Dave Markowitz
Member
I picked up two London Gray Rogers & Spencers from Dixie Gun Works last week and shot one on Saturday. I've been holding off on posting this range report because one is for myself but the other is a birthday gift for my dad, THR member RON in PA. I didn't want to spill the beans before I gave him his revolver. His birthday is next week but I gave it to him tonight since I wasn't sure if I'd seen him before then.
I shot my new Euroarms Rogers & Spencer percussion revolver last Saturday. My range trip went mostly smoothly and I am happy with my purchase.
Before loading the gun for the first time, I snapped a cap on each nipple to make sure they were clear of any oil. I used Remington No.11 caps, which were a bit too large. So, when I shot live rounds I switched to CCI No.10 caps, which fit the nipples properly.
One design feature of the R&S is the two-piece cylinder pin nut that holds the loading lever in. It has a semicircular cutout on the outer piece, perpendicular to the screw. This allows removal of the cylinder base pin and loading rod. However, if it is turned the wrong way it allows the loading lever to back out while you are seating a ball. That happened to me as I was seating the second ball. (The piece did not come with a detailed manual so I discovered the purpose of this feature after I got home from the range, when I found a PDF of the manual for Feinwerkbau's R&S replica.) When I tried to unscrew the cylinder pin nut screw I managed to shear off its head. (Part RS09 on this exploded view. I was able to get the cylinder base pin back into place, and the cylinder pin nut stayed in due to friction, so I was able to shoot the gun today.
The R&S shoots nicely. I setup an IDPA target at 25 yards, with an orange sticker in the center for a defined point of aim. Shooting with a two hand hold, I was able to keep most of the 32 shots fired in an area the size of the -1 zone, with most of them in an an area the size of the -0 zone. I have to say that you don't appreciate how truly bad the sights are until you shoot the gun. The front sight is a tapered brass peg, while the rear is a V-notch milled into the top strap.
My loads consisted of a Hornaday swaged pure lead .457" round ball, a Wonder Wad, and 28 grains of 3Fg Goex black powder, ignited by CCI No.10 caps. I did bring a pound of Hodgdon Triple Seven BP substitute but didn't get a chance to try it. All rounds fired on the first hit, except for one where I failed to fully seat the cap. That round went off on the second hit.
The gun shoots high at 25 yards with the 28 grain load; it's probably zeroed for 50 or 75 yards, which was typical of 19th Century percussion revolvers.
Recoil is mild with the 28 grain charge. The gun rolls in your grip, and there's more room between the handle and the back of the trigger guard than with Remingtons, so my knuckle didn't get whacked.
The Rogers & Spencer design handles spent caps and powder fouling extremely well. In my experience, Colts are most vulnerable to jams from cap fragments, with Remingtons and the Ruger Old Army less so. The R&S seems to be mostly immune, due to the generously sized nipple recesses milled into the back of the cylinder.
It also handles powder fouling extremely well. Even after 32 rounds there was very minimal dragging from the fouling. When I cleaned the gun later I also noticed less than expected fouling inside the frame. I'm sure I could have fired at least 12 to 18 more shots through the gun before it needed cleaning. In contrast, with my Remingtons I typically have to clean and relube the cylinder base pin after 18 to 24 shots.
I was very pleased to see that the loading lever did not drop even once over the course of 32 rounds. The only other percussion revolver I've shot that retains the loading lever in the closed position as well is the Ruger Old Army. The Colts and Remingtons I've shot all dropped the lever every so often when shooting heavy loads. This of course jams the gun when the rammer enters a chamber.
The London Gray nickel finish cleans up pretty easily. One neat feature I noticed when I had the grips off is that the hammer has a roller bearing on the hammer spring. This no doubt contributes to the smooth action.
Aside from the soft screws I'm very pleased with the Rogers & Spencer. Every so often the topic of using a cap and ball revolver for defense comes up on web bulletin board, mainly in the context of persons who cannot buy a more suitable modern gun due to age, local laws, or fantasy SHTF scenarios. If I were to play along with one of these "what-if" threads, I'd be sorely tempted to choose the Rogers & Spencer for two reasons: (a) the secure loading lever latch, and (b) lack of cap jams.
