Just getting started with a revolver

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dickydalton said:
Just remember this, not all powder measures are alike! I had a difference of opinion a few years ago when a fellow said he was loading 50 grains of 3F in his 1858. When he showed his measure I had one of the same as Ihave about a dozen. When I showed him a couple pictures of what his 50 grains was in another measure set to 50 grains and how it wouldn't fit in one of my 1858s. The brass measure was off by about 7 grains. I also weighed several different volumes and quit using this measure. He doesn't like me much.
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Thanks for that info, Dicky. Wasn't aware that measures could be off by that much...
Bottom line, though...most .44 revolvers won't hold more than 40gr of 3f or Pyrodex P without pushing the ball out to the point the cylinder won't rotate. 40gr isn't gonna harm a steel framed revolver any, but can definitely put some hurt on a brasser, and you can certainly overcharge a single shot pistol or long gun! So I appreciate the heads-up on that info!
 
dickydalton said:
Just remember this, not all powder measures are alike! I had a difference of opinion a few years ago when a fellow said he was loading 50 grains of 3F in his 1858. When he showed his measure I had one of the same as Ihave about a dozen. When I showed him a couple pictures of what his 50 grains was in another measure set to 50 grains and how it wouldn't fit in one of my 1858s. The brass measure was off by about 7 grains. I also weighed several different volumes and quit using this measure. He doesn't like me much. View attachment 1029999
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Dickydalton. Thank you sir. I’ve seen those little plastic measures, would one of those be a good investment? Thanks, Tim
 
Captain*kirk said:
What Brewer said. Sorry if I didn't make that clear, Zulch. 30 grains erupting in your face may give you a black powder tan and facial hair removal treatment but it's gonna be a whole lot better than say, 7000 grains (as in a pound) of black powder...believe you me! Personally, I hand off the flask charge to my adjustable measure, then go straight to the cylinder with the measure. Also, what Lyle said is of extreme importance. Safety glasses are an absolute must and could well save your vision during a flashback.
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Thanks Cap I appreciate that information. It furthers my knowledge regarding safety. Being a newbie I need that kind of advice from veterans of BP. I can be a cluts at times so reading all this makes me want to show the utmost respect for BP. Thank you.
 
Captain*kirk said:
Pietta brasser .44 should be loaded with a DO NOT EXCEED charge of 25 gr to avoid imprinting the recoil shield with the ratchet teeth and the resulting slide hammer effect of the cylinder will eventually widen the cylinder-to-forcing cone gap to the point where your gun begins destroying itself. Keep it between 18-22gr of 3F and it will last you a lifetime, even moreso with 2F but your accuracy may suffer a smidge.
Consider 25 gr a Max Load on brass frame .44s
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How about pyrodex P? I called around and found some locally. I haven’t found FFF yet.
 
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Mine is a Traditions ( Pietta) brass framed ‘51 in 44 cal. Didn’t exist but who cares.
I load 20 grains of Pyrodex P, a wonder wad, then a .454 ball which shaves off a ring of lead when I ram it down. Personally this gives me the best accuracy as well as the lube on the wad helps keep the barrel from gumming up during a range session.
I use a brass measure and a plastic flask I bought at Cabelas. Functional and easy to use. The advice about not filling from your flask is good.
Plus the indoor range I use has no problem with me using cap and ball, they just dampen the lane in front of me to protect against wayward sparks etc.
 
AR. Hillbilly said:
How about pyrodex P? I called around and found some locally. I haven’t found FFF yet.
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I shoot more Pyrodex P than black powder. I have shot both, and other than the smell, I don’t see any difference between the two. Pyrodex is easier to obtain locally. I load 24 grains in my .36, either bp or Pyrodex P.
 
