Buddy brought his 36 cal 1861... This is cool

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Corpral_Agarn

Corpral_Agarn

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Okay so a buddy brought up his 36 cal 1861 yesterday.

A uberti steel frame.
We were using#11 caps and between 12 and 25 grains of powder with the felt wads.

This thing is an absolute hoot!

I'm seriously considering a brace of 36 cal 61's.

What can THR tell me about them? Should I be looking at another model? Pros/cons?

Comparing the 61 to my SAA I really thought the smaller size was fun and I don't need to do anything but punch paper (might try squirrels at some point) so the 36 seems just fun.

Thoughts and opinions welcome!
 
I have one and it has been nothing but fun!

I'm always amused by the caliber thing... In the old days, a .36 caliber pistol used .375 balls or bullets; in other words, a .38 caliber projectile. In modern times, our .38 pistols use .357 projectiles... .36 caliber. :) The old-time .36s are really .38s and the modern .38s are really .36s.

I know it's because of the change from the earliest cartridges using heeled bullets, but it's a interesting tidbit that people at the range are always surprised to hear. Most assume that a .36 caliber pistol is smaller than a .38.
 
The Colt 1861 Navy is believed by many to be the most attractive cap 'n' ball revolver ever made by Colt. I have three; a Uberti military version and civilian version and Pietta's military version. The later has a historically incorrect 8" barrel.
Both Ubertis are very nice ..... and I have a difficult time determining if I like the brass TG and BS or the blued steel versions .... :confused:
 
Owning a '51 in Navy caliber allows me to comment that I prefer the .44 caliber guns myself. You get big-bore excitement and performance in an inexpensive, historical package.
I honestly say that I have at least as much fun with my c&b revolvers as I do
cartridge guns.
Get a full sized gun for starters, because they're easier to load. However a shorter barrel sheriff's model might fit in your SAA rig.(something to consider)
I will make a wager that if you get one, you'll get more within the year.
20151218_180111.jpg
20190430_073211.jpg
 
I have 2 pietta 1861s with 5.5 inch barrels. One is a "1862 NYC metropolitan police" model with a half flutted cylinder and nickel plated trigger gaurd and back strap...but its just an 1861 with a short barrel and half flutted cylinder. Love them...pietta makes my favorite guns and my favorite to tune.
 
TheOutlawKid said:
I have 2 pietta 1861s with 5.5 inch barrels. One is a "1862 NYC metropolitan police" model with a half fluted cylinder and nickel plated trigger guard and back strap...but its just an 1861 with a short barrel and half fluted cylinder. Love them...Pietta makes my favorite guns and my favorite to tune.
Click to expand...

I also like Piettas for the same reason, as well as the ability to readily swap parts among the CNC 1851 Navy .36 "type" revolvers, to include the ability to re-create Confederate revolvers.

You have got to admit that Pietta does make some "off-the-wall" guns: 1851 Navy .36 "pepperbox", 1851 Navy .44 brass frame, 1862 Dance .44 (quite a story behind that one), 1861 Navy .36 Martial Model (which has an 8" barrel, 4-screw frame CFS but no aperture on the backstrap butt for a shoulder stock J-hook), all of the various revolver finishes and "bling" guns (see below), and on and on.

Pietta-1858-Remington-Bling-001.jpg

Regards,

Jim
 
Yeah pietta makes some random guns that arent historically correct...but i love their quality especially with guns dated 2016 and newer. They are by far my favorite to tune up. I do like that they offer their most of their models with shorter barrels as an option. Uberti doesnt.
 
The 1861 was called the Improved Navy by the factory. I agree, it is a big improvement over the 1851.


Kevin
 
JCooperfan1911 said:
The small .36 caliber guns are rather boring. I like to shoot the big bores, the army model .44s. So much more boom and smoke, far more powerful.
Click to expand...

Dont sell the .36 short...it can be very powerful and hard hitting and just as much if not more knock down power than a .44 round ball. I use conicals with a wide flat meplat that weigh 135-143 grains. These bullets weigh as much as a .44 round ball but have better sectional density and the flat meplat make it a better performing projectile. These bullet designs (kaido conicals and my own custom designs) on top of a full load (22-25 grains) energetic powder such as swiss, old Eynseford, and 777...will give you better performance than a .44 with roundball load. The good thing is that you can use these loads or go way down to a small 80 grain round ball with 12-15 grains. So you get a wide range of power, more so than a .44 army. Heres a link i love to shate that will show you what the .36 caliber is capable of with the bullet design mentioned above (kaido conical 140-143 grains)..

 
TheOutlawKid said:
Dont sell the .36 short...it can be very powerful and hard hitting and just as much if not more knock down power than a .44 round ball. I use conicals with a wide flat meplat that weigh 135-143 grains. These bullets weigh as much as a .44 round ball but have better sectional density and the flat meplat make it a better performing projectile. These bullet designs (kaido conicals and my own custom designs) on top of a full load (22-25 grains) energetic powder such as swiss, old Eynseford, and 777...will give you better performance than a .44 with roundball load. The good thing is that you can use these loads or go way down to a small 80 grain round ball with 12-15 grains. So you get a wide range of power, more so than a .44 army. Heres a link i love to shate that will show you what the .36 caliber is capable of with the bullet design mentioned above (kaido conical 140-143 grains)..

