Which Little Critter Gitter?

[rodwha]

Which, in your opinion would make the ideal Little Critter Gitter and plinking gun within 25 yds?

I like the idea of something fairly lightweight and compact ('62 Colt Pocket) as I figure it might make a nice carry piece if/when backpacking in a Federal park.

But I also like the idea of a Colt Navy. I've even considered how it might be great to buy a replacement Pietta barrel and find which shoots the best and have the other cut in half. Many claim the Colt Navy is simply the best pointer and ought to be in one's collection.

But I must admit that I like the safety notches on the Remington. And having an Old Army has softened me up to it's ugliness.

And then there is the Spiller & Burr, which, from what I have gathered, but have has some dispute, is the best of both the Colt and Remington. The way I understand it is that they seemed to have looked at the strengths and weaknesses of both and took the stronger parts and built their pistol. Sounds great! But I don't care much for the idea of a brass frame, and, though I see Pietta makes a stainless/nickle version, I can't seem to find one for sale.

Then there is the Traditions .32 cal Crockett. This had begun as my idea of the best small game pistol, but I've read nothing but bad things about it's accuracy.

And finally I could just use the money spent on a new pistol and accessories on many more .457" RB's and just use my Old Army. It would help me be even more proficient with it... But who doesn't need more guns???

Or should I be considering something else?

 

[St8LineGunsmith]

I am partial to the "fake" 8" 1858 Remington's

 

[rodwha]

What do you mean by fake 8"? Is there a .36 cal Remington repro with an 8" barrel?

 

[Majes]

Colt 32 Pocket

 

[St8LineGunsmith]

What do you mean by fake 8"? Is there a .36 cal Remington repro with an 8" barrel?

'Fake" 1858 Remington New Army Revolver with 8" barrel
I dont know that they make a "Fake" Remington model with an 8" barrel in .36" the reason i use the word *fake " is to tease another member who always uses the word when referring to the Colt and Remington copys.

 

[St8LineGunsmith]

OH BTW fix your poll Remington did not make a 1858 Navy it was an 1858 Army and it was a .44"

 

[Gordon]

You want a .36 and the 62 Pocket one is pretty compact.

 

[rodwha]

Not that I trust anything on wiki, but this is what they say:

"The Remington Navy revolver was slightly smaller framed than the Army, and in .36 caliber with an 7.375 inch [Beals Navy 7.5 inch] barrel length."

I've read somewhere (historical?) that Remington made a "Navy" version. Maybe they just meant "Navy" caliber?

So you think a Remington .44 caliber is called for?

 

[rodwha]

Majes: I felt a .31 cal Pocket model would be a fair candidate were a longer barrel easily had. It would certainly be more efficient.
I've also considered the NAA Mini Earl 22 "mag", but I dunno...

I eventually figured a .36 cal would be better in that it packed a little more whollop and could double for other purposes.

I do like the idea of a "Pocket" model, but .31 cal is just so weak. Seems a .36 cal would be more useful.

 

[CraigC]

I voted for the '51/'61 Navy, although a longer `62 Police would probably do fine. Either way you'll need a taller front sight. Bouncing cans is one thing but you really need more precision for small game hunting. It's tough enough connecting on small targets with good sights through the brush, let alone doing it with miniscule sights that are regulated for 200yds.

 

[Jaymo]

I'd like to vote for the Spiller & Burr, but the 62 colt police feels so good in the hand, and is very handy.
If you could find an adjustable sight version of the .36 cal remington, it would be a good one.
I don't know if they make such a specimen, though.


Scratch that. Go with a Pedersoli 20 gauge Howdah Pistol. You can use birdshot for small game, buckshot for whatever, and round ball for big critters.

 

[Dellbert]

You would be better served with the Remington New Navy Police in .36 cal Reason being you can hit what you shoot at with them. Uberti makes the best size gun. If money is a problem Pietta makes good guns now days. You'd like them once you get your hands on one. Colt pistols are ok and look great but all of them shoot high and if you want to get in the field in a hurry the Remmies are the easest to sight in buy taking 1/16 th to 1/8 th of an inch off the front sight and the guns shot to POA all day long.

 

[Foto Joe]

Although I think that the 1860 Army is probably the sexiest revolver that Mr. Colt ever had anything to do with as far as looks, I've gotta say that the '51 just fits me best.

But I must admit that I like the safety notches on the Remington.

With the exception of the Walker/Dragoon series each Colts pattern reproduction has the ability to be "safed" in the same manner as a Remmington by placing the hammer onto a pin between chambers. Incidently, the Colt Single Action Army may also be safed in much the same manner by placing the firing pin between case heads with the hammer completely down. I believe it was Ruger that started the load 5 and stay alive thing many years ago because a Ruger couldn't be safed with all six holes filled.

By the way: I refer to my "Fake" Navy because first off it's brass and secondly it's a 44. I would never assume to refer to it as a Colt Navy simply because it's pure and simple a "Fantasy Gun".

 

[St8LineGunsmith]

I believe the brass frame revolver was supposed to be a copy of the Schneider and Glassick made in the confederate states I believe it was made in Memphis Tennessee.

 

[72coupe]

This is my newly acquired 1862 Uberti Police with the 6 inch barrel. There is nothing special about it but I can keep 5 shots (cylinder full) in the black on the 25 yard pistol target and I am not a very good pistol shot. I think it would be a great little small game gun.

