My Birthday Gift

[Mike]

A Pietta 1851 Navy black powder revolver. I've never had a black powder gun so now I have to use Google and Youtube to figure out what all this stuff is and how to use it. Any hints and advice from experienced users would be very welcome.

[BubbaDX]

Congratulations, that looks really nice.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Anything you need to know just ask, I have been shooting this revolver since the 70's. This is called a "navy" model, but it isn't a copy of any one revolver. Clot's 1851's were .36 while only Army dragoons, and later the 1860 Colt were .44's. Colt never produced any revolver with a brass frame, the South did but not this model. This is more the revolver Colt should have made, .44 with a light frame ( in steel of course) Keep the loads under 30 grains and you will be fine, don't go over that because over time brass can shoot loose. This uses a .454 ball even if it says .451, I find that .451's don't always shave a nice lead ring going into the chamber and that can mean a loose chamber seal. Always pack the ball down hard onto the powder, never leave an air gap between powder and ball. Seal the chambers with some crisco over top of the ball, or use wonder wads under it, this is to prevent chain fires.

[Mike]

Thanks JYD, so those wads that came in the starter kit can be used between the powder and the ball instead of a lump of Crisco on top? I haven't bought the powder yet, I wasn't sure what to get. After a lot of Googling I'm going to get some FFFG tomorrow and start out with 15 grains of it.

I hope I can find some caps, Cabela's were out of them today, all they had were 209s. What size caps do you use? The instructions say to use 11s but a lot of people say 10s fit better.

I knew this wasn't a faithful replica of a particular gun, but it looks the part!

[Junk Yard Dog]

10's should be a snug fit, 11's will work but just gently bend them a bit so they stay on the cone. I don't know what wads may have come with that starter kit. Wonder wads contain chemicals that are rated to seal the chamber, other wads I have no idea if they will or not. Keep the load around 22-25 grains, these have a big chamber and the rammer will not go all the way down into it. For a short load you will have to make up the extra chamber volume using some cream 'o' wheat cereal between powder and ball so the ball will seat properly. Either that or stack three wads in the chamber. You want the ball to sit at the chamber mouth or 1/8th to 1/4" down into it. Black powder is what it's made to shoot, it will work fine with the subs like Pyrodex, or 777, but remember to reduce the charge by 5 grains as the subs operate at slightly higher pressures than black powder.

[Mike]

The wads are just described as lubed wads.

I'll see if I can find black powder, all I was seeing today was Pyrodex and 777 labeled FFG Equivalent or FFFG Equivalent, I'll get your advice on loads when I know what I have.

I made gunpowder many years ago, that was a few decades back when the ingredients were relatively easy to obtain in the UK, I can imagine they would be harder to obtain these days, if making your own gunpowder is even legal!

[Junk Yard Dog]

None of the basic ingredients should be illegal, or hard to find, there are people who do make their own gunpowder but there is risk involved from sparks, so far as I know it's legal so long as you are not selling it, and keep the amount under 50 pounds. I bulk buy my BP mail oprder from Graf's, Goex FFFG for the revolvers, I bulk buy by the fifty pound lot as it's the same haz mat fee for one pound as it is fifty. My big Brown Bess's use the stuff like it was free.

[Mike]

I've always dreamed of owning a Brown Bess, maybe one day.

[Junk Yard Dog]

I've always dreamed of owning a Brown Bess, maybe one day.

I have two, one is the long land pattern Bess, I bought it from a Canadian member of the old board who was a reenactor up there, he changed the era of his persona to a later time. The gun is a reproduction he bought from some outfit up there, the other is a repop of a Napolionic era ships carbine, both are great sparkers, and fairly accurate out to 100 yards. In the big gun lineup I also have a repop 1816 Harpers Ferry by Pedersoli, and German Potsdam from the 1740's. The Bess's are .75, the Potsdam , and the 1816 are .69's, huge musket balls.

[Mike]

I went to a re-enactment in the UK when I was maybe 8 or 9, we saw a battle then got to walk around the camps to see how people lived. Every kid was given a fresh cast Brown Bess musket ball.

Lead? No big deal, give it to kids to play with! Probably explains quite a lot about me.

[Junk Yard Dog]

Once upon a time kids didn't get toy soldiers for Christmas, they got some iron molds so they could cast their own toy soldiers out of lead, then paint them with lead paint. They were the generation that beat Hitler and the Japanese, then ran the Soviets into the ground during the Cold War, put a man on the moon and so on. They were also the Generation of the Nazi's, and the Imperial Japanese, and Stalin, so it's 50/50 what role lead exposure may have played.

[ponycarman]

congrats! I love mine. Very fun. Just takes a while to load lol. The wads are nice. Just set it over the powder and press the ball over it. I used bore butter and a qtip to seal around the balls. Crisco woud work as well. Have fun! Black powder is addicting haha.

[desdem12]

nice

[Longcolt44]

I have a few Mike. They are addictive to shoot.

[Mike]

OK, next question, how do you clean these? On the interwebs I've seen everything from scrub it down with a toothbrush in magic black powder cleaner to strip it to the last screw, scrub every part in soapy water, bake it in the oven them soak it in olive oil!

Or can I just scrub it out in a bowl of hot water then spray it down with WD40 as I have also seen?

[BubbaDX]

Just scrub it with hot soapy water then clean like normal.

[ponycarman]

They are cleaned much like a mosin after using corrosive ammo. Hot water but with dish soap. Dry it out then protec the metal . I used bore butter last time. It is all natural and won't gum up with the powder residue. Beware that petroleum based lubricants will gunk it up quick with black powder.

Never have used olive oil. It would be cheaper than bore butter lol.

[Mike]

Of course, I have just found out that cleaning it is a moot point, caps are not available anywhere locally, now to see if I can find some online.

[A1RADIOMAN]

Of course, I have just found out that cleaning it is a moot point, caps are not available anywhere locally, now to see if I can find some online.

Hello Mike Bass Pro in St. Charles, MO (St. Louis) | Bass Pro Shops
1365 South 5th Street
St. Charles, MO 63301
636-688-2500
should have them.I use Pyrodex myself and peanut oil for lube.
Good luck and have fun.A1RADIOMAN

[Mike]

Of course, I have just found out that cleaning it is a moot point, caps are not available anywhere locally, now to see if I can find some online.

Hello Mike Bass Pro in St. Charles, MO (St. Louis) | Bass Pro Shops
1365 South 5th Street
St. Charles, MO 63301
636-688-2500
should have them.I use Pyrodex myself and peanut oil for lube.
Good luck and have fun.A1RADIOMAN

I was there today, they haven't had any in three months. Cabela's at the Mills Mall is also out, every Walmart is out, Mid America Arms and Southside Guns and Ammo are both out, I just have to try Denny Dennis in Fenton and Trail Creek on the Rock Road to see if either of them have any.

I tried online, Sportsman's Warehouse have them but by the time you add the Hazmat fee they get real expensive.