Proper Ball Size for Colt Dragoon?

[zardoz]

Hello to all.

While 95% of my shooting involves the modern cartridge pistols, lately I've been getting the whim on a BP revolver. Specifically a Colt 3rd Model Dragoon.

I've got a few percussion BP long rifles, and a single shot percussion Kentucky pistol (kit form, not yet assembled). All 50 caliber, the lot of them. So I am a bit familiar with the smoke poles. Love the TC Hawken BTW.

I read on a Dixie Gun Works website that a particular shooter recommended the .457 round ball, rather than the .454 round ball. This was for the Uberti repro 3rd Dragoon that I have my eye on. I thought these were 44 caliber, so I am a bit confused here.

Anyone here know about these things? Are these indeed correct caliber numbers, or is it something that is different depending on the particular gun?

Any help or advice appreciated.

[stubshaft]

The best thing about a cap and ball revolver is that you don't have to have a boolit to fit the chamber. You want a boolit that is oversize and will shave a ring of lead when loading it.

As fas as the caliber designations. Back in the day they used an approximation of bore diameter. Look at the 38-40 for example.

Good luck on your shooting.

[zardoz]

Thanks stubshaft. That correlates with the information I was getting on the Dixie site. The reviewer indicated that the .454 ball would not shave, but the .457 ball would shave a bit.

I may drive up to Union City here shortly, to check this out in person.

Strangest thing. I had a dream about holding the Dragoon 3rd model in my hand a couple of weeks ago. Think I had been watching "True Grit" earlier or something, and it stuck in my mind. Now I can't get it out, and I guess a lot of us know how that goes.

Just wanted to be sure to buy the right size mould. I have these soft lead ingots lying around, that need some shape conversion.

[Hellgate]

My 3rd Mod Dragoon (Uberti) functions just fine with .454 balls as do my two Uberti Walkers and every other 44 cal ASM Euroarms, Pietta or Uberti C&B that I own.

[curator]

Depending on how serious you are about accurate shooting with your new Dragoon, you might wait until you have it in hand before ordering a mould. Most Eye-talian cap & ball revolvers have chamber diameters somewhat under actual bore size. Even the Ubertis that are the best of the lot are usually a few thousandths smaller. My 3rd Model Dragoon (Uberti) has a bore/groove diameter of .448/.456. The chamber diameter was (before modifyng) .453. It shot OK with .457 balls but not great. After reaming the chambers to .457 and using .460 balls (custom mould) accuracy improved dramatically.

[JIMinPHX]

If the ball shaves a full ring of lead when loading then it is big enough. As the ball gets bigger than that, it just gets harder to load. If you need a few .454 balls to try, PM your address to me & I will send some to you.