My first chainfire and sloppy Pietta quality control.

[Onty]

Just fire that chamber first.

Load 5. Carry with hammer on the scored cylinder. A really cheap solution that does all you need.

I wouldn't do that, new revolver must be done right.

Today I experienced my very first chainfire using a new Pietta cylinder...

I would suggest contact importer or distributer. Since revolver is new, it should have warranty. I would expect that they will fix it.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

I have long maintained that the very narrow surface contact of a round ball shoved into the chamber of a C&B revolver does not make a very good spark arrestor.

Think about it. When you shove a ball into a chamber, a very thin ring of lead is shaved off. If one were to measure the new cylindrical surface on the ball, it is probably only about .020 or so long.

If a ball with a dent or cut is seated in the chamber, with the defect against the wall of the cylinder, it leaves a perfect path for an errant spark to reach the powder charge.

The last time I had a chain fire was probably about 50 years ago, but I believe it probably happened because a defective ball had been seated, and the Crisco we used to use at the time on top of the ball had melted from the heat, leaving a perfect path for an errant spark.

I stopped using any kind of lube on top of the ball once I discovered Wonder Wads. 1/8' or so of felt between the ball and the powder makes a much better spark arrestor than that thin cylinder of lead and melted Crisco.

 

[.38 Special]

I've always had a hard time believing that a wad makes much of a seal, especially compared to the seal that should be made by a lead ball either shaved or swaged into a chamber. One of the few arguments that make any sense to me is that powder trapped between the ball and the chamber wall may act as a fuse, and that the wad doesn't seal anything but rather acts as a mop to clear away powder before the ball is seated.

 

[Onty]

Regarding wad under bullet, is it larger than than cylinder bore? If so, how much? I have no experience with wad under bullet, but I am curious, if ball is pressed, wouldn't wad bend around ball and reduce sealing of the chamber?

My guess that wad will seal better with flat base bullet.

I know a gentleman who shoots regularly using 2 wads with round ball bullet. Bottom one contacting powder is a dry one, upper is well lubricated. He told me that he never experienced chain fire, and easy to clean barrel. Waiting for 1858 cal. 36, I might try same method.

 

[1KPerDay]

Wads are larger than chamber diameter. As for your other questions I’m not sure.

 

[dickydalton]

I've always had a hard time believing that a wad makes much of a seal, especially compared to the seal that should be made by a lead ball either shaved or swaged into a chamber. One of the few arguments that make any sense to me is that powder trapped between the ball and the chamber wall may act as a fuse, and that the wad doesn't seal anything but rather acts as a mop to clear away powder before the ball is seated.

Here's a picture of wads stuck to the ball showing rifling marks and no sign of blast leakage past them. Both of these two balls show expansion from hitting the sand behind the target and the wad didn't fall off like the one on the left. These were 36 cal fired from an 1862 at a range of 15 yards. I also like how clean it keeps the barrel.

 

[Blackpowderwarrior]

Here's a picture of wads stuck to the ball showing rifling marks and no sign of blast leakage past them. Both of these two balls show expansion from hitting the sand behind the target and the wad didn't fall off like the one on the left. These were 36 cal fired from an 1862 at a range of 15 yards. I also like how clean it keeps the barrel.View attachment 1156828

Interesting picture.

 

[.38 Special]

Here's a picture of wads stuck to the ball showing rifling marks and no sign of blast leakage past them. Both of these two balls show expansion from hitting the sand behind the target and the wad didn't fall off like the one on the left. These were 36 cal fired from an 1862 at a range of 15 yards. I also like how clean it keeps the barrel.View attachment 1156828

I use wads in percussion revolvers myself, but there's just no way a little felt wad is going to form a gas-tight seal. Of the dozens of slow-motion videos I've seen of blackpowder guns, flame and smoke is always the first thing out of the barrel.

 

[hawg]

I use wads in percussion revolvers myself, but there's just no way a little felt wad is going to form a gas-tight seal. Of the dozens of slow-motion videos I've seen of blackpowder guns, flame and smoke is always the first thing out of the barrel.

Nothing is going to form a gas tight seal with a cylinder gap.

 

[Eyrie G. Dogg]

For chain fire purposes a felt wad has never been intended to act as. a “gas tight seal”. They act as barriers, not seals.

 

[grter]

ARE these chambers tapered? Evidence please

You bet they are.

There is an 1858 Uberti Cylinder sitting around with a reamer guide permanently jammed in it.

Apparently this was not always the case as I have seen youtube videos where the reamer guides worked with no problem on various cap and ball guns.

I can tell you it was a problem in a relatively newer production Uberti .44 . I was pissed.

Attempting to hand ream it without a reamer guide did not work no matter how slow and thorough. The end result was a screwed up assymetrical diameter. In my opinion the tolerances involved require a machinist setup with know how and skill.

 

[Malachi Leviticus Blue]

Spark arrestors on engines aren't gas tight and they work at least most of the time.

 

[Jackrabbit1957]

You bet they are.

There is an 1858 Uberti Cylinder sitting around with a reamer guide permanently jammed in it.

Apparently this was not always the case as I have seen youtube videos where the reamer guides worked with no problem on various cap and ball guns.

I can tell you it was a problem in a relatively newer production Uberti .44 . I was pissed.

Attempting to hand ream it without a reamer guide did not work no matter how slow and thorough. The end result was a screwed up assymetrical diameter. In my opinion the tolerances involved require a machinist setup with know how and skill.

Just measured some chambers recently as posted, taper seems to vary from one maker to the next. 2 Uberti cylinders had pretty wide variations from about .010 to only .001 front to rear.. I measured several others and found nearly all have some taper. Some are more pronounced than others.

 

[Navy Six 2]

Just measured some chambers recently as posted, taper seems to vary from one maker to the next. 2 Uberti cylinders had pretty wide variations from about .010 to only .001 front to rear.. I measured several others and found nearly all have some taper. Some are more pronounced than others.

I recently measured some Uberti 36 Navy cylinders as I was trying out some long 135gr. heel bullets. Using pin gauges I ran across some pretty consistent numbers. A .372 gauge would just enter the chamber mouth and a .366 gauge would bottom out.

 

[Pete453]

Not going to happen anytime soon. Since my wife died I don't want to do anything, especially stuff she enjoyed that we did together.

Hawg,
Sorry to hear that, but it's understandable. I will offer this, it's worked for me. It doesn't take all the hurt away, but it does take the hard edge off.
When you're feeling really down, try to picture her smiling and laughing. It's hard not to smile a little yourself after a while.
I hope that brings you a little relief.

 

[hawg]

Hawg,
Sorry to hear that, but it's understandable. I will offer this, it's worked for me. It doesn't take all the hurt away, but it does take the hard edge off.
When you're feeling really down, try to picture her smiling and laughing. It's hard not to smile a little yourself after a while.
I hope that brings you a little relief.

It just makes me cry my eyes out.

 

[Pete453]

I'm so very sorry Hawg, I wish there was something I could do for you. May you find peace.

 

[hawg]

I'm so very sorry Hawg, I wish there was something I could do for you. May you find peace.

Thanks but there's nothing anybody can do. I'm not as bad as I was but I still can't remember the things she said or did or look at pics of her without going to pieces. She was my whole world. She was all I wanted or needed.