I'm Starting to Get the C&B Itch...

I've got a like-new LH Investarms .54 that I am thinking of selling or trading for a nice cap and ball pistol. But I'm having a hard time deciding which one to get first. I want it to be nicely balanced, and minute-of-soda-can-accurate to 25 yards or so. I haven't decided between .36 or .44 yet.

Which model in each of these two calibers would you recommend? I know my criteria is not very specific, but that is the best I can do at the moment. Basically I'm just excited about the idea of getting a great c&B pistol and want some input about which models have become your favorites over the years and why.

Many thanks and good day,

Kevin

The guns are very accurate, but you have to aim UNDER the target to hit it where you want to, so don't be fooled into a false sense of security thinking that all you do is aim & pull the trigger. How good you are with a C&B pistol depends upon how good of a shot you are period! If you're a good pistol shot now with loads of experience, then it won't take you an entire box of balls to figure out where the thing is shooting and why. And where to point it to hit what you want!

And why are you giving-up the rifle? Is that the only rifle you own?

Dave

The various Pietta Remington .44's that are available from Cabela's probably represent the "best value" on the entire planet Earth.
That doesn't mean that there aren't better or more expensive models to chose from. But hands down they're the best bang for the buck. Their cost goes up and down $20 or so depending on whether they're listed as being on sale, or if they have a shipping promotion or not.
However Cabela's has a no questions asked return policy and looking at the number of their sales and the many favorable user reviews, the Pietta Remington .44's have the highest overall level of customer satisfaction.
For a novice to buy another brand or model would be a decision totally based on their own personal preference and finances which no one could possibly predict for another person.
There are no bad choices to be made among any of the C&B's anyway. But buying one of the Cabela's Pietta Remington .44's is indisputably the most popular choice for an American's 1st C&B purchase. A person can't go wrong because if they don't like it they can simply send it back. And its price could very well be inexpensive enough to not need to sell off another gun in order to afford it.

smokin .50 said:

The guns are very accurate, but you have to aim UNDER the target to hit it where you want to, so don't be fooled into a false sense of security thinking that all you do is aim & pull the trigger. How good you are with a C&B pistol depends upon how good of a shot you are period! If you're a good pistol shot now with loads of experience, then it won't take you an entire box of balls to figure out where the thing is shooting and why. And where to point it to hit what you want!

And why are you giving-up the rifle? Is that the only rifle you own?

Dave

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Dave and articap, thanks for your insightful answers. Fortunately I am already a very good pistol shot, even with heavier calibers, so my question about accuracy was about the inherent capabilities of the various repros available today.

Dave I am selling the .54 because I do have another plains-style rifle that I enjoy more.

You know there's a lot of issues, namely accuracy, reliability, quality and cost.
Not every model covers all of the bases.
In the final analysis it comes down to personal comfort and preference.
Every model/caliber has it's strong and weak points.
Besides the Remingtons, there's Ruger, Rogers & Spencer, Colt 1860, Walker, the list goes on and on...
Which is not to like as a 1st choice? :hatsoff:

arcticap said:

Besides the Remingtons, there's Ruger, Rogers & Spencer, Colt 1860, Walker, the list goes on and on...
Which is not to like as a 1st choice? :hatsoff:

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Good Luck! After the first one, you'll want another and another. Oh and by the way, after you sell your rifle you will want to replace it also. :rotf:

HH 60

hawken hunter 60 said:

arcticap said:

Besides the Remingtons, there's Ruger, Rogers & Spencer, Colt 1860, Walker, the list goes on and on...
Which is not to like as a 1st choice? :hatsoff:

Click to expand...

Good Luck! After the first one, you'll want another and another. Oh and by the way, after you sell your rifle you will want to replace it also. :rotf:

HH 60

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Yes, the additional pistol and rifle replacement fantasies are already in the works!

For my first c&b, the Uberti 2nd Model Dragoon, 1861 Navy, 1860 Army, and that Cabelas 1858 Remmie are all looking pretty good. Oh my...

