Colt "Signature Series" 1861 Musket

[Russianblood]

I just acquired a beautiful Colt "Signature Series" 1861 Rifled Musket. It's in excellent shape but the front sight is a modern dovetail base with a fiber optic front sight. I need to find an original style front sight for it and have a gunsmith install it.

Now for the shooting part. I bought a Lee Original Style .575-500 Minie Ball mould and lubed them with a bee's wax/olive oil mix. I plan to start with 50gr 2f and work up from there.

Does anybody else here have one of these muskets and what loadings are you using in them? I've heard they have the original 1:72 progressive style rifling in them. I haven't really been able to find much information about these muskets. If anybody can point me in the right direction for information about these, I'd really appreciate it.

 

[Russianblood]

Well, the front sight ramp fell off while trying to remove the dovetailed sight. I have two different original style front sights on order now from Dixie Gun Works. One with original height blade and one with extra tall blade for better sighting in.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Most of these rifles like a heavy Minie, but only experience will tell you that. My '63 Springfield and '53 Enfield like the 560 grain Lyman Minie. I think the number is 575-213 but I'm not sure. Track carries the mold.

 

[silverfox]

If you are going to do much shooting use the taller site. The lower sightes are military battle sights for shooting at long ranges. Today we use these rifles mostly under 125yards and need the taller sight to get a good POI.
Fox :thumbsup:

 

[jdstrang]

Hawkeye:

You don't say what you want to do with it, but might I suggest you start with 45 grains and work up from there to no more than 60 grains? This genre of rifled muskets responds well to several charges in that spectrum.

If it's target work you have in mind, 45 or so will be plenty. If it's Michigan whitetails, you don't need anything more than 60. Those big minies do all the work for you, once they get lumbering. Much more than 60, and you risk blowing the skirt and losing all pretense of accuracy.

Again, this is one of the firearms that has a lot of devotees in the North-South Skirmish Assn. You might go to our bulletin board ( http://www.n-ssa.net/phpbb/ ) and search Civil War Small Arms for "Colt signature", or sign up (it's free) and post your questions there.

Also, I don't know where in Michigan your town is, but there is a series of over-winter black powder shoots called "Black Powder Through the Ages," at a range near Ypsilanti, to which all black powder shooters are welcomed. It's not N-SSA, but you'd be welcome there and they are hosted and attended by several knowledgeable N-SSA shooters. Check the Northwest Territory section of the above-linked bulletin board for info on those shoots...

 

[Russianblood]

I plan on using it mainly for Whitetails but with round ball, I can use it at my ML club's woods walk. And I'll go with the taller front sight. I'm looking to be able to hit between 25 - 100yds. And I will stick to the 45-60gr range as well. Is 2f or 3f better? I have a good supply of both.

 

[jdstrang]

Is 2f or 3f better? I have a good supply of both.

That debate rages without a definitive answer. Proponents of 3f argue for lesser equivalent charges, more consistency and less fouling. Proponents of 2f have other arguments. Personally, I use 3f. Some really good shots use 2. I'd say play around with both and pick what you like.

 

[Russianblood]

Here are some pictures of it:

 

[RonT]

cautionary note... check the sling pins, the one on the front of the trigger guard backed out of mine. Only luck and a magnet on-a-stick borrowed from the landowner saved the day.
How's the trigger pull BTW?
R

 

[Russianblood]

How's the trigger pull BTW?
R

I don't know yet. I haven't fired it. I'll check the pins next time I get it out. Thanks.

 

[59sharps]

Mine likes 38 gr 3fffg swiss or 42 of 3fffg goex under a minie sized 580. beeswax olive oil 50/50.
46 of 2ffg goex works ok but not as well as the 3fffg.
3 for 4 on 6" tiles at 100yrds and 6 for 8 clay pigions at 50yrds this past weekend
I also beleave the barrels and parts are armi sports, assembled by colt in there plant.
you may also find that when you put a patch down it it may want to stick at the bottom. some barrels have been threaded s longer than the breach plug.

 

[Russianblood]

Thanks for the loads! :thumbsup: When I ran a patch down the bore, it didn't hang up at all. Very smooth to the breech.