Colt Navy 1851 Shoulder Stock

Howdy all, a while back I purchased a shoulder stock I believe made by EMF company for the pietta 1851, from forum user kh54. I installed the longer screw set to affix the stock to, and tried to put it on with no success. It sat crooked and I couldn't even get the backstrap to hug the inside of the brass attachment point on the stock, meaning I also couldn't get the hook to set into place. After a while of having things collect dust, I took a fine file to the screw head that extends from the frame of the navy. This immediately fixed my issue with the gun not sitting straight, and remedied the problem of the backstrap not sitting flush on the stock as well. Work with the file was not finished however, as the black hook that goes through the stock and hooks onto the bottom of the navy grip would not fit into the stock with the gun in place. There is a small ledge on the inside of the brass for the stock that acts as a shelf for the hook base to sit on. I removed some of the "lip" off the hook base that catches this ledge, enough so that it will still sit on the ledge firmly, yet enough to allow the hook base to enter the cavity wit the gun in place. Forgive me if my grammer is poor but I find myself multitasking haha..anyhow the stock is finally sitting correctly and I can use it while shooting! Attached I have 2 photosof the navy, as well as a video I took last time I had a chance to shoot. Unfortunately it did start to rain pretty bad, but it was all good fun while it lasted.

My current shooting setup includes
Pietta 1851 Navy with slix shot cones
Number #11 caps
Graf and Sons black powder
.44 round balls
My homemade lubricating composition








-Poke

Eventually when I am more familiar with this site and have more time, I'd like to make a more refined post on this! Thanks for viewing.

Cowpoke, that's a great picture, it looks like fireworks, not black powder!

Pete453 said:

Cowpoke, that's a great picture, it looks like fireworks, not black powder!

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Thanks! I showed a buddy of mine who's interested in blackpowder stuff and he says it's, "the spark show of the century!"

Nice setup and great picture too. Now I'm thinking I've got to find a stock like that. My .44 has a 12 inch barrel and would be fun to shoot like that. Good job getting it all straightened out.

Hermit Tim said:

Nice setup and great picture too. Now I'm thinking I've got to find a stock like that. My .44 has a 12 inch barrel and would be fun to shoot like that. Good job getting it all straightened out.

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I'm fixing to buy myself a 12 inch barrel and see how much fun I can get up to with that haha! I wish you luck if you search for another one of these wooden stocks, they've become quite a challenge to find these days. However, there are some skeletal shoulder stocks made of metal, with the only catch to that being that your gun will have to have the cut in the recoil shield to allow it to sit. Thanks and I hope to see what all you get up to with that 44 of yours.

_cowpoke said:

I'm fixing to buy myself a 12 inch barrel and see how much fun I can get up to with that haha! I wish you luck if you search for another one of these wooden stocks, they've become quite a challenge to find these days. However, there are some skeletal shoulder stocks made of metal, with the only catch to that being that your gun will have to have the cut in the recoil shield to allow it to sit. Thanks and I hope to see what all you get up to with that 44 of yours.

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Thanks for the info. I'll be sure to post something if I find a stock. Might have to try to make one...

Works on a short barrel too!

B P Arn said:

Works on a short barrel too!

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That's just sweet there. Looks great.

B P Arn said:

Works on a short barrel too!

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Looks like a ton of fun! Thanks for sharing your stocked shorty

_cowpoke said:

I'm fixing to buy myself a 12 inch barrel and see how much fun I can get up to with that haha! I wish you luck if you search for another one of these wooden stocks, they've become quite a challenge to find these days. However, there are some skeletal shoulder stocks made of metal, with the only catch to that being that your gun will have to have the cut in the recoil shield to allow it to sit. Thanks and I hope to see what all you get up to with that 44 of yours.

Click to expand...

The skeletal stocks ive seen don't need the recoil shield cuts or extra (4th) screws on the frame, they only index off the longer hammer screw. The stock in the OP looks like it only indexes from the hammer screw, though most wood stocks look like they use the recoil shield cuts and extra 4th screws.

I believe the skeletal stocks were originally made for the model P pistols, erroneously called Buntlines, a term that didnt come about until later.

You have a shoulder stock that was made for the older Pietta's Navies that featured the badly misshapened "Pietta tail" grip frame mounted on the newer, revised and thankfully, more accurate Navy grip configuration...That's why there's an unsightly gap.

