TomL wrote:
Thanks for the reply Bill. I checked for cylinder rebounding and none visable so I suspect the original owner/shooter might have been a bit lazee regarding cleaning the piece. Also the hammer has started flaking plating off, no big deal just is.
I would like to ask should the barrel be "slugged sized" prior to getting ammo, conical or ball style? I think somewhere I read these would use number 11 caps and not sure anymore what powder I'd want and would need a powder measure too.
Aside from that I have to say the look, feel of the 1860 Army to my thinking has to be one of, if not THE best looking handgun ever made!
My pleasure Tom. I'll try to address your latest questions too and add a few tips of my own as well.
A lack of proper cleaning has nothing to do with the cylinder "rebounding" and denting the recoil shield ring. I think you might have misunderstood me.
What I was trying to convey, is that if you load a brass frame BP revolver with as powerful a charge as you would load in a STEEL frame revolver, (say anywhere between 30 up to 40 grains),....it will cause the harder steel cylinder to "rebound"/recoil into the brass ring that is inside and cast into the recoil shield of the brass frame, and cause a denting of that brass ring by the steel cylinder, and after denting that ring, it can cause your steel cylinder on subsequent firings to recoil too far to the rear thus allowing the recoil shield to hit against and set off multiple caps at the same time. Not a problem with steel frame BP revolvers but definitely a problem for brass frames like yours and mine are. So we need to keep "Brassers" loaded down to no more than 25 grains in a .44 (I use 22 grains in my .44's that are just like yours). Also a heavy powder charge can loosen the arbor in a softer brass frame. Nothing wrong with a brass frame, you just have to keep the powder charges lower than in a steel frame and you'll be fine.
You don't need to "slug" the barrel. Just shoot .454 diameter pure lead round ball instead of .451 and you will be fine. You can shoot .451, but it doesn't shave as much a ring of lead off on loading and isn't generally as accurate as the .454 ball. I have read some people say that conical projectiles are more accurate, but I never had any accuracy/grouping problems just firing round ball, except both my revolvers shoot a little high....which is normal and understandable with the lousy sights they have. You can adjust your strike on the target somewhat by experimenting with different powder loads, but remember on your .44, not to go over a max of 25 grains (I use 22) to avoid damage to the brass frame. You find what (under 25 grain) powder load works best for your accuracy and stick with that. If you don't want to file or build up your front sights, (which you wouldn't want to do on your nickel plated Pietta) then get used to using "Kentucky windage" which is what most of us do when shooting BP revolvers that don't have adjustable sights (some do).
You can use #11 or #10 caps depending on the specs of your individual revolver's nipples. Sometimes the exact same model revolver (of different production runs but from the same manufacturer) will fit with one size cap better than it does with another different production run of another revolver of the exact same make and model from the exact same manufacturer. Try #10's and see if they fit because you want your caps as tight as they can be on the nipples to avoid chainfiring from the nipples. If they are too tight, you have several choices. Either buy replacement nipples that DO fit #10 caps, or else pinch #11 caps to make them fit on tighter. That latter option is commonly done and I frequently pinch #11's too, but be advised that when you pinch them, that creates a small channel on the side of the cap that flame from an adjacent cap going off can travel up to cause a chainfire. It is rare but it happens sometimes. Also you can buy #11 replacement nipples that fit the #11 caps better so you don't have to pinch them to be tight enough to stay on. Be aware that #11 caps are more commonly found and sometimes the #10's are harder to find. Also check out Treso nipples if you want to replace your nipples. Get a nipple wrench too and when you clean the revolver, remove the nipples, clean them with internally with a needle or thin wire, then put just a teeny bit of grease or anti-seize compound on the nipple threads so they won't corrode and freeze to the cylinder when you put them back in.
Ideally you should use 3F black powder or substitute. I have also used 2F (larger coarser grain), on a few occasions, but its larger grain throws off the volumetric measuring of my powder measure.
I would also advise getting a powder measure that is in increments of 5 grains instead of just in increments of 10 grains. Especially since you will be shooting a brass frame BP revolver and might want to load 22 grains like I do, and the 5 grain increment line of the powder measure is easier to get close to 22 grains than just a powder measure that only goes in 10 grain increments like 10, 20, 30, 40, etc.
Either use cornmeal over the powder before you lever in the ball, or use felt wads over the powder, or grease over the ball after loading. All to help prevent chainfires. The lubed felt wads or grease OVER the balls (crisco in a pinch) will keep the fouling soft and help prevent chainfires. But I don't use felt wads nor grease anymore. I just carefully load some cornmeal over my powder load and then load the ball. No greasy mess and works for me.
I agree with you. The 1860 is in my humble opinion one of the best looking black powder revolvers ever made. The beauty of that streamlined barrel and streamlined creeping loading lever was a big improvement on the esthetics over the earlier more square and boxy looking 1851 barrel and loading lever....in my opinion anyway.
One final thing. NEVER load directly from the flask. However unlikely, if a teeny ember were to still be lit from a previous shot, it could travel up the powder train (as you poured) and into the flask setting it off like a grenade in your hand. ALWAYS pour from the flask into a separate measure, then load that into the revolver. If an ember ignited that, all you'd get would be singed eyebrows.
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