Traditions cap and ball revolvers are made by Pietta. Quality can vary, from abysmal to very good. In the past five years or so, quality for Pietta has improved from what it once was (generally so-so).
Pietta would be okay as a first gun.
Do NOT buy a brass-framed revolver.
Not only is the brass frame weaker (forget using Hodgdon 777 in it!) and requires lighter charges of black powder and Pyrodex than identical steel-framed revolvers, but brass-framed guns are almost always of lesser quality.
There's a reason why brass-framed revolvers are cheaper than steel-framed ones: less work is put into them, especially when it comes to fitting, polishing and the proper hardening of steel internal parts.
Uberti makes the best cap and ball revolvers in current production. The best Ubertis I've seen are those sold by Cimmaron Arms. Cimmaron hand-picks the best Ubertis, then smooths them up a bit. You pay a little more than a regular Uberti, but the quality is outstanding.
The Ruger Old Army is no longer produced, but an exceptionally well made revolver.
The Colt 2nd generation revolvers of the 1970s and 1980s were also very well made.
Later, the 3rd generation "Signature" series (with Samuel Colt's signature on the backstrap) suffered from unpredictable quality. Some were very high quality, others were terrible. Buying a Signature series 3rd generation is a gamble.
And no, reissue Colts (2nd and 3rd generation) are not entirely made by Uberti. The frames, barrels and a few other major parts were roughly made by Uberti, then shipped to the U.S.
Why?
Because Italian law requires that finished firearms be test-fired at the factory, then be stamped with the Italian proof mark to show they passed.
Knowing that American buyers would not stand for Italian proof marks on their Colt, a compromise was reached between Colt and Uberti: machine a few of the major components in Italy, ship them to Colt or its contractors (Iver Johnson was a Colt contractor) and Colt will ensure that the major parts are finished to Colt standards in the U.S.
Colt also ensured that smaller parts were made in the U.S. The 2nd and 3rd generation guns were finished and assembled in the U.S. They were NOT shipped as whole guns, as some claim, because of Italian laws.
Another no: Uberti did not purchase the old machinery to make Colt cap and ball revolvers. That machinery was long gone by the early 1970s, when the 1st generation revolvers appeared.
If I were you, as a first gun, I'd buy:
Pietta-made copy of the Remington 1858 Army in .44 caliber.
.454 lead balls
Black powder of FFFG grade, if you can get it, or Hodgdon Pyrodex P.
Remington Caps
Ox-Yoke Wonder Wads of .44/.45 caliber. Then soak the wads in Ol' Zip Patch Grease sold by Dixie Gun Works, or a 50/50 mix of Crisco and beeswax, melted together at low heat in a small, cheap saucepan from the thrift store.
If .380" diameter lead balls were more readily available to beginners, I'd suggest a .36 caliber revolver to save powder. But they're not, so I'd go with .44 caliber (Hornady and Speer both make .454 balls).
Search the net for my name, "Gatofeo" and "How to properly use a cap and ball revolver." Been posting that long article for years. I think it's also here, in the High Road.
But before you buy a cap and ball revolver, ask yourself if you're willing to dedicate the time to clean it, and keep it clean. If you're the type to neglect cleaning a modern gun, then black powder guns are not for you. Black powder, Pyrodex P, 777, and all the other black powder substitutes promote rust -- and quite quickly, especially in humid environments.
