1851 Navy & beginner

1861 said:

Anyway, I was quite surprised afterwards with a smell from revolver - I didn't expect it to be that strong and of that type (similar to feces).

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I had to chuckle when I read this. I have never thought that black powder smoke smelled like that, but then I remembered that your European diet may be significantly different from mine here in New Mexico.

I am sure glad that you finally got to shoot it. The perceived lack of recoil is due to the fact that the 1851 is a pretty good sized handgun for .36 caliber.

You also my friend.

New Years Eve - midnight, ought to allow you to fire off the gun again. Please just powder and wad - no ball. That's my plans - if I'm still awake.

1861 said:

Does this scene from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly make any sense?
View attachment 770357

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Yes it does. Remember at the cemetery he also had a rifle, a Sharps rifle, on his horse that Clint Eastwood used to cut the rope.

I only know two things about the ubitquitous Pietta "ugly duck tail" brass bottomed steel fram'd 18-50&01 model Navy belt pistol.
1. I do not want to be hit in the belt area with one loaded any way at all.
2. Mine is my favorite next to my girl in my avatar after 33 years a shootist from Glocks to flintlocks.
PostScript: I only came here to learn about the 1858 steel framed Pietta replica. Mine is now my BBQ Gun unfired still after two years. I love my Colt Replicas, the 1860 is my favorite handgun of all time from any period at any price. I retired a Model 25-5 and replaced it with the 198 dollar 1860 replica. The 25 went to a fine man in Colorado who works for the V.A. getting vets to their care. At a great price too.
This all happened to me because I read posts by CrawDad1 !!! Be careful, he is the stealth sidewinder here! If you get bit by his silly Colt bug you're done! Ask me how I know as I go back and forth between which replica I'm saving for next. He's a bad bad influence
*****#PSA CoolDill is another kettle of fish entirely. He is responsible for my long gun and smooth bore fetishes... and flintlock addiction... bad bad influences these boys are

1861, I was wondering how things were progressing for you and then saw your post. Good that you have had the chance to shoot again. Know that you are taking a chance and do hope you don't end up spending a night in jail because of it. Sure makes me grateful for where I happen to live.
Good luck my friend.

Good and bad things about any place one lives. I have thought of spending my retirement years in other places but when I research the firearms laws especially for foreigners I have yet to find a suitable location. Guess I will just stay where I am.

I love the 36 cal cap n ball revolvers so much more than the 44. There is just something fun about them.

1861 said:

But what exactly is the difference?
I still have only one revolver and it's .36, so I don't know.
I'll tell you why I bought .36. I could have ordered and cap & ball revolver from France, but I choose .36 because it has THICKER STEEL. The barrel and the cylinder has more steel and less empty space and that looks more awesome to me. I'm a visual type of person and I fall for the looks, whether we talk about women, audio gear, cars or guns. So smaller holes and thicker walls is what I like on .36 compared to .44. And as a bonus, there's a satisfaction in knowing that .36 is historically correct caliber for my 1851 Navy... and it's cheaper to load .36 than .44 (cheaper balls and less powder).

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It just seems so much more primitive IMO even though it's really not.

1861 said:

WHY would it seem more primitive??? It's exactly the same mechanism. Everyone says that the recoil is almost the same, it's probably just a bit louder, that's all. Am I missing something here?

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44 cap n ball guns are far more generic and abundant. People even use some of the abominations out there with adjustable sights to hunt with. While there are plenty of 44 cal replica revolvers out there, the 36 cal is a completely outdated caliber that unless your into black powder, you probably don't even know about it. It seems more primitive for the same reason a 44-40 lever rifle seems more primitive than a 44 mag lever rifle. 36 cal is a piece of history that ran it's course a LONG time ago.