 

[rodwha]

Jaymo: Though a Howdah is awesome and I'd love to get one it's just far too much for a small game/plinking gun.

I'm not aware of a .36 cal Remington with adj sights.

CraigC: I've read that many file down and open up the sight in the hammer with good results.

Foto: From what I understand the Colt safety recess in the hammer often grabs the spent caps pulling them off of the nipple and dropping them into the works. I've read how people will fill in that recess. I'd be OK with leaving a chamber empty, though on a Pocket model it seems to diminish it's appeal. I've wondered if there was enough meat in there to make safety notches between the chambers. Hate to really disfigure a gun though.

Fot those of you that voted for the Crockett, do you own one? I'd like to know how accurate they are. I hear they aren't worth spending the money on.

I feel a need to own an 1858 .44 cal Sheriff's model, and were I to do so I feel I'd prefer owning a different model of pistol. But I read so many positive things about the 1858's.

 

[Pancho]

By now our forum will know about my prejudice toward the 62 Police so it will be no surprise that I voted for it. It is a love/hate relationship because the gun out of the box is fussy to shoot due to it's tendency to jam with capcrap. I've been working on improving that problem and have had some success to the point that it is now an enjoyable gun to carry on my walkabouts. Another reason I like the Colt Police is that I found an excellent,affordable holster maker that builds excellent military style flap holster that do a good job of protecting the gun when you are busting through the briar patches. The same leather smith makes a great shoulder rig for under $100 that would protect the gun completely from the low limbs and the thickets.

 

[rodwha]

Pancho: I would like to know what all you have done to improve your gun's function. I'm assuming that the problem is the safety recess in the hammer pulling the spent caps off.

That's the one thing that really keeps me from feeling a '62 Colt Pocket would really be what I'm after since it seems the best thing to do would be to fill in the hammer and leave a chamber empty.

Of those Pocket models I like the Navy better, but I don't care much for the scrolling on the cylinder, and so I like the fluted Police cylinder better.

 

[Foto Joe]

From what I understand the Colt safety recess in the hammer often grabs the spent caps pulling them off of the nipple and dropping them into the works. I've read how people will fill in that recess.

This is a subject that's gotten a fair amount of press here on THR but not one that I've really had much of a problem with on any of my guns. My personal opinion is that the problem probably stems from possibly ill-fitting caps to nipples that have either eroded the flash hole too large or maybe a combination of the two. Also it kind of becomes second nature (at least for me) to give the gun a "slight" twist to the right when cocking. I'm not saying I've never had it happen but the occurance rate is extremely low. Of course after saying this, the first time my wife shot my 2nd Model Dragoon she pulled the hammer back and a chunk of cap wound its way all the way down between the block and cam and basically froze the gun.

I've never been tempted to "fill" that notch in the hammer but I know that there are serious shooters on this forum who have done just that. They say it works and I don't doubt them in the least, it just hasn't been an issue for me, maybe I'm just too slow of a shooter.

 

[Jaymo]

Everyone needs a Pedersoli Howdah and a Remington .44 Sheriff. They're both loads of fun to shoot.

I, too, would like to hear more about how to prevent cap jams with the 62 Police/Navy without filling the safety notch in the hammer. I'm not crazy about making my 5 shooter into a 4 shooter.

 

[Pancho]

Rodwa, The first step was to perform the Bates,Cumpston modification which increases the clearances to the left of the hammer recess. I am lousy at description but it was an easy task requiring only a dremel and a small grinding wheel. The second was to find nipples and caps that fit each other without pinching the cap or needing to set the nipples with a dowel. The TOW nipples worked well for me being purpose designed for the standard CCI #11 cap (not the magnum #11). The last thing I've done and as yet not tested is to have a set of TOW nipples vented with a 1/32 hole similar to the slic-nipples.
I've held off filling the safety recess in the hammer because I believe it is a reasonably safe way to carry five rounds using the flap style military holster. Let me state before the Remington guys jump all over me that the Remington tween round system is much more positive than the Colts system but with a proper holster the Colt system is adequate.
Lastly, I also like to take long treks in the bush and have found that the smaller,lighter the gun the more the pleasure. Although I haven't done it yet I've found a holster maker that makes a shoulder rig for the 62 Police that would keep my gun safe and secure from the briars and vines that have a way of finding a regular waist rig.

 

[Cosmoline]

Small game hunting with a pistol is interesting territory. It gets more interesting with C&B. From the experimenting I've done, you really have to rethink killing power. A .22 out of a sixgun is far less reliable a killer than a .22 out of a 20" barreled rifle. So depending on what critters you are after, you might want to amp the caliber up to .40 or .44. I've also found accuracy needs to be exceptional given the very small targets involved. FWIW

 

[rodwha]

Pancho: The trekking through the woods with a lighter gun is exactly why I figure one of these would be the ideal gun as we love backpacking.

 

[rodwha]

Cosmoline: The idea is for rabbits and squirrels mainly, along with plinking, but I suppose it could handle a coyote. Dunno how well it would do against a cougar though. Especially since it would most likely be loaded lighter for better accuracy.

 

[CraigC]

A .22 out of a sixgun is far less reliable a killer than a .22 out of a 20" barreled rifle.

Not really. You generally lose about 150-200fps from high velocity loads. If you consider 50yds max for the handgun and 100yds max for a rifle, there's very little difference between the two at the far end. Good loads still yield reliable expansion and good results.