Remington 1858 5 1/2" barrel

[Junk Yard Dog]

Got me a new shooter, 5 1/2" barreled 1858 Remington .44, been wanting one of these for a while and saw Cabela's had one on sale {?| This one is a perfect Pietta, indexes properly, beautiful fit and finish, very nice balance. Be some time before I hit the range with it in this heat, so for now I will leave it in it's storage cosmoline. Gives me something to look forward to once the heat lifts in a month or two.

[desdem12]

Do you ever have any trouble with those front posts coming loose? I have one that is loose but haven't messed with it yet.

[Junk Yard Dog]

[Jolly Green Chopper]

Love that shiney right out of the box new look. I bet it even smells new.You did good !!! JGC

[Junk Yard Dog]

Of course it smelled new, it is new It was slimed with shipping cosmoline when I got it, now it smells of gun oil as it has been to the range a couple of times. Pietta did a fine job with these, and Cabela's put's them up for sale every few months.

[full clip]

Nice. I bought one awhile back and bought a conversion cylinder also. Seams more accurate with the cap and ball than with the conversion rounds.

[Junk Yard Dog]

It is accurate with the regular cylinder, all of my Remington's are, I am no great shot, but I can manage to keep it on the paper at 50 yards.

[bunkysdad]

I never commented on this? I think I saw it for sure. It is such a good looking gun. Of course after 1 smoky shot, it's a mess, but after a full cylinder, unrecognizable! That's what I love about black powder revolvers. They get nasty from all the fun, then clean right back up.8-)8-)8-):P

[Junk Yard Dog]

The Remingtons don't get the chance to get that fouled, every two cylinders I pull clean off the pin, and the cylinder to avoid sticking as the pin will do if not kept clean. Pietta makes a nice revolver these days, their quality control is much improved from the old days. Lately I have been using the small loading press the 1873 Colt C&B came with to load the Remmy cylinders out of the revolver. That means a wipe down after every six shots. It's easier to load using the press than doing it on the piece anyway.

[bunkysdad]

I have thought about getting a press to use on the Ruger since the cylinder drops out so easy. I don't know though, it loads easy enough.

[tjtM38]

I'm guessing about 35 grains of FFFg would be a good load. What is the ball diameter you are using? Are you using a grease patch to prevent chain fire? That is a really nice piece; looks just like the original, although I'm sure back in the 1800's they did not put that deep cobalt blue finish on them. Have fun.

[Junk Yard Dog]

You can plink just fine with 25 grains FFFG, 35 is a fighting load, but some revolvers shoot better with higher loads. I use a .454 ball, it shaves a nice ring going into the cylinder and I have always found them more accurate than the .451 Pietta calls for. I use a "wonder wad" under each ball to help prevent chain fires, but covering each ball with Crisco will also get the job done. Wonder wads can also be used to fill chamber volume under the ball if you are using reduced loads, but cream of wheat cereal will do it also.

[Jolly Green Chopper]

I haven't thought about chain fire as a problem with modern weapons and powders and don't know anyone that has had one.Was that a common frequent problem with the pistols during their early years? Must have been a real scare to both the shooter and bystanders. Thanks for all the great info. and pics. JGC

[Junk Yard Dog]

The revolvers are designed to deal with a possible chain fire, it would not be a pleasant experience but both the weapon and the shooter would likely survive it. The key is to take precautions to prevent chain fires by using caps that fit properly, use a wonder wad under the ball or grease over the top of the ball.