Recommend 44 cap and ball revolver

[springfield art]

If you are looking for an entry level revolver I would recomend an 1858 Remington and don't buy a brass framed gun. The Colts are flashier and point better but have some issues that can be frustrating for a newbie. Nothing that can't be overcome but they can distract from the inital shooting experience. The Remington is easy to load and clean and it's free from cap jams. You don't have to worry about long or short arbor problems and the resulting barrel to cylinder gap as you do for most Colts. You will have to cap the Remington with your fingers but I have never found that to be troublesome. Once you have the correct diameter ball the only thing you have to worry about is finding a powder charge that suits you. Disclaimer: once you have advanced beyond the plinking stage you will find that all Italian revolvers will need some tweaking. Personally I go with Piettas over Uberties as they are cheaper (Cabela's) and seem to be of equal quality though I plan on having to do some work to any revolver anyway.

I saw an ad recently for a newly-designed percussion capper; ad said can now be used to cap all percussion revolvers; wonder if they work with the Remington as you mention above? Don't recall the maker, but was a re-design by a commonly known maker. Your comments are right on. Pay a bit more and get a steel-frame gun. Easier to re-sell in the future, too.

 

[hawkeye2]

Ted Cash makes a capper that alegedly works on a Remington. I bought one but haven't tried it as I'm so used to using my fingers. Of course there is the Polish capper but that's quite expensive. I didn't go into cappers as I figured the OP was inexperienced and didn't want to lead him to buy something which didn't work as is the case with most cappers. I have a Ted Cash snail capper which I used on my Rogers & Spencer for a few matches but set it aside and went back to my old school digital capper.

 

[bang]

I realize a brass frame is alot weaker than steel, but it can be extended or made to last longer if light loads and a loading press are used. I'm still fairly new at revolver shooting but I'm under the impression it's the "gorilla power" of loading the revolver with the loading lever that does alot of the stretching. Especially if oversized balls + big loads of powder are being loaded. I'm also of the opinion that a brass frame is better looking, to me anyway.

The pressure to properly operate the loading lever with correct size and composition of ball are not detrimental.
Issue of slightly bigger diameter not detrimental unless a cheater bar has to be used.
Macho over science powder loads are as well as not using pure lead projectiles.
I've seen in my time rem 1858 brass frames shot till the top strap was rubbing the cylinder. Colts that had severe barrel droop. What caused it I don't know. What had to cause it must be misuse, excessive charge, hard projectile, and possibly metallurgy and highly possible both.
Yes light loads and lower grn weight ball of pure soft lead will keep pressure down.
Vast majority of stretched brass frames I've seen were in 44cal. 36cal built on same base frame as 44 counterpart had higher serviceability.

 

[Eutycus]

I watched a video on YouTube recently.This kid didn't use a cheater bar but it made me cringe watching him. I'm pretty sure what he did could be called "misuse". I may be wrong but I feel he was using too much muscle to load his revolver. And what's sad is some adult who should know better showed him.

 

[bubba.50]

For class and plain old ‘cool factor’ the 1860 Colt replicas are hard to beat. For sturdiness and ease of operation go for the 1858 Remington replicas.

My opinion and yer welcome to it.

 

[Zonie]

Speaking of the Colt 1860, for Emmett's benifit, I notice he was saying he wanted a .44 caliber gun.

Of the reasonably sized Colt revolvers, the Colt 1860 Army was the only .44 caliber revolver Colt made. (In the late 1850's Colt made the Walker and three models of the Dragoon pistol for the Military but these are all VERY large guns. They were all made to be carried in saddle holsters. The Walker weighs over 4 pounds, unloaded.) The 1860 Colt revolver has a very streamlined appearance with the underside of the barrel blending into the frame with smooth curves. It's ram lever also uses a series of teeth that engage holes on the bottom of the barrel to provide the movement needed to ram the ball into the cylinder.

The Remington Army revolvers were also made in .44 caliber.

The Italians, looking for an inexpensive way to make a .44 replica type gun created a model of the 1851 which was a .36 caliber revolver into a .44 caliber gun.
These .44 caliber "1851" Colts never existed but the Italian creations are a nice, light handling pistol and they are a lot of fun to shoot.
(The Colt 1851's barrel has rather sharp corners where it blends into the frame.)

Uh-oh. Gotta go. It's time to feed the cats.

 

[nkbj]

Pietta took the relatively light weight .44 on the '51 frame and lightened it even further with their interpretation of the Dance & Bros. revolver, making a .44 with round barrel (knocked the points off the octagon) and the sides off the frame.

