What size ball?

[woodsnwater]

I recently acquired an older ASM 1860 .44. When loading a .454 ball with one of those cheap bench loaders it was only shaving off a half moon of lead, so I bought a box of .457's without thinking too much about it.
So I measured the chambers as best as I could with a micrometer and they are consistently round and .450" Is a .457 too much?

 

[64Springer]

If the cylinder is shaving off the lead ring with ease, then .457 diameter does not matter.

 

[thomasgunn]

I also own an older ASM '60, the .457 should work fine. The only real way to know is to try it.

 

[ord sgt]

Get a .451 roundball mould. I get a thin shaving of lead when loading. Accuracy is good.

 

[TDM]

I also own an older ASM '60, the .457 should work fine. The only real way to know is to try it.

That's what I'd do.

 

[woodsnwater]

So the only limiting factor is ease of loading? So if I can stuff it in the chamber it'll go down the barrel?

 

[TDM]

Yes, that's correct.