[Mac Attack]

I am not in the market for one now but after shooting my Hawken for the first time I am seriously considering purchasing a cap and ball revolver. I read the "So you want a Blackpowder Revolver" thread and came away with a lot of good information. However, I am looking for specific recommendations regarding models, barrel sizes, finishes and quality of assembly...etc. I wish I could say that I the sky's the limit but that is not the case. I am looking for a reasonably priced revolver that would put a smile on my face as much as my Hawken.

I am close to a Bass Pro, are there any good models there? Any recommendations would greatly be appreciated, thanks.

Mac

[dwave]

1858 New Army clone. Accurate and strong. If you have the extra $$ and are not concerned about historically correct, then get the target version. My 58 Pietta target is very accurate. Next would be a 1851 navy in .36, but I recommend Uberti for those ones which are a bit more $$$.

[scrat]

Well now that i have three. i can say for sure nothing beats the Uberti Walker. Thats some massive hardware.

[Pancho]

I had a bad experience with a Pietta 1858 Remington in stainless from BassPro. It was the only one they had and the wood was finished terribly. I got it from my wife for Christmas so I took the credit. Ended up buying a SS Ruger Old Army. It is a big heavy pistol but should be fun to shoot once the weather warms a bit. My favorite is my 1862 Colt Police .36cal. so called pocket pistol. It looks just like the 1860 Colt Army but it is scaled down to about 2/3rd the size of the of the Colt Army. The one drawback for the Police is that it is a 5 shot so if you're one to leave the hammer on an empty bore for safety you'll only have 4 shots. The Uberti Police does have tween bore hammer rest pins to permit loading 5 but there is some argument about the effectiveness of the system.
To my experience the Remington New Army has the best tween bore safety with a notch that the hammer positively locks into.

[Misfire99]

I suggest you buy the one that fits your hand and looks cool to you. It doesn't have to be the most powerful or the most practical. But it does have to be the one that you most like. Then you will be happy with it.

Some people will say never buy a brass frame. They come apart. Well they only come apart if you shoot them apart with over max charges. So if you like brass buy brass and shoot it like it's brass. And to tell you the truth the paper doesn't know how fast the ball is moving when it gets a hole punched in it.

[RON in PA]

Uberti Colt 1851 or 1861. These are great shooting guns in my experience.

[Shawnee]

Personally, and almost entirely subjectively, I would opt for the 1861 Navy or the 1862 Pocket Police, both made by Uberti. Next choice in line would be their 1858 Remington replica.
Do go to BassPro and "meet them in person" though ! :)

:cool:

[bigbadgun]

I was just at a Bass Pro shop here in south Florida and wanted to put my hands on the Remmington Bison or Buffalo Gun Its the one with the 12 inch barrel. Its made by Pietta it has adjustable rear site for windage and elevation and for $200 its a nice deal. However I do not own this piece I have never shot it these are the revolvers I have.
Walker not sure of the maker however I would guess its Pietta
1851 Colt Navy in .44 cal with a 7.5 inch barrel not historic but I am not a reenactor either.
1858 Remington New army Police .36 cal with a 5.5 inch barrel
Out of the 3 my favorite is the Walker Big gun big thunder and alot of smoke:D
2nd is my 1851 points great groups great and looks great.:cool:
3rd is the remmington and that is probly because I got it cheap and I think the front site was busted but I think I got it fixed now.:scrutiny:
The point that I am trying to make is that every body that has a C&B revolver has there favorite. If you are near a Bass Pro Shop go put your hands on all of them and see which feels right in your hand.
{WARNING} Cap and ball revolvers are known to be very addictive.You are gonna buy more than 1 I gaurantee.
Happy shooting:D

[Pancho]

Well guys I did bad-mouth BassPro a little in my post but guess what. For my retirement I got a $260 gift certificate for BassPro. I've got enough fishing stuff and camo so guess what I'm going to be looking at as soon as they restock after the new year. If you know how many guns you own you don't have enough.

[scrat]

pancho dont go there its a really bad place to go. instead i will pm you with my address you can send me the gift card. nobody wants you to go where you dont want to.
:D

[DuncanSA]

Entirely up to you. I use a pair of Uberti 1860 Armys with a Pietta 1858 Remington as a standby for Cowboy Action stuff. The pure fun of shooting these old type weapons is its own challenge and reward.

I am in fact a far better shot with my 150 year old type pistols than with my carry 9 mm.!

