Video: shooting Pietta's "Navy Yank" .44 revolver

[1KPerDay]

This is a quick video I shot today of a range session with my Pietta "fantasy gun," a steel framed, .44 caliber colt navy. Pietta makes this, well... I guess because they can. The cylinder is the same as a .44 Colt Army, as is the frame, but the barrel and loading lever are upsized versions of the 1851 Navy in .36. The grip frame is the Navy sized frame so some people may prefer that over the larger Army grip frame.

I like this pistol, as I prefer the thump of the .44 blackpowder pistols. I prefer the Army overall, as I like the larger grip frame, but this thing is a hoot.

Video for any interested. If not, no biggie.

 

[Crawdad1]

Good video, great shooting guy!!!!

trigger guard and backstrap.

 

[PainlessWolf]

Good evenin'
I echo Crawdad to say thank you for the informative video and showing the fun that can be had along with some impressive Kentucky style windage.. A Blackpowder revolver does not need to be historical or a replica of such to be just plain fun to shoot.
regards!

 

[daboyleroy]

Range in the basement?

 

[45 Dragoon]

Nice job!!

And, I'd be "skeerd" if I were a ruffian!!! Nice to have a private indoor range!!

Mike

 

[Armored farmer]

Very nice.
Don't be showing everyone how much fun bp revolvers are!

 

[1KPerDay]

Range in the basement?

batcave

 

[daboyleroy]

batcave

Gotta LOVE that short walk
Yelling upstairs....”honey come take a look at this”. “You are no going to believe
It but”,,,,,,,

 

[bannockburn]

1KPerDay

Loved the video and your Batcave!

 

[drobs]

Nice shooting.
You might consider picking up a $150 brass frame sheriff with the shorter barrel just for the barrel assembly.

I like your backstop should make recovering the lead easier. You might look into casting ball ammo - lot cheaper than buying Hornady.

 

[expat_alaska]

Very nice shooting!

Nice shooting.
You might consider picking up a $150 brass frame sheriff with the shorter barrel just for the barrel assembly.

OK, then what's he gonna do with a rebated cylinder and cut water table brasser frame? Make a faux .44 S&G from the leftovers?

Sorry, I don't understand that line of logic.

Maybe not-so-historical re-enactors would entertain that.

I want mine to be as historically accurate as possible with repros even if they have the Pietta billboards on the barrel.

That includes the G&G, S&G, L&R, 2nd Model and 3rd Model 1851 Navy, and a project I am working on which is a Rigdon and Ansley 12-stop-slot cylinder, all in .36.

Whatever trips your trigger.

Jim

 

[1KPerDay]

Nice shooting.
You might look into casting ball ammo - lot cheaper than buying Hornady.

I have a lead pot but lead is expensive now. I should get a round ball mold for sure. I have some WW ingots but not sure they'd be soft enough for BP. I have some .457s that were tumbled in graphite and they're hard to seat and I'm afraid I'm going to break something. Maybe have some tin or antimony in them.

 

[drobs]

Very nice shooting!



OK, then what's he gonna do with a rebated cylinder and cut water table brasser frame? Make a faux .44 S&G from the leftovers?

Sorry, I don't understand that line of logic.

Maybe not-so-historical re-enactors would entertain that.

I want mine to be as historically accurate as possible with repros even if they have the Pietta billboards on the barrel.

That includes the G&G, S&G, L&R, 2nd Model and 3rd Model 1851 Navy, and a project I am working on which is a Rigdon and Ansley 12-stop-slot cylinder, all in .36.

Whatever trips your trigger.

Jim

I don't get overly hung up on fantasy vs historical. While the majority of my collection is historic, a fantasy short barrel 44 sheriff is a real handy gun to have if you're gonna carry it around.
Keep the internal parts and sell the brass frame or use the brass frame with the longer barrel. $150 for a complete gun is way cheaper than what the barrel alone can be had for as parts from Taylors.

I have a lead pot but lead is expensive now. I should get a round ball mold for sure. I have some WW ingots but not sure they'd be soft enough for BP. I have some .457s that were tumbled in graphite and they're hard to seat and I'm afraid I'm going to break something. Maybe have some tin or antimony in them.

I should've prefaced that by saying I don't cast yet as I'm still overseas and don't have time for casting or for that matter reloading on my short vacations.

Learned about casting watching this fella's videos:

(note the above video and following videos are on range scrap lead)
He makes a point of melting scrap range lead into ingots 1st and then adding those ingots to his separate casting pot.

I'm thinking you should be able to recover range scrap lead from your backstop easier than I'd be able to recover it from my hill. From my research, most FMJ projectiles have soft lead under the jacket as the jacket provides the hardness to the bullet. Cutting into that jacket with bolt cutters gives you some real nice lead to re-use from your own range.

 

[expat_alaska]

I don't get overly hung up on fantasy vs historical. While the majority of my collection is historic, a fantasy short barrel 44 sheriff is a real handy gun to have if you're gonna carry it around.
Keep the internal parts and sell the brass frame or use the brass frame with the longer barrel. $150 for a complete gun is way cheaper than what the barrel alone can be had for as parts from Taylors.

I guess that would be a workaround, and I agree that Taylor's or VTI charges a lot for parts, much more so than going your route.

I stand down.

Jim

 

[perldog007]

Good call Jim. I got to handle a "sheriff's Model Navy Yank 44' once with the short barrel and brass frame. I was loaded 22gr ffg/wad/454 ball and was akin to a mild .38 on paper and twice as much fun in real life. Although my bill boarded 1860 is my fave handgun of all time. I like Pietta they usually come pre-scratched saves me the trouble of that first dent or scratch my guns always get from use.
However I am eternally grateful for 'purists' and the history they preserve even as we the unwashed profane it.

 

[expat_alaska]

I got to handle a "sheriff's Model Navy Yank 44'' once with the short barrel and brass frame. I was loaded 22gr ffg/wad/454 ball and was akin to a mild .38 on paper and twice as much fun in real life. Although my bill boarded 1860 is my fave handgun of all time. I like Pietta they usually come pre-scratched saves me the trouble of that first dent or scratch my guns always get from use.
However I am eternally grateful for 'purists' and the history they preserve even as we the unwashed profane it.

All of my Piettas were ordered online from Cabela's and all arrived pristine from the factory/distributor via UPS. They were not in-store display seconds, and I am not inferring that your Piettas were.

If you are including me on that list of "purists" you might get a tongue-lashing from folks who collect 2nd Gen Colt repros, et al, and disdain most all other repro manufacturers.

There is a place in this hobby for all of us.

Carry on, gentlemen!

Jim