 

[MSW]

welcome in. as regards brass, do what suits you. I like steel frames, but that's my preference. although I am partial to colt's 'open top' design, I would recommend that you go to a gun shop and check out which design fits your hand better. once you get one which 'just feels right,' plonk down the cash and don't worry about who says what.

this is an area with tremendous potential for tinkering, and there are a bunch of interesting videos on u- tube and such places. (this assumes that you do encounter some of the quirks and eccentricities of c&b revolvers) all of these problems can be corrected, with patience and a bit of work - this style of gun served several generations and was only replaced by cartridge shooters as a matter of convenience.

as regards the ROA (Ruger Old Army) … this is a beast of a revolver … mine is in stainless, and although heavy, it is strong and big enough to pack a stop-em-dead whallop. (it is said that handguns shoot bullets into people, but rifles shoot bullets through people... I would beg to differ using the ROA … this will open up a hole nearly a half inch around all the way through in any direction) … but the ROA is really in the category of modern handguns which use c&b technology as an ignition system … also, they are very expensive and no longer in production (which is a pity, 'cause they are fun to shoot).

you will probably end up with several of these most excellent smoke makers- welcome to the addiction!

 

[Kansas Jake]

I also, wouldn't be afraid to look at a used cap&ball revolver for a first gun. If you find one that is reasonable and in good condition, you may start out for a low price. Two things to inspect carefully are the absence of rust in the bore and chambers. A gun can look good on the outside and have a trashed bore. Don't ask me how I know. The second thing, does the cylinder turn correctly when cocked and does is lock up when the hammer comes to full cock. Cap and ball revolvers shouldn't be dry fired as it will damage the nipples, but you can still check the cocking and half cock.

Either a Colt or Remington replica will make a fun way to start.

 

[Mean Gene]

In my opinion, if your interested in buying and shooting a BP revolver, get your hands on all the reading material you can and study up on it.
A good beginning revolver is the Pietta 1851 in 36 caliber, get the steel frame it just lasts forever compared to the brass frame and it's HC.
You will find it cheaper to shoot than the 44 caliber.

 

[rshveyda]

I'll echo the votes to pass on brass framed guns, unless you are willing to only shoot very light loads so your brass frame doesn't eventually stretch and ruin your gun.

My first BP revolver was a Pietta 1858 Remington New Army in .44 cal. Then I acquired another Pietta, this time an engraved 1851 Navy in .44 cal. Note that this gun was originally made in only .36 caliber, so the .44 cal is not historically correct, if that matters to you. I started making paper cartridges for both as well, which saves a little time on the loading line, but is mostly just for fun. There is nothing very complicated about shooting cap and ball revolvers, but both tend to bind up after a few cylinders worth of shooting, so be ready to keep them well lubed and/or give them a quick field cleaning if you want to shoot a bunch. My next pistol purchase will likely be the Pietta 1860 in .44. I prefer the full-sized 7.5-8" barrels. I'm pretty shocked how accurate the 1858 is, but I haven't shot the 1851 enough to get a feel for it yet.

Cabela's sells each one for $250-$280 with free shipping, so I don't see much reason to buy used unless you come across a good deal locally. Otherwise, with shipping, it will usually cost as much as a brand new Pietta. And you can have them shipped straight to your house, so no FFL transfer fee. And there are Cabela's gift cards floating around on Raise.com that are completely legit and can save you some money if you are willing to jump through those hoops.

The 1858 is a sturdy pistol and you can feel it, but it is balanced and points like a dream. It makes the 1851 feel light and sleek in comparison. The 1860 is purdy, but I like octagon barrels a lot. Like many have said, try to get your hands on a few different models and pick one that feels right in your hand. But you can't go wrong starting out with any of these, and considering the price, you might soon own several. That way you can say "I've got two guns, one for each of you!"

 

[MaterielGeneral]

with the different manufactures and models of revolvers, I’m looking for a sturdy quality revolver.
Some advice would be greatly appreciated.

I am newer to BP. What I did is researched the subject. Asked questions like your doing and put hands on. I researched everything that I would need and then priced items over the internet including eBay and Cabela's. What I found is that Cabela's had the best price for pistols. I chose the 1858 Remington Army model because of history reasons. The sheriff model actually felt better and was better balanced. I also put hands on the 1860 and basically everything else they had in stock. When I buy my second pistol it will be the sheriff mode.

I liked that the 1858 had a top strap as it make is sturdier. I also like that removing the cylinder is super easy with no wedge to loose. I bought a spare cylinder to make shooting easier and more rounds down range. A cylinder press is a nice convenience to use. I love mine.

Like everyone else said, buy steel and not brass frames for your first gun. Remember try to put hands on and see what feels best in your hands.

