[.303]

i was tallying up the costs to shoot black powder, and i liked what i saw. so, i was wondering, who makes an entry model revolver (cap and ball) at an entry level price?

.303

[mykeal]

Both Pietta and Uberti. Do a search on Cabela's website and sort by price, then take your pick.

[jmaubin]

the lowest priced revolvers that I have seen are the "brass framed made by Traditions". Their prices are good and workmanship is ok to good just watch out that they can't take loads as high as a steel framed. If overloaded this can over time lead to the frame stretching. Dixie Gun Works has some at good prices in "all in one kits". the kits come with all that you will need to get started except powder and caps. and they run from $240 to $270.

[madcratebuilder]

The steel frame remington new model army or 1858 is $220 at Cabela's. It's made by Pietta, and the one I received has a fine fit and finish, but lot of trigger creep(fixable). They have free shipping codes all the time. The Uberti's cost a bit more. Gunbroker has a lot of bp stuff listed, some goes pretty cheap.

[TheWall]

I believe you can still get a steel frame Pietta 1851 Colt Navy from Dixie Gun Works for $200.

I got mine this past February on sale for $180. Nice quality -- fires every cylinder every time... and I've put a lot of rounds through her.

[.303]

thanks for the input.

i saw a pietta brass frame .44 confederate on Cabela's website for $150.

what size ball does it use (ie. how much bigger than .44)

[BHP FAN]

If that's the ''.44 Navy'',it likes the .454.My brother has one.

[colonelhogan44]

I'd get the Remington 1858. I own one, and it's a great, fun gun to shoot. Get it from Cabala's now, and you have free shipping too.

I use .457 balls.

[BHP FAN]

The Remington IS arguably the best [affordable] design out there. I like my Rogers and Spencer,but it's more complex,harder to take down [completely] and it was expensive,compared to Cabelas work horse,the Pietta Remmie.If you go .44 steel frame,you leave open the option of buying a conversion unit later,for .45 Colt cartridges.

[Gaucho Gringo]

You can get a steel framed Colt 1851 .44 cal repro from The Possible shop for $179.00. I bought one about 7 months ago and am happy with it. Here is the URL http://www.possibleshop.com/cap-ball-closeout.htm

[jmaubin]

.303

The reason why I suggested a "kit" was one thing many often forget the cost of shooting supplies as well as cleaning supplies for one starting in this sport. You might want to know this will run you about 100$ give or take a few.

[Curator]

Start out right and don't waste a lot of time and money on junk. A Pietta or Uberti 1858 Remington reproduction in either .36 or .44 is what will work best for you. Stay away from brass framed anything. They do shoot loose over time and have low resale value if you ever want to trade up. Colt open top designs like the 1851 Navy and 1860 Army are nice guns (steel frame only) but suffer from faults inherent in their original design. Sometimes you can find a nice used gun that has been well cared for but often they are not. Once you get your new revolver buy a well-made nipple wrench and a replacement set of AMPCO nipples from Dixie GunWorks or Track of the Wolf. Before you shoot the gun remove the nipples and treat the nipple threads with automotive anti-sieze compound. Remove nipples at each cleaning and re-treat the threads. You will never have to deal with frozen nipple or ruined cylinder problems.

[Dienekes]

Uberti would be my minimum standard. Nothing more aggravating or with less resale value than a junky BP revolver.

You generally get what you pay for.

[.303]

Quote: "You generally get what you pay for."

a uberti would be better. unfortunately with guns, what you said is often true.:(

[DixieTexian]

Uberti has been the standard for cap-n-ball revolvers for a while, but a lot of folks seem to think that the more recent Piettas are pretty close in quality. If you are looking into getting into BP shooting without spending a lot of money, I would buy the cheapest steel fram Pietta you can find. That way, if your learining cirve is steep, you won't have as much money invested in the gun. Also, you need to realize that if you want a finely tuned pistol, you are likely going to have to do some work of your own to get it there. Most of this work is easy if you take your time, and there are plenty of folks on here who would be willing to help you, just remember that most of these imports are more about making a profit for their manufacturer than they are about making fine percussion revolvers. Don't let that steer you away, however. You don't have to do any of that kind of work, it will just make it perform a lot better. Order one from a reputable manufacturer that will let you return it if you aren't satisfied with it.

[sundance44s]

I`d say buy a steel framed 1858 from Cabelas ...for a new one it`s the best price around ..and you`ll enjoy starting out on an 1858 Remington ....after you want another ...which will happen ....buy a 1851 Navy or 1860 Army .

[Coyote Rider]

You can get a steel framed Colt 1851 .44 cal repro from The Possible shop for $179.00. I bought one about 7 months ago and am happy with it. Here is the URL http://www.possibleshop.com/cap-ball-closeout.htm

They also have some cheap Remmies, but they're made by Palmetto. Does anyone know the story on Palmetto?

[arcticap]

That's a fair question with an unfair, prejudicial answer.

There's not a whole lot of good said about the company in the THR archives. That doesn't mean that they're bad, but most folks have certainly enjoyed badmouthing them, and probably with good reason.
The quality of their Remingtons may be worse than any others made, but that doesn't mean that they won't shoot. However, we rarely hear from folks who do shoot them. One report wasn't so bad.
Their website was never very informative or useful and even recently it wasn't working like a normal gun manufacturer's site.
Check out the following threads to learn why.

1. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=338621&highlight=palmetto

2. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=309626&highlight=palmetto

3. http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=244611&highlight=palmetto

4.http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=2321196&postcount=34

5. http://www.thehighroad.org/showpost.php?p=911670&postcount=8

[flibuste]

hello,

Many years ago, Palmetto used to produce some quality replica but the recent production is very poor quality. I had a 1858 from Palmetto with chambers and barrel not in line because of the barrel not straight into the frame. Lead was spitting at the forcing cone. The dovetailed front sight had to be pushed almost outside of the barrel to aim straight ! The notch in the hammer (for the trigger) was roughly cut (not even cut) and when I received a replacement hammer, it was similar !

With a lot of adjustment I could get it shoot but with very poor accuracy. It was impossible to get parts from manufacturer.

My advice is to avoid recent Palmetto production, unless you happen to have the gun in hand and the price is very low.
By the way the boss of Palmetto is the father of the boss of Chapparal, so beware with Chaparral also .........

Regards

[.303]

looking between two, a pietta 1851 navy .36 with a steel frame, and its counterpart from uberti. is the uberti really worth $70 more, or are you just ''buying the name''

and i have never heard of palmetto

[Tommygunn]

Stay away from Palmetto unless you want a wall-hanger.
Is Uberti worth $70 more?
IMHO Piettas often have nicer color case hardening. Newer ones are very good guns -- even the old ones really weren't horrible.
Ubertis are mechanically better, generally.
That said, either maker does produce the occasional lemon.

[sundance44s]

A friend of mine owns and shoots often a Palmetto made 1858 Remington ....it shoots well ...but to look at the fit and finish makes me want to puke ...

[idaram]

$70.00 more for an Uberti is alot to pay for a name.

Best....IR

[.303]

well, finally went to cabelas to hold the darn thing, and boy was i pleased:rolleyes: it also was 20 bucks less than the website said...:D pietta seems to be pretty good quality and finish...

[Smokin_Gun]

Ya done well there .303 ...I was sellin' a bunch of Revs ...and outta all the Brassers '51's I had kept three Piettas, one a .44 and 1 Euroarms ... real nice actions on um. Got one back resently I traded to a Bike Club Brother,Pietta 51' .44 still brand new. I had bought it at a gun show 8-9 years ago...steel and purdy Bluin' and color.

Ya done good you'll be happy.

SG

.303 you don't happen to have a spare scope mount for a No.4 MKII do you?

[.303]

Quote: ''.303 you don't happen to have a spare scope mount for a No.4 MKII do you?''

nope. do you?:neener:

[.303]

so, what charges do you people put through the lill' ol .38??

[Smokin_Gun]

so, what charges do you people put through the lill' ol .38??

In a Brass frame Colt replica '51 .36 cal 15-20gr of fffg Goex Black Powder...I don't use substitutes. Colt seem real good at 18gr for me.

Steel frames 20-24gr I use 22gr B.P.

Pietta usually have a .375" bore and .375" balls will fit the Pietta chambers well.

Uberti take a .380" ball with a .380" bore...

Remington are made in brass or steel frames like a Spiller & Burr. They can take hotter charges because of frame mass the cylinder pin which differs from a Colt arbor threaded into the brass or steel frame. Will not tend to stretch as much as a Colt.
I got a few a both, and like both, but like the Rems a lil' better.

SG

[BHP FAN]

I have a Spiller and Burr [brass framed Whitney copy] big old solid frame on it,brass or not.It's a Lot stronger than my engraved brass frame .36 ''reb'' Remmie.

[DixieTexian]

Brass Remingtons are probably less prone to getting out of time (speculation, of course) not necessarily because of the top strap, but because they have a greater area that the impact of the cylinder is spread out over. Look at the cylinder of a remington, and compare it to a Colt. The Colt has a narrow ring that the recoil impacts the frame at, while the Remington has a large flat area. I have never seen any pictures or actual guns where the frame has stratched, but I have seen pictures where there are indentations on the frame from repeated recoil. Now, this doesn't mean you can use heavy loads in a brass framed Remington and not a Colt, it just means you are on borrowed time. And you are on a lot more borrowed time with a Remington than you are with a Colt. Someone here posted a picture of a Remington that had pretty serious indentations in the frame from repeated shooting, so either one can get out of time with a brass frame.

[.303]

Smokin Gun,

you mentioned goex powder, do you have any experience with their clearshot pistol powder? i was talking to a friend, and he says it is wonderful on the amount of fouling it doesn't produce.

[Smokin_Gun]

Well clear shot works and you don't need ta clean the BP residue within say 3-7 days. Depending on climate of course ... out here it very dry low humidity.

Nothin' but nothin' compares to real Black Powder for performance and repeatability of reloading Cap and Ball 6 shooters.
You can order 5lb. to 50 lb. shipment to youur door with hazmat fee included, to your door. Swiss, KIK, Goex plus more choices.
http://www.powderinc.com/catalog/index.html

Like I said I don't use anything else, but have tried a few and will keep my comments to myself on um.

If it's all you can get I'm sure it'll work for you...I jus' do not like Synthetic Powders what so ever.

SG

[Mike 56]

Have you tried KIK powder if so what did you think of it. I have only shot Goex and Schuetzenblack powder.

Mike

[Smokin_Gun]

Mike I have only used Goex myself...for 30 years I have...My next order I think I am gettin' some KIK though...I'm told by a reliable source it's a lil' snappier than Goex but not as harsh as Swiss... Will let ya know.

SG