Can you suggest a correct ball diameter?

[rodwha]

They are most certainly too small.

Is there meat enough between the chambers to ream them out? I'm guessing with the typical .36 that there most certainly is.

[Battis]

My suggestion would be to shoot it like it is with .375" roundballs. I wouldn't ream the cylinders on a 45 year old brass framed reproduction revolver. I use undersize roundballs in my older guns to keep the pressures down. If the roundballs fall out or roll around, etc in the cylinders, then go to .380". If you want a perfect cap and ball revolver, get a Ruger Old Army. They're accurate, reliable and very well made.
I started with cap and ball revolvers, then went on to reloading the new fangled "self contained cartridges." I can see the comparison problems you might have if you started reloading cartridge ammo then switched to cap and ball, but I knew nothing about reloading when I fired strictly cap and ball, so I didn't have any comparison confusion - I just loaded the C&B and fired them. The key is soft lead - it's forgiving. Hard lead, or very oversized roundballs, will strain the loading lever too much.
I will add that I experienced two multi-chamber chainfires, but I traced the problem back to the roundballs that I had cast - the mold was defective, and the balls were uneven, which I knew, but I fired them anyway. No big deal - two chambers fired, and the ball that was in the "outside" chamber left the gun at a 45 degree angle (as it was supposed to do). I learned not to use bad molds.
But, it is your gun.

[Chill Wills]

Battis - thank you for your input. I think if you read from the first post, a few of your assumptions will be cleared up.

[Chill Wills]

They are most certainly too small.

Is there meat enough between the chambers to ream them out? I'm guessing with the typical .36 that there most certainly is.

Yes, so much so that it would not even be noticed. I was think (only thinking at this point) that ,356 to .368 is 0.012" or 0.006" that the chamber wall is opened all around. That is not too much at all on this large cylinder.

[Battis]

Yep, I forgot that you do have a Ruger Old Army.
I'm just curious - by reaming out the cylinders, would you be looking for improved accuracy or is it a safety issue?

[Chill Wills]

Yep, I forgot that you do have a Ruger Old Army.
I'm just curious - by reaming out the cylinders, would you be looking for improved accuracy or is it a safety issue?

Yes, I have had two and a Remington. And, this 36cal.

To your second question, there is no earthly reason to do anything with this revolver. It could just continue to collect dust and be no worse off. If I were to do anything, I would have learned what it should be if it was all correct and I would have to have ALL the projects completed that are ahead of it; ones that really have more value to me.

If anything at all gets done with this, it would be a snowy winter day project and done for the satisfaction of putting things to rights. At this point, I am learning what right is.

This was my first handgun when I was a late teen and I shot it with correct loads so much that the brass frame stretched a few thousands. I shortened everything up and returned the BC gap to something like 0.006" and shot it some more. Then bought my first centerfire, a S&W 67 and all but never picked up the little 36 again. Until now.

[rodwha]

What size ball had you been using? I'm not aware of any molds that drop a ball that would give you what you'd need so I assume you had been using a 0.375" ball. I'm also guessing that as it was your first gun you probably shot the snot out of it. If so it would seem your lever assembly can handle those stresses. Have you used felt wads? If not maybe they'd be enough to seal the bore as I highly doubt you get enough obturation to do it with a projectile that undersized.

[Chill Wills]

wodwha, your assumptions are very good. Dad and I cast for ML and fishing snag hooks but we did not have a mold for this revolver. If it wasn't in the local gun store, we did not have it.
I remember getting boxes of Speer round balls and maybe some Hornady RB's as well. And I really think they were 0.375" RB. You know how memory goes.
Yes, felt wads are a good idea to try. Plus just shooting it some but I would rather put the money into a mold than a box of RB's ....and then a mold too. Maybe I just need to buy and try.
The more I think about this, 0.375" chamber mouths and 0.380" ball fired into a 0.390" cone, feeding a 0.375" barrel should work out well.

Why would what I have now, an under sized 0.356" chambers, expanded into 0.390"cone, and then back to 0.375" barrel do one good thing for accuracy or seal the gas?
Starting with reamed up .375" chambers and 0.380 ball would distort the projectile the least, provide a good fit start to end, and seal well (if using a .380 ball mold).
Just thinking aloud.