Great choices... The dragoon and the 1860 army are my favorites. I'm a big fan of the larger calibers. And I like the looks of the open top revolvers. :thumbsup:

HH 60

The Uberti Colt 1861 is a beautiful looking gun, and very accurate for your needs. It's a .36 cal, and great for target and small game.

If you have big hands. The Uberti Colt 1860 .44 cal should be your choice.

Both will make a Pietta look like a toy.

Its my opinion that the Ruger "old army" is the highest quality c&b revolver still fairly plentifull on the used market . The biggest problem is its not HC/PC . And also the price for a good used one would buy two repros. I"ve had a couple of Colts open frames and really enjoy shooting them .44cal. Never shot a remington repro. so can"t comment on those. Hope to pick up a used one in the near future so I can compare it to the Colt design . :thumbsup:

Colts are cooler looking. Remingtons are much easier to exchange cylinders in a hurry. I think they tend to be a shade moore accurate. The Colt's rear sight is the v notch in the hammer nose.

I would really like a 36, but the 44 is easier to find fodder for. More stopping power in the event of hunting, self defense or just eliminating varmints.

By far the smoothest quality is Ruger. I love mine. So far this year, Mr. Ruger and I have sent 3 woodchucks to the hay field in the sky.

Watch out though, they multiply like rats in a corn bin.

If I could only have one :barf: it would be the Ruger. If cost was a major concern (& origonality not); a "Target" Remington. I like most of them & they all have their place. I probably handle my '51 Navy more than the others because I love the feel. I like to tinker & the Italian repo's are a great platform to play with.

Capper said:

The Uberti Colt 1861 is a beautiful looking gun, and very accurate for your needs. It's a .36 cal, and great for target and small game.

If you have big hands. The Uberti Colt 1860 .44 cal should be your choice.

Both will make a Pietta look like a toy.

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My hands are a good honest medium size, I reckon to go with my medium height. I've got my paw's paws, I like to say.

I hope not to open up a can of flaming worms, but I take it that Uberti tends to be higher in quality and authenticity than Pietta?

Yes.

Get the Uberti Colt 1861. You won't be sorry.
http://www.uberti.com/firearms/army_navy_and_pocket_navy.php

Yes Capper that is a fine looking pistol!

Drawbacks of the Colt design are that they tend to need more replacement parts over time and/or home gunsmithing work performed on them.
And their actions can also get jammed up more frequently due to cap fragments.
But the Colts can also run longer without the cylinder pin (or arbor) needing to be lubed as frequently as the Remingtons require. But that's the trade-off for the increased reliability of the Remington which generally don't skip a beat.
And the Remingtons can't match the more comfortable ergonomic grip of the Colt 1851 and 1860, which in turn is offset by the 1858's better sighting plane and/or target sights.

I have shot my Uberti 3rd MOD. Dragoon over 400 times and so far,for me, nothing has broken on it, just the loading lever drop that is chronic with this pistol. I too like my 1858, but my biggest problem is the arbor pin getting stuck after I shoot it a awhile. I've tried olive oil but no joy,still gets stuck, mutton tallow helps a bit, but I am unaware of any HC lube that will solve this glitch. Anyone know of a fix for this,other than constantly cleaning ?? :idunno:
nilo52

One fix is too install a custom bushing at the front of the cylinder like the Ruger and Rogers & Spencer has. That helps to prevent the cylinder pin from sticking by blocking hot gases coming from the chamber blast.
Since I load off the frame using a loading press and swap cylinders with each reloading, lubing and wiping the pin is convenient at that point.
But a higher viscosity grease may last longer and not dissipate as easily.

Nilo: I didn't realize that the loading lever was an issue on the 3rd Model Dragoon. I know it is on the Walker. Phooey.

just seen a pic in the black powder hand book of a walker that had a little wire clip soildered on the bottom of a walker barrel to keep the lever from dropping! pretty neat setup it was attached far to the rear and the wire clip was catching the lever where it shoulderd up in size