Pocket Model/Wells Fargo.

[mec]

(apparently, Wells Fargo never bought these but it is true to one variety of pocket model)

Shot from 15 yards. the full charge is something like 8.5 grains of goex and does in the high 400s. It will bury past the base in a variety of trees and pine boards. The bullets were an ideal fit in the Uberti but the balls were too big to seat.

A couple of shots from ten yards and the rest from 15-one hand.

Original pocket models without leavers had the end of the arbor coned to fit over bullets and balls. This one is modified that way so that the arbor serves as a ball seater.
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[Shanghai McCoy]

Neat little pistol and good shooting.
What sized roundballs do you think would fit?

 

[mec]

.320 are perfect. One outfit-wonderfully disappeared called warren then ozark would send you 31 rifle bulets instead and they were more like .317. Smaked smartley with a wooden handled nipple wrench they would expand enough to fit the chambers if loaded flat part up. Shot pretty good too. Some people swear by #4 buck but i've never tried it.

 

[Smokin'Joe]

Double Ought Buckshot measures .330 and works very well in my Wells Fargo.

 

[mec]

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/List/Item.aspx/201/1

I just looked it up. My revolver chambers are .317. .320 or 323 balls witll work but the .315s simply roll out of the chamber unless you expand them by whack ing with a mallet or wooden nippl wrench handle. The 315s may well work in a pietta 31 as their 36 and 44 chambers are tighter than Uberti.

 

[kBob]

I use single aught buckshot in both .31 reproductions (a remmie and a colt '49) I have. Always on the lookout at shows for some guy with a groady box of loose single shot shells at low price to cut up and salvage the shot from.

-kBob

 

[mec]

I looks like canabilizing shotgun shells (when you can find them) is the only way now. I checked Track of the wolf/dixie and a couple of others None of them have 31 calibar pistol balls and I doubt that component 0 buck is available either.

 

[mec]

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/Categories/PartDetail.aspx/201/1/BALL-320-X

I missed this one. Cast .320 balls allegedly in stock right now.

 

[rodwha]

Why not buy a mold?

 

[mec]

a fine idea- great when you want .380 balls instead ot .375 too. A problem is that 320 +/- molds are at least as hard to come by as the bullets. There are a lot of brass ones that often work but they come with a warning that they are not particularly consistent.

 

[rodwha]

I saw Lee's is .319". Is that not big enough?

 

[mec]

should be as good as 320 /323. The one I saw was a backorder item -three months estimate. I really wish the buffalo bullet co. was still producing bullets and balls. Their hollow base bullets in .454 were very accurate and they troubled themself to make 320 balls too. I just found a box of almost 100 in my stash that will keep me in 31 shooting for a long time at my low-volume rate. I would like for other people to be able to enjoy shooting these things too and hope the country pulls out of the current economic/political slide.

 

[rodwha]

"I would like for other people to be able to enjoy shooting these things too and hope the country pulls out of the current economic/political slide."

No doubt!

It's been a looooong time since I've seen caps available. I checked my stash and I'm down to 5 tins left.

Another idea for you and your .31 cal pistol is a conical mold. You could even design one that weighs no more than a ball, but will increase your powder capacity a little.

 

[EljaySL]

Oddly enough mold sizes are problematic. I have a .319 mold which works great on my Remington .31 but on the "Wells Fargo" they're basically a perfect fit (not oversized as they should be). You can buy .321 and .323 balls but I haven't seen a commonly available mold (if there is one, somebody please tell me). I'd love a .323 mold. I can get one made of course...

 

[Prairie Dawg]

Here is an old post from Hellgate.
It relates to .380 balls, but they have a .320 (#0 Buck) too.

Here ya go boys: http://www.buckshotmold.com/
for the answer to your problem. I have the 0000 (.380" diameter) mold and it casts 10 (TEN!) balls per throw. Now, you have to snip the sprue from them but you can't beat the price. The balls aren't absolutely, completely, perfectly round but they shoot just fine for 90% of your C&B shooting. There is a thin flat band around the middle of each ball (maybe .03"-.05" wide) where the mold is trued up but unless you are trying to break accuracy records it isn't a significant defect. The balls get sheared when seated anyway. I also have a dual size mold that throws #4 buck for 4 legged varmints (coyotes) and #00 for two legged varmints. The molds are very economical and you can cast a ton of ammo. Also you can tumble the balls to peen out any imperfections. You can get flush cutting nippers from Harbor Freight for about $3. They are a great little mold. I love mine.

--Dawg

 

[Prairie Dawg]

Ballistic Products sells #0 Buckshot as well.
It's hardened lead though.
http://www.ballisticproducts.com/Super-Buck-Lead-0-8-lb_jar-320/productinfo/SBK10/
--Dawg

 

[ZVP]

No offense but I am glad my Chief's Special shoots tighter!
I always wondered about those beautiful little revolvers power/penetration potential. The accuracy is about the same as my Piettia .36 Police model.
Not much bigger of a revolver, lots more power!
I still want one!!!
ZVP

 

[rodwha]

Is this how you'd have to load the 3.5" barreled version of the Colt Police? Or does it come with a brass ramrod?

How hard is that to load?

 

[Prairie Dawg]

I use a powder inc cylinder loader
--Dawg

 

[mec]

On the bright side-the leverless baby dragoons and pocket models have one subset of parts less to break. I hand hold the cylinder to charge and seat-doing both to one chamber at a time.. It is not hard and reasonably fast and a lot better than trying to seat the ball with the cylinder sitting on a table. Dong that, it usually goes skittering off.

 

[robhof]

robhof

I got a 32 acp mold that also casts slightly small, and with soft lead a light tap with a brass hammer flattens for a snug fit and reasonable accuracy. I place a paint scraper over the bullet head for a flatter strike.