Poll - Does it Matter that Uberti and Others Use .380 Balls While Pietta uses .375 Balls?

Does it matter that Uberti and others use .380 Balls While. Pietta uses .375 Balls?

  • I knew about it before buying an Uberti .36, and decided that it didn't matter.

    Votes: 5 29.4%

  • I knew about it before buying an Uberti .36, but now wish that I didn't need to use .380's.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I didn't know before buying an Uberti .36, but have no regrets..

    Votes: 2 11.8%

  • I didn't know before buying an Uberti .36 and regret buying it.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I knew that my other make of ,36 needed .380 balls, but I bought it anyways and don't mind.

    Votes: 2 11.8%

  • I didn't know that my other make of .36 needed .380 balls and I regret buying it.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I bought a Pietta .36 because I would rather use .375 balls.

    Votes: 2 11.8%

  • I would never intentionally buy an Uberti .36 knowing that it needs .380 balls.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • No matter what make it is, I would never intentionally buy any .36 that needs .380 balls..

    Votes: 1 5.9%

  • I didn't know that some .36's needed .380 cast balls, but that would not stop me from buying one.

    Votes: 5 29.4%

  • I once had a gun that needed .380 balls and switched to a Pietta .36 because of it.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Now that I know about .36 ball sizes I prefer to buy one that uses .375 factory swagged balls.

    Votes: 4 23.5%
  • Total voters
    17
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arcticap

arcticap

Member
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Messages
8,717
Location
Central Connecticut
EVERYONE CAN VOTE FOR TWO CHOICES.

I'm interested in knowing if needing .380 cast balls for the Uberti, Colt, possibly some ASM or other .36 revolvers matters to them or not.
I'm also interested in knowing if they were aware about needing .380 balls before they bought their .36 or not.
Or if it affected their choice of which make of .36 revolver to buy.
And also if they have any regrets about buying a gun that needs .380 balls, or if knowing in advance would affect a future .36 purchase.
One would think that it's something to be considered before buying.
But it's possible that not everyone was aware that they would need to use cast balls before buying and had regrets.
Everyone should know before buying that factory made balls won't fit their gun.
Even if you don't own a .36, I would like your opinion.
Choose the 2 answers that are the closest match.
Does it matter to you?

EVERYONE CAN VOTE FOR TWO CHOICES.
 
Last edited:
Fingers McGee said:
How about: I use .380 balls in all my .36s regardless of who made the gun, and ball size was not a factor in a purchase
Click to expand...

Well I figured that if you bought one and ball size didn't matter, then the ball size wouldn't matter for the 2nd gun either.

skeeterfogger said:
I have a Pietta Navy. It rams and shoots .380 better than .375.
Click to expand...

At least you still have the option to buy factory balls at a local gun shop or not.
And not need to cast or have them delivered by mail.
But I do appreciate the info.
Another poster on TFL named ZVP posted that the accuracy of his Pietta wasn't affected by the different ball sizes.
 
Last edited:
I guess I am not part of this population who is concerned because I have 9 Pietta 1851 Navy "type" .36 revolvers and 0 Uberti Navy revolvers. If I use .380" balls it just shaves a larger ring of lead with the Piettas.

I did not enter the poll because there was not a choice for "None of the above".

I am curious as to the land to land dimension on the Uberti barrels. IMO, if it is .373" or less, the rifling will still impart twist to a .375" ball, but the powder gases may somewhat escape past the ball, reducing the velocity somewhat as compared to the .380" ball. I don't have either a chrono nor an Uberti to check any difference.

Appreciate any info.

Regards,

Jim
 
expat_alaska said:
I guess I am not part of this population who is concerned because I have 9 Pietta 1851 Navy "type" .36 revolvers and 0 Uberti Navy revolvers. If I use .380" balls it just shaves a larger ring of lead with the Piettas.

I did not enter the poll because there was not a choice for "None of the above".

I am curious as to the land to land dimension on the Uberti barrels. IMO, if it is .373" or less, the rifling will still impart twist to a .375" ball, but the powder gases may somewhat escape past the ball, reducing the velocity somewhat as compared to the .380" ball. I don't have either a chrono nor an Uberti to check any difference.

Appreciate any info.

Regards,

Jim
Click to expand...
Concern of fit to barrel max is a driving issue to accuracy. I have 2 that the cylinder bore was under the barrel max. Reaming them did make accuracy much better. Not all revolvers have this issue right out of the box and I'm sure some are still accurate. It has been noted in other posts that accuracy can be made better by using a ball size that when rammed cuts more ring providing a longer bearing surface to engage barrel. Either way that achieves desired performance is satisfactory.
 
arcticap said:
Well I figured that if you bought one and ball size didn't matter, then the ball size wouldn't matter for the 2nd gun either.



