Dance and Brother revolver

[Don]

Saving pocket change for a new toy.Either going to get a Plains pistol in .54, a rifle in .45 or another cap and ball revolver. Was looking through the Cabelas site and was intrigued by the Dance and Brothers revolver. Its a Pietta product which I have a lot of good experience with. Any of you gents have one? Do ya like it? Does it shoot well? What's the powder capacity? Tell me what ya know.

Don

 

[CaptainKirk]

Don; don't have any personal experience, but was told by one more knowledgeable than I that the Dance is inferior in balance to the Colts. Anyone else confirm/deny this?

 

[DanChamberlain]

Can't confirm or deny that...but the Dance does not have a recoil shield. I've never had a chain fire...but ifn I did, I'd not like to have those exposed caps at the rear of the cylinder shooting back at me.

Dan

 

[Stophel]

Ok, I am really likin' that Dance pistol. Looks like it's bigger than the '51/'60 Colts, but not quite as big as a Dragoon.... (though its weight is listed as less.. )

If I recall correctly (and I could easily be wrong, as this is not my time period) the Dance pistols were made in Texas.

 

[himem777]

What kind of load can it handle?

 

[Stophel]

Don't know. I'm gonna see if I can find a website for Pietta...

Not finding much useful so far...

 

[Kevin Makel]

What kind of load can it handle?

I was just looking at the picture on Cabelas website, looks 1860 Army size and not Dragoon size, I'd guess 30-35 grains. I could be wrong since my nearest Cabelas never has one in stock to look at.

 

[Zonie]

The Dance Brothers were given an exemption from duty if they would promise to build revolvers for the Confederacy.
They set up shop in Columbia in Brazoria County, Texas and built pistols in 1862-1863.

The first style was a .44 caliber, iron framed revolver with a round barrel on which was mounted a brass blade sight. The trigger guard and backstrap were brass.

The second style was also a .44, similar to the first style but it sported a octagon barrel.

These pistols were larger than the Colt 1851 Navy but smaller than Colts Dragoons.

A third, slightly smaller style was made in .36 caliber.

No one really knows the reason for the lack of a recoil shield however some feel that George Dance who designed the gun felt that the recoil shield on other revolvers contributed to chain firing by keeping the flame from the fired chamber right against the adjacent caps and nipples. It also caused jams from cap fragments (which Colt attempted to fix by adding the groove in the face of the recoil shields on his pistols). By eliminating the recoil shield it was felt that the reliability of the gun would be improved.

As another thought I can't help but think that the lack of a shield also reduced the amount of iron needed to make the guns might have also been considered to be important.

 

[hawkeye2]

Although larger than an Army and smaller than a Dragoon mine displays a ballance that can't be equaled by a Navy.

 

[hawkeye2]

Check this link:
http://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/fusionbb/showtopic.php?tid/253769/

 

[Norinco]

I heard the frames were made from boiler plate stock, which was only thick enough for everything but the recoil shield.

 

[Geraldo]

Although larger than an Army and smaller than a Dragoon mine displays a ballance that can't be equaled by a Navy.

The frame size is actually between a Dragoon and Army? From a manufacturing standpoint it's interesting that Pietta would have another frame size limited to the Dance alone. They can't be selling a ton of these, so I would have expected them to machine a round version of their .44 "Navy" barrel and use an 1860 frame with the recoil shield machined off.

At any rate, I'm interested in the Dance revolver now.

 

[mjn]

I have a Pietta Dance revolver and I like it a lot. Shoots great. Well made. I have eleven C&B revolvers, and the Dance is the only one that is not a Uberti.

 

[Don]

mjn

What is its powder capacity?

Don

 

[mjn]

What is its powder capacity?


The same as a 1860 .44.
I shoot 24gr. under a conical bullet, or 28gr. or so with a RB.

 

[Stophel]

I've been looking around, and it seems that the Pietta 44 Dance is the same size as the 51/60 colt. It even uses the same innards. Navy size grip frame. A real Dance is larger, but this one isn't. :wink:

 

[nkbj]

Can't confirm or deny that...but the Dance does not have a recoil shield. I've never had a chain fire...but ifn I did, I'd not like to have those exposed caps at the rear of the cylinder shooting back at me.

Dan

I'd like to have one and can't get past that same idea.

 

[mjn]

Can't confirm or deny that...but the Dance does not have a recoil shield. I've never had a chain fire...but ifn I did, I'd not like to have those exposed caps at the rear of the cylinder shooting back at me.

Dan

I'd like to have one and can't get past that same idea.

To each his own. I had one for years (stupidly sold it and just bought another one) and it's a great shooting revolver. Have never had any problems with it.

 

[Sham66]

Howdy!

Cabela's opened in Allen, TX last week and had the Pietta Dance on sale for $199. Had to have it.

Shoots great, no issues. But because of no recoil shield, the caps must be on tight!

And of course, because the store is new, and most of the employees are new, they wanted me to get in line to fill out the background check forms. Finally got a manager to sort it out

James

 

[Greg Hardy]

I have to agree with you on this Zonie. From all I have read on them, both reasons you noted were the same that Dance had for the omission of the recoil shield. They figured that with pieces of cap bouncing around in there, could cause a chain fire.