I am hooked on cap & ball

I just gotta say this. Since I bought my first Colt 1860 Army .44 cal (Pietta)a year ago at Cabelas in Hammond Indiana. I now own two 1860's and am SERIOUSLY contemplating a Colt 1851 Navy in .36 cal. Aside from my Marlin lever guns. BP firearms(especially cap & ball) are about the only thing that turns my head anymore. They just ooze history and are so beautiful and have character,and they help me slow down my pace at the range and take time to actually enjoy my time at the range, unlike all the new plastic semi-auto guns that seem to be all the rage nowadays. Okay...I am done preaching now, just had to put that out there. :grin:

Congratulations. Just so you know, your obsession will only get stronger as time goes on. One day in the future you will wake up and discover that you have a closet (or gun safe) full of muzzleloaders of all shapes and sizes.

There is something about the smell of black powder and the smoke, boom and function that is addictive. I got hooked more than 40 years ago and have never been able to undo it. Being able to load powder, patch and ball or powder wad and ball, cap or fill the pan and have something that hits a target is almost mystical. It connects one to our ancestors and the history of this great nation.

I totally agree, Plus it forces you to become a better shot

Bravo 4-4 said:

...unlike all the new plastic semi-auto guns that seem to be all the rage nowadays. Okay...I am done preaching now, just had to put that out there. :grin:

Click to expand...

A whole year, eh? :hmm:

What took you so long? :idunno:

tac

C&B pistols are fun to shoot but can also be deadly as a backup when hunting during muzzleloading season. A 3 pt. buck didn't get away when I used my ROA as a second shot.

Yea...I hear you! I am pretty hooked too. Got a .44 Pietta Remmie with an extra cylinder that I almost cant go to bed with before I pull it outta the drawer of my bedside table to fondle. I shoot regular CF handguns to keep up practice more for a tool than anything else as I use it as a carry gun. But, once that is over, I can shoot and shoot with the ol' cap-n-ball! Some of my family has been drawn into it too. My 16 year old daughter can hit real good with it. I am going to try and carry it into the cedar swamps for some snowshoe hare hunting this winter too.
I also love that it doesn't cost too much to shoot.

Daniel

ayup - once you've smelled the smoke, you lose interest in tat centerfire bangety bangety bang stuff...

not that I don't support anyone's right to have all the centerfire stuff they want, it's just that it no longer has that much appeal to me anymore.

Bravo 4-4, You nailed much of why C&B revolvers, and BP guns as a group, are so attractive: history, looks, accuracy, and a slower, more appreciative pace of shooting. That slower pace of shooting is so enjoyable that much of my non-BP time at the range these days is with single-action revolvers and single shot Contenders. The contagion spreads. :thumbsup:

Jeff

I too am hooked on C&B revolvers, although my first experience wasn't very good. I was never able to remove 4 of the 6 nipples, even though I soaked them in Kroil. I took my new Uberti 1860 Army to the range for the first time Sunday. On my 3rd shot the front sight broke off. Contacted DGW and they will refund my money, so I ordered a replacement. Can't wait to try again. BTW, the first 2 shots at 25yds, where 6" high but made a 2" group

6 Shot,
Sorry to hear of your troubles at the range. It's pretty uncommon for those sorts of problems to show up. I have plenty of Uberti guns, and have not had any parts fall off!

All of the Colts will shoot about that high, it's just an issue we have to deal with. Some folks file out the rear sight a bit deeper (although there is only so far you can go), and some folks install a taller front sight.
I just deal with it.
The originals shot high as well. They are sighted in for longer range, I think somewhere near 75 yards, or so I have heard.
I have two original Colt Pocket Models in .31 Cal, and they shoot high. I have not yet shot my original 1851 Navy London Model, but I fully expect it to shoot about 5-6 inches high at 25 yards.

Glad that DGW will send you a replacement. I'm sure you'll buy more!
Cheers,
Chowmi

My FIE .31 pocket is dead on at 15 yds :grin:

Have you ever had a problem removing the nipples on a new Uberti?

I've had some that required a bit of heft to get them off, but never had any that wouldn't come out eventually. I don't think I have ever had to soak them in any sort of penetrating oil or lubricant.

One of my piettas nipples has always had a tight spot when I take that one out or put it back it will turn easily for part of the turn, but then catches and resists hard on the rest of the turn . Does this all the way in alternating that way. Sometimes feels like I am really forcing it, then gives suddenly for the rest of the turn. Not sure what the cause is

Daniel

Make them shoot to point of aim or you will always be guessing where to hold to compensate.
Yes the originals were made to shoot high as these where designed for use in the Civil War as man and horse killers in fast point shooting mode at cavalry ranges.
I made and replaced both the trigger and front sight in my 1860 Pietta and it will now hit what the sights line up on.

I sight my revolvers in the way an old, old gunsmith tought me when I was a youngster, now all mine shoot to point of aim using the original sights, colts are the most dificult, and take more work than remmies

care to share what the old gunsmith taught you?

sure, correct windage first, bo carefully filing on the barrel at the bottom where it joins the frame on the side in the direction rhe ball strikes, if it shoots right, remove metalfrom the righr side but keep the surface flat. that aligns the barrel for windage, very little metal needs to be removed. then elevation, remove a small amount from the forcing cone at the top face that contacts the cylinder when the wedge is tightened to raice impact. file the borrom keeping the same angle you used to correct windage, but that will have already lowered impact some. for a remmie using a barrel and frame wrench tighten or loosen the barrel a tiny amount to adjust windage, gams as a 1873 colt, and file the top of the frame at the rear and deepen the groove a little to lower impact, file down front sight to raise impact. remove metal slowly checking zero frequently reblue when finished

I'd much prefer keeping the chambers and barrel as concentric as possible and make a new front sight. Concentricity and alignment are essential elements to accuracy.
This is probably what the old timer was actually doing.
This is the one place a tight fitting range rod would actually be of some use.
Never did subscribe to moving the barrel off Top Dead Center to adjust for windage.
Again sights can be made and installed to compensate without messing with concentric and alignment which is key to best accuracy.
Plus who can stand to look at a front sight leaning off to one side or the other when lining up on a target.
I learned a long time ago that "Old" does equate to "correct" necessarily.
Open frame guns where designed to shoot high,it was not a flaw in construction.