Sticking balls

[Flycaster]

Hi Guys,
Pick up an unfired, used Uberti 1851 yesterday. At the range today, the balls would pull back out of the chambers at loading.
.375 dia. balls.
Anyone else experiencing this?
Thanks Flycaster

 

[Maven]

I think Ubertis use .380" dia. RB's, Flycaster.

 

[Grenadier1758]

@Maven is spot on. My Uberti 36 caliber revolver requires 0.380" balls. In my revolver, a 0.375 ball will fall out.

 

[Kansas Jake]

I’ve had it happen on occasion. It seems to result from the rammer having a sharp radius that catches. In the past I just reseated the ball on the powder, lubed the chambers and fired away.

 

[BatBoy]

Yep, step up a size to .38

Were you cutting a ring of lead when seating the round balls?

 

[Kansas Jake]

I’ve had it happen even when it shaved a ring of lead.

 

[bang]

Smooth out the ram.

 

[Stantheman86]

If it's shaving a ring then the balls are the correct size

Not all Uberti's need a .380 ball, my 2008 production Uberti Navy uses .375's

Smoothing the rammer is good advice if you're getting a lead ring

Ask me how I know, if your gun doesn't take .380 balls, trying to force them in anyway is not going to happen. You will 100% know they are too big, then you have to take a brass hammer and tap it in just to shoot them back out of the gun, after you almost shear the rammer trying to load one.

 

[Flycaster]

I am getting a lead shaving at loading, and the rammer is smooth. I had to turn the cylinder slightly to get the ball to release from the ram, then gently tap it back down. Last night I filled the ram recess with JB weld. I'll see how that works.
Thanks Guys, just wondered if that was common.
Flycaster

 

[Stantheman86]

I am getting a lead shaving at loading, and the rammer is smooth. I had to turn the cylinder slightly to get the ball to release from the ram, then gently tap it back down. Last night I filled the ram recess with JB weld. I'll see how that works.
Thanks Guys, just wondered if that was common.
Flycaster

Is there an impression on the ball from the plunger?

I'm trying to figure out what's going on here

It's definitely not common at all and needs to be addressed

 

[BatBoy]

Is there an impression on the ball from the plunger?

I'm trying to figure out what's going on here

It's definitely not common at all and needs to be addressed

I still say it’s an undersized ball. It would have to be one hell of a bur for the plunger to pull the round ball back out. Even if you deformed the top of the lead round ball, the round ball should be tight in the cylinder to stay in place if you are cutting a lead ring upon loading. Bur or no bur.

I once accidentally loaded a round ball with no powder and had to remove the nipple and tap the round ball out. While not a big issue, it took a couple of taps to remove the ball. Way more force than a plunger retracting.

JMO, it’s either an undersized round ball or something is off with the cylinder.

 

[Stantheman86]

Can the OP put up a pic of a loaded ball with the lead ring?

Maybe one or more chambers are egged?

I agree, it would take a hell of a lot of effort to extract a properly fitted ball and I'd be worried that they'd move forward when the other chamber is fired

This gun will be a chain fire machine if those balls aren't sealed and fully seated

It could be .375's shave off just a hair of lead but still aren't tight....

My next step would be to try a .380 ball and slowly seat it, and if it loads with a good ring of shaved lead and doesn't come back out, you're good.

 

[Coolhand]

My Uberti 1860 Army dose the same thing! It cuts a good ring on a .454 just pulls it back out after ramming. The rammer face is for a conical, it’s is pretty sharp on soft lead. I went to a .457 and it doesn’t pull them any more. I have a 1861 navy and shoot .375 RB out of it it has ent pulled any thus far. I compared both of the rammers and the army rammer is noticeable sharper.

I have heard of people installing a Uberti rammer on their Piettas for shooting conicals. Might be able to try a pietta rammer on your Uberti if you want to shoot just RB. If the .375 fits your navy good changing the rammer could save you from buying a new mold or different sized ball.

 

[TDM]

As previously stated in other post, a Uberti .36 cal needs .380 RBs. A .375 will move on you.

 

[Rich44]

Most likely the radius of the cup on the ram is small. If the outer edge was relieved some it would only push and self release.

 

[alcessapiens]

The ball ought to be fairly tight when seated. Mike the cylinder. And as a semi funny/horrible aside, I was at the range years ago where a guy unboxed a .58 rem. And all his brand new shooting gear. He pulled the cylinder pin. Capped all 6, dumped a random amount of powder in the chambers and was about to load using a short starter and wooden mallet. I stopped him as I wanted no part in the soon to occur disaster. He’d just gotten this and had never fired a pistol, much less a bp revolver. I spent the afternoon teaching him how not to die while shooting.

 

[Freedom]

Dry any lube out of the rammer pocket. Lube here will cause the rammer to form a vacuum over the ball...and suck it out every time on a Uberti.
Does not seem to apply with Pietta's

Nope,.. a bigger ball will not help. I have loaded .490 balls into my Dragoon testing the theory, and it will pull the ball everytime if a seal can be formed between the ball and rammer.

 

[Stantheman86]

Having to buy .380 balls for a gun when .375's are common and easy to get would be annoying.

OP says he put JB Weld on the rammer, maybe he'll report back on the results.

I have fired probably over 1000 .375 round balls through my Uberti 1851 Navy over the last 10 years and have never once had this happen.

 

[BatBoy]

I guess there isn’t anything new under the sun. It’s probably the plunger. Though I still believe a .38 round ball will solve the problem.

https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/threads/ball-sucking.144365/page-2

 

[stretchman25]

I had this happen several years ago. I was experimenting with felt wads soaked in neat’s foot oil. The wads left a good coating of oil on the chamber walls and the ball wouldn’t stay seated. Some would even follow the loading lever up when it was returned to the upright position after seating. The .457” balls left a shaved circle of lead, so they were not undersized. When I returned back to the loading methods used earlier, the problem went away.