Ok I’ve located everything I need locally to try this thing out. I have just a couple more questions.
first a big thank you to each of you for helping a beginner in the BP world.
I’m gonna buy some pyrodex p to start out with. What’s the max safe load for a brass frame ?
Also what is the minimum safe load to get the ball down range?
If I use lubed wads can I shoot this over and over in a range session without cleaning?
I’ve already disassemble it a couple times to get familiar with it for cleaning.
I need to get a 44 jag yet also
 
From what I found out in reading up and studying on it before I ever went to the range 20 to 25 grains is a safe max load for this revolver. I find this gives good range and and accuracy. It is a safe load to shoot and not damage frame. I’ve got. Couple of hundred balls down range with no problem. I only shoot 15-20 rounds with this revolver each range time and don’t have to clean til I get home. The wonder wads help in that regard. Note of caution I find mine out of the box had a very nice trigger and a surprisingly easy trigger pull. It may surprise you when it goes boom. It really surprised my grandson the first time he fired it. Enjoy! They’re a hoot to shoot
 
Bruce D Pease said:
From what I found out in reading up and studying on it before I ever went to the range 20 to 25 grains is a safe max load for this revolver. I find this gives good range and and accuracy. It is a safe load to shoot and not damage frame. I’ve got. Couple of hundred balls down range with no problem. I only shoot 15-20 rounds with this revolver each range time and don’t have to clean til I get home. The wonder wads help in that regard. Note of caution I find mine out of the box had a very nice trigger and a surprisingly easy trigger pull. It may surprise you when it goes boom. It really surprised my grandson the first time he fired it. Enjoy! They’re a hoot to shoot
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Thanks. I’ll start out at 20 grains. this came in a pair.
a friend took the other. We had some old caps and went out in the yard to try them. His has a very short and light trigger pull. Touch it and it’s gone. this one is a little heavier. I’ve had those #11 caps for 25 years. They all went bang.
I’ll buy new before I load it.
 
AR. Hillbilly said:
Thanks. I’ll start out at 20 grains. this came in a pair.
a friend took the other. We had some old caps and went out in the yard to try them. His has a very short and light trigger pull. Touch it and it’s gone. this one is a little heavier. I’ve had those #11 caps for 25 years. They all went bang.
I’ll buy new before I load it.
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Caps are currently scarce and expensive. Don't discount the ones you still have, you may not be able to replace them.
 
Bang is bang….don’t have to get new caps unless you’re out. Try Academy they have no 11s around here. 5.99/100. Limit 4. I may pick up more today as a matter of fact. People have mentioned getting them at Walmart, cabelas, bass, and some LGS.. I agree with Brewer they’re currently scarce. Seems to be hit or miss. Good luck getting everything you need.
 
brewer12345 said:
Caps are currently scarce and expensive. Don't discount the ones you still have, you may not be able to replace them.
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Yes, they are hard to find. I did however recently find some CC! 11's at a Super Walmart for roughly $5 a tin but there weren't many tins. :thumbdown: A pawn shop here locally had the same for $8. Guess you have to get them while you can. :fire:
 
Zulch said:
Yes, they are hard to find. I did however recently find some CC! 11's at a Super Walmart for roughly $5 a tin but there weren't many tins. :thumbdown: A pawn shop here locally had the same for $8. Guess you have to get them while you can. :fire:
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Yeah,I think you grab them when you see them. I have lots of 11s, but am almost out of Remington 10s. None of my 11s fit nicely on my factory nipples, so when I run out I will be experimenting with slixshot nipples and various flavors of 11s I have on hand.
 
brewer12345 said:
Yeah,I think you grab them when you see them. I have lots of 11s, but am almost out of Remington 10s. None of my 11s fit nicely on my factory nipples, so when I run out I will be experimenting with slixshot nipples and various flavors of 11s I have on hand.
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I prefer the Slix Shot nipples, they’re great! When I shoot factory percussion caps I install them on my Navy. All of my factory caps are #11. That’s all I have been able to find. Mostly I shoot my homemade caps. They fit on the factory nipples better. So I usually have the factory Pietta nipples installed.
 
brewer12345 said:
Yeah,I think you grab them when you see them. I have lots of 11s, but am almost out of Remington 10s. None of my 11s fit nicely on my factory nipples, so when I run out I will be experimenting with slixshot nipples and various flavors of 11s I have on hand.[/QUOTE
Thanks brewer 12345, let me know about the Slix Shot's when you get them. I hear a lot of good things about them, Lyle likes them it sounds. I still have factory nipples. I think to myself, why do I buy a revolver with factory nipples only to change them out? Oh well, I guess I'm just cheap. :rofl:
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Somehow I messed that up. Sorry.
Thanks brewer 12345, let me know about the Slix Shot's when you get them. I hear a lot of good things about them, Lyle likes them it sounds. I still have factory nipples. I think to myself, why do I buy a revolver with factory nipples only to change them out? Oh well, I guess I'm just cheap. :rofl:
 
