Oh, I wasn't complaining about the like/dislike 5 land discussion, just saying I was asking about measuring them.
Well I was wanting to know the measurements because I want to find the right bullet, kinda. The gun is a 44 caliber, used to be a 44 percussion cap and ball gun, but was converted to a metallic cartridge cylinder. Mine was shipped in 1863, it used what was called a 44 Remington, not the 44 Remington center fire. Closest thing I can find is the 44 Colt which used to be a .451" heeled bullet, but now what is called and loaded as a 44 colt uses a non-heeled .427-9 bullet. I wanted to find the dimensions of my lands and grooves to find a bullet that will fit and seal.
The cylinder chambers are really wild, the original percussion chambers were conical to aid in loading the paper cartridges. Then the converted cylinders where bored through. This cylinder has chambers made wider at the rim end than the middle so now the chambers are rather hour-glass shaped. I made castings of the cylinders then couldn't get the castings out due to the center of the bore being smaller in diameter than the ends.
Starline 44 Colt brass is .452-4 at the base and .451 at the neck with a mouth inside diameter of .427". A lot of the aftermarket replica 1858s use the 44 Colt cartridge with the .427" bullets. Those would bounce around down the barrel of this gun. I need a stepped bullet with the diameter larger than the ID of the starline 44 Colt brass. The only stepped bullet I could find in Canada has a heel diameter of .427" and a sealing ring diameter of .449".
If my grooves where the .462" that some 1858 owners say theirs are, I'd be out of luck getting a bullet that would seal the barrel to go into the chamber. But if indeed my barrel has the dimensions that I've come up with at least I'd get to shoot it. a .451" may be better but I have no access to heeled bullets that size.
Thank you all for your help.
Al
Well I was wanting to know the measurements because I want to find the right bullet, kinda. The gun is a 44 caliber, used to be a 44 percussion cap and ball gun, but was converted to a metallic cartridge cylinder. Mine was shipped in 1863, it used what was called a 44 Remington, not the 44 Remington center fire. Closest thing I can find is the 44 Colt which used to be a .451" heeled bullet, but now what is called and loaded as a 44 colt uses a non-heeled .427-9 bullet. I wanted to find the dimensions of my lands and grooves to find a bullet that will fit and seal.
The cylinder chambers are really wild, the original percussion chambers were conical to aid in loading the paper cartridges. Then the converted cylinders where bored through. This cylinder has chambers made wider at the rim end than the middle so now the chambers are rather hour-glass shaped. I made castings of the cylinders then couldn't get the castings out due to the center of the bore being smaller in diameter than the ends.
Starline 44 Colt brass is .452-4 at the base and .451 at the neck with a mouth inside diameter of .427". A lot of the aftermarket replica 1858s use the 44 Colt cartridge with the .427" bullets. Those would bounce around down the barrel of this gun. I need a stepped bullet with the diameter larger than the ID of the starline 44 Colt brass. The only stepped bullet I could find in Canada has a heel diameter of .427" and a sealing ring diameter of .449".
If my grooves where the .462" that some 1858 owners say theirs are, I'd be out of luck getting a bullet that would seal the barrel to go into the chamber. But if indeed my barrel has the dimensions that I've come up with at least I'd get to shoot it. a .451" may be better but I have no access to heeled bullets that size.
Thank you all for your help.
Al