Click to expand...


You are comparing conicals and round balls. How is that fair?

A .44 conical will smoke a .36 conical, just as a .44 round ball is ballistically superior to the .36 round ball.
 
I was thinking 36 to stretch my powder a little further and I was under the impression that 36 could be loaded down the lowest.

I also figured that 36 balls, patches, etc would be a little more affordable?

I haven't done what I would consider a lot of research on purchases yet.
 
Make sure you get the Uberti version not the Pietta so it has the correct 7 1/2 inch barrel. Pietta just uses an 1860 Army barrel the Uberti is more correct and balances better.

I personally think the 1861 Navy is the prettiest handgun ever made. Elegant beautiful curves.
 
Corpral_Agarn said:
I was thinking 36 to stretch my powder a little further and I was under the impression that 36 could be loaded down the lowest.

I also figured that 36 balls, patches, etc would be a little more affordable?

I haven't done what I would consider a lot of research on purchases yet.
Click to expand...
Not a bad way to go. The navy is often recommended as a starter cap and ball gun. The 61 and 62 are about the prettiest guns ever made as well.
I prefer shooting my .44s because I like the thump, but my 51 is probably my most accurate so far. Go for it!
 
Issue with the Uberti is the short arbor thing....again. Pietta corrected it, they just need to correct other things. I really don't think they are too wrapped around the axle about historically correct pistols, close is good enough. I just enjoy shooting black powder stuff as long as it's not those zip gun things and it's somewhat close to the antique stuff.
 
JCooperfan1911 said:
You are comparing conicals and round balls. How is that fair?

A .44 conical will smoke a .36 conical, just as a .44 round ball is ballistically superior to the .36 round ball.
Click to expand...

Im not trying to be fair...of course a .44 conical will beat a .36...its a bigger bullet. What im trying to explain is that the .36 is no powder puff and can match and beat the standard .44 roundball load that most people with .44 cap and ball guns shoot. Lots of people are under the misconception that its a weak caliber not worth attention and pass the information to folks new to our hobby...when nothing could be further from the truth. The caliber can be extremely versatile...you can shoot a small 80 grain roundball with a light load and conserve powder and lead or you can shoot max powder with a heavy wide meplat conical that wil give your .44 a run for its money and make large holes and wound channels..with using only the same amount of lead as a .44 does at a minimum. The .44 isnt as versatile. Like i said...not trying to be fair...just trying to show that the .36 isnt some weak caliber that wont give you a big boom and that it can perform a little better than the .44 roundball. I want new shooters to know that it can perform very well instead of telling them to pass on the .36 and go straight and only to .44 , because if we dont inform them then they go on and tell other friends, famly members, other shooters, children getting into shooting...that the .36 isnt a caliber worth trying out because its weak.
 
Jackrabbit1957 said:
Issue with the Uberti is the short arbor thing....again. Pietta corrected it, they just need to correct other things. I really don't think they are too wrapped around the axle about historically correct pistols, close is good enough. I just enjoy shooting black powder stuff as long as it's not those zip gun things and it's somewhat close to the antique stuff.
Click to expand...
short arbor?

can you provide some more detail here, please?
 
Tommygunn said:
The Colt 1861 Navy is believed by many to be the most attractive cap 'n' ball revolver ever made by Colt. I have three; a Uberti military version and civilian version and Pietta's military version. The later has a historically incorrect 8" barrel.
Both Ubertis are very nice ..... and I have a difficult time determining if I like the brass TG and BS or the blued steel versions .... :confused:
Click to expand...
Well no. The 1860 Colts New Model Army is obviously the high water mark for percussion revolvers in all respects including aesthetically... :neener:

But yes, for the original poster, the 1861 Navy is a fantastic target gun, plinker, and small game getter! Everyone should have at least one or three!
 
Corpral_Agarn said:
short arbor?

can you provide some more detail here, please?
Click to expand...
The arbor, (some folks call it the cylinder pin.) The cylinder revolves around it. In many replica guns, and some original guns, the arbor doesn’t fully seat in the corresponding hole in the barrel assembly when the wedge is seated. Some people feel this is the end of the world and go to some lengths to “fix” it. Others shoot these revolvers with great success over 50 years without fixing their guns.
 
Corpral_Agarn said:
Okay so a buddy brought up his 36 cal 1861 yesterday.

A uberti steel frame.

Thoughts and opinions welcome!
Click to expand...

Were you guys loading .375 balls or .380 balls?
Some Ubertis seem to need .380 balls while other Ubertis don't.
The .380's need to be ordered from vendors that cast them unless casting them yourself.
The Piettas don't need .380's but some who own Pietta .36's do use them.
 
arcticap said:
Were you guys loading .375 balls or .380 balls?
Some Ubertis seem to need .380 balls while other Ubertis don't.
The .380's need to be ordered from vendors that cast them unless casting them yourself.
The Piettas don't need .380's but some who own Pietta .36's do use them.
Click to expand...
These were .375 balls.

At the distances we were shooting, it hit the targets.
 
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