newb to BP

[AnthonyC.]

So I was thinking about getting a cap and ball revolver. Im not sure what I want yet. I was just wondering, has anyone here had any bad experiances with other people at the range or their friends "laughing" at your pistol becuase they shoot there "BadA** 45's" (if you know what I mean) and you are shooting a BP revolver or has everyone here had pretty good experiances?

Thanks

 

[Jamie C.]

If you want to get a BP gun to play with, why would you really give a flying rat's behind what anybody else may think of it?

The only "good experience" comes from you, not some other yo-yo that happens to be on the firing line with you.

Find a gun that appeals to you, ask whatever questions about it that come to mind, then decide for yourself if it sounds like something you'd enjoy. If it does, then it's time to buy one and find out if you were correct or not, through hands-on experience.

Most of us here have one or the other of various black powder guns, and although they may not appeal to others, they certainly seem to put a smile on our faces.

So... is there one or the other of the various models out there that have caught your eye?



J.C.

 

[Omnivore]

What Jamie C said, for sure. It would be a sign of poor character for anyone to turn up their nose and scoff at a classic firearm. I shoot ARs, AKs, auto pistols, the whole works, but anyone who's seen my cap and ball revolver has thought it was cool. Then when they see it fired, with all the smoke and sparks, along with the fact that the targets are being hit, they want to try it themselves. I'd figure they'd have something wrong with them otherwise. Who isn't interested in cool, old guns and who wouldn't like to know how to load and fire one?

Now I want to try something else, in addition to the more modern percussion cap system-- I've been covetously eyeballing several flintlock rifles! Plus I just took some classes over in western Washington, and one of the instructors had brought a flintlock pistol, in some huge, thumb-sized caliber. I really wanted to fire that thing, but alas-- no time.

 

[JCT]

Visit this site, they have nice informative videos on the features and history of the revolvers. Not that you have to go Ubeti, but they are a fine choice:http://www.uberti.com/firearms/walker.tpl

I love the Dragoons myself, I have the 3rd model with the military cuts for a shoulder stock.
Some people favor the Remingtons, some the colts. Some like the modern, non historical, "Ruger Old Army"
Bring a Walker to your range, load 60 grains of real BP, and noone will dare to laugh, they may drop their toy guns and run though. It's really a handheld cannon and a real blast to shoot!
All the BP revolvers have a few calibers to choose from, .45, .31, .36... I like loading buckshot in the Dragoon every now and then as well. The old "Texas Ranger Load" if I remember correctly was 3 #0 buck with a .45 round ball on top. Hard to miss your target that way!

 

[Titanvk56]

I have been shooting bp for about a year now and since then my cartridge handguns have been collecting a lot of dust….it's very addictive.

Most people at the range that are not interested in bp shooting will generally leave once you start to fill the firing line up full of smoke...at least that has been my experience anyway.

And the people who are interested will usually come over and see what you are shooting and before you know it you will have a new shooting buddy.

There's nothing like 2 or 3 of you shooting bp at the same time....talk about clearing the range!

Gotta love it!

 

[Cap n Ball]

At the range they know what sort of firearms I shoot and they usually give me a lane thats next to the ventilators so the smoke clears fairly fast. People are curious when they hear that big BOOM! They also wonder why I hose down the lane about twenty feet until they see the tounge of flame and sparks leap out with each shot. No one has ever put me down for shooting BP and I'm never critical of their tupperware guns either.

 

[dwave]

Could do like I tell one of my friends when he makes fun of my "primitive" guns. I always tell him I would get one like his if they made them in men's sizes.

 

[alucard0822]

Smoke pole's are a lot of fun, and actually fairly economical to shoot. I would sugest a steel frame 1860 army, 1851 navy, or 1858 remington to start with. Uberti revolvers are very nice, and not too expensive, and can be shipped to your door in most states. Dixie gun works has just about everything you need to get started. I like 777 powder as it meters well, is fairly accurate, and most importantly, it cleans up with hot water. I bring a BP gun almost every time I go to the range, most people think it's cool, a couple people don't care for the smoke, but noone has given me a hard time about it. If those 45 fanboys would give me any lip, I would challenge them to outshoot my walker at 100yds, keep in mind it was the most powerful handgun untill the 30s when 357mag overtook it, and can print 6" groups at 100yds with some practice, is legal to hunt deer with in MD, and anyone who has ever seen The outlaw Josie Wales will recognize that beheamoth instantly. Take the plunge, and happy shooting

 

[stalkingbear]

ruger

Get yourself a stainless ruger old army. It's THE most accurate,toughest,and overall best quality cap n ball on market.

