.400 sized round ball question

[DLS]

I have a small coffee can full of soft lead round balls. They measure 0.400 across (perpendicular to the sprue plate "flat" (or whatever the flat spot is called))

What BP firearm uses a round ball of this size?

Thanks in advance!

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[BWH]

I have a .40 cal smooth bore derringer that uses that size, with a .010 patch.

 

[Roundball58]

A .40 caliber rifle. While .390 to .395 is more common, It's not unheard of for target shooters to use a bore diameter patched ball. It's easier to get away with in the smaller calibers as they swage down more easily than a larger ball.

Then again, somebody could have had a .41 caliber rifle or just an oversize .40 caliber. These things aren't overly standardized.

 

[DLS]

Thanks guys. In my very limited BP experience I have never heard of a .40 cal rifle or pistol … hence my question. I have from time to time Googled .40 cal BP (or the like) and never found anything in that caliber … but I have not put too much effort toward the searching.

 

[Roundball58]

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Many original rifles have what we think of today as odd calibers...
.38
.42
.47
.52
So an original rifle needing a .400 round ball isn't unusual in my experience.

Caliber "standardization" such as .45 , .50 . 54 , etc...is more or less a very late 19th to 20th century thing.
Government specs were a bit "open" , back in the day ...I have seen many a supposed .54 caliber issue rifle , being closer to .52-.53 caliber.

In the 1980's and 1990's the .40 caliber rifle was very popular in certain circles.
Andy

 

[gmerkt]

In the 1980's and 1990's the .40 caliber rifle was very popular in certain circles.
Andy

Would you care to elaborate as to where these were popular and reason for such? I'm curious.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Would you care to elaborate as to where these were popular and reason for such? I'm curious.

Back east Ohio , Indiana , Kentucky ...the .40 caliber was popular for small game , deer and target work.
Low noise , low recoil , plenty of power for the above use...and not a lot of lead and powder to use up...

Like many things it was a fad...there were a few gun writers who liked the caliber , wrote about it and so...if you wanted to be cool , you had to have a .40...

Historically ( 19th century ) calibers around .40 have been used for deer , but may not be legal in many locals nowadays.
While not a .40 caliber rifle my Royland Southgate long rifle is close... its a .38 caliber rifle.
Andy

 

[BWH]

I built a thompson hawken and put a 32 inch green mt barrel on it. Most accurate capper I have shot!
I push a.395 and .015 patch with 30 gr 3F goex and it groups like a coyote gun.

 

[Roundball58]

Jeez Andy, they ain't quite dead yet.

FWIW, I also see them in use around here in both bullseye shoots and rendezvous. Seems to be an age related thing in bullseye. Less recoil for old shoulders but still not too bad on wind drift. For Rondies, they can do double duty on squirrel trails that require .40 caliber or less and the main rifle trail where it will still ring a long gong. Doesn't work real well on a tough knockdown though and you don't have as much room for error when splitting a ball.

 

[EPS]

Many original rifles have what we think of today as odd calibers...
.38
.42
.47
.52
So an original rifle needing a .400 round ball isn't unusual in my experience.

Caliber "standardization" such as .45 , .50 . 54 , etc...is more or less a very late 19th to 20th century thing.
Government specs were a bit "open" , back in the day ...I have seen many a supposed .54 caliber issue rifle , being closer to .52-.53 caliber.

In the 1980's and 1990's the .40 caliber rifle was very popular in certain circles.
Andy

Don't forget about 36 caliber

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Don't forget about 36 caliberView attachment 571459

".36 " is a great caliber. especially in a Colt or Remington revolver , with that said...
The Colt and in your case Remington revolvers that are marketed as .36 caliber are actually .38 caliber...as they take a .375 round ball.
Andy