First BP revolver...any advice for a novice?

[GeorgiaWolf]

Howdy,
New here, and new to shooting a BP gun. I have the Pietta 1860.

Aside from reading the booklet that came with the revolver, do you guys have any tips or advice for a newbie?  For example, the booket recommends 12-15 grains per load. Is there an optimum safe load that varies from Pietta's recommendation?
Best cleaning kits/ flask-measure/ caps? 
I haven't had time to shoot it yet,  but I sure am looking forward to giving it a go!

Thanks,
Tim

[Roosterman]

Probably around 25gr or so of real BP 3fff will shoot best with a lubed wool wad between powder and ball will shoot the best.

[Noz]

Welcome to the fire!




TRESO (possibleshop.com)nipples and #10 Remington caps will solve many of the problems associated with shooting black powder.  The advice on 25 grs of FFFg is right on as well. Satisfying thump with out un-necessary hammering of the gun.
I shoot the 1860 Piettas and have found the .454 ball works best for me.

[john boy]

Might want to give this a read ... http://www.theopenrange.net/forum/index.php?topic=132.0

[Ellsworth MacDoogle]

Never could figure out why the Pietta manual says 12-15 grains, With that little powder you may not be able to get the ball seated against the powder (which it must be or could damage the gun). 25-30 gr FFFg works great in the 1860 ( I've never used BP substitutes - never saw the reason).  And definitely get the Treso nipples - I dealt with cap jams for a long time before taking that great advice!  And I've ruined the bolt "fingers" by forcing the hammer back when there was a cap fragment inside the works - don't do that    And remington #10 caps work best for me - hard to find right now though 

[GeorgiaWolf]

Hey, thanks everyone for your posts!  After reading some product reviews online about the 1860, seems the 25 grain load and Remington #10 caps are most recommended.  I'll be lookin' for 'em.
Luckily, I can shoot here on the farm...no gun resrtictions in this county. Can't wait to make some smoke! 

[44caliberkid]

Also read the sticky at the top of this forum, "New Pards read: The Dark Arts"

[Ransom Gaer]

Georgia Wolf,

On the way to Mule Camp this year I stopped at the Bass Pro Shop in Montgomery Alabama and picked up two tins of Remington #10 caps.  I should think other Bass Pro Shops and I know Cabelas have them.

Ransom Gaer

[Ellsworth MacDoogle]

Looks like gamaliel.com finally has Rem #10's in stock - have been out for a few months - cap prices are the best I've found online. You need to buy a large quantity though, to offset the hazmat fee.

[Fiddler Green]

A little late but..........

I have a Pietta 1860 that I've put several thousand rounds through. I shoot betwen 27 and 30 grains of Graf and Sons (Schutzen) 3f with a .454 ball. I've never had a reason to change out the nipples. I've experimented with the Tresso's but didn't see where they bought me anything (other then to make me poorer). I use Remington #10 caps and can't tell you how important they are. The CCI "Crap caps" were nothing but problems until I switched (I do use the #11 CCI caps on my muzzle loading rifles and they work great).

I don't use wads. I got a cheap, kitchen, hypodermic needle and inject bore butter over the top of the ball. It works great, isn't as messy, get the grease in front of the ball for better barrel luberacation and it is just flat cheaper then wads. When it's really hot, I'll use a mix of beeswax and Crisco as the Bore Butter has a low melting point.

Oh, and remember TP1818. That's the cylinder lock/trigger spring you will need to keep on hand. You can get them from Dixie Gun Works for $3.50 or from some of the other places for $9.00 (you're choice - same spring).

And, have fun! thse things at a hoot to shoot and you'll find you're a better shot as you have to make your shots count more.

Bruce

[GeorgiaWolf]

Thanks for the good info, Bruce! Much appreciated!

Where do you get your powder from?  I have been looking locally (north Ga.), and the few shops that carry BP supplies don't have powder or even Pyrodex in stock. I was hoping to pick some up locally and avoid that big HazMat fee with the online order.

I did find the Remington 10 caps at Bass Pro (near Atlanta)

Thanks again!
Tim

[Fiddler Green]

Thanks for the good info, Bruce! Much appreciated!

Where do you get your powder from?  I have been looking locally (north Ga.), and the few shops that carry BP supplies don't have powder or even Pyrodex in stock. I was hoping to pick some up locally and avoid that big HazMat fee with the online order.

I did find the Remington 10 caps at Bass Pro (near Atlanta)

Thanks again!
Tim

I order it, on-line, from Graf and Sons. You can order less then a case at a time and you can mix and match. You might want to check with local Reenactors to see if they will let you order with them or combine an order to save money. Model rocket clubs use 4f to deploy their parachutes so that's a place to look as well.

I combine my orders with 6 diffrent shooters so someone is always running low on something.

Bruce

[RollingThunder]

I second Treso's ... best money I ever spent for my 1851 Colt Navy.