[grymster]

Here's my Pietta 58 Remmy. 5 1/2" barrel. Fit and finish are very nice. Action is sweeeeet! And she's very fun to shoot.:)

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?attachmentid=72069&stc=1&d=1201639886

[eagle24]

I started with a Pietta 1858 Rem New Army and love it. I have shot many hundreds of rounds through it without a hitch. I recently purchased a Pietta 1860 Army from Cabelas. I have not shot it yet, but love the look and feel. As posted above, the wood to metal fit was not too good, but nothing I could'nt fix with a file and some sandpaper. Don't expect the replicas to have the fit and finish of a high end modern firearm or you will be disappointed. Also, plan to get familiar with them and learn a little home gunsmithing. Having said that, I think they are a value for what they cost and with a little tweaking and tuning are fine shooters. I actually shoot my C & B revolver more than my modern firearms. I enjoy them more! On a side note, I just bought my first custom flintlock. A .32 cal iron mounted southern squirrel rifle.

[Shawnee]

Hi grymster....

Not much of a Scotch fan but a Remmie and a Maduro would hit the spot any day ! :D

[scrat]

grymster thats some picture. wow good job.

[DixieTexian]

Ah, ATF, black powder style!

[Mac Attack]

What do you all think of the Traditions 1851 Colt Navy? I really like the look of he non-cylinder strapped revolvers which I believe are referred to as Colt paterned revolves.

Should I consider a .36 or .44 Cal?
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_13248_400003001_400000000_400003000_400-3-1

[Pancho]

grymster, that is a nice shot.

Scrat, you are such a giving caring guy. I'll just have to mail that gift card like maybe yesterday.

[grymster]

Not much of a Scotch fan.... and don't start. It's addicting.:) Nothing like sitting out in the screen room on a warm autumn evening with a good smoke, three fingers of scotch and my Remmy to fondle.:)

Mrs. Grymster sees things a bit differently though.:eek:

Thanks for all the posts complimenting my photo. :) I'm really a newb to photography and that may well be the only good shot I've taken.:)

[bigbadgun]

Mac Attack
I have a traditions 1851 Navy in .44 cal I got it here
http://possibleshop.com/cap-ball-closeout.htm
I love mine made by Pietta cant go wrong and I know this comment is gonna open the flood gates to ridecule but thats how I feel.

[Shawnee]

Hi Grymster...

Was just out in NAPA valley last Sept. - visited Berringer's and the Culinary Institute but they didn't let me fondle anything either place.

:mad:

[scrat]

ok back to the help.

i would stick with .44. i have found that at two local gun shops in my area its easier to get wads and bullets for a .44 than a 36. i now cast my own but until i can start making wads. they have a lot more of the .44 in stock than the 36.

Check out cabelas. i have purchased two guns from them. there prices are fare and the customer service is pretty good too.

check out a comparison. Now the traditions is nice too. but with any other firearm as long as you take care of it and treat it well it will last you a long time.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20712-cat20817&id=0006189210079a&navCount=2&podId=0006189&parentId=cat20817&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IJ&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20817&hasJS=true

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?id=0006194&navCount=5&parentId=cat20817&masterpathid=&navAction=push&cmCat=MainCatcat20712-cat20817&parentType=index&indexId=cat20817&rid=

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?id=0012107&navCount=7&parentId=cat20817&masterpathid=&navAction=push&cmCat=MainCatcat20712-cat20817&parentType=index&indexId=cat20817&rid=

[grymster]

visited Berringer's and the Culinary Institute but they didn't let me fondle anything either place.

I'm sure they would have let you fondle a 2004 Founder's Reserve Cabernet.... well, if you ponied up the $120 or whatever is is now.:)

The Culinary Institute is a pretty fun place to visit and a nice place to eat. Even the building as awesome.

[mukluk]

I'd recommend a Walker or a Dragoon myself. From a practical viewpoint the larger revolvers are easier to load, easier to cap, easier to clean, easier to disassemble (due to the larger screws) and their additional weight helps keep them on target and reduce recoil. In addition they seem to tolerate cap ingestion much better than medium or small-framed pistols (just the other day when I was cleaning my Walker I found four spent caps inside, didn't affect function one bit). If personal defense ever becomes an issue (hopefully not), they have the potential to be loaded heavier for more power and even when empty they'll make a fine club :banghead:

From a non-practical viewpoint they're just more fun than anybody should really be allowed to have :D

[scrat]

Im sure they also make great hammers too. My walker is great. But man that thing is heavy. if it ever broke it would make a great hammer hahahahahaah.

[classicballistx]

So, you're attracted enough to a percussion revolver to start thinking about the value of the purchase and not the concept. Hold on to your cash a minute and revisit the zen of your course. There are two directions to go, well, three if you're in a position to spend without limits.

Here's the thought piece and some narrow logic -

Are you getting it to shoot?

Are you going to shoot it a lot?

And are your expectations of performance quite high?

Yes to all three? - Ruger Old Army - buy a solid used one. $200 -$300.

You'll be glad you did. If it doesn't work out for you, you'll get your money out of it and you'll know what you want. If it does work out for you, you'll spend your time shooting it, hitting your targets, killing them if that's your pleasure, and it won't ever break. Not for you, not for your great-grandchildren. Abuse can break an Old Army, but use won't.

