What size rb for a .44 caliber pistol ?

[john12865]

I recently pick up a percussion single shot pistol. It measures at .44. I have no experience with this caliber. What is a good ball diameter and patch thickness to use?

 

[gooddw]

.451 or .454 depends on what your gun likes. I prefer .454. You don't use patches with revolvers. You can use a wad under the ball if you like.

 

[biliff]

I use a .433 ball and 0.10" patch on my Pedersoli. What make is your pistol??

 

[john12865]

Don't know what the make is. No markings on the gun,not even a serial number. I've done many searches trying to find a picture of this pistol and can not find one like it.
I found this pistol at a barn sale and bought it for $20.00. It was in a box of assorted junk. It was missing the clean out screw. I replaced it with an allen style screw which was metric.
The bore is.44 and a .451 rb is too large. It appears to be an older percussion kit gun. I suspect Jukar or CVA.
Bore is in nice shape. The nipple is not metric. When I replaced the nipple it was a 10/28 American.
I have shot blank loads of 30 grains of Goex with a tin foil ball just to see how dependable it was and found that it shot twenty out of twenty shots with no ignition issues. It appears to be dependable.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

if CVA uit would have that stamped on it, I don't think it is because CVA to my knowledge did not make any .44's. made .45's and .50's. even the small derringers were .45's

 

[john12865]

Here is some pics of this pistol. Just click on the thumbnails to enlarge.
[url] http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e298/john128652001/unidentified pistol[/url]/

 

[biliff]

I don't recognize it, but judging by the wood I would agree with you in that some one put it together as a kit. If you miked the bore as a true .44 caliber (land to land) than start off with a .430 ball and 0.10 patch and start fooling around with it from there.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

that is more of the 'Kentucky' pattern. to best of my knowledge CVA made 'Hawken' style (I have one in .50) in .45 and .50 cal. they also made Philadelpia style derringers in .45. Zonie may have more knowledge of CVA cappers.

 

[mykeal]

The grip shape is wrong for a CVA Kentucky, although they were made in .45 cal:

 

[gooddw]

My mistake. I just saw your title and thought you were referring to a revolver.

 

[MikeChapin]

I might be having a senior moment but I seem to remember seeing those in magazine ads about 20+ years ago. I remember they were supposed to Junkars, made in Spain. What set them apart was they were .44 instead of the normal .45s around. I seem to remember there was a rifle with a two piece stock that came in the same caliber.

Lee makes a double cavity mold in the .433 caliber that Bill mentioned.

 

[john12865]

Zonie brought up the point in another topic, that it should have proof marks if it came from Spain. No proof marks on this piece. Can you remember when they started stamping the Black Powder warnings and all that manure on the barrels? It's at least pre manure stamping in age.

 

[tg]

I had a couple of rifles that were called .44 (Kentuckians) and they both shot the same ball as the .45 guns I had .440 or .445

 

[john12865]

The bore measures .440. So it is 44 caliber and won't take a 45 caliber ball. A .44 caliber .451 rb is still too large. I'm ordering some .430 rb.

 

[hkbarker]

Have just obtained a S/S t/c Patriot in .45 cal,because you use a greased patch which is usually about 10 thousand of an inch the ball size which fits perfectly is .440 cal(any lee mold supplier will have them,I got mine from cabelas)Accurate at 50 metres,I use 12 grains of Swiss 4f,a dream to shoot.If no swiss use 15 grains of any good blackpowder.
have a ball
hotelbravo

 

[Don]

Bakeoven Bill is right on the money. A .433 ball and .010 or .015 patch is the appropriate set up for a .44 single shot. The good news is that .433 balls are still available through most ML supply outfits on the net. Good luck!

Don

 

[slowpokebr549]

I don't think it is a Jukar, they didnt have that brass sideplate.Most of them had Jukar stamped on the barrel even before they started stamping proofs on em.

 

[slowpokebr549]

I had one of those rifles that Mike2005 was talking about. POS,but it shot suprisingly well.