Selling black powder handguns

[Scoupe]

Derby

I was pretty amazed to see the big ragged holes that my 1860 tore in a 50 gallon drum one day at my buddy's farm. 45 ACP and .357 poked clean holes and the old BP .44 ripped big jagged ones. I believe that these were indeed decent stopping loads.

 

[Tylden]

Just curious....were the .45 ACP and .357 loads hollow points ? What did the exit holes look like ? I have no doubt the lead balls had decent stopping power as they expand pretty well on impact. I know I'd hate to be on the business end of one.

 

[CARRY'IN]

I am a practical person and cap and ball revolvers seem to me to be very practical weapons. Relatively economical, lethal, and historically very cool. Not many civilian gunfights go past 6 rounds and require quick reloading (and if you have a remington repro just switch cylinders). Some problems but nothing insurmountable.

 

[Hawken50]

i've noticed the same thing on thin sheet metal. fmj, jhp and even rln rounds seem to punch through, while soft lead round ball tend to rip and tear thier way through. like the diffrence between stabbing a milk carton with a ice pick and hitting one with a hammer. i'd guess it's a result of the higher velocity of the modern rounds.

I am a practical person and cap and ball revolvers seem to me to be very practical weapons. Relatively economical, lethal, and historically very cool. Not many civilian gunfights go past 6 rounds and require quick reloading (and if you have a remington repro just switch cylinders). Some problems but nothing insurmountable.

i'd say the one thing you're over looking is reliability. while modern guns are pretty much idiot proof, cap and ball weapons (and to an even greater extent flintlocks) are only as reliable as the person loading it and the componets used. most of use will probably only see a handfull of misfires in modern weapons in good condition in our entire lives. i am an avid black powder shooter and it's not uncommon to have a handful of misfires in a single range session.

 

[Malamute]

"...(and if you have a remington repro just switch cylinders)...."

It was not uncommon in the Civil War era to carry spare cylinders for Colt pistols for reloading the gun quickly. When mounted, the rider would drive the barrel wedge out with the saddle horn, remove the barrel, swap cylinders, and reassemble the barrel. It was quicker than it sounded, but one had to be focused on what they were doing to pull it off.

Carrying a loaded, capped cylinder loose is not to be recomended in general. It was done in those days because it was the only practical way to reload quickly, other than carrying more guns,(which was also done) Dropping a loaded capped cylinder is in effect dropping a loaded gun that WILL quite likely fire when dropped a certain way. Perhaps even more dangerous than dropping a gun.The cylinder will most likely shoot up at some angle if/when it fires. Think about how it would have to be oriented to hit a cap on the ground, and it could be pointed a you or someone else when that happened.

Keith mentioned that some Civil War cavalrymen sometimes carried numerous sixguns into battle. I don't recall the number he stated, but believe it was up to a half dozen pistols on them and their horse. The "New York reload" isn't new.

 

[CARRY'IN]

it's not uncommon to have a handful of misfires in a single range session.

I would think if you load the thing right that would not happen.

 

[warbirdlover]

Guy in small town in Wisconsin has a black powder gun shop in a building connected to his garage and does okay. Sell stuff you can't easily buy on the internet!! Black powder, Pyrodex etc.

 

[Jim K]

For the purposes of understanding the law, you have to define "black powder handgun." Many states don't consider percussion or flintlock guns to be handguns under sales and purchase permit laws, but do consider cartridge guns (whether made in the BP era or not) to come under those laws. There may be other issues. For example, in MD, most percussion revolvers do not come under the state law in regard to purchase as the law exempts antique percussion handguns and "replicas". But the Ruger Old Army, not a replica of any antique, is regulated just like a modern cartridge handgun.

As far as carrying or using in a crime, the law usually says "weapon" or "firearm", and definitely includes muzzle loading antiques and replicas, as well as BP cartridge guns.

Jim

 

[Hawken50]

I would think if you load the thing right that would not happen.

you're right. it's just that there's alot more variables that with factory loaded ammo. powder gets damp, caps sometimes don't work for a few diffrent reasons. and as far as getting the gun dirty, one shot with black is probably more fouling than 500 rounds of Wolf. then theres thing you cant control. i usually fire a 51 navy and one problem that pistol has had since it's invention is during firing pieces of the cap will fall into the action, jamming up the hammer. i've had that happen on my first shot more than once.

don't get me wrong, their idocincrocies (sp) are why i love cap and ball weapons.

something i ment to put in my first post- for hunting, i use a percussion or flinter more often that a modern gun and as far as for home defence, a bp weapon is far from useless. if i didn't have access to a modern firearm my .50 cal hawken (hence my screen name)and 51 navy would be next in line.