

[Jim Nasium]

Awesome! What's the date code on her? Mine is an '89.