Aquired the ever popular 1851 Navy BP revolver chambered in .44 today

[Eric]

A friend at work was selling this little pistol so I decided why not. I arrived home today and totally broke down the pistol and preceded to clean it well as it was in need of it. I like to do this anyway as it really allows me a better understanding of the workings of the gun. All back together and ready to be shot!

Any pointers for me out there. I have never shot a BP gun before so this should be fun.

[bajabuc]

powder, patch, ball!

Seriously, I have been known to fill the chambers flush with 3f...lever a ball down on top of the powder ...squeeze it in...

grease on top of the ball. (the ball needs to clear the frame so the cylinder turns. The grease makes it pretty moisture tight. The other reason for the grease is to prevent "chain fire". Chain fire is more excitement than you want in a day!

After you check that the cylinder will turn all the way through the firing order...cap the nipples. The hammer can rest between the chambers...there's even a notch for it. Aim at what you're going to shoot...shoot the thing. I love the smell of bp!

BTW...they kick like crazy and they're pretty darnrd accurate.

Edited June 10, 2011 by bajabuc
Weak mind

[ttocswob]

FWIW - I use Pyrodex "P" and a .451 Crisco-coated ball, no patch - shaves off a tiny lead ring as you ram it into the cylinder.

A .38 Special case holds 24 grains of BP or equivalent; a .357 Magnum case holds 27 grains. Either is a safe load for even the brass-framed Pietta. 24 grains is plenty, IMO.

Although supposedly designed for #11 primers, #10's fit mine better - the #11's will sometimes fall off unless I lightly crimp them in place. YMMV.

Reminds me - since I bought a new toy chronograph, need to try with various BP loads - another excuse to shoot!

Edited June 10, 2011 by ttocswob
Crisco

[1gewehr]

If the frame is brass, do NOT use the load above. Use a very light load with the .44 brass frames, as they will shoot loose in short order otherwise. Even the steel frame Colt copies will shoot loose with heavy loads. If you want to play with compressed loads, get one of the steel, solid frame Remington copies.

Black powder is a lot of fun. With a bit of practice, you can get amazingly accurate with those old smoke-poles. If you cast your own bullets, thye can be very inexpensive to shoot as well.

[bajabuc]

Well...excuuuse me. Brass Framed BP guns are for looking at...Uberti (the best of the reproductions) are for shootin'.

I'm sure, in combat situations, that the shooter had plenty of time to measure with a .38 case...oh wait...they didn't have .38 cases. They didn't have .38's. However...the Civil War proved that the south could make some great brass framed copies.

A fairly common battlefield find, in the early years of digging around battlefields) were empty, and a few full, cylinders...and rarely, wedges.

I got my info on loading from diarys and journals of the men most likely to be able to afford to buy a Colt...the officers.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

A fairly common battlefield find, in the early years of digging around battlefields) were empty, and a few full, cylinders...and rarely, wedges.

QUOTE]

Wedges of blown-up cylinders? Dunno nothing about black powder. Just curious.

[Garufa]

A fairly common battlefield find, in the early years of digging around battlefields) were empty, and a few full, cylinders...and rarely, wedges.

QUOTE]

Wedges of blown-up cylinders? Dunno nothing about black powder. Just curious.

I believe he's referring to the little wedge that holds Colt BP revolvers together.

[leroy]

We've got several percussion revolvers layin around; among them some 51 navies in 36 caliber. Bajabuc about said all ya need to know about loading. We did a bit of a different trick on lube. We used felt wads soaked in bore butter (...we melted the bore butter, and poured in the 500 or so wads. The wads soak the bore butter up....).

We would load 3F (...black powder...), a lubed wad, then seat the ball. It was less mess for us; shooting for CAS. Makes for a "quick load".

We used the uberti replicas too. They are well built and can be easily tuned too.

The biggest problem we had with the black powder suff was getting the caps matched to the nipples. Be always had to experiment around to get the right cap to nipple fit. Another great tool is a cash capper (...link here: Product Listing ShootingSupplies ...). We used both the in line and universal. They are a great way to keep the caps safe and handy.

A percussion revolver is a great thing. Fun to shoot, and as Bajabuc says, suprisingly accurate.

Have fun!

leroy

[Mike.357]

25 grains of FFF and a .454 ball. Always worked good for me. If I felt the need to get the ball closer to the edge of the cylinder I would put a little bit of grits in there.

Jam in the ball and cover with crisco. Cap the nipples and fire away.

[Guest Lester Weevils]

I believe he's referring to the little wedge that holds Colt BP revolvers together.

Thanks Garufa

Didn't know anything about wedges.

[bajabuc]

Thanks Garufa

Didn't know anything about wedges.

you never had a wedgie?