Zulch said:
Somehow I messed that up. Sorry.
Thanks brewer 12345, let me know about the Slix Shot's when you get them. I hear a lot of good things about them, Lyle likes them it sounds. I still have factory nipples. I think to myself, why do I buy a revolver with factory nipples only to change them out? Oh well, I guess I'm just cheap. :rofl:
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I bought a set of slix shots because the 11s I have (RWS, CCI, REM) don't fit well on my factory Uberti nipples. I am lazy and just using up my Rem 10s, but when I get down to the last tin it will get stashed and I will start fooling with figuring out a slix and 11s combo that works well. It is now hunting season, so between that and the winter coming in, it is unlikely I will get to it before the spring.
 
brewer12345 said:
I bought a set of slix shots because the 11s I have (RWS, CCI, REM) don't fit well on my factory Uberti nipples. I am lazy and just using up my Rem 10s, but when I get down to the last tin it will get stashed and I will start fooling with figuring out a slix and 11s combo that works well. It is now hunting season, so between that and the winter coming in, it is unlikely I will get to it before the spring.
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Well thank goodness it's not really an expensive upgrade. Plus they are stainless steel if I remember correctly?
 
AR. Hillbilly said:
Ok I’ve located everything I need locally to try this thing out. I have just a couple more questions.
first a big thank you to each of you for helping a beginner in the BP world.
I’m gonna buy some pyrodex p to start out with. What’s the max safe load for a brass frame ?
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MAX safe load on a brasser is 25 gr 3F or Pyro P. But don't feed it a steady diet.
Minimum would probably be 15-18 and they will seem pretty anemic and POI will be noticeably lower @25 yards.
 
AR. Hillbilly said:
How about pyrodex P? I called around and found some locally. I haven’t found FFF yet.
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You ever get up to Mountain Home, AR?

Bob's Guns & Sporting Goods
209 S College St, Mountain Home, AR 72653
(870) 425-7979

Carries real black powder.

If you want to keep driving north from there, we can get together and shoot sometime. I'm in Theodosia, MO. Gainesville, MO has 2 free use Conservation Ranges at Caney Mountain. 1 for black powder and one modern firearms.

I'll be down in your area twice this month. Going to the Rendezvous in the Ozarks weekend at Byrd's Off Road Park. Then the following weekend, I'll be in Eureka Springs for a Mini Cooper meet.
 
Hillbilly, a lot of great advice so far. Hopefully you find these below similarly useful.

If you shoot your C&B revolver a fair amount you might find it useful to make up a reloading stand. It is handy for freeing up that other hand for more useful jobs than just holding the gun so the powder and ball doesn't tip and fall onto the ground or bench :D

The stand shown was done about 10 years ago in a hurry literally the evening before a cowboy action match. It's fairly crude but it works so I've never got around to replacing it. It was made from a length of 2x6 originally in less than an hour. Finish and other mods were added later on. For the last mod about 4 years back, I replaced the original 1/4" bolt that required a socket and ratchet to break it down with the stud and wing nut shown above.

I did load directly from the flask for the first few years. No "surprises" which I'm thankful for... But I rapidly transitioned to using a set of five .30-30 Win cases or a set of five .375Win cases (straight wall so a slight less risk if things go FOOF! ). I use 5 so I can keep count of how many are loaded. CAS limits us to 5 loaded chambers. Only showing one for now. As they are filled they fit into the holes as shown.

Also included is a cut down .223Rem which removed the neck and shoulder. For your 20gn loads this would be a nice transfer case size too. Provided the neck of your spout on the flask fits... .It looks a little tight now that I look at it again.... The .30-30 and 375Win or 38-55 cases work because the flask spout fits into the casing mouths and the casing mouths then also fit into the mouth of the chambers on the .44. So no spillage.

The stand also serves with aiding to ram the balls home by providing a steadier spot with less risk of damage to the butt end of the grips and frame vs jamming it against the firing bench at the range.

If you look around there's a fair number of good looking DIY revolver stands. Pick one that suits your tools and comfort level.

P1040279.JPG P1040280.JPG
 
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