I thought about putting one on my sheriff, I was thinking about a shoulder stock too. But I stuck to my original plan, a Remington revolving carbine.
Be sure to show us pictures, you might inspire me to get after it again

Malamute said:

The skeletal stocks ive seen don't need the recoil shield cuts or extra (4th) screws on the frame, they only index off the longer hammer screw. The stock in the OP looks like it only indexes from the hammer screw, though most wood stocks look like they use the recoil shield cuts and extra 4th screws...

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Malamute is correct. The pictures below show my Griswold & Gunnison repro revolver and metal skeleton stock. No modifications of any kind are required, not even a notched pistol grip frame.

The stock came with two extra-long hammer screws; one for Pietta and thr other for Uberti.

I glued a small piece of thin leather on the piece that holds onto the bottom of the grip frame. This protects the soft frame, and might prevent the stock from slipping, although never has, even without the pad.

_cowpoke said:

Howdy all, a while back I purchased a shoulder stock I believe made by EMF company for the pietta 1851, from forum user kh54. I installed the longer screw set to affix the stock to, and tried to put it on with no success. It sat crooked and I couldn't even get the backstrap to hug the inside of the brass attachment point on the stock, meaning I also couldn't get the hook to set into place. After a while of having things collect dust, I took a fine file to the screw head that extends from the frame of the navy. This immediately fixed my issue with the gun not sitting straight, and remedied the problem of the backstrap not sitting flush on the stock as well. Work with the file was not finished however, as the black hook that goes through the stock and hooks onto the bottom of the navy grip would not fit into the stock with the gun in place. There is a small ledge on the inside of the brass for the stock that acts as a shelf for the hook base to sit on. I removed some of the "lip" off the hook base that catches this ledge, enough so that it will still sit on the ledge firmly, yet enough to allow the hook base to enter the cavity wit the gun in place. Forgive me if my grammer is poor but I find myself multitasking haha..anyhow the stock is finally sitting correctly and I can use it while shooting! Attached I have 2 photosof the navy, as well as a video I took last time I had a chance to shoot. Unfortunately it did start to rain pretty bad, but it was all good fun while it lasted.

My current shooting setup includes
Pietta 1851 Navy with slix shot cones
Number #11 caps
Graf and Sons black powder
.44 round balls
My homemade lubricating composition


View attachment 220879

View attachment 220877

View attachment 220878

-Poke

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How the heck did you get .44 balls into a Navy caliber pistol?


Seriously though… welcome to the site and thanks for sharing your video! Now, can you make one after full dark? The muzzle flash is very impressive…

_cowpoke said:

Howdy all, a while back I purchased a shoulder stock I believe made by EMF company for the pietta 1851, from forum user kh54. I installed the longer screw set to affix the stock to, and tried to put it on with no success. It sat crooked and I couldn't even get the backstrap to hug the inside of the brass attachment point on the stock, meaning I also couldn't get the hook to set into place. After a while of having things collect dust, I took a fine file to the screw head that extends from the frame of the navy. This immediately fixed my issue with the gun not sitting straight, and remedied the problem of the backstrap not sitting flush on the stock as well. Work with the file was not finished however, as the black hook that goes through the stock and hooks onto the bottom of the navy grip would not fit into the stock with the gun in place. There is a small ledge on the inside of the brass for the stock that acts as a shelf for the hook base to sit on. I removed some of the "lip" off the hook base that catches this ledge, enough so that it will still sit on the ledge firmly, yet enough to allow the hook base to enter the cavity wit the gun in place. Forgive me if my grammer is poor but I find myself multitasking haha..anyhow the stock is finally sitting correctly and I can use it while shooting! Attached I have 2 photosof the navy, as well as a video I took last time I had a chance to shoot. Unfortunately it did start to rain pretty bad, but it was all good fun while it lasted.

My current shooting setup includes
Pietta 1851 Navy with slix shot cones
Number #11 caps
Graf and Sons black powder
.44 round balls
My homemade lubricating composition


View attachment 220879

View attachment 220877

View attachment 220878

-Poke

Click to expand...

Wow!

BULL'S-EYE said:

You have a shoulder stock that was made for the older Pietta's Navies that featured the badly misshapened "Pietta tail" grip frame mounted on the newer, revised and thankfully, more accurate Navy grip configuration...That's why there's an unsightly gap.

Click to expand...

I hadn't considered that, thank you for your insight and for sharing!

Bad Karma said:

How the heck did you get .44 balls into a Navy caliber pistol?


Seriously though… welcome to the site and thanks for sharing your video! Now, can you make one after full dark? The muzzle flash is very impressive…

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Haha I know I need to get a 36 barrel and cylinder, but that'll be a while down the road.

Thanks! And yes I have a video I can share and a slow motion video of the sparks flying at dark. I'll be sure to share them in my next post.