At least you still have the option to buy factory balls at a local gun shop or not.
And not need to cast or have them delivered by mail.
But I do appreciate the info.
Another poster on TFL named ZVP posted that the accuracy of his Pietta wasn't affected by the different ball sizes.
Click to expand...
Every projectile I shoot I cast. For every pound of purchased 3x can be cast for less. Which ever way you go about is up to you. Which way I choose is not your concern.
 
I know uberti uses a 380 but i have both a 380 and 375 mold but i dont even cast round ball anymore...just shoot my custom conicals and kaidos...although i cant use .375 round ball on some of my guns anyways as i have reamed my cylinders to .375 as to be over groove diameter for the accuracy. I also have read that ubertis have deeper cut grooves which i imagine can cause more gas cutting...which is why i prefer the shallow pietta grooves. Although some may not see a difference at all if they shot both guns side by side...all guns ive found are their own individuals....and gas cutting can be prevented/minimized a few different ways such as reaming cylinders over groove diameter and/or using a card with lube disk/wad etc.
 
Dixie Gun Works provides some bore and chamber spec.'s for Pietta .36 Colt models on their product pages that may or may not be accurate.
FWIW, they state the same spec.'s for each Pietta model:

.367 chamber diameter
.360 land diameter
.372 groove diameter

https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/page/product/product_id/8737

Dixie's Uberti product pages provides no such bore - chamber specifications.
The Uberti revolver manual does state that either .375 or .380 balls can be used.
However, I can't recall anyone on this forum ever recommending that .375 balls be used in any Uberti .36.
Folks have always said that Uberti's use .380's.
Uberti revolver manual:--->>> https://www.uberti-usa.com/sites/default/files/originals/product-manuals/black_powder_revolvers.pdf
Dixie Uberti 1861 product page without spec.'s. listed: --->>> https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index/page/product/product_id/8642

Did anyone ever try to use .375 balls iu their Uberti's?
Do they stay in the chamber and shave a ring at all?
 
expat_alaska said:
I guess I am not part of this population who is concerned because I have 9 Pietta 1851 Navy "type" .36 revolvers and 0 Uberti Navy revolvers. If I use .380" balls it just shaves a larger ring of lead with the Piettas.

I did not enter the poll because there was not a choice for "None of the above".

I am curious as to the land to land dimension on the Uberti barrels. IMO, if it is .373" or less, the rifling will still impart twist to a .375" ball, but the powder gases may somewhat escape past the ball, reducing the velocity somewhat as compared to the .380" ball. I don't have either a chrono nor an Uberti to check any difference.

Appreciate any info.

Regards,

Jim
Click to expand...
I’m your opposite number Jim. 9 (or so...) percussion revolvers and no Pietta’s. I only own 2 .36 caliber guns and don’t really shoot them that much. They are pretty to look at.
 
I would not put much stock in the Pietta manual it has a max load for a Navy being twelve grains of FFF. I have always preferred .380 balls because they leave a longer driving band. Some guys shoot .390 balls in Navys. I have a Richmond Lab mold that drops 147grain .390 bullets my 51 Navy loves them.
 
I am all so thinking about a .390 mold. My navy likes the Richmond bullet what's crazy is my Pietta rammer pushing that .390 bullet flattened the point of the bullets. I still want to buy a Uberti rammer and try shooting them with a point.
 
I was too presumptuous about all Uberti's needing to use .380 balls.
It's simply not true since they do fit in some Uberti chambers.
And a search showed that .375 balls will indeed fit tight enough in some of them while in others they fit too loose in the chambers.
It seems that it was dependent on the individual gun, and possibly when it was made.
I got the impression that many people used the .380's instead of .375's because they thought that it was necessary.
It's also possible that Uberti has changed their spec.'s over time, since at one time their paperwork did recommend .380's.

The Second Generation Colts needed .380's.
It was posted that their original paperwork actually specified to use .378 balls.

I apologize for wording the poll too strongly but it wasn't posted with the intent to deceive.
But I did want to warn folks about the possibility that I believed was real, and still do but only to a lesser extent.
However, it's still a valid topic that folks should be made aware of if they ever intend to buy a .36.
There may not be any guarantee about which size ball will be needed.
Especially in used Uberti guns, a .375 may fit okay in one but not adequately in another.
The .375's may not cut a ring, and fit with the help of swagging into the chambers with compression which can mean putting a bit of strain on a small loading lever.
Some believe that the balls could creep forward during firing.
Whereas in CNC era [post 2000] Piettas, the .375 balls generally fit just fine.
 
Last edited:
I use four Pietta .36's. Two are pre CNC and two are post CNC. They all shoot best using .380 balls.
 