 

[Shureshot]

I've never had anyone make fun of me at the range. Ususally, they will come over to watch, and many times, I even let people fire my pistols and rifles. I have created a few more BP shooters this way.

I even enter Turkey Shoots, Skeet and Shooting Tournaments with my muzzleloaders. I have a Navy Arms 12 ga. s x s shotgun, A Pedersoli Sharpes .54 sniper-rifle, a Pedersoli .72 Kodiak Express double-rifle, a Thompson Hawkin .50, a Pietta 1861 Navy revolver (.36), and a Pietta 1851 "Sheriffs Model" .44 revolver. I got rid of all my convential firearms years ago and now shoot exlcusively primitive firearms and archery. I've never regretted it.

Semper Fi!

 

[bigbadgun]

I like taking my Walker to the range first for the looks you get when you are loading the "Hand Howitzer" then after you fire a couple cylinders people start to ask questions and make good comments never had any bad comments. But I always tell the range officers when I am shooting BP and ask if they can set me a little further away from everybody so as not to smoke them out. And keep in mind I shoot at outdoor ranges just for that reason.

 

[alucard0822]

I like taking my Walker to the range first for the looks you get when you are loading the "Hand Howitzer" then after you fire a couple cylinders people start to ask questions and make good comments never had any bad comments.

Its amazing how powerful and accurate a revolver designed over 150years ago can be. Black powder pistols also tend to have fairly light recoil, the slow rate of fire, and the delay in firing after the trigger is pulled can help to make you a better shot, if you develop a flinch you can see it plain as day, and learn fairly easily to correct for it. I always bring a BP gun, or 22 when I shoot, as I can go through an obscene pile of CF auto loader ammo in a fairly short ammount of time, a 22 or BP revolver also helps me calm down a flinch from shooting a lot of heavy loads in my 44mag. Because of the relatively uninfringed ease and convienence that you can buy BP guns, you can build quite a nice collection fairly quickly. With different calibers, all that you need is basically the correct size bullets or balls, adjust the measure down, and most of the time use the same #10 or #11 caps. BP handguns normally range from 22-45cal for revolvers, but single shots can be as big as 75cal.

 

[Zeke/PA]

I would certainly go with the Ruger Old Army.
Well made, adjustable sights,super accurate and available in stainless if you prefer.
Zeke

 

[ROAshooter]

+ on the Old Army

 

[AirForceShooter]

Laugh at me???
Not hardly. They line up to shoot it.

BP, the orginal reloading.

AFS

 

[4v50 Gary]

I've had some complaints about my Ruger Old Army in my younger school days. When a group of us went to the range and all the firing positions were filled, the first spot open was mine. I load up the Old Army with as much powder as I could and then top it off with plenty of grease. Pretty soon, people would start leaving because of me. Apparently, they didn't want to get their nice guns dirty and greasy. Then my friends would fill the empty positions and I could put the Ruger away and pull out the S&W M15 instead.

 

[Pancho]

Shurshot, do you have a part number for the dual sites. I'd like to install them on my CVA xpress.

 

[Shureshot]

Shurshot, do you have a part number for the dual sites. I'd like to install them on my CVA xpress.

I'm checking on it. I'll get back to you ASAP.

Semper Fi!

 

[brentn]

I started by picking what I liked, what looked good. I had NO idea what I was doing, all I knew was how it worked.

The best part about just flying into this, is that it doesn't cost a fortune. If you make a mistake, its a terrible gun, you hate it, what-have-you, its only a couple hundred bucks, not 800$.

I bought a navy revolver in .44 and abused it somewhat, and found out later that back in the day, there was no such thing as a .44 navy, only a .36.
Point being, I had this revolver that had never seen original production, and it was beat to hell. I spent about 150$ and made another one, no problem.

Really want to buy an 1858, then a starr double action, finally a SAA.
Theres also this really nice carbine revolver, full stock permanently attached to the revolver with an 11" barrel I believe. Looks like a lot of fun to try to hunt with

 

[BP Tess]

Well, speaking of being laughed at...try being a woman and walk out on the range with all of my BP gear, set up and have a 5 yr old right there by my side watching Mom shoot her 58 urberti. That draws alot of attention...maybe laughts at first, but after I load up and fire that first cylinder full mostly all you see are jaws drop. I love to shoot BP, and those who laugh are probably just trying to hide their curosity. Teresa