[Fiddler Green]

I second Treso's ... best money I ever spent for my 1851 Colt Navy.

Why?

I've never found that they do much other then to cost money that could have been spend on powder and ball.

Bruce

[Mako]

Why?

I've never found that they do much other then to cost money that could have been spend on powder and ball.

Bruce

There are several reasons:

• They are more consistent in size, this helps with retaining caps and getting the height the same on all six chambers.
• The machine work and finish is superior to any of the factory tubes.
• The flash hole is smaller where it exits to the chamber which reduces back pressure against the hammer and lessens the amount of gas exiting against the breech face.  Most reproductions have a hammer spring that is too light as it comes from the factory.  The smaller hole helps prevent the cap from being dislodged during the pressure setback.
• Conversely the flash hole is larger at the top and helps channel the brisance into the chamber.
• The material is actually harder than the steel tubes that come on the pistols yet it is tougher so you get less distortion and mushrooming of the cone face.
• The threads are cleaner and cut better than any pistol tube I have ever found, and I've been playing with them for years.
• They don't corrode into the threaded hole.  How many of us have ever had to deal with an older pistol with corroded and stuck tubes?

Those are the ones that immediately came to mind I'm sure others could add to the list.

Those who exclusively shoot, or shoot a lot of C&B swear by them, you won't find many who will have anything but praise for them.  If you did a survey of the top C&B shooters you would probably many, if not most use Treso Tubes.

~Mako

[Fingers McGee]

There are several reasons:

• They are more consistent in size, this helps with retaining caps and getting the height the same on all six chambers.
• The machine work and finish is superior to any of the factory nipples.
• The flash hole is smaller where it exits to the chamber which reduces back pressure against the hammer and lessens the amount of gas exiting against the breech face.  Most reproductions have a hammer spring that is too light as it comes from the factory.  The smaller hole helps prevent the cap from being dislodged during the pressure setback.
• Conversely the flash hole is larger at the top and helps channel the brisance into the chamber.
• The material is actually harder than the steel nipples that come on the pistols yet it is tougher so you get less distortion and mushrooming of the nipple face.
• The threads are cleaner and cut better than any pistol nipple I have ever found, and I've been playing with them for years.
• They don't corrode into the threaded hole.  How many of us have ever had to deal with an older pistol with corroded and stuck nipples?

Those are the ones that immediately came to mind I'm sure others could add to the list.

Those who exclusively shoot, or shoot a lot of C&B swear by them, you won't find many who will have anything but praise for them.  If you did a survey of the top C&B shooters you would probably many, if not most use Treso nipples.

~Mako

+1.  All of the C&Bs  that I shoot have Tresos. 

FM

[River City John]

There are several reasons:

• They are more consistent in size, this helps with retaining caps and getting the height the same on all six chambers.
• The machine work and finish is superior to any of the factory nipples.
• The flash hole is smaller where it exits to the chamber which reduces back pressure against the hammer and lessens the amount of gas exiting against the breech face.  Most reproductions have a hammer spring that is too light as it comes from the factory.  The smaller hole helps prevent the cap from being dislodged during the pressure setback.
• Conversely the flash hole is larger at the top and helps channel the brisance into the chamber.
• The material is actually harder than the steel nipples that come on the pistols yet it is tougher so you get less distortion and mushrooming of the nipple face.
• The threads are cleaner and cut better than any pistol nipple I have ever found, and I've been playing with them for years.
• They don't corrode into the threaded hole.  How many of us have ever had to deal with an older pistol with corroded and stuck nipples?

Those are the ones that immediately came to mind I'm sure others could add to the list.

Those who exclusively shoot, or shoot a lot of C&B swear by them, you won't find many who will have anything but praise for them.  If you did a survey of the top C&B shooters you would probably many, if not most use Treso nipples.

~Mako

The walls are straight and the end is squared, which is another reason they hold and retain caps better. Comparison to stock Italian nipple, which has tapered sides and rounded shoulder.
caps are, l. to r.: Remington # 10, Remington #11, Dynamit Nobel #1075, CCI # 10, CCI#11.

(Several years ago a local supplier was getting out of the BP firearm business, and had a cache of Dynamit Nobel #1075 they were selling off, and I bought up the five tins they had left. They were cheaper than the Remington and CCI, and usually easier to find in stock because people went for the other two first, most likely because of name recognition. I have not seen them locally for some time.)
RCJ

[Fiddler Green]

Well, I shoot C&B pistols on a (near) weekly basis. I've shot a number of matches with them. I've experimented with Tresso nipples and didn't see a marked improvement, over the stock Pietta nipples, in either performance or reliability. I'll have to look, but, I think I still have three Tresso's on my 1860.

As far as the "top shooters" using them. Yea, I used to use Valvoline oil and Shell gas, in my race car. I stopped with they stopped the freebies and the money.


Bruce