Welllllllll, I finally went and did it!

[fourfingersofdeath]

I have been sniffing around cap and balls guns for sometime, but never plunged in. Seeing the guys fiddle around at the range, split caps and crud everywhere sorta dampened my enthusiasm every time.

When I was away at Chisholm Trail last late September/early October, there was a flyer in the shooters pack from a big interstate (well, interstate from where I live, but a hundred or more miles down the road from the shoot) gun shop who specialise in cowboy gear (Cleaver's). There were all sorts of goodies on special. They had placed a big order with Ruger and had the SASS special Vaqueros in consecutive serial numbers expected delivery sometime early this year, now expected at the end of the month, I paid for a set of 38s for my new wife, they will be a fine surprise for her, she is just starting out.

I hovered around tempted to buy a pair of Ruger Old Armys, he had a good number arriving in 5 1/2" Bbl with open sights. I managed to resist and seeing Clog Wog (that's his alias, a dutch shooter, wog was a derogatory term for a foriegner) coming to the unloading table all covered in black crud, split caps, etc I forgot about it.

I ended up buying a cheap brass framed Remington looking cap and ball pistol cheap with all the gear and thought I would check this out once and for all. My friends reckoned it was a Texan model. It was fun and it occured to me that it took some time at the range, but they didn't have to do any loading at home, sorta balanced out.

After selling a few motorcycles (I'm trimmimg down to one, a Swiss Army knife bike, BMW R1150GS) I had a bit of cash to play with. On a whim I rang Cleavers, fully expecting them to have sold all of the ROAs, as the previous big batch disappeared in a few days. They had a pair of consecutive numbered ones left and I plunged in. They should arrive in a week or so and will probably arrive at the club's armourer before my permit does.

I will just drive them standard until I run them in with a few boxes of balls each and then I will tune the shiny objects up.

What do you guys suggest as to mods such as loads, cap sizes, nipples, etc? I have a brass hand powder thrower that I got with the other gun.

I'd best be getting onto Darstardly Dan and get a mould, etc.

Do the springs off the Vaqueros, Blackhawks, etc interchange?

[Dick Dastardly]

Congratulations 4 Fingers,

That brace of ROAs will serve you well.

I've had a brace of 'em for a good while now and really enjoy shooting them.  I have Kirst Konverter cylinders for them as well as the original C&B ones.  FWIW, there are two Big Lube® molds available for them.  The EPP-UG, created by our own now past pardner, El Paso Pete.  And the DD-PUK-ROA-II developed by myself and modified by Paladin UK.  The 150 grain EPP-UG emulates round ball performance without need for any other wads, cookies or over ball smears.  The heavier 210 grain DD-PUK-ROA-II is a conical with a flat metplat and a double rebate base for ease of loading.

Either of those bullets will do double duty in either Cowboy 45 Special or 45 Colt brass.

DD-DLoS

[Silver Creek Slim]

Congrats, pard.

Slim

[Delmonico]

Yep on the springs, Ruger SA's all use the same springs.

[Paladin UK]

Ho DD...................

Ya say the DD+PUK ROA will be available in a couple of weeks!!

I cant wait ta get my one,what a start to the new year!!

Paladin (What cant wait fer his mold  ) UK

[Dick Dastardly]

Ho PUK,

Yer mold is about Two weeks out now.  I'll keep you advised.

DD-DLoS

[hellgate]

4fingers,
A friend of mine kept tweeking and fiddling with his ROAs to make them slicker, easier to cock, reliable etc by changing spring tension, modifying nipples etc and finally ended up saying that when he put them all back to stock parts they ran the best. i.e. there's not much you can do to improve them. It's already engineered into the gun.

[fourfingersofdeath]

I won't be slicking them up much, apart from running a lot of rounds through them, but I have seen a few friends have all sorts of troule with misfires on occasions and have heard much talk about cap sizes and better nipples. I never took a real lot of notice as I didn't have a cap and ball revolver at that stage.

I pack spare springs (been carrying them for years, still in the wrapper) and wanted to know if I need any different, looks liek I'm good to go.

I will get a Big Loobe mould, but in the meantime, what size balls and how much powder? Probably as much as yer can cram in!