Now these arent roundball...but they are .36 bullets and i have a couple friends who used them in their stock pietta cylinders with .366-.368 chamber size, and work great in my reamed to .375 chambers with chamfered edges for swaged fit. They are my version of the original .36 colt cartridge works and remington bullet. Check it out if you all have time..
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.p...tridge-works-and-remington-36-conical.865212/

*Edit: fixed the link above*
 
Last edited:
This is an interesting thread that illustrates why some Uberti's need .380 balls.
SAKOHUNTER measured his Uberti 1851 chambers as being .373 - .374, and had trouble with the ram pulling .375 balls out of the chambers.
When he contacted Taylor's, they measured the chambers on 2 new guns as being .373.
They said that if he was loading with wads, that their thickness and sponginess could push the balls back out.
After he loaded without wads, the .375 balls stayed in the chambers.
But he felt that he would still need .380 balls if he wanted to load with wads, which shows how marginal .375 balls can be with some Uberti's. --->>> https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/uberti-1851-navy-bore-chamber-size.348633/#:~:text=According to my latest Dixie,376"%20Round%20ball.


In the same thread, whosyrdaddy said that the Dixie catalog listed the Uberti 1851 chamber spec's as being .372, with lands/groove spec.'s of .360/.380.

A Dixie product page lists the chamber diameter for a Uberti 1851 replacement cylinder as being .375. --->>> https://www.dixiegunworks.com/index...+Colt+1851+Navy+or+Original+.36+Navy+Revolver

The spec.'s and the reality don't always match up.
And THR search results for ".380" listed over 50 pages of threads , with many being about this same subject.
 
Last edited:
Mike 56 said:
I am all so thinking about a .390 mold. My navy likes the Richmond bullet what's crazy is my Pietta rammer pushing that .390 bullet flattened the point of the bullets. I still want to buy a Uberti rammer and try shooting them with a point.
Click to expand...

One thing Pietta does that is a deficit is not mill the rammer head to accept pointy bullets.:fire: Uberti does and ASM did. With Uberti you can use either conicals or spherical bullets.
Why Pietta does it this way ..... :thumbdown: uh.... dunno ....
 
Tommygunn said:
One thing Pietta does that is a deficit is not mill the rammer head to accept pointy bullets.:fire: Uberti does and ASM did. With Uberti you can use either conicals or spherical bullets.
Why Pietta does it this way ..... :thumbdown: uh.... dunno ....
Click to expand...

Could the edges of the milled rammer head be one reason why balls can sometimes stick to the rammer and get pulled back out of the chambers?
 
arcticap said:
I was too presumptuous about all Uberti's needing to use .380 balls.
It's simply not true since they do fit in some Uberti chambers.
And a search showed that .375 balls will indeed fit tight enough in some of them while in others they fit too loose in the chambers.
It seems that it was dependent on the individual gun, and possibly when it was made.
I got the impression that many people used the .380's instead of .375's because they thought that it was necessary.
It's also possible that Uberti has changed their spec.'s over time, since at one time their paperwork did recommend .380's.

The Second Generation Colts needed .380's.
It was posted that their original paperwork actually specified to use .378 balls.

I apologize for wording the poll too strongly but it wasn't posted with the intent to deceive.
But I did want to warn folks about the possibility that I believed was real, and still do but only to a lesser extent.
However, it's still a valid topic that folks should be made aware of if they ever intend to buy a .36.
There may not be any guarantee about which size ball will be needed.
Especially in used Uberti guns, a .375 may fit okay in one but not adequately in another.
The .375's may not cut a ring, and fit with the help of swagging into the chambers with compression which can mean putting a bit of strain on a small loading lever.
Some believe that the balls could creep forward during firing.
Whereas in CNC era [post 2000] Piettas, the .375 balls generally fit just fine.
Click to expand...

No biggie. All guns eat different. I would say that should the revolver cut more than at least a .020 ring with typical diameter but is not accurate then the cylinder may be under size bored. The larger driving band is a good thing and the ring cut could be .030 or slightly more once the cylinder bore and projectile diameter are correct. My walker shot horrible. It's an older ASM. I bored the cylinder to .451, polished the forcing cone, use .457 and dressed the crown and now it hits correct. All that means is some need tuning.
 
arcticap said:
Could the edges of the milled rammer head be one reason why balls can sometimes stick to the rammer and get pulled back out of the chambers?
Click to expand...


Maybe ..... I haven't thought of that as it hasn't happened in years. Possibly a bit of polishing on the inside of the hammer face might help.
Or slightly larger balls?

I've only had it happen a few times.
 
I have a Pietta 1851 and a Uberti 1862 Police and .375 shoots fine from both. Proper ball size didn't cross my mind at all, I simply bought them because they were either on sale (Pietta) or I really wanted them (1862 Police).
 
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