 

[sawyer04]

It seems as though when I have had a rifle to sell, someone always wanted to trade revolvers for it, says to me that most entry level shooters start with what resembles a modern firearm. Consequently, I have several revolver replicas. The evolution of these replicas from the 1970's, to present fascinate me. I have 1858, and 1860 colt replicas that are palmino (Italy), usually sold by Dixie in their heyday. These arms shoot well, but require some tinkering and repairs, like hands, cylinder bolts and springs. They can be made reliable. I have, probably one of the first Uberti 1858, stainless steel that is good shooter and accurate, I say first, I traded for it in 1977. It has Uberti and Gardone stamped on the barrel. Gardone being the proof tester. As of later, 6 months ago I traded for an 1858, stainless steel, pietta. A nice shooter and easy to clean. The Pietta 1858, sheriffs model in blue is what I carry most of the time. I have never had an issue with these firearms concerning accuracy, usually mechanical problems, just like the old timers had. The colt replicas are fun to shoot, looking over that round barrel and sighting through the hammer, gives the impression you are shooting right on looking down the barrel. Also, adds to the nostalgia of the old west, as seen on most TV and movies.
Fairly close call for one or the other as Pietta and Uberti are made in the same area as pedersolia in Italy. They share machinery, trade secrets and materials to produce the replicas. 1987, I toured the arms factories in Italy. The American walnut storage area was big, really big.
Back to the subject, I think either brand will shoot well out of the box, they all can stand disassembly and a good polishing on the bearing contact bearing surfaces. I have found all pistols shoot high, accordingly to the charge, for right on shooting I load 20 grains of powder and wad under the ball.
I like the appeal of brass frames, they are flashy, and have had a few, but most were stretched out by abusing the loading lever, on oversize lead, they can be fixed, and retimed, but it is a pain requiring the machinery to be accurate. I do believe the brass compounds are better now than say, 30 years ago. Again, 2 cents.
Cheers

 

[ugly old guy]

Thems was used and carried by folks like General Lee because the south did not have the knowledge to make steel frame guns.

That is incorrect. The South had the knowledge to make steel frame guns. They didn't have the materials to manufacture them.
Think about it. The South did manufactre a lot of brass framed revolvers.
However, the barrels, cylinders, nipples, cylinder pin, hammer, springs, trigger, and all the internal parts were made of steel. As were the barrel wedge pin in their copies of the open top Colt revolvers.

Since they could and did manufacture those components in steel, it stands to reason they could finish machine a steel frame if they could finish machine a brass frame.

 

[bang]

I am newer to BP. What I did is researched the subject. Asked questions like your doing and put hands on. I researched everything that I would need and then priced items over the internet including eBay and Cabela's. What I found is that Cabela's had the best price for pistols. I chose the 1858 Remington Army model because of history reasons. The sheriff model actually felt better and was better balanced. I also put hands on the 1860 and basically everything else they had in stock. When I buy my second pistol it will be the sheriff mode.

I liked that the 1858 had a top strap as it make is sturdier. I also like that removing the cylinder is super easy with no wedge to loose. I bought a spare cylinder to make shooting easier and more rounds down range. A cylinder press is a nice convenience to use. I love mine.

Like everyone else said, buy steel and not brass frames for your first gun. Remember try to put hands on and see what feels best in your hands.

There is also an 1858 belt pistol in 36.

 

[Rattus58]

with the different manufactures and models of revolvers, I’m looking for a sturdy quality revolver.
Some advice would be greatly appreciated.

I'm only familiar with Pietta. No complaints and no failures so far.

 

[bang]

I'm only familiar with Pietta. No complaints and no failures so far.

I have mostly Pietta, 20 plus years and no issues. One Uberti, no issues. One ASM some tuning but no major issues.

 

[Desperate Lee]

I have one Uberti 62 Colt Sherrif model in 36. The rest are 2 ASP 58 Beals model 44 army's, and Piettas 51's in 44 cal. Personally i love the Remington 58's for their looks and ruggedness, but for pure 100% feel and point i feel nothing beats the 51 Colt Navy. My 5 1/2 barrel 51 Colt is like a glove in my hand. Check it out.

 

[IdahoMatt]

@Emmett I have a few cap and ball revolver and have had a few more over the years. The most trouble free right out of the box for me has been a steel frame(blued) Pietta "1858" New model army. I would highly recommend starting with a Remington repro over Colt repros even though the colts look slicker than hog snot.They seem to have less design oriented malfunctions out of the box and in my opinion are easier to clean. I have shot a couple Ruger old armys that seemed to be slick guns built like a tank. I'm on the lookout for a good deal on one now, however those are only on the used market. I just realized that this thread is a month old so you probably have acquired 1 or 2 by now, but that is my 2 cents.

 

[springfield art]

I'm only familiar with Pietta. No complaints and no failures so far.

Pietta, Uberti, pretty much the same high quality; can't go wrong with either. Beretta bought out Uberti some years back.