.31 Caliber Question

PawDog · December 30, 2006, 09:24 PM

I purchased a .31 caliber BP revolver, Remington copy, and had a question regarding the ball ammo. The only lead ball I can find online is listed as .32 cal. (.310). I'm assuming this is the correct ball size? Any help is appreciated!

Hafoc · December 30, 2006, 09:47 PM

Dixie Gun Works FAQ says the .320 is the correct ball size for your .31 cap and ball revolver. Uberti's FAQ says .330.

When you put the ball in place and ram it home with the loading lever, it will probably scrape a little ring of lead off the ball as you ram it home. This is normal. In fact, it's good. Balls should be a little larger than the chambers you scrunch them into. This helps prevent "chain fires." I suspect it's a lot better for accuracy than a loose-fitting ball would be, too.

arcticap · December 30, 2006, 10:01 PM

Here's a major source for balls that also claims to sell #0 (.320) & #00 (.330) pure lead Hornady Buckshot.

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(5i3...=25&styleID=58

http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(5i3...Size=25&Page=3

PawDog · December 31, 2006, 09:08 AM

Thanks Hafoc and Articap for the quick responses. I'm ordering the lead today!

Tom2 · December 31, 2006, 09:22 AM

That is one oddity about BP arms as compared to modern ones. Minie bullets for rifles are a bit undersized, they expand to fit the bore on firing. Round balls are undersized because they are usually patched to fit the bore. Revolver balls are a bit larger than bore or at least cylinder bore size, as they are slightly swaged into the chambers with the loading lever to fit tightly. Since they are supposed to be dead soft pure lead, they end up coming out the end of the barrel with somewhat flattened sides engraved by the bore and rifling. Even conical bullets for revolvers are a bit oversized. Well the ones I have are just small enough at the base to start into the chambers but the forward end is larger by a tiny bit for a tight fit like the balls. Sort of a taper. I believe you can get conicals for that small cal. from Dixie. They may be harder to get as accurate as a ball, as they must be inserted with the point perfectly alighned to shoot well, depends on the gun. But it lets you throw a heavier piece of lead out the end. Like for hunting with a 44. Don't forget to seal around the front of the balls with thick BP lube or Crisco, so you don't get a chainfire. And it helps with fouling.

mec · December 31, 2006, 11:54 AM

310 is probably too small. The Pietta chambers are somewhat smaller than Uberti and it is likely that the .317s will work in the remington replica. If you do get hold of some slightly undersized balls you might try whacking them with a wooden mallet and then loading them with one of the resulting flats facing forward. This made some undersized and irregular Warren/ozark balls work pretty well in my Uberti 49 pocket model.

On the remington, be careful not to fill the chamber to the point that a lot of compression is needed. I managed to break my seating lever off at the attachment screw trying to seat a ball on top of too much swiss powder. VTI gunparts sent a replacement double fast.

The track of the wolf /buffalo bullet company balls referenced above do work very well.

This is about as good as I'm going to get with the remington 31 and I had to use two hands to do this. It shoots way high. The swiss powder is particularly dense and does'nt compress like the others. This is the load that busted my lever. Some shooters ignore the loading lever altogether and use a ball starter to charge the chambers.

PawDog · December 31, 2006, 08:43 PM

Mec,

That's the same gun I just purchased. This will be my fourth BP pistol in the past 25 years, having two .44 colts, and a .45 single shot, so I am experienced with shooting BP pistols. There was never any confusion with the lead with the other three....... .31 caliber is very rare I've found out. Thanks for all the advice and information. It's answered my questions and concerns!

December 30, 2006, 09:24 PM	#1
PawDog Member Join Date: December 26, 2006 Location: Lake Tawakoni, Texas Posts: 18	.31 Caliber Question I purchased a .31 caliber BP revolver, Remington copy, and had a question regarding the ball ammo. The only lead ball I can find online is listed as .32 cal. (.310). I'm assuming this is the correct ball size? Any help is appreciated!

