Been shooting cap and ball revolvers since about 1970.
For information see my post, now a sticky at the top of this section, entitled "So you want a cap and ball revolver?"
Print it out for future reference. It's long.
Allow me to comment on a few posts in this thread ...
Wheelweights are rather hard for cap and ball revolvers. Not only is it harder to seat the ball or bullet, but hard bullets leave leading when used with black powder. The cores of jacketed bullets are generally soft lead, as are swaged lead bullets such as the .38-caliber 148 grain wadcutter. Cast bullets are suspect, but if you can easily dent the lead with your fingernail then it's soft enough. Another good source for nearly pure lead is fired .22 rimfire bullets. The copper or brass coating on them will rise to the top of the melting pot, where it is skimmed off.
I'm not one of those who believes that multiple ignitions ("chain fires") begin at the front, from flame entering around the ball. Instead, I believe that flame enters around loose caps, or into nipples that have lost their caps from recoil or gravity.
In the early 70s I experienced three separate instances of multiple ignition. The last incident ruined the revolver. At that time, I was using Crisco over a .451 inch ball -- a practice that is supposed to prevent multiple ignitions.
Today I use a greased felt wad under the ball. Never had a problem with multiple ignition when using wads.
Also, I find that with the proper lubricant the greased felt wad keeps the bore cleaner than grease over the ball.
Typically, with grease over the ball, the latter third of the bore has a thick coat of fouling. When I use greased felt wads under the ball, there is only a fine ash throughout the length of the barrel.
That's with barrels up to 8 inches; I can't say how well wads work in anything longer.
Use only natural greases and oils for bullet lubrication: lard, bacon grease, olive oil, mutton tallow, deer or bear grease, etc.
Petroleum products, exposed to combusting black powder, tend to create a hard, tarry fouling that affects accuracy. Sure makes cleaning more difficult too.
I've always found real black powder, of FFFG grade, best for accuracy. If you can find it, get it. If not, Pyrodex P will work fine. Hodgdon 777 is not a direct substitute for black powder. It requires a reduction of 15 percent to equal black powder velocities (and presumably, pressure).
Hodgdon 777 is stout stuff, so heed the manufacturer's warnings. Visit the Hodgdon website and read up on it and Pyrodex.
The larger balls not only seal better in the chamber, but seem to be more accurate. Thus, I use .380 inch balls in my .36 calibers, and .454 or .457 inch balls in my Colt and Remington reproductions. The Ruger Old Army requires a .457 inch ball, though I've heard of others heeding the above principle and using .460 inch balls. I don't know their results; I don't own a Ruger Old Army.
As for accuracy with the larger balls: it's a theory I postulated about 10 years ago: when rammed into the chamber, the larger ball creates a wider bearing band for the rifling to grip. This, I believe, aids accuracy. It also retains the ball more securely in the chamber during recoil.
Cap and ball revolvers can be amazingly accurate. My own Uberti-made copy of the Remington Army .44 will put six balls into a silver dollar at 25 yards from a benchrest -- all day long. Few modern handguns will do that, as consistently.
I use soapy water to clean my revolvers, after a day's shooting. I live in the remote Utah desert, where humidity is typically low, so I can usually get by for a few weeks with only cleaning the cylinder, bore and the most fouled areas around the inner frame, loading lever, hammer and hammer channel. Eventually, I have to crack open the beast and clean the working innards, when parts drag too much.
To keep the innards working, I use CVA Grease Patch lubricant (out of production, I believe). Bore Butter or Crisco should work. Oil, even natural ones such as olive oil, are poor lubricants.
Black powder creates a lot of fouling. There's also a lot of blast that will blow or cook-off any light oil. What's needed is a thin coat of grease along the sides of the hammer, and in the hammer channel of the frame.
Inside the frame, where the bolt, hand and other moving parts are, a light application of Crisco or Bore Butter will help shrug off fouling.
Typically, I can go about 70 to 100 rounds before I have to open the innards and clean them. The discrepancy depends on whether I'm using full or target loads; the latter creates less fouling because it uses less powder.
Cap and ball sixguns are not toys. They are deadly. Treat them with the same caution and respect you would any other handgun. Wear eye and hearing protection. Never let someone stand to the side of the gun when you're firing it.
And when firing, keep powder and caps well away from the gun. A few feet behind you is preferred.
I'm 55. I figure I got about 20 or fewer years left on this Earth. I'd hate to cross over, meet one of you already there and hear you sigh, "Dang Gatofeo, I shoulda listened to what you said about safety with cap and ball revolvers."
