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Cap and ball revolvers.What to buy

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I am thinking of buying either a 1860 Colt or 1858 Remington.I have read somewhere that one of them has trouble with caps jamming the action.What are the pros and cons of each model.
 
I have a '58. I've learned to flip the muzzle up when the cylinder rotates the fired cap into the cutout in the recoil sheild, the spent cap will fall off. Prevents jams.
 
Blizzard of '93 said:
I have a '58. I've learned to flip the muzzle up when the cylinder rotates the fired cap into the cutout in the recoil sheild, the spent cap will fall off. Prevents jams.

Yep point the muzzle up when cocking and the cap will fall out, at least most of the time, i like the Colts. :thumbsup:
 
the colts are nice to look at and play with. but for me i would take the remington. strongr better sights easier to clean. and a lot less likely to get jamed with a spent cap. in fact you will never get a cap to drop down into the innards like they can with a colt. i have had to take colts apart to get caps out of them.
 
I have been shooting various cap & ball revolvers since 1971.

The open tops are more prone to fired cap jamming the action. Trying various brands of caps will show you what works best in your revolver.

I prefer the 1851 Colt Navy, 2nd Generation, since the grip shape is identical to my favorite guns, Colt Single Action Armies.

You asked if you should get an 1860 or a 1858... think it comes down to your personal preference. Which one feels best in your hand and as you work the action. Also, which one is the best looking to you. Both are excellent types.

If you get hooked, you will probably eventually get both. Try to get a top quality brand like Uberti. If cost is primary, then shop around. The 1860's and 1858's from[url] cabelas.com[/url] are a good buy. Sometimes you can get a good buy at a local gunshow.

Good luck! :thumbsup:
 
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I currently have a Pietta '58 Remington in .36 caliber that I bought from Cabelas a few months ago. It is one accurate little pistol. Only thing I've done to it is lighten the trigger pull & lower the front sight to get it zeroed at 25yds.
Have had no trouble with caps jamming the action.
I've had a couple of Rogers & Spencer .44s in the past....great guns, but for my smaller hands the Remington is a more comfortable fit.
 
If they made the 1851 in .44 I would consider it.I think I prefer the .44 over the .36.
 
What I have always done, & am not sure what kind of response this will elicit from other forum members, is attach a shim to the section of the hammer directly below the full cock notch. I generally use a thin brass shim ( a small piece cut from a .fired .22 cartridge works fine & either soft solder or epoxy it in place. What in effect you are doing is reducing the amount of engagement between the hammer notch & the trigger. Of course, once you have the shim attached & have reassembled the revolver see if the hammer will hold on full cock or if slight pressure exerted on the rear of the hammer will make it fall. If either of the above occur you can take a small fine file & remove some of the shim's thickness. I have done this on a number of guns & it works fine & seems to last indefinately, plus the shim can be easilly removed if wished & no damage has been done.

By the way, I paid about $175 for my Rem. '58 from Cabelas about six months ago.
 
A friend of mine has one. It shoots pretty good although it shoots high like most of the repros. His is an older one though and i have heard that on the newer ones they have finally started putting a taller front sight on. Don't know that for sure though.
 
The 1860 i just bought from Cabela`s shoots right on at 20 yards, i think it`s the first one that i`ve owned that did. Maybe it`s saying somingthing for who`s making them, i`m sure pleased with mine.
I like the looks of the 58 with the short barrel, may have to try one of those rems. :v
 
Have shot quite a few different 58 Remington's. The Uberti's always seemed the best. Fondly remember a very early low serial number Lyman .36 Remington made by Uberti... very nice, perfect action, and all the main parts like the loading lever & cylinder were serial or assembly numbered to the gun.

Also, older Italian Remingtons have smaller grips and frames. If you have medium to large hands the newer Remington may fit your hand better.

One of my current Remington's is the large grip/frame .44 Uberti with the beautiful charcoal blue. Very high quality and a great shooter. :hatsoff:
 
I have the 1858 Remington 44 cal made by Pietta.
Its a great gun. It has the taller front sight.
I stripped it down and polished all the burs off the internal parts and it really improved the action.
I also removed the bluing, most of it anyway.
81033020.jpg
 
My second black powder gun was a steel framed 1851 in .44 caliber.

I shot this gun for many years and never had a problem with it. Then I got the Historical Correct bug and sold it.
The replacement .36 is a good gun too, but my advice is if you like the looks and the feel of a Colt open frame and you also want a .44, don't hesitate to buy it. :)

The most important thing to do regardless of what you buy is to try to get your hands on a Colt, and a Remington. They do feel very different when your aiming them and I think you will know when you have the "right" one in your hand.
zonie :)
 
I was able to shoot a 36 navy colt at the range.."let this guy shoot my bess in trade"


How cool...hardly any recoil it was alot of fun..

Though In canada you need wayyyyy to much documentation to own one.

I wont start on that.
 
Noticed that dial caliper there, a sign of a man that knows what he is about. "A clean work-bench is a sign of a sick mind"
 
Blizzard of '93 said:
Noticed that dial caliper there, a sign of a man that knows what he is about. "A clean work-bench is a sign of a sick mind"


I hear ya! When I get on a project my garage is a mess. I finally have to stop and clean when theres not one inch left of space.
 
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