Black powder revolver questions

[Jevverrett]

I've been thinking about going in for a black powder revolver lately. They seem like they could be an interesting hobby. I noticed they only seem to come in Remington and colt for the most part. And then there's the Lemat, which may be too badass even for me. (Never mind the price on those, wow!)

Aside from going for the army/navy/police versions and steel framed models, I'm not sure which to go for brand wise. The hammer site on the colts seem a bit strange and swapping cylinders seems tedious. However, they were functional enough for many famous gunslingers. And the top strap on the Remington's make me think they may be sturdier and the cylinder pin seems simpler for swapping. Anybody here have any experience they can relate?

 

[Richard Burley]

I have an Armi San Marco clone of an 1860 Colt. It works for me, looks good, and for some reason is the gun I prefer when just fooling around shooting. Yes, the Remington top strap strengthens the frame. But it's kind of moot. These guns, today, are basically fun guns, but I suppose you might use one, if you've got balls*, for hog hunting or something. It seems somewhat irrelevant which is technically superior. If the Colt was good enough for John Wesley Hardin, it's good enough for me. Uberti, however, is probably the top name in today's clones. I suggest looking on YouTube for ideas.

* Balls are the most common loading for these revolvers.  8)

 

[mark]

The first cap & ball I had was an Italian copy of the Colt 1851 Navy. I believe it was made by Kassnar and it was a fun gun
but cylinder to forcing cone gap was tight and it fouled to the point only five rounds froze the action. The cylinder wouldn't rotate and lock for the last round. Accuracy was poor but I blame that on the quality of the gun not the design.

I bought an Italian Remington copy in .45 and had better luck. At that time over powder wads became available eliminating the crisco over the ball mess. It was reliable, cylinder removal is a snap and nothing got loose screw-wise.
Being heavier, full loads were easy to handle and I liked the sights better.

I wound up with a Ruger Old Army .45. It has adjustable sights and is VERY accurate. Function is flawless and finish is what you'd expect from Ruger. Powder fouling isn't a problem and cylinder play/slop is nonexistent. It will fire Pyrodex reliably when compacting the charge slightly making cleanup a bit easier. BP revolver hunting isn't allowed here but I would have no hesitation using it for deer.

 

[Carlos]

Rugar Old Army! Well, if you want a solid modern version. I have built some of the kits. The timing can often be an issue with them. But with careful work they can be good shooters. Keep in mind that most any 6-shooter is usually loaded with 5 and the gun kept on an empty chamber. They are often messy, nasty, dirty things when shooting a lot. Need frequent and very thorough cleaning. Not something you can put off for very long or the corrosive nature of blackpowder will eat the steel. Powder residue gets everywhere. Not to mention the residue from the lanolin, or bear grease, what have you, for lube.

 

[Jevverrett]

I did some research on you tube and went with the pieta 58 army with the 5 1/2" barrel. Also went for the pellet style propellant and lube wads to get started. Seemed simpler until I get the cleaning down pat. Got enough to last a good while, so I can get some accessories for it bit by bit before I get into powder measuring and all that

 

[Blackhorse]

https://youtu.be/aJnoMib6XSs


But THIS is the one I've always wanted:

The Ruger New Army .45 cal. Stainless...for about twice the money. Ouch!

 

[Richard Burley]

Ya' know, I had one of those Rugers in stainless as pictured, and I couldn't use it. I could own it legally here in NY, but I couldn't have the powder, ball, and primers that go with it unless I had a pistol permit, which in NY, for all practical purposes, means a concealed carry permit. I have the permit now, but the gun is long gone. I tell myself that I like the authenticity of the Italian clones, which is true, but that Ruger is one hell of a strong revolver. But it doesn't have the four clicks when cocking. C-O-L-T, four. Which would Clint Eastwood prefer: that is the question. And what kind of cigar should one smoke when loading black powder?

 

[Blackhorse]

R - yeah, life is full of compromises. Instead of the Ruger New Army I built a .50 cal kit Hawken that turned out to shoot 1.5" groups at 75 yds using Pyrodex - from a standing leaning rest. Amazing.  Oh...and I got a 'companion' Ruger Bisley .44 mag and had it hard chromed and magnaported.  That one was a good shooter too. That Bisley was the only single action revolver that fit my hand. I used to carry it along hunting when I lived in SE Alaska.

Anyway, if I know Ruger, they have a transfer bar safety on that New Army, making it a safe six shooter. It's not authentic period...but it's smart...like using stain resistant steel. Good company, Ruger. They overbuild everything.

That Pieta '58 Army is a very cool revolver though.