cleaning black powders.

I am ready to start a percussion Pietta 1858 New Army .44 and never start anything about those pistols, have always been single action cowboy and loved. Loved Lever rifles also, but have never had an idea how to start and what do i need to buy as tools and loading , even though i do hand reload for years but have no ideas.
I am ready to buy from a Cabelllas pistol and stuff do i need to buy ? Anyone ready to help or any pages online pages that are read to help me, i am ready to thank you for any help.
Thanks any help as i have been sick for the last year, but will appreciate it.
 
Bones

Nice that you are now well enough to become reinvolved.

There is a sticky at the top of the discussion board from Gatofeo which can serve as a good cap and ball intro. It is under, "So you want a cap and ball revolver"

That will answer many of your questions including the supplies and tools you will need.

Others will jump in with advice but remember...It is only advice. The people who post here are possibly the most knowledgeable cap and ball shooters extant. (With the exception of this author) but their recommendations reflect a lot of personal preference. Try their recommendations, but don't be afraid to decide that it doesn't work for you. As you know, shooting is too potentially dangerous to make unacceptable compromises.

Eye protection and ear plugs which you probably already have.

The pistol you have chosen is a good weapon to start on.
 
I am ready to start a percussion Pietta 1858 New Army .44 and never start anything about those pistols, have always been single action cowboy and loved. Loved Lever rifles also, but have never had an idea how to start and what do i need to buy as tools and loading , even though i do hand reload for years but have no ideas.
I am ready to buy from a Cabelllas pistol and stuff do i need to buy ? Anyone ready to help or any pages online pages that are read to help me, i am ready to thank you for any help.
Thanks any help as i have been sick for the last year, but will appreciate it.
Click to expand...

Agree with Doc Hoy check out this thread:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=207028

The Pietta 1858 is a fine gun and I have gotten pretty good accuracy out of it with .454 balls and 20 grains of powder.

To shoot it, you are going to need bullets, powder, filler or wads, and caps.

For powder, you will want 3F black powder or its equivalent if you using a BP substitute. You will need a powder measure to measure out charges. Do not load charges directly from a flask as you risk an explosion and hand grenade.

I find #10 CCI caps fit my Pietta 1858 fine.

I find .454 balls seat in the chambers well shaving off a ring of lead as they should to insure a gas-tight seal and prevent chain fires. It is important that the balls shave lead when seated.

You do not want an air gap between the powder charge and the ball. If your ball does not seat on the charge, you should fill the gap with something such as lubed wads or Cream of Wheat. If you choose a loose filler like Cream of Wheat make sure you put enough in so that it gets compacted under the ball. Otherwise it will mix with the powder and dilute your charge and give you inconsistent accuracy.

If you shoot with two hands, make sure to keep your hands and fingers away from the side or in front of the cylinder. The gases vented during firing can injure. Chain fires will remove fingers.

To clean it, you are going to need a pistol cleaning rod with a patch jig attachment and a bristle brush attachment. You are going to need a screwdriver set so that you can choose a bit that precisely fits the screws you will need to remove to disassemble the gun for cleaning. If you choose any old screwdriver you will end up with buggered screw heads.

Cleaning can be done with hot water and liquid dish soap. Make sure you clean your gun immediately after shooting it. Make sure you get it completely dry after cleaning and oil it and the bore to prevent rust.

Steve
 
Thanks for the helping guys, i appreciated the help from all of you.
Have always loved revolvers and never gotten involved with black powder but it seems interested to me and being fun.
 
One word of caution about compressed air: some tanks accumulate water and you may be spraying water into your newly cleaned revolver. Let the first squirts of air be directed in a harmless direction to dispose of any moisture.
 
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