Black Powder Handguns
I'm considering purchasing a cap and ball revolver but know very little about them. Anyone with experience that could offer some insight on good and bad models/manufactures, caliber, etc. would be gratly appreciated.
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I bought one a year ago, it is a 1860 Colt .44, I bought it from Bass Pro Shop. It is in a box from the "Traditions" company, but the gun is made in Italy by Pietta.
I like the Pietta gun.
Fit and finish are pretty good. One thing to look for, the gun locks up tight. By this I mean, when you cock it and you grab the cylinder, it is tight, it doesn't wiggle back and forth. Very important.
I got the gun for $150. That is a good price. The good thing about buying a gun from Bass Pro or Cabelas is, if you have any problem you can exchange it no problem.
I would avoid a gun with a brass frame, if you shoot it very much the brass frame will loosen up.
I have had two different springs break on the gun. This caused me some consternation, at first. But, both times I called the Traditions 800# and they sent me a new spring free, no questions asked.
I asked around on the forums and got some pointers, and fixed the gun myself both times.
It turns out, with the Italian repros it is not uncommon to have a spring break.
Most of the guns you see are Italian repros. If you want a bulletproof gun, get the Ruger. They have adjustable sights, are real accurate and the spring wont break. But Rugers are real expensive and they are not accurate reproductions.
All in all I really like my 1860 Colt.
ps These guns are a real mess to clean. You might try some 777 rather than black powder.
Remington reproductions are stronger, with that top strap it is a stronger design.
But, the Colt is balanced better, most people say the Colt feels better in the hand.
The gun regarded as the best balanced of all is the 1851 Colt Navy in .36 caliber. This was the gun used by Wild Bill Hickock.
The Colt models will hold up for thousands of shots.0 -
Uberti, Navy Arms to start with. Would suggest .44 caliber Old Army or something similiar. Start with www.emf.com (I think) or go to google to work up a list of guns, accessories, etc.
Franko0 -
Other good sources of quality BP guns are:
http://www.midwayusa.com/
http://www.dixiegun.com/
Exercise caution if you try BP substitutes like 777, Pyrodex, etc. as they typically have about 10% more power than the equivalent grain (by volume) load of BP. However with that said there is the benefit of easier cleanup.
If you only have time to do two things so-so, or one thing well ... do the one thing!0 -
The husband of a girl I used to work with belonged to a Civil War re-enactors group, cavalry, and all the members of the troop used Colt and Remington replica revolvers. He cautioned me that since I was thinking about buying one of these to get a steel frame. He said that even without ball loads the frames on the brass ones would stretch. 0 -
Thanks for the info...I was looking at a Spiller and Burr Confederate replica...it does have a brass frame... 0 -
Companies like Cabelas are good about taking a bp gun back if it has a problem, but I prefer to buy from a stocking dealer so I can inspect the gun before I buy. Many of the Italian reproductions are only so-so on quality. Check the cylinder for sloppiness, barrel to frame fit, etc.
I also like to take a bore light along & look down the barrel while I cock the hammer and rotate the cylinder. By doing this, you can see if each chamber lines up with the barrel properly. It's not unusual to find one or more of the chambers that don't line up. If it doesn't line up completely, you'll see a little half-moon of light reflecting back from the face of the cylinder. Guns like this won't shoot consistently well. Avoid them!
Triple 7 is a good propellant, but I'd start out with loads maybe a third under regular fff black loads and then work up. It is a lot hotter than black!
Enjoy!0
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