December 31, 2006, 09:22 AM	#5
Tom2 Senior Member Join Date: June 23, 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 5,676	BP guns That is one oddity about BP arms as compared to modern ones. Minie bullets for rifles are a bit undersized, they expand to fit the bore on firing. Round balls are undersized because they are usually patched to fit the bore. Revolver balls are a bit larger than bore or at least cylinder bore size, as they are slightly swaged into the chambers with the loading lever to fit tightly. Since they are supposed to be dead soft pure lead, they end up coming out the end of the barrel with somewhat flattened sides engraved by the bore and rifling. Even conical bullets for revolvers are a bit oversized. Well the ones I have are just small enough at the base to start into the chambers but the forward end is larger by a tiny bit for a tight fit like the balls. Sort of a taper. I believe you can get conicals for that small cal. from Dixie. They may be harder to get as accurate as a ball, as they must be inserted with the point perfectly alighned to shoot well, depends on the gun. But it lets you throw a heavier piece of lead out the end. Like for hunting with a 44. Don't forget to seal around the front of the balls with thick BP lube or Crisco, so you don't get a chainfire. And it helps with fouling.

December 31, 2006, 11:54 AM	#6
mec Junior member Join Date: December 6, 2001 Posts: 1,536	310 is probably too small. The Pietta chambers are somewhat smaller than Uberti and it is likely that the .317s will work in the remington replica. If you do get hold of some slightly undersized balls you might try whacking them with a wooden mallet and then loading them with one of the resulting flats facing forward. This made some undersized and irregular Warren/ozark balls work pretty well in my Uberti 49 pocket model. On the remington, be careful not to fill the chamber to the point that a lot of compression is needed. I managed to break my seating lever off at the attachment screw trying to seat a ball on top of too much swiss powder. VTI gunparts sent a replacement double fast. The track of the wolf /buffalo bullet company balls referenced above do work very well. This is about as good as I'm going to get with the remington 31 and I had to use two hands to do this. It shoots way high. The swiss powder is particularly dense and does'nt compress like the others. This is the load that busted my lever. Some shooters ignore the loading lever altogether and use a ball starter to charge the chambers. Last edited by mec; August 28, 2010 at 09:21 PM.

December 30, 2006, 09:47 PM	#2
Hafoc Senior Member Join Date: August 20, 2005 Posts: 552	Dixie Gun Works FAQ says the .320 is the correct ball size for your .31 cap and ball revolver. Uberti's FAQ says .330. When you put the ball in place and ram it home with the loading lever, it will probably scrape a little ring of lead off the ball as you ram it home. This is normal. In fact, it's good. Balls should be a little larger than the chambers you scrunch them into. This helps prevent "chain fires." I suspect it's a lot better for accuracy than a loose-fitting ball would be, too.

December 30, 2006, 10:01 PM	#3
arcticap Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2005 Location: Central Connecticut Posts: 3,166	Here's a major source for balls that also claims to sell #0 (.320) & #00 (.330) pure lead Hornady Buckshot. http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(5i3...=25&styleID=58 http://www.trackofthewolf.com/(S(5i3...Size=25&Page=3

December 31, 2006, 09:08 AM	#4
PawDog Member Join Date: December 26, 2006 Location: Lake Tawakoni, Texas Posts: 18	Thanks Hafoc and Articap for the quick responses. I'm ordering the lead today!

December 31, 2006, 08:43 PM	#7
PawDog Member Join Date: December 26, 2006 Location: Lake Tawakoni, Texas Posts: 18	Mec, That's the same gun I just purchased. This will be my fourth BP pistol in the past 25 years, having two .44 colts, and a .45 single shot, so I am experienced with shooting BP pistols. There was never any confusion with the lead with the other three....... .31 caliber is very rare I've found out. Thanks for all the advice and information. It's answered my questions and concerns!