Get an extra cylinder and a loading tool for it. Those short barrel C&B's can be a biotch to seat a ball in because of the short seating lever.
How about a proper sized length of steel pipe to slip over the end of the loading lever, adding as much extra leverage as you need?
Saw a Ruger Old Army Blackpowder Revolver some idiot did that to and tried to return at the LGS. Bent the schitt out of it.
Last edited by chlinstructor; 11/03/19.
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"
Get an extra cylinder and a loading tool for it. Those short barrel C&B's can be a biotch to seat a ball in because of the short seating lever.
How about a proper sized length of steel pipe to slip over the end of the loading lever, adding as much extra leverage as you need?
Saw a Ruger Old Army Blackpowder Revolver some idiot did that to and tried to return at the LGS. Bent the schitt out of it.
That would mean that no amount of hand pressure would have been sufficient to work the lever without breaking it (i.e., Superman wouldn't have been able to compress the ball into the chamber). What went wrong to cause that?
I got an 1849 pattern 31 pocket revolver made in 1854 for $445 in pawn shop in 2017. It was a glob of rust with missing grips, hand, trigger spring, and some screws. I found some old repair parts and timed the revolver.
Last week, my brother in Montana bought some # 10 percussion caps and lead balls for it.
There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self. -Ernest Hemingway The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything.-- Edward John Phelps
Most of the cylinder-jamming problems from cap debris on those open-tops can be avoided by simply pointing the muzzle straight up while cocking the hammer for the next round. Jerry
The late gun writer Elmer Keith (1898 - 1984) wrote a book, "Sixguns" in the mid 1950s. In it, he included a chapter on cap and ball revolvers. Keith learned how to load and shoot these revolvers from Civil War veterans when he grew up in Helena, Montana. In 1912, at the age of 14, he began carrying a Colt 1851 Navy in .36 caliber. Keith recommended FFFG black powder for the .28 and .31 caliber revolvers, and FFG black powder for theh .36 and .44 guns. He didn't list loads by weight, but he instructed to pour in the powder until it almost filled the chamber, leaving room for a greased felt wad. Keith punched felt wads from an old hat, and soaked them in a lubricant made of melted beeswax and tallow.
This wad was placed over the powder, then the ball rammed down with it until the ball was slightly below flush of the chamber. Keith noted, "A percussion sixgun thus loaded will shoot clean all day if you blow your breath through the bore a few times after each six rounds are fired. It will also shoot very accurately if it is a good gun." "I had one .36 Navy Colt that had a pitted barrel, but with the above load it would cut clover leaves for its six shots, at 20 yards, all day with seated back and head rest and two hands used between the knees to further holding," Keith wrote.
"For its size and weight nothing is so deadly as the round ball of pure lead when driven at fairly good velocity," Keith wrote. "Maximum loads give these slugs fairly high velocity from a 7-1/2 inch barrel gun. Keith knew two Civil War cavalrymen who had seen an enormous amount of battle in the Civil War. Major R. E. Stratton fought in the Confederacy's 1st Texas Regiment. Samuel H. Fletcher fought in the Union's 2nd Illinois Cavalry.
"Both Maj. Stratton and Sam Fletcher told me the .36 Navy with full loads was a far better man killer than any .38 Special they had ever seen used in gun fights," Keith wrote. "Maj. Stratton said that for a man stopper he preferred the round ball with chamber full of FFG to the pointed conical bullet," Keith wrote. "Sam Fletcher also told me he preferred a pure lead round ball in his Navy Colts with chamber full of black powder, to the issued conical ball load. "Fletcher claimed the round ball dropped enemy cavalrymen much better and took all the fight out of them, whereas the pointed bullet at times would only wound and leave them fighting. "Fletcher stated, however, that when foraging and shooting cattle for meat, the pointed bullet was the best for body shots that had to be taken where penetration was needed. But that on all frontal shots on beef, the old round ball was plenty good and would reach the brain --- even on bulls.
I've never played with black powder revolvers. But I spent some time shooting 000 buckshot out of Martini Cadets. Those little .323 round balls at 1700 fps had a lot more shock that I would have expected. My intention was to work up a small game load with them,....and I suppose one could. But you need to keep them very slow.
I shot some grapefruits at 50 yards with them and a good center hit with a 000 buckshot at 1700 fps would simply make them disappear. I'm fairly certain that a rabbit or squirrel shot with one of them wouldn't leave enough meat to bother with.
Great looking revolver I ordered one today,along with an extra black powder cylinder. $353.00 shipped with taxes from Cabellas for both .
Now I have to figure out the best powder to use and what brand and size of caps ,which lube Make a holster for it and a belt pouch for the extra cylinder. Maybe experiment paper cartridges.
Mine takes #10 caps, which are problematic to find around these parts. I will be roundly chastised for this, but after cleaning melted a Crisco out of my holster, I quit using any lube. When seating a round ball, mine cuts a nice little lead ring from the round ball. I can’t imagine improving on that seal, and have yet to experience anything resembling the mythical chainfire.
I bought a matched pair of the Pietta 1851's with the short 5" barrels. Steel case hardened frame and 44cal bore are not historically correct necessarily, but they work for me. Cant overload them and with a flush round ball and 30 gr Pyrodex there is almost no recoil. Accuracy is not target, but with period sights and less than stellar trigger pulls, you cant expect much more. I think they are neat.
