I buyed one, ya'll!

RollingThunder · May 18, 2009, 07:21:15 PM

OK. So some of ya'll know I have been interested in getting into BP shooting. Well, I have been shopping on Cabela's, but when one of my co-workers said a local gunshop was a key contributor to one of my mag's sister publications, I figured, you dance with the one what brung ya.

So ... I stopped in there last Saturday and bought an ASM 1851 Colt Navy, 7.5" octagonal barrel. It was pretty, it was smooth, and it was finished really nicely. Yes it was a Traditions model, so I was totally surprised.

185 out the door bought it. I pick it up on Tuesday (Illinois makes you wait three days).

Hoka!

cowboy316 · May 18, 2009, 07:49:13 PM

OK OK Thunder you can just said that thing my way cuz my wife just say that and said she want it really bad LOL but i said i get one first lol
Sweet lookin piece cant wait to see what kinda rig you build for it
have fun with that puppy
Cowboy316

PS she says shed send it back she just wants to play with it for a while LOL

RollingThunder · May 18, 2009, 08:49:29 PM

Um, yeah. What she says!

LOL.

Johnny McCrae · May 18, 2009, 09:16:26 PM

Howdy RT,

Congratulations. I think you will be happy with it.

My first pistol was an 1851 Navy by Traditions. It was manufactured by Pietta. I'm not an authority by any means but I thought it looked good and was pretty smooth. I paid $134.99 plus tax at a Sportsman's Warehouse back in October of 2005.

I stripped the bluing off to give it sort of an antique look. I refinished the grips. It's a lot of fun to shoot.

Ten Wolves Fiveshooter · May 18, 2009, 09:28:46 PM

RT, Congrats Pard, you should have a ton of fun with this fine looking gun for sure

TW

Johnny McCrae, you did a bag up job on yours Pard, and I really like the grips

TW

RollingThunder · May 18, 2009, 10:13:15 PM

I can't wait to pick it up after work tomorrow. I'll get some pictures of it when I do. All the guys at the office want me to bring it in to see. LOL. Nice working around a bunch of bona-fide gun slingers. LOL.

Angel_Eyes · May 19, 2009, 04:57:06 AM

I still get a little confused by you guys. $:-\$

Printed on the barrel is, Fillipietta-Made in Italy,,,,What have ASM, Traditions and Cabela's got to do with it

I know that any Italian clones imported into Britain come fully assembled and boxed, and that is how we buy them. Is it different over the pond??

AE

Slowhand Bob · May 19, 2009, 07:51:43 AM

This weird weather has me coming down with something (hope just a cold) and my head is a bit screwy but Ill take a stab at it Angel Eyes. Yes, they are all made by the same manufacturer but we get so loyal to some of our distributors that we refer to them as the source of our firearm. You will hear us refer to a Uberti as being a Cimmaron, a Navy Arms or a Taylors or etc etc. I hope this is the answer you were seeking, otherwise just count me as drunk and someone else step in shortly.

Dalton Masterson · May 19, 2009, 09:08:42 AM

Yep, ASM, Uberti, and Pietta are the manufacturers, but then the importers get their names put on them over here as well. I have several that have Cabelas stamped right on them, but most of mine jsut have the manufacturer on them.
It seems that fit and finish varies between some of the importers as well.

Nice 51 RT!! My very first one was a brass framed 51. Keep your loads reasonable in the brass frames, and they will last you a while.
DM

Ace Lungger · May 19, 2009, 07:55:34 PM

RT.,
As you know I have peice toghter a lot of those guns, is it a 44? If so, it having a brass frame, DON'T over charge it, that isn't coming from me, that is coming from what a lot of people have told me! 24 grains of 2F is a great load!
I hope in no way, have I over stepped my grounds here!
ACE

RollingThunder · May 20, 2009, 06:47:13 AM

Hey all. That is actually the pic from the Traditions website. Traditions sells Pietta's now. Mine, however, is an Armi San Marcos. I cleaned it up last night, and got the brass shining like a mirror, and the grips nice and clean. Had a mess of finger prints on them, and a bit of tarnish from sitting for a little while in a case. I'm gonna go shoot it tonight, and then take it down for it's first cleaning.

I picked up caps and a capper, a flask and measuring tip, Bore Butter, Pyrodex, and 100 balls for it when I picked it up.

Oh, and a nice little case to keep it all safe.

I'll have pics tonight. Have to take it to work, 'cause all the fellas want to see it.

Ace - yes, it's a brass frame open top, so definitely not planning on over-charging it. It will handle form 22 to 35 grains, so I'm figuring right about in the middle there is good for the first rounds, and dial it in from there.

I know that some folks have experienced quality issues with ASM pistols, but the fit and finish on this one is gorgeous. No sharp edges, no burrs, beautifully case-hardened ram rod, etching, and even maintaining the original etching of the naval scene on the cylinder.

Now I just have to figure out what I want to do for a gunbelt. And a gunbelt for my neighbor, who has one as well. Probably gonna break out the pistols this weekend and shoot, plus he said he'd let me fire a round or two from his Hawken .50 cal. WOOT!

Well, off to work ya'll! Hoka!

Johnny McCrae · May 20, 2009, 07:57:31 AM

Howdy RT,

Enjoy yourself this weekend and please let us know how it shoots.

Mine is a .44 Caliber. I had not fired a pistol in over forty years and never fired anything with black powder so it was pretty exciting for me to get that first round off. You will have a lot of fun this weekend.

Ace Lungger · May 20, 2009, 09:41:18 AM

Howdy RT,
I am so happy for you! It is so cool to get a toy!! I hope that baby is a tack driver!! I know they say 35gr of 2f is max, I want to show you what 35gr of 2f did to a 51 brass, this was a new gun! Not mine! And in no way am I trying to tell you what to do! It is your gun, and I want you to have fun, safe fun!
Please don't get up set with me!
ACE

RollingThunder · May 20, 2009, 10:41:40 AM

No sweat. The place I'm going this afternoon is to a fella who has shot black powder for some time, so I'm sure we'll dial a load in. I'll start small and go up from there.

Thanks for the advice guys!

RollingThunder · May 20, 2009, 09:03:00 PM

26 grains. 10 yards. The first two shots were up and to the left (I pulled my shoulder), and the next three shots were through the bull, almost through the same hole. Good tight grouping.

The sun does indeed shine on the southbound end of a northbound dog.

Bob (my blackpowder buddy) said that either I was a helluva shot, or that pistol is a highly accurate weapon.

I vote for the pistol being accurate. It was a LOT of fun to shoot!

Dalton Masterson · May 20, 2009, 09:32:28 PM

Glad to see you enjoyed it! They can be very accurate shooters. The brass framed one I had that killed itself would put holes where ever you wanted to place them. Most of the others I have are capable of it too, if I do my part.

DM

Ace Lungger · May 21, 2009, 05:45:05 AM

Thats is AWESOME RT!

I like it when a person wants a toy and gets it, and everything went great! I have a pair of 72 open tops that are that away, I just love them! Sounds like your Buddy did you good on your load! I wasn't trying to be a smart a$$, but if you are like me it's hard to come up with cash to buy toys, and sure don't want anything to happen to them!
Later ACE

RollingThunder · May 21, 2009, 06:43:38 AM

Amen to that Ace! Money is not growing on trees on this farm. LOL. Wish it did though.