I am looking for information on a MAX load for the 1858 Remington. I am not interested in knowing what a safe load for long term shooting is. I want to know how much powder (Pydrodex 3F) the 1858 can hold without blowing up. I have shot 40 grains out of it and I have a feeling it can handle more. Now I know if I do this several times the gun's life will be shortened and accuracy may fall off the stouter the charge. I am simply seeking the max load this revolver is capable of holding without blowing my person up.
1858 Remmy max load - Pydrodex P
- Thread starter ldlfh7
- Start date
- Status
RandyRay41
Member
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2013
- Messages
- 171
I believe it will hold as much as you can get in it. I'm sure others will disagree. But it will only hold so much powder. Probably 40 to 50 grains compressed very hard. I dont believe you can over load it where it will "blow up"
BullSlinger
Member
Brass or steel frame? Just wondering. You gun and your hands.
There is no way you are going to be unsafe with any amount of pyrodex in your gun. It will prolly shoot best with a good bit less than it will hold though. Even with T7 powder you cant over load it. A lot of people are saying you have to reduce T7 20% but that is what you need to do to get the equivilant to black powder, its not a safety thing. The only way you may run into trouble with any black powder or the substitutes is with 4F black powder. In todays sue happy world pyrodex or T7 would have to be safe with even a full chamber of it.
Busyhands94
Member
I've loaded stupidly huge charges in my gun, the cylinder gap looks fine and my hands have been building guns ever since that day. I can't say it blew me up or anything, that's a good load if you want to really blow a hole in something.
Max load in a 1858. If you fill the chamber full then push the ball in on top of that, that would be max load but it probably will not fire due to crushing the powder. If from there you slowly reduce the amount of powder untill it actually fires that would be the max load that fires. This can be very dangerous. If the powder doesn't burn due to being to compressed it my not push the ball out of the barrel(chamber pressure is very low due to crushed powder and lack of oxegen) and if you fire agian it can hurt you. I don't think you can "blow up" a 58 from over loading, from my exp. and allot of time with a chronograph I have found that once you have found the most accurate load in your 58 all the powder over that load is just a waist.
351 WINCHESTER
Member
Well, my Ruger fires every time when I fill the chambers with as much 777 or pyrodex and seat a round ball. I wonder why the 1858 would not fire with a max. load?
RPRNY
Member
The guiding factor is likely to be caps rather than cylinder volume/strength. You can likely get 43-45grs under ball in there and the frame will handle it fine. But unless you have aftermarket nipples, you will likely get blowback, caps jamming in the hammer slot and increased risk of chain fire. The flash hole at the chamber end of the factory nipples are too large for max charges. SLIXSHOTS, Treso and others offer more precision drilled nipples. You also may find that you can break the tip off the hand shooting these loads as they are often fairly brittle steel. $6 from Dixie and some godly filing to fit if it does go.
You will be getting hot 45 LC velocities @ 1100 fps with RB from an 8" with these charges. Enjoy. Be safe.
Sent from my KFOT using Tapatalk 2
You will be getting hot 45 LC velocities @ 1100 fps with RB from an 8" with these charges. Enjoy. Be safe.
Sent from my KFOT using Tapatalk 2
RPRNYis right, with heavy loads it is best to use good after market nipples. As far as that goes, its better to use after market nipples with light loads too. If you compare the flash holes on the back end of a factory nipple to those on good nipples like tresso's, it looks like with those tiny holes they would not ignite the powder well, but they do. I think everyone tries some heavy loads at one time or another, just cause its fun. But truth is 30grs of the better powders is a very nice load. I have been testing a lot of different loads with conicals though, and unlike round balls, they seem to do better with hot charges. I have pretty much settled on 35grs of T7 behind a Lee .450-200 bullet. I can get 40 grs behind it but i dont really see the need even for hunting.Iwould rather use some good swiss black when i am able to order the 25 pounds and hazmat fee.
BCRider
Member
Nor is the comment about oxygen/air being needed between the particles of the charge.
From all I've read here if you can get the ball in far enough to pass by the gap between cylinder and forcing cone then you'll be fine. Well... at least as far as the gun not blowing up goes. There's also some niggling safety concerns over the idea of blowing off adjacent caps and the risk of a chainfire as noted. I'd not have expected that but I could see it happening.
From all I've read here if you can get the ball in far enough to pass by the gap between cylinder and forcing cone then you'll be fine. Well... at least as far as the gun not blowing up goes. There's also some niggling safety concerns over the idea of blowing off adjacent caps and the risk of a chainfire as noted. I'd not have expected that but I could see it happening.
Busyhands94
Member
I tried loading some 73 grain bullets over 53 grains in my remington, all I got was a big fireball, a cloud of smoke, and some conicals that wouldn't hit a mule's @$$ if you were holding his tail.
Here's the bullets.
Here's the bullets.
WOW! 53 grains! 
was it with pyrodex or tripple 7?
Those are some weird looking conicals, how tight did they ram in?
What if you loaded those in with your 52 grains in the paper?
I noticed when i twisted a ball in with my charge they seem to fit a little tighter then just the ball itself.
was it with pyrodex or tripple 7?
Those are some weird looking conicals, how tight did they ram in?
What if you loaded those in with your 52 grains in the paper?
I noticed when i twisted a ball in with my charge they seem to fit a little tighter then just the ball itself.
RandyRay41
Member
- Joined
- Aug 13, 2013
- Messages
- 171
Never seen or heard of such a bullet. Interesting concept for close range, but I imagine the accuracy is terrible.
AJumbo
Member
My "max" loads for all of my percussion revolvers was determined by putting as much powder as I would fit behind the ball and still allow the ball to seat without standing on the loading lever. I don't lose caps to recoil or get chainfires. I don't use such loads all the time, but if my '58 or Old Army go with me on a hike or a ride, they are charged with 'oops, I'm out of room' powder charges.
For rolling beer cans around dirtbanks, I use just enough powder to ensure that there is no air between the ball and the powder.
I used to overthink all this stuff, too.... these days, I'd rather just shoot.
For rolling beer cans around dirtbanks, I use just enough powder to ensure that there is no air between the ball and the powder.
I used to overthink all this stuff, too.... these days, I'd rather just shoot.
Busyhands94
Member
I like to keep my .45 tucked away with the loads you mentioned AJumbo, just enough to fit the ball but that's about it. I don't use grease, just a bit of wax to seal it up good and tight. I've seen what they'll do to 1/4" mild steel, I've got no doubt they'll kill whatever I shoot (God forbid) I have to protect my own life. The deer here aren't too big and my gun shoots great with said loads, I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a deer or hog with one.
As for those tiny bullets, I've got a bag of them. They were cast by a fellow THRer with a custom mold.
I like to take a blowtorch to the base of crispy high brass .410 shotgun shells for a few seconds, pull the plastic out, prime and fill the brass base with BP, and seat one of those little guys on top. It makes for a pretty fun and mild load out of my Cobray derringer! It's very mild and sorta like shootn' .22's!
As for those tiny bullets, I've got a bag of them. They were cast by a fellow THRer with a custom mold.
I like to take a blowtorch to the base of crispy high brass .410 shotgun shells for a few seconds, pull the plastic out, prime and fill the brass base with BP, and seat one of those little guys on top. It makes for a pretty fun and mild load out of my Cobray derringer! It's very mild and sorta like shootn' .22's!
- Status