[gregintenn]

I didn't realize one could overload a BP revolver. I have a repro Remington, and I always loaded the cylinders flush with fffg, topped with a seated ball, cap, and fire. I personally think the chain fire is an old legend as well. I don't use lube as it melts and drips down into your holster. My revolver shaves a small ring of lead from the ball when you seat it. If that doesn't seal the chamber, I doubt any kind of grease would help. I haven't experienced a chainfire, nor have I ever witnessed one. I have sure heard a lot about them on internet forums, however. It appears to me that if one were to have a chainfire, it would be more likely ti occur from the cap end than the ball end of the cylinder anyway. Has anyone here ever experienced one or witnessed one firsthand?

Mine shoots great, but I'd rather wax a car than clean it when I'm through. It's a job!!!

[Guest TnRebel]

powder, patch, ball!

Seriously, I have been known to fill the chambers flush with 3f...lever a ball down on top of the powder ...squeeze it in...

grease on top of the ball. (the ball needs to clear the frame so the cylinder turns. The grease makes it pretty moisture tight. The other reason for the grease is to prevent "chain fire". Chain fire is more excitement than you want in a day!

After you check that the cylinder will turn all the way through the firing order...cap the nipples. The hammer can rest between the chambers...there's even a notch for it. Aim at what you're going to shoot...shoot the thing. I love the smell of bp!

BTW...they kick like crazy and they're pretty darnrd accurate.

+1 what he sead , I have shot a few myself,

[bajabuc]

Chain fire is something you don't want to experience...Me...just once. My wife's brother (to separate him from my wife's sisters husband, the shootist, recalling that I am the shootee) said, "Cowpucky! That was loud! WTF? Oooo, that don't look good." And it wasn't good. The grip and everything up to and including the cylinder pin, but not the cylinder, was still in my hand, my hand was still attached to my arm, the remainder of the revolver KIT was scattered here and there. I started laughing. We gathered up what could be found, took it in to K-Mart or walmart (remember those days) and they replaced it. I built another.

[Ramjo]

Well does anybody know what they originally did to address this chain fire in the 1800s? Surely they didn't lube the ends of their cylinders. I agree with Greg's argument upon seating the ball. That ought to be a good enough of a seal.

[bajabuc]

I googled chain fire...it seems I'm not the only one who has had it. Wrong sized caps are bad. My chainfire blew the side off of the cylinder...it must have been a bad cylinder casting. it also blew the barrel off, shearing off the wedge. Holding on to the grip and looking forward, there's the ball loading groove on the right side. most chainfires happen on that side, the ball is pushed away by the groove. mine happened on the left side and sheared a slice off the ball while pushing the barrel off and to the right. the next chamber to the left is the one that blew out. Either WalMart or Kmart didn't even ask questions, they just gave me a new kit so I assume they'd had it happen before.

[Mike.357]

the lube is mostly to keep the fouling soft. I find that if I don't use crisco the action binds up way sooner than when I use it. Also stay away from conventional oil. Dino based oil tends to react to the BP and get very stiff. The cheapest low grade olive oil works pretty good. But only stick that stuff on it before shooting, it gets gummy if left on the gun for an extended period.

I believe chain fires come from ill fitting caps. I have always pinched the cap a little for a tighter fit before sticking it on the nipple. if not the caps may fall off as you shoot the pistol.

if you are going to carry the thing in a holster leave a cylinder empty and put the hammer on that. Some pistols don't have the notch to set the hammer on between the cylinders.

[Ramjo]

I would love to have an old cap and ball revolver. Maybe the one that you can get the cylinder conversion for and shoot 45 colt in. I cant remember the year of that of one.

[1gewehr]

I saw a chain fire once at a CW reenactment. Only blanks, but still an eye-opening experience. No damage to the Colt Navy replica, and nobody was hurt. Chambers were sealed with a greased felt wad, so the consensus was that a spark went under the other caps. When you fire a round, the cap splits and spits sparks. I use a tiny dab of crisco on the outside of the nipple to prevent this.

Crisco is good for your holster! Preserves the leather and keeps it nice and soft!

[Mike.357]

I would love to have an old cap and ball revolver. Maybe the one that you can get the cylinder conversion for and shoot 45 colt in. I cant remember the year of that of one.

I am fairly sure you can get conversion cylinders for Colt replicas as well as Remington 1858

[seez52]

had a Remington brass frame replica once, .44. Fun to shoot, pain to clean. Shot a pigeon out of a tree down on 8th ave. in Nashville many years ago. Surprised the hell out of me I hit him. He dropped dead as a door nail.

wouldn't mind having a Colt Walker replica. Actually got to handle an original a few months ago, it's a big gun.

[bajabuc]

I would love to have an old cap and ball revolver. Maybe the one that you can get the cylinder conversion for and shoot 45 colt in. I cant remember the year of that of one.

Uberti... check them out.

[Ramjo]

I like Uberti's 1847 Walker Colt replica. There's a cheap one on gunbroker.

[Guest TnRebel]

Uberti... check them out.

Love mine

[bajabuc]

Uberti made some of the guns for the spaghetti Westerns...and most of them are wrong. LOL

As an aside...if you've ever paid close attention to the guns in Dances With Wolves...the shooters shoot, the close up guns are Denix fakes. Stage props!! I love that movie but shame shame shame!