Used brass frame cap and ball or no?

Well cabelas well timed sale tempted me. Brought home a '51 Navy, brass frame. As I've already said the brass frame appeals to me for display. I took it out and put a few cylinders through it... Shot just fine. Will make a display case and bolster for it in the coming weeks. It suits me. I did decide that a used car and ball is not my speed. Especially a brass framed one. Although the primary purpose is display, I do want it functional and plan to shoot it at least occasionally.

And yes, I'm aware it's not 100% historically accurate. It is known that some brass navies were produced during the civil war, but my reading suggests they were likely never carried into battle. If they were, it was on a very limited scale.
 
And yes, I'm aware it's not 100% historically accurate. It is known that some brass navies were produced during the civil war, but my reading suggests they were likely never carried into battle. If they were, it was on a very limited scale.
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Colt never made a brass frame navy and all navies were .36 caliber. The Confederacy made some bronze framed guns based on the Colt navy. The Schneider & Glassick was a direct clone in bronze but not many were made, probably less than 100. The Griswold & Gunnison was a bronze navy clone with a round barrel and very much used in the war with about 3,700 being made. All the bronze guns were also .36 caliber.
 
It is known that some brass navies were produced during the civil war, but my reading suggests they were likely never carried into battle. If they were, it was on a very limited scale.
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If you read the article I posted above here:

http://4thla.weebly.com/should-you-buy-a-brass-framed-revolver.html

You will see that none of the current brass-framed reproductions, with the exception of the Spiller and Burr and Griswold and Gunnison, approximate any historical revolver.

Current-production brass "1851 navy" revolvers, in any caliber, and the "1858 Remington", have no historical counterpart.

Steve
 
^^^ I did read that. Very well written and informative. The copies made in Tennessee is actually what I was referring to, and I remembered it from that article. And I know that no navies were made in .44. I get that historical accuracy is important to many... it is to me in many of my endeavors. I like numbers matching Mausers, K31s, and Enfields that haven't been raped by bubba's dremel. I am new to C&B revolvers though, and don't have much play money at the moment, so historicity took a backseat. And I honestly did want a brass model, powder puff loads and all. I don't know why... I just like the looks.
 
You should say "No model 1851s were made in 44 caliber." Navy by definition is 36 caliber, so saying "No Navies were made in 44" is like saying "No 36 was made in 44".

I know this is a big, long-running debate, but even 30 years ago before all the miss-named reproductions started getting popular, practically everyone knew that "Naval Caliber" meant 36 and "Armies" were 44. That's why both Colt and Remington 36 caliber revolvers, and those 36 calibers from other manufacturers, were generally referred to as "Navies".
 
To ad even more confusion: I have a "44 caliber 1861 Navy Colt". Turns out it is an ASM 1860 Army with Navy grips. It was sold as a 44/'61 Navy on the box. I believe 1860 Armies could be ordered with the navy grips as a factory option.
 
I believe 1860 Armies could be ordered with the navy grips as a factory option.
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I think the first 500 1860's had navy grips and fluted cylinders. These were sold to the Confederacy. Colt would do engraving and ivory grips but that was about it until they started offering different barrel lengths with the 1873's. There may have been grip frames changed after they left the factory.
 
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