Adjustable Length .36 Conical 1858 Pietta

[Good Cheer]

It's a new to me Pietta .36 caliber 1858 Remington.

http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy192/SNARGLEFLERK/36cal1858JPG.jpg

Doing some tests this morning with a .375 round ball mold. It has been altered to have an adjustable length body of diameter to just slip into the chambers and have the spherical portion of the "ball" shear on the chamber lip when loading.

Here are some initial test results. Fired into stacked paper that had been soaked long enough to gel.

http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy192/SNARGLEFLERK/36125grain25grainsJBPjpg.jpg

Shown below is just about the longest practical length for loading without removing the cylinder from the revolver. The 125 grain and the 155 grain loads penetrated the length of my hand through the stacked paper. Loading was done with the powder (Jacks Battle), the conicals and LOOB in front.

http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy192/SNARGLEFLERK/155grtest.jpg

I suspect that the middle of the road about 130 grains is going to be best.

[NickSS]

That looks like a good idea as far as having a heavier bullet to shoot in a C&B revolver. How do they shoot accuracy wise?

[Good Cheer]

Haven't done load development yet with different weights. Got some molded up for today. Really haven't decided on what all ways to test. Seriously thinking about just testing like I'd want to load out of my pocket. In other words, these load just as easy as round ball so I may as well load them the same as round ball and see what happens.
Thought about getting fancy with a waxed punched out paper wad over the powder and the little hollow base filled with lube so it would help keep fouling soft but I'm going the simple route first.
Going to try to make time today.

[Good Cheer]

Looks like the heavy weights are going to work best. Was shooting 3" at 15 paces and I'm not used to the revolver yet.
http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy192/SNARGLEFLERK/155GRAIN.jpg
They load like round ball. The 155 grain is .60" long and fills the chamber with a 38 Special case of powder.
http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy192/SNARGLEFLERK/LOADWITH38CASEOFBP.jpg
The sprue mashes under the loading ram and leaves a hemispherical round nose.
This one was fired through a gallon milk jug of water to slow it down and a gallon jug crammed with shredded paper to catch it. It bounced off the tree behind the two jugs.
http://i791.photobucket.com/albums/yy192/SNARGLEFLERK/fired155grain.jpg
The expansion to fill the grooves is working well. Was my bigger worry with the design as Remingtons having chambers smaller than groove diameter.
I don't know how the concept would work for the .44 Remingtons but I have an extra .451 round ball mold. Might find out.

[Depreacher]

GOOD CHEER,

Glad to see someone is working on the problem of shooting conicals in a BP revolver. I've got an 1858 Pietta just like yours, so am interested in your experimenting. Got my first BP revolver in 1959, an original Manhatten 36 (1851 Colt copy infringement). Loved them eversince. PLEASE update us on your work. THANKS