Bigmike79 said:

44 cap n ball guns are far more generic and abundant. People even use some of the abominations out there with adjustable sights to hunt with. While there are plenty of 44 cal replica revolvers out there, the 36 cal is a completely outdated caliber that unless your into black powder, you probably don't even know about it. It seems more primitive for the same reason a 44-40 lever rifle seems more primitive than a 44 mag lever rifle. 36 cal is a piece of history that ran it's course a LONG time ago.

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Actually .36 is really .38 due to a change in how bore dia is measured. And .44 is really .45

I believe I read somewhere that the Army was the first Colt that had a kick!!

Mike

Kaeto said:

Actually .36 is really .38 due to a change in how bore dia is measured. And .44 is really .45

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Gee whiz, maybe that's why the make 38 special and 45 LC conversion cylinders for old cap n ball revolvers

THIS IS HUGE..........Who would have thought?

There's no way a .36 has the same recoil as a .44.

I guess I see it differently as far as caliber. I've always preferred large calibers over smaller, but then I also am a hunter and just don't feel a .36 has quite what's necessary, especially were it used to trail a wounded hog.

But that's not to say I don't like the .36 caliber. Though I don't yet own any I aim to starting with the Uberti Police. But I also feel I must one day own a Colt Navy just because I veryone seems to talk a lot about the grip design. I also really like the Spiller & Burr.

Oh, I forgot to mention, feeling that I should confess, I'd quite likely have the '51 Navy cylinder reamed to .40 and have the barrel sleeves to replicate the few Colt made for the military to test. Did I mention I like larger calibers? But even more so something designed to replicate something rare.

And quite frankly with the same number of shots I'm surprised the Navy didn't go with the .40 cal instead. Expense of lead and powder maybe? And certainly no horses or mules...

rodwha said:

There's no way a .36 has the same recoil as a .44.

I guess I see it differently as far as caliber. I've always preferred large calibers over smaller, but then I also am a hunter and just don't feel a .36 has quite what's necessary, especially were it used to trail a wounded hog.

But that's not to say I don't like the .36 caliber. Though I don't yet own any I aim to starting with the Uberti Police. But I also feel I must one day own a Colt Navy just because I veryone seems to talk a lot about the grip design. I also really like the Spiller & Burr.

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You will have some recoil with the Colt Pocket guns that the heavier Navies absorb.

44 Dave said:

You will have some recoil with the Colt Pocket guns that the heavier Navies absorb.

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I can certainly see a .36 pocket having a fair amount, but I can't see a '51 Navy recoiling the same as a '60 Army.

I understand HP's well and FMJ and WFN type bullets, but I'm at a loss for a good understanding of a ball or even a RN in comparison. The few RB ballistics gel results I've seen from a .44 show a small amount of permanent displacement but quickly become what appears to be a small track much like a round FMJ. I figure a RN is similar enough. Either of them will make a smaller permanent wound track compared to a WFN type bullet.

History shows us that the .38 Colt was a pathetic weapon in the Philippines and that round would basically be the same as the paper cartridges used during the Civil War, though those came with a pointy conical. Elmer Keith's CW buddies both claimed the ball was much more effective on people. I can see the ball creating a better wound vs an undersized wound from a pointy bullet.

Now with the unimpressive results I've seen from a ball I'm surprised the .36 was considered effective. I'd certainly prefer having had a .44 instead. Slightly heavier is worth the trade off, especially when paper cartridges were what was typically issued. And the .44 would be more effective on the horses and mules.

BullSlinger said:

Good and bad things about any place one lives. I have thought of spending my retirement years in other places but when I research the firearms laws especially for foreigners I have yet to find a suitable location. Guess I will just stay where I am.

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Where about in NM? I have been looking at moving there this year. My wife lived in Farmington for quite a while before we met.

dickydalton said:

Where about in NM? I have been looking at moving there this year. My wife lived in Farmington for quite a while before we met.

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I live in Valencia County, south of Albuquerque along the Rio Grande. An exciting place where we watch tumble weeds blow into the river and for real fun in the summer gather to watch the ground crack.