Video - Shooting .44 caliber 1851 Navy Revolvers

[Bottom Dealin Mike]

They never existed in the nineteenth century, but lots of folks like shooting them today. In fact, if I remember correctly, our pard Hellgate shoots a pair.

[litl rooster]

I like the forward camera shot... is the camera person wearing kevlar and armour?

[Bottom Dealin Mike]

Can't afford that on our budget. We just go through a lot of cameramen.

[longinosoap]

Great video. I, too, love the 1851 Navy. I think it's becoming my favorite toy. Got to get me another one to match it up. Matter of fact I like the looks so much, I'm going to get a pair of conversions that still have the ram installed. I know it's not period correct in any form or fashion but I love the look of this model.  They are a copy of the ones used by Clint Eastwood in his earlier westerns.

[Deadeye Dick]

Hey BDM,
Excellent video as usual. Appreciate the time and trouble you take to produce these very educational and entertaining videos.
Thanks pard.
Deadeye Dick

[hellgate]

Hey BDM,
Thanks for showing what fun guns the 44 Navies can be. I like them because you get a very light weight gun with excellent pointability, handling and some punch. We used to have more knockdown targets so the 44s did a better job. I was surprised to see you could put ASM grips & frame on a Pietta. I have put Pietta Army grips on my one Pietta Navy just to get rid of those horrible Navy grips that make the gun point up in the air. My first CAS guns were and are a pair of $99ea ASM 44 Navies I got back in 1993. I had a friend go through them and tune them for me. They are my "serious match" guns when I have to do my best so now I only dig them out for annual shoots and Regionals when I'm gunnin' for glory. It was so fun to see my favorite guns on film. When are you gonna make a film of my favorite vehicle (a beater '64 Impala) on how to bluff your way through traffic?

[Bottom Dealin Mike]

Hellgate,

The screw holes don't line up perfectly between the ASM and Pietta parts, but they are close enough to work.

I have also reshaped Pietta grips to the correct shape, but it is a lot more work than screwing on the ASM straps. 

[Harley Starr]

Hellgate,

The screw holes don't line up perfectly between the ASM and Pietta parts, but they are close enough to work.

I have also reshaped Pietta grips to the correct shape, but it is a lot more work than screwing on the ASM straps. 

They'd be better off just putting steel gripframes on the lot of them.

[Crow Choker]

     Hi-Ya Mike!! Great video as all of em' ya do are! Watchin' it got me all 'rilled' up to go out and unleash "SHOCK AND AWE' today with my Pietta '51 44!!!!! Probally'drag along one of my 44 Colt Conversions and another cap and ball (prob my 2nd Model Dragoon). River bankin, here I come! Love shootin black though those guns of 'yester-year'!
     Chuckled in the video part where you had cap problems with your snail capper. Thought to meself "Gee, even the "professional cap and ball shooters" have that happen to them"! Courious, what size and make of cap do you prefer for your c an b's? I get along fine with Remington #10's with everything from my Dragoon to my '51 Navy 36. All are Uberti, except the 51' 44 and a '58 Remington 44, which are Pietta's. I have a good stock of Rems, but availability with my sources has gotten slim to none. I tried a tin of CCI #11's (which according to all of Mako's fine posts) are of the same inside diameter, but a tad shorter). The CCI #11's seemed to work so far, no pre-shot ones falling off due to firing. I did buy a 1000 of them at a recent gun show. A note, all my c and b's do have factory nipples on them. What say you?
     I  too, enjoy and like the 44 caliber 1851 Colt Navy. Has alot of names tagged to it. Bastard gun---the gun that never was---not period correct!!! That last one riles me, wonder how period correct the underwear of those who call it that are?!!!!! Wonder why Colt didn't market them before they came out with the '60 Army. Maybe they would have if the Cival War issues of production hadn't came along.
      A Euroarms '51 44 was my first cap and ball, bought way back in 1972. Shot the dickens out of her, but it became a Josey Wales 'fire gun' back around 2008 when it accidently got mixed in with some items destined for the 'burn pile'--long sad story there. Still have it, grips burned off, springs so weak the hammer almost falls back on its own to a full cock position. Gonna restore it for a wall hanger--don't have the courage or enough lack of common sense to shoot it again. Anyway, missed it so much, several years ago I bought the Pietta from Taylors, and am happy shootin again. I'm a little opposite of your video part (and some others who have critiqued them) about the Pietta grips. Some have called them 'bell shaped'. I sort of like them, but I'm also one who doesn't like 'thee original' Colt Peacemaker, '51 Colt grips (same thing as Peacemaker), New Model Ruger Vaquero grips (like Old Model better), and any that are of same size. I carried a Colt Trooper with large size Pachmayr grips for 21 yrs as a LEO, shot many rds with it and developed I quess a feel for the larger grips. Quess that's why I like the more hand fillin' grips of the Dragoon, '60 Army, and even the Old Model Ruger Vaquero. Even the grips on the '51 Pietta Navy 44 feel bigger.
     Thanks again for your video's. Your snow and non-snow scenes remind me of our Iowa winter so far. Snow, melt off, snow, melt off. It's only early Febuary, we've all of this month and March to see and get some more. Ya take care. Yours, Crow Choker

[Bottom Dealin Mike]

Crow Chocker, I use Remington #10s on most everything.

[Pony Racer]

I like remmie 10's too but the rws 1075s are really great!

PR

[1860]

Just currious, What are you guys paying for caps in your area?  Here in NJ they are 6.50 to 7.50/tin in the stores.

Maybe 5-7 years ago I ran into a deal @ Dick's sporting goods, Remington caps were being closed out and were marked 99cents per tin, needless to say I bought every one-(the kid manning the counter was shocked..LOL).  when I run out of these I'm in for some serious sticker shock.

60

[Pony Racer]

I just bought 1000 - 1075 RWS pistol caps for 60.00.

The RWS are sometimes hard to find - but the blackpowder shop in Winchester, VA had plenty in stock!

PR

[hellgate]

The best deal I know of for the older "green label" Remington #10 & 11 caps is from Cowboyshooterssupply.com  at $3.50/100 +hazmat+shipping. I bought two cases (10K) for myself and another Frontiersman. They are not the newer "brown label 40% hotter" caps you see now. They might be old stock but I have shot at least 15,000 of the greens over the years and am plenty happy with them. Obviously larger quantities bring the cost down. I'm goning to use them for most matches. If I were going to EOT or WW I might use the browns.

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Mike,

I have one of those 'guns that never were' and use it weekly in reenactor shooting with floral foam as blanks ... I like the .44 'cause it makes a lot more smoke and noise than the .36 ... and if I ever have to use it for it's intended purpose, I will be shooting a .44 rather than the .36...

[Crow Choker]

Ref the question on price in my area for caps posted by 1860----
Before the BIG price jump and 'hard to find' items (ie. caps, primers, ammo) of  2008-2009, I was paying approx $30-31 per 1000 for Remington caps (my preferred brand). During the big price hike, they were running $60-70 per 1000 and I never purchased a single one (glad I bought a big supply when they were cheaper). Now CCI's and Remingtons are in the $40-50 price per 1000. I just bought 1000 CCI #11's at a gun show for $41 for a 1000. For some reason Remingtons are hard to find in my area (Northern Iowa), but the CCI's were purchased from a dealer in the Des Moine area and I was told by him he was havin a hard time getting Remingtons at present. Why? Wish I knew! If I remember, when I got into the cap and ball shootin back in '72, think I was paying around .75 cents per 100. Of course gasoline was around .40 cents a gallon too!  Now look at what the prices are!