36 caliber C&B Questions

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BSA1

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Cabelas says my Pietta 36 caliber revolver will be delivered tomorrow so I need to order some items for it.

Isn't .375" the correct size for round ball mold?

What is the correct thread size for replacement (Treso) nipples?

I have a large batch of soft lead melted into 1# ingots . Do I to add tin or do anything to it before casting round balls?
 
Not sure about the mold size, but I have been making .490 balls and various conicals for years for my rifles. I never use tin or any other alloy, but I do use a small amount of caster's flux when I melt it down to get the impurities to the top and then skim that off before I pour
 
Just order a bag of 380 balls from Track of The Wolf to get you started. It is hard to get to big a ball but it is a disaster to buy them to small.

They will also know which nipples to send you.
 
I recommend trying .380 and .375 balls first, BEFORE ordering a mold.

Your gun could take either one, and you better know what it shoots best before getting the mold. You want a nice, solid ring of lead shaved off the ball, not just a tiny bit of lead "hair", a solid ring. Also try driving the seated ball out by using a dowel and hammering it out through the nipple port. The ball should have a nice flat band all around it from the seating process. This means you are getting a tight seal for the ball and also are getting a good amount of contact with the rifling.
 
I have a few .375" round balls left so the ring test is easy enough. I would like to verify the thread size though before I order replacement nipples. They list .75 mm for Pietta's.

p.s. I know about Track of the Wolf. That's where I am ordering from.
 
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It's easy to agree with 72 Coupe because he and I have the same guns, Uberti manufactured 36 cal. colt's police. The unknown is weather the pietta you're getting is cylinder bored the same as the Uberti. In either case TOW will still be able to supply you with the proper nipple size and most likely the proper bullet size. My last bit of advice is to call them and talk to a human. They do know their stuff and love to spread the knowledge .
 
.380" would be the sure thing but with that short lever...

I may look into getting a stand for loading the cylinders separate from the gun. Less mess that way anyhow.

Gun is due to arrive tomorrow and a nice weekend is coming up so...

Thanks for the comments.
 
BSA1, you are very observant.My Uberti loads very tight with .380 balls so much so that mid-way through my second cylinder I decided to use a leather glove to save my lever hand. Half way through that second cylinder I decided to make a cheater out of a 6" piece of 1/2 schedule 40 pvc pipe. That was the ultimate cure it gave me just enough advantage to seat the ball with out drawing blood.
 
My rule of thumb is to use .375 for Pietta and .380 for Uberti. At least with my .36 cal pistols, this is what I find works best for me. YMMV

I add 1% tin to my soft lead for a better fill out in my molds.
 
I add 1% tin to my soft lead for a better fill out in my molds.

That is the primary purpose of tin in a lead alloy. Antimony adds the hardness.
 
If you guys are having trouble getting round balls to fill out your temperature is too low. Heat the mold up more at a minimum. There's no reason to add anything to the mix.
 
.380 will fit in either Pietta or Uberti. .375 will only work in one of them. I keep .380 on hand. When you decide to cast, there are 6 cavity molds available in 380. They cast almost as fast as you can shoot them.
 
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