Switch to the shooter now--a stainless Ruger Old Army I've had since the late 70's. Loaded with 40 gr of Pyrodex and the 457 round ball, it shoots two inch groups at 25 yards all day and the recoil is enough that you know it has some punch. About like a factory 45 lc. The Ruger is so much easier to clean because of the stainless steel. Just dump it in a tub of warm soapy water and a toothbrush and a bristle bore brush and its clean! Rinse it in the hottest water you can get out of your faucet, shake or blow it dry, and you're done. Dont even have to oil it. Only downside is its size and weight--about 50% heavier than the Piettas. Wouldnt want to carry it in a belt rig all day.
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, I kept coming close to "pulling the trigger" on buying one of those Ruger Old Army revolvers. Next thing I knew, I heard they discontinued them. Wish I had bought one.
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, I kept coming close to "pulling the trigger" on buying one of those Ruger Old Army revolvers. Next thing I knew, I heard they discontinued them. Wish I had bought one.
They just did a limited run of them about a year ago. You can still find a decent deal on them at a Gunshow once in a while.
"Allways speak the truth and you will never have to remember what you said before..." Sam Houston Texans, "We say Grace, We Say Mam, If You Don't Like it, We Don't Give a Damn!"
Most of the cylinder-jamming problems from cap debris on those open-tops can be avoided by simply pointing the muzzle straight up while cocking the hammer for the next round. Jerry
Was reading to see if I should post that. No need now!
Parents who say they have good kids..Usually don't!
Most of the cylinder-jamming problems from cap debris on those open-tops can be avoided by simply pointing the muzzle straight up while cocking the hammer for the next round. Jerry
Was reading to see if I should post that. No need now!
Great looking revolver I ordered one today,along with an extra black powder cylinder. $353.00 shipped with taxes from Cabellas for both .
Now I have to figure out the best powder to use and what brand and size of caps ,which lube Make a holster for it and a belt pouch for the extra cylinder. Maybe experiment paper cartridges.
Some of these posts remind me, I did send you down the Primrose Path a little bit with that gun. I have had this loading stand for so long that I just take it for granted.
Some of the guys were saying it might be hard to load that gun with that short lever on the gun. I never use that anyway I just use my loading stand. I'm sure you can get one at Cabelas or Dixie Gun Works.
Someone was saying what a great pistol the Ruger Old Army is, but it is barrel-heavy. I couldn't agree more. So I fixed mine up.
I got my favorite gunsmithing tool, the Sawzall. BE SURE to use the metal cutting blade. I removed the loading lever and cut the barrel down to 5 1/2 inches, the gun handles well now.
bcraig, the reason I didn't recommend the ROA for you, is that it is not a copy of anything. Ruger just designed their own model of a cap and ball revolver, it has adjustable sights etc., so you wanted something historically accurate so this is not the gun for you. This pistol is made in America and it is top quality, really a beautifully made gun.
The Ruger Old Army is no longer manufactured, but it is easy to buy one. They are all over Gunbroker.
Great looking revolver I ordered one today,along with an extra black powder cylinder. $353.00 shipped with taxes from Cabellas for both .
Now I have to figure out the best powder to use and what brand and size of caps ,which lube Make a holster for it and a belt pouch for the extra cylinder. Maybe experiment paper cartridges.
Some of these posts remind me, I did send you down the Primrose Path a little bit with that gun. I have had this loading stand for so long that I just take it for granted.
Some of the guys were saying it might be hard to load that gun with that short lever on the gun. I never use that anyway I just use my loading stand. I'm sure you can get one at Cabelas or Dixie Gun Works.
Someone was saying what a great pistol the Ruger Old Army is, but it is barrel-heavy. I couldn't agree more. So I fixed mine up.
I got my favorite gunsmithing tool, the Sawzall. BE SURE to use the metal cutting blade. I removed the loading lever and cut the barrel down to 5 1/2 inches, the gun handles well now.
bcraig, the reason I didn't recommend the ROA for you, is that it is not a copy of anything. Ruger just designed their own model of a cap and ball revolver, it has adjustable sights etc., so you wanted something historically accurate so this is not the gun for you. This pistol is made in America and it is top quality, really a beautifully made gun.
The Ruger Old Army is no longer manufactured, but it is easy to buy one. They are all over Gunbroker.
It is like a time machine there are lots of them on there, 40 year old pistol New In Box. I got a brand new one, in box, for $510.
I know it is a Purty thang ! So I will forgive you for leading me down that path ! I read in one place that the revolver needs .451 balls and another place that it should use .454 balls ? I am not really wanting to use the bore butter route as It looks like a good way to get it all over everything and in the holster I am going to make for it and the spare cylinder.
What kind of powder would you recommend for it and how would you load it for good accuracy without Much chance for Hang fires or Chain fires ? Which caps are best etc. I am thinking somewhere around 30 grains maybe 35 grains would be fine ?
|I might look into getting one of those loading stands but I am going to see how difficult it is to use the loading lever first. Sure looks like the work you did to the Ruger made it a lot more Compact and balance better,easy to carry,and from what I understand does not really result in a meaningful loss of velocity using round balls.
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