Practice with a C&B pistol

[swordboy]

still a whole lot of fun ever use a regular precussion cap on an empty chamber to scare a sleeping cat  it's so funny

[Noz]

Hellgate,
You are correct sir, it's what I was speaking of when I talked about the Spanish inserts appearing to be too tall.  If they are too tall the timing is off and the bolt arm (I slip up and  call them cylinder stops from too many years of S&W smithing) will not make it over the cam on the side of the hammer. If anyone tries to duplicate what I use you need to make sure it is really no taller than a nipple with a cap in place.  If it locks up you have to pull the barrel and cylinder to reset the bolt.
~Mako

My post indicated leather which will work as a hammer pad. I currently use a piece of printing Blanket that is .022 thick. This I have in quantity as I am a printer. Drop by the local printshop and see if they have dicard blankets. The .006 plates used for duplicator presses make good tap-a-caps. Some of us still have linotype around. Lots of water soluable solvents in daily use that make good moosemilk. I have scrap binder board for nitro wads lighter weights for over powder wads in 45-70 etc.
All these items are either discards or so cheap I give them away.
Good place to scrounge.

[Mako]

Nozzelrag,
There are shooters out there that appreciate you naming those sources.  This community we call a forum acts as a pretty good clearing house of advice and experience.

When I read about using the leather I did smile to myself, I had a friend that locked a '51 up that way.  He wasn't a very experienced shooter and we had warned him about dry firing his new prize.  I got a call from him while I was at work one day and he wanted to know if I could help him, but he wouldn't tell me what it was.  He showed up exactly at the hour he said he would following dinner with something wrapped in a T-Shirt.  He was very nervous as I unwrapped the bundle to find his pistol.  In hushed words he asked, "did I destroy it?"  He was so serious I had a hard time to keep from laughing. I grabbed a Sharpie marker from a side board and pushed the wedge out allowing the barrel and cylinder to move forward. The hammer moved with them and I simply cocked it back. His comment was, "you make it look so easy..."  I then threw magic powder in the air and said some incantations (that part is isn't true).  I just smiled and told him it would be easy for him too when he did it for a little while.

I am always a bit amazed how little people actually know about firearms.  I meet machinist, engineers and technicians all of the time who seem to think there is some level of mystic art to it all.  These same people design or work on multimillion dollar machines and yet think a design over 153 year old is unfathomable.  A lot of what we have is "tribal knowledge," a lot of it is myth and unsupportable.  I think a lot of it must be written on the bathroom walls of every men's room in America because I hear the same things over and over.

Have a nice evening,
Mako

[Grizzly Smith]

Mako,

I've been around firearms of many types all my life. I was hunting by myself when I was 12. A hitch in the Navy and on the Rifle/Pistol Team just expanded my horizons. When I got out I went to work for a security company, armed supervisor and training officer. Always had something around the house to tinker with. I've always been fascinated with BP pistols, but just didn't know anyone who shot them that I could learn from. Now, the gloves are off and I'm jumping in with both feet. Nozzle's gonna end up changing his phone number!!!

I think the reason the internal workings of firearms are regarded as a mystical realm relates to the fact that there are fewer and fewer people growing up in a rural environment. I was raised on a farm, we learned that most of the time we fixed things ourselves. My Father taught us to rely on ourselves.

Anyway, that's just me rambling on. Thanks Nozzle for the information. As soon as I can get my pistolas ordered and delivered, I'm sure I'll be burning up the phone lines with more questions.

Grizz

[Noz]

My first bp guns were Remingtons. I can't own a gun more than 3 hours and I have it torn down to the elemental pieces. I was and still am astounded by the utter simplicity of the workings of these "primitive" weapons. I'm sure that if Sam Colt had lived long enough he would have corrected the only engineering flaw I see in any of the guns and that being the hand springs. I have never had any other piece in any of my bp pistols fail under use that the hand springs.
I agree that there is a world of really poor information that is considered to be gospel by the non bp shooters.
I see most of us on a continuing effort of re-education.

And, anytime Griz. Love to talk Cowboy and black powder.