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mykeal · October 24, 2008, 04:10 PM

First of all, you call a .44 cal 1851 Colt Navy a 'marketing gimmick', although that's a little unkind. Most of us use the original name with the caliber modifier (".44 '51 Navy", etc.) just to let everyone know we are aware it's not PC.

I assume by "2/3 of the way into the chamber" you mean the ball could not be pressed fully into the chamber, that is, about 1/3 of the ball remained above the chamber mouth.

How much powder did you put in the chamber, did you use any filler, and did you use a lubed wad? Was the ball stuck in the chamber, and if so, how did you remove it?

IMHO, .451 will usually be a bit small for a .44 '51 Navy; i'd expect to have to use a .454 ball. The lack of a shaved ring supports that opinion in this case.

The chambers may in fact be tapered, but the effect you're describing suggests an extreme taper that's unlikely. However, if that's the case, a good reamer is not expensive and can easily correct the problem. A smaller ball is NOT an option.

October 24, 2008, 04:10 PM	#2
mykeal Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 2,772	First of all, you call a .44 cal 1851 Colt Navy a 'marketing gimmick', although that's a little unkind. Most of us use the original name with the caliber modifier (".44 '51 Navy", etc.) just to let everyone know we are aware it's not PC. I assume by "2/3 of the way into the chamber" you mean the ball could not be pressed fully into the chamber, that is, about 1/3 of the ball remained above the chamber mouth. How much powder did you put in the chamber, did you use any filler, and did you use a lubed wad? Was the ball stuck in the chamber, and if so, how did you remove it? IMHO, .451 will usually be a bit small for a .44 '51 Navy; i'd expect to have to use a .454 ball. The lack of a shaved ring supports that opinion in this case. The chambers may in fact be tapered, but the effect you're describing suggests an extreme taper that's unlikely. However, if that's the case, a good reamer is not expensive and can easily correct the problem. A smaller ball is NOT an option.