1851 navy brass vs 1860 army steel

It's all good - us surface Navy guys know that you call it a ship when it can carry a boat :D

(Navy E6)

Oh yeah...get the steel-framed .44. It's a hoot - and although I have never personally seen a brass-framed revolver wear out, the price difference isn't so much that it isn't worth the extra for the steel.

Let's see...isn't...isn't...two negatives equals a positive, so...yeah, I think that's what I mean. I think...
 
I trend to agree with Jbar two :cool:. Uh-Oh........... does that mean I have to get rid of my .44 caliber, 5 inch octagonal barreled, navy gripped, engraved Army revolvers :eek:. Mayhaps I should rethink this :rolleyes:

FM
 
Ya'll shoot whatcha want, but I'll keep on using .375" round balls in my 1851 G&G copies.
I'm into authenticity, yes, but original G&G's are ten grand or more a pop, so I'll have to stick with original styled repros. :(

Darkyle6, for my money, it would be the steel framed 1860.
 
Yes Fingers. You must divest yourself of the offending guns. Send them to me and I will destroy them for you.


Naw, I'd just put army grips on them.
 
Yes Fingers. You must divest yourself of the offending guns. Send them to me and I will destroy them for you.

Naw, I'd just put army grips on them.
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Destroy them ?! :eek: I don't think so..................... I'll just let them hide out in my gun room - granting them asylum as it were :D .

Had a new arrival today. A 1973 vintage Uberti Leech and Rigdon that locks up tight as a drum without any rattles; has a very smooth action, and a very pleasing 30 year old patina. Plan is to send it to deadguy for defarbing and marking as a C H Rigdon CSA Augusta revolver as soon as I can find someone to put 6 more bolt stop cuts in the cylinder.
 
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I don't think that there were any Navy colts being made by italians back in '51 either.
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Not to mention that the reproductions are only a reasonable facsimile of the original. Not only are the metals not identical but often times the dimensions and the features not exact. The finish, the fit, the rifling, barrel length, etc...I could go on and on. While it is unlikely I would own a .44 caliber "Navy" for similar reasons somewhat along the lines stated by the minority I differ in the sense that I respect those firearms and those who chose to own them. I think I'd be somewhat hypocritical if I snubbed my nose at those firearms and then pretend that my "reproductions" were accurate to what was manufactured by Colt or Remington back in the day. BTW, I'm a confirmed ROA lover too.

To each his own folks. Why look down on any of the reproductions when your reproduction is unlikely exact to the original. Close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades as they say.
 
OK . . . OK . . . I've been following this thread and have been quite amused by the replies . . . BUT . . . now I want to know strictly from all you NAVY vets . . . . and inquiring minds also want to know .. . . WHICH DO YOU PREFER . . . brass or steel submarines? Which will hold up longer? :D
 
I hope NAVY LT isn't around

Actually I would not prefer a submarine from either metal. That goes for aircraft carriers too. Chuckle!
 
Well, now, that all depends. Brass will hold up to seawater better than untreated steel. So, from preventing corrosion standpoint, I will take brass over steel. Now, if you want to spend your time doing corrosion treatment/prevention and you want strength, then I will take steel over brass.

I've spent time both on submarines and targets, Doc!
 
So I bought the 1860 army and I'm pretty happy with it, I took it out and was shooting it with 25 grains of triple seven, what is the hottest load that you guys would deem safe.
 
The Hodgdon website lists 25 grains of 777 FFFG as maximum in a steel-framed 1860 Army, for about 600 fps.
There's a good reason for this --- Hodgdon 777 is not designed to be a straight-across, volume-for-volume substitute for black powder. It's slightly more powerful and requires less for the same velocity and pressure as black powder generates.
On the label of a 777 can it lists 35 grains for use in a Ruger Old Army. The Ruger Old Army is the strongest cap and ball revolver ever made.
I have an Uberti Remington 1858 .44 that I loaded 40 grains of 777 into back in 2004. I rather foolishly assumed it was designed to be equivalent to black powder.
Wow! What a surprise! That gun bucked and kicked and roared. It was clearly a load more powerful than black powder could generate. Then I read the label ... silly me.
After that, I dropped down to 30 grains equivalent, using a 30 gr. measure.
Check out the Hodgdon website for guidance on using 777 powder, before you start stuffing chambers.
Remember, Hodgdoon makes the stuff, has the equipment to measure chamber pressures, and has the most experience with it. Outside of a ballistics lab, everything else is guesswork.
 
Doc,

It's kind of like falling out of an airplane. It's not the fall that kills anybody - it's just the sudden stop at the end.

You see, sinking is not the problem. The problem is some "boats" have the innate ability to arrest the sinking and return to the surface, and some "boats", well, just don't! :cool:
 
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