Getting it to look like a period piece?

Getting it for social purposes?

Getting it to go "boom" now and then?

Buy a good used Uberti Remington '58 - $150 - $200

Good work, good steel, good looks, and they break less often - as a rule -than other Italian replicas. And you'll get 75 - 90% of your money out of it if it doesn't make you smile.

If the sky's the limit and your purchase has to meet all the criteria except killing anything bigger than a bunny, Uberti sells a Maximum Match and Hege sells the A/W FWB History #2. They are both as accurate and well made as a Ruger, but they only have fixed sights. The advantage is that the Max Match is built as a '58 Remington replica and the Hege gun is made to be like a Rogers & Spencer. The U will set you back about a grand, the Hege about $1500. Neither ever leaves its original owner, so getting a used one is a pipe dream. So if you've got more money than judgement, ...

Are we prejudiced? Yes. Our stuff has to work and none of our customers are in the Forbes registry. Our choice is Ruger.

Regards,

Wisent
Classicballistx.com

P.S. If you do opt for a Ruger and you do find the urge compelling you to make it perfect for you and your shooting, get back to us. We make stuff that takes an Old Army down that road, and we stay close to some folks who do the same.

[MCgunner]

I kinda want a 58 remington 5.5", more compact than my ROA and splits the difference with my .31 pocket Remington model. However, if I didn't have a Ruger Old Army, that would be number one on the list, best shooting BP revolver hands down, no competition even comes close. I'd like to find another stainless one. Mine got stolen and I found a blued one to replace it with.

[Mac Attack]

I plan to go to Bass Pro today to handle all of the revolvers. I want to handle them all to see which if any specific one jumps out at me with the the best weight, balance and pointability. I have to say that I have my favorites but those don't always end up being what we expected.

[Pancho]

Mac, I'm thankful to the Cowboy Action crowd for making popular the cap and ball revolver. I am pleasantly surprised to see a selection of C&B revolvers at places like BassPro to consider.

[RJM]

My choice is either an 1851 Navy or an 1861 Navy. They just point better than any other one I have used. The ROAs don't do it for me because they aren't historical enough and that is one criteria that is important. I bought an 1851 cartridge conversion in .38 special because it just fits my hands. Great guns.

[Mac Attack]

Man, I drove nearly 50 miles from my door to the Bass Pros store. I was expecting to see and handle all the different BP revolvers they had on their website. When I got there they only had one - a Remington at $379 (I don't know the model) in their case and a Traditions Colt 1851 in a kit at $249. I was really disappointed with what they had in the store. On a positive note, while I as talking with the salesman regarding the Remmington, another gentleman nearby got into the conversation. Turns out this guy is a BP competition shooter. We had a nice long (1 hr) conversation about BP, and he offered to send me some mini-balls which he casts as well as the name of people who shoot ML's in my area. He is part of the www.n-ssa.com community and used to belong to the NMLRA.

So the trip to Bass Pro's wasn't a complete waist of time after all.

Mac

By the way, were can I find a used Ruger Old Army in the $200 - $300 range?

[Im283]

were can I find a used Ruger Old Army in the $200 - $300 range?

+1

[Pancho]

Mac, hopefully you just picked the wrong time of the year. After Christmas it takes a couple of months for some outfits to restock. Don't give up. If all fails take Friday off and take a road trip to Union City Tenn. The home of Dixie Gun Works. It's in the western part of the state not around the corner but you'll be assured of a wide stock of guns to look at and handle.

[Pancho]

If you really have patience wait until Spring and come on up to southwestern Indiana for the Friendship National shoot. Guaranteed that you'll get a snoot full of sulfur and more muzzleloading than you can imagine.

[redneck2]

If you really have patience wait until Spring and come on up to southwestern Indiana for the Friendship National shoot. Guaranteed that you'll get a snoot full of sulfur and more muzzleloading than you can imagine.

Unless they moved Friendship, it's southeastern Indiana

:D

[Shawnee]

Hey Pancho...

What are the dates for that shoot/rendezvous at Friendship, Injunanna ?

That sounds like some chicanery you may need an accomp... er... Spiritual Advisor for. Might even be able to get an assist from Redneck and Dwave for that one !

:cool:

[pohill]

Check out this store in Maine - I think they have free shipping over $50.00, and they have a good return policy. This is my Toy Store.
Check out the Ruger OA for $300. They also have new BP guns that they don't list here.
http://www.ktpguns.com/interior.php/pid/28

[Zeke/PA]

Though not a traditional pistol, the Ruger Old Army is hard to beat.
Though recently dis-continued, ROA's can be found on the used gun market.
It's a very rugged and super accurate pistol.
Zeke