Can you shoot gunfighter class with ROAs?

[Angel_Eyes]

4Fingers, I echo what hellgate said,,,I have run my ROA's standard for years and have had no problems.

As regards slick usage, how does all 10 shots, from leather, in 8 seconds sound! (Bragging, just a little, here!)

Run them as stock, and see how you perform, before you start spending any hard earned cash!!!

AE

[fourfingersofdeath]

As regards slick usage, how does all 10 shots, from leather, in 8 seconds sound! (Bragging, just a little, here!)

Run them as stock, and see how you perform, before you start spending any hard earned cash!!!

AE

Slicker than Frog Snot!

I had pretty much intended to just run them stock at least until I had some experience with them.

I just went across to Darstardly Dan's sit and gave the plastic a few hits. I bought a mould, some bullet tubes, a Tower of power and a pair of Kirst Converters as well as some lube. I have been selling a few guns and motorcycles lately and this will allow me to get into BP in a big way. I just love the old 45 Colt, used my NMVs today in fact. I might put them on the block when the Kirst Converters arrive.

[Blackpowder Burn]

I've also been thinking of getting into the front stuffers.  I assume the EPP 150 and 210 DD-PUK will also work OK in other gun designs (such as 58 Remingtons and 1860 Colts)?  If so, that would probably push me over the edge to do it.

[Mad Mucus]

G'day Mick,

Congrats on your ROAs..... youll enjoy 'em.

Mine were fine straight from the box, though I did get two sets of Treso nipples which run Remington #10 caps. I've fired close to 1600 shots from them without a misfire..... love 'em.

Ball size, manual recommends .457" to give a good seal, but .454" will seat easier with both leaving a ring.

As to the Kirst Converters, did you get a permit to get them through Customs and do you need a PTA for .45 Colt cylinders which will give you two CAT H "C" class handguns, .38-.45cal? Here in Qld black powder C&B handguns fall under "B" class which is centrefire up to .38cal.

MM

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy Aggie,

The Italian made Remington 1858 repros seem to come with chambers tighter than the barrels.  That's why the new DD-PUK-ROA-II has a double rebate base.  The smallest rebate is .444"  That way it will fit even the snuggest chambers.

My sidekick, Silas McFee has a fine Pietta Rem 58 that had tight C&B chambers.  He got them reamed out to bore size and they shot better, more accurate and ended his barrel leading questions.  For some reason that I fail to understand the Italian Rem 58 chambers seem to run around .447" and the barrels run .458".  Takes a lot of "bump up" to fill that size tube with a bullet that enters at .011" undersize.  Silas also has a Kirst Konverter for that Rem 58 that loads and shoots .454" 45 Colt ammo just great.  Walt knows what he's doin' when he makes those Kirst Konverter cylinders.

DD-DLoS

[fourfingersofdeath]

G'day Mick,

Congrats on your ROAs..... youll enjoy 'em.

Mine were fine straight from the box, though I did get two sets of Treso nipples which run Remington #10 caps. I've fired close to 1600 shots from them without a misfire..... love 'em.

Ball size, manual recommends .457" to give a good seal, but .454" will seat easier with both leaving a ring.

As to the Kirst Converters, did you get a permit to get them through Customs and do you need a PTA for .45 Colt cylinders which will give you two CAT H "C" class handguns, .38-.45cal? Here in Qld black powder C&B handguns fall under "B" class which is centrefire up to .38cal.

MM

The Tresco nipples were the ones I heard about, I couldn't think of the name in earlier posts. I have a heap of caps, CCIs, a couple of tins each of No10s and No11 Magnums from my previously limited  forays into crap and balls. I gather that to properly fit the Remington caps the Tresco nipples are desirable.

I have a High Cal permit and am getting the club armourer to import it for me and I will pay him for his trouble, which, knowing the ways of beauracacy (or however you spell it, no wonder I didn't fit in at work, I can't even spell it) and the current wore on Terry Rissm, will be considerable.

It will take a good while to get them and I am sure looking forward to getting these big ol' shiny objects banging and flashing! I can't go fast, but I sure will turn a few heads and ring a few ears, and choke a few by-standers and bring a tear to their eye!

[Mad Mucus]

   Have fun.

MM