.454 or .457

[99whip]

Is anybody using .457 round balls in their 1860 or are you using .454?  I have been using home cast .454 in Pietta made 1860's.

[Mad Dog Stafford]

I don't have a 1860, so I can't say. 

[ssb73q]

Hi Whip, I use 0.454" balls with my Pietta 1860s and 0.457" balls with the Uberti 1860s.

Regards,
Richard

[mike116]

I just use .457 for both my Pieta and Uberti 1860s.   It's simpler to have only one size.    .457s are easy to load with the creeping loading lever of the 1860 models.

[Don]

I've used both but find the .457 to be a bit more accurate out of my Pietta revolvers. A bit more baring surface engaging the rifling may be why they are more accurate.

Don

[BOOMSTICK BRUCE]

I used 457 for everything. I don't know if this is true or not but I feel there is more grip surface for the rifling and it makes them more accurate...

[99whip]

Thanks for the responses, I was also thinking that a .457 might offer a little more surface to engage the rifling.  I slugged the bore with a .454 and couldn't see any light peeking through, but, when you load it into a chamber that's undersized it wouldn't jump through the forcing cone as a .454.  Thinking the .457 might provide a little more surface area if it was swagged down into the chamber upon loading.  Also, like Mike says, way simpler to use one size.

[ssb73q]

Hi Whip, while I use both the 0.454 and .457" balls in my .44s, as soon as I run out of 0.454" balls I will only cast and use 0.457" in my .44s. Something not mentioned is that it takes more force to load the larger ball and can be pretty tough if there is the slightest amount of lead hardening that is common is scrap lead. That's not really an issue for me since I almost always load cylinders off the gun with a stout loading too, either the Tower of Power or arbor press.

My Uberti 1860 cylinder chambers are very slightly tapered where the 0.457" ball is best used, that's not the case with the Pietta's.

Regards,
Richard

[G Dog]

I almost always load on the gun so I consistently use .454 on Pietta Remington and 1860’s. I’ll occasionally use .457 on Colt with the pinion loading lever but on a Remington .457 is overly tight and a bent loading lever pin would not be any fun at all.

Extra bearing surface is always good but especially on the shorty Pietta Remington 5.5” the use of .457’s is not worth the effort.  Anyway, .457 is for Ruger’s.