I ordered two new cylinder pin locking screws from Dixie, along with more No.10 caps and other supplies. If you like shooting percussion revolvers and haven't tried a Rogers & Spencer you owe it to yourself to check one out.
I shot my new Euroarms Rogers & Spencer percussion revolver last Saturday. My range trip went mostly smoothly and I am happy with my purchase.
Before loading the gun for the first time, I snapped a cap on each nipple to make sure they were clear of any oil. I used Remington No.11 caps, which were a bit too large. So, when I shot live rounds I switched to CCI No.10 caps, which fit the nipples properly.
One design feature of the R&S is the two-piece cylinder pin nut that holds the loading lever in. It has a semicircular cutout on the outer piece, perpendicular to the screw. This allows removal of the cylinder base pin and loading rod. However, if it is turned the wrong way it allows the loading lever to back out while you are seating a ball. That happened to me as I was seating the second ball. (The piece did not come with a detailed manual so I discovered the purpose of this feature after I got home from the range, when I found a PDF of the manual for Feinwerkbau's R&S replica.) When I tried to unscrew the cylinder pin nut screw I managed to shear off its head. (Part RS09 on this exploded view. I was able to get the cylinder base pin back into place, and the cylinder pin nut stayed in due to friction, so I was able to shoot the gun today.
The R&S shoots nicely. I setup an IDPA target at 25 yards, with an orange sticker in the center for a defined point of aim. Shooting with a two hand hold, I was able to keep most of the 32 shots fired in an area the size of the -1 zone, with most of them in an an area the size of the -0 zone. I have to say that you don't appreciate how truly bad the sights are until you shoot the gun. The front sight is a tapered brass peg, while the rear is a V-notch milled into the top strap.
My loads consisted of a Hornaday swaged pure lead .457" round ball, a Wonder Wad, and 28 grains of 3Fg Goex black powder, ignited by CCI No.10 caps. I did bring a pound of Hodgdon Triple Seven BP substitute but didn't get a chance to try it. All rounds fired on the first hit, except for one where I failed to fully seat the cap. That round went off on the second hit.
The gun shoots high at 25 yards with the 28 grain load; it's probably zeroed for 50 or 75 yards, which was typical of 19th Century percussion revolvers.
Recoil is mild with the 28 grain charge. The gun rolls in your grip, and there's more room between the handle and the back of the trigger guard than with Remingtons, so my knuckle didn't get whacked.
The Rogers & Spencer design handles spent caps and powder fouling extremely well. In my experience, Colts are most vulnerable to jams from cap fragments, with Remingtons and the Ruger Old Army less so. The R&S seems to be mostly immune, due to the generously sized nipple recesses milled into the back of the cylinder.
It also handles powder fouling extremely well. Even after 32 rounds there was very minimal dragging from the fouling. When I cleaned the gun later I also noticed less than expected fouling inside the frame. I'm sure I could have fired at least 12 to 18 more shots through the gun before it needed cleaning. In contrast, with my Remingtons I typically have to clean and relube the cylinder base pin after 18 to 24 shots.
I was very pleased to see that the loading lever did not drop even once over the course of 32 rounds. The only other percussion revolver I've shot that retains the loading lever in the closed position as well is the Ruger Old Army. The Colts and Remingtons I've shot all dropped the lever every so often when shooting heavy loads. This of course jams the gun when the rammer enters a chamber.
The London Gray nickel finish cleans up pretty easily. One neat feature I noticed when I had the grips off is that the hammer has a roller bearing on the hammer spring. This no doubt contributes to the smooth action.
Aside from the soft screws I'm very pleased with the Rogers & Spencer. Every so often the topic of using a cap and ball revolver for defense comes up on web bulletin board, mainly in the context of persons who cannot buy a more suitable modern gun due to age, local laws, or fantasy SHTF scenarios. If I were to play along with one of these "what-if" threads, I'd be sorely tempted to choose the Rogers & Spencer for two reasons: (a) the secure loading lever latch, and (b) lack of cap jams.
I ordered two new cylinder pin locking screws from Dixie, along with more No.10 caps and other supplies. If you like shooting percussion revolvers and haven't tried a Rogers & Spencer you owe it to yourself to check one out.
