Cap n ball pistols

[BillGabby1]

Petersoli Starter kit
Lee Round Ball mold
Chain fire prevention grease

I think you can do some shopping around and pick up the necessities cheaper than in those starter kits, at least I noticed they are charging top dollar for everything in the kit and those wads are consumables that will soon be gone.
I also learned that many of the nipple wrenches are cheap stuff that breaks easily because they aren't made of good steel and hardened, I searched and found one and it was cheaper than many of those cheap Chinese POS.
I love the Lee molds I've used them for years it doesn't take nearly as long to get them warmed up as the steel ones. But you do have to keep them hot so don't dawdle or you will get a lot of wrinkles.
I've got some in the 36's I cast the other day at my Buddy's house, that I plan to tumble and see how well they smooth out. I usually do a visual on them every so often and throw the really bad ones back in the pot and cast them again.
I used some wheel weight lead for a batch of 3 different size balls probably about 2 pounds or so, that I used to mill components for some black powder I made.
I noticed that they are now perfectly round and you can't find the sprue cut offs anymore. I think it should help accuracy since there won't be any protuberances to cause drag to one direction or the other which would really open up groups. Once I get to try this all out, I'll try and remember to post the results here.

On the wads behind the ball I'm thinking of melting and mixing a little vegetable oil (olive oil) maybe about 10% by volume into some bee's wax then pour it out on some paper then cookie cut my own over powder wads, paper and all and then load with the paper toward the powder, I've read that the oil coats the cylinder walls and the rifling better this way than the grease in front of the bullet where the blast coming from the cylinder / barrel gap just blows it all away from the rest of the chambers. I don't have any experience on this yet, just passing along what I've read.
Gabby

 

[BillGabby1]

My favorite aftershave and cologne is Hoppes #9.
My favorite online gun guru is
Old Shorty, Hickok45, what a great guy, I refer newbees
to him all the time.
G

 

[rick benjamin]

I make felt wads by pouring eco soy wax mixed w the crisco into dog hair and belly button lint.

 

[Ura-Ki]

That's no joke Rick, Labrador Retriever/Newfoundland hair is about the best for making felt wads you are likely to find! Been using that "trick on all my .44's for several years, and it works really well! Kinda stinky, but still.........

 

[BillGabby1]

Well I can tell you old boys are a little back woodsy must not be near the good things in life like clothes driers with all that cool stuff in the filter, dog hair her hair and my hair, and all that good stuff in a ready made matt just add yer wax and lube of choice and there you have it.
Now why didn't I think of that?
LOL
Gabby

 

[tac]

Got a Ruger Old Army, bought on my birthday in 1986, and a Second Series Colt Walker #1816.
Usual stuff about shooting BP handguns applies.

Here in yUK, where just about NOBODY has ever HELD any kind of a handgun, let alone shot one, the ROA is an instant 'want one!' with everybody who picks it up on the guest days.

The production halt on that baby was one of the worst decisions ever made any ANY gun-maker on the planet.

Here's a pal shooting his ROA for the first time with a light load...lots of smoke though....

tac

 

[BillGabby1]

Had some fun today, my Friend came over today for a little show and tell.
One of the items he brought was a Flintlock muzzle loading pistol, about 44cal.
I twisted his arm just a little and got him to let me shoot it, I had the powder
and lube for the patch, he rustled up a ball, and I loaded it with 34grs of triple F, and off we went to scare the fish in my pond. The thing doesn't have sights so I was pleasantly
surprised to see the splash where I was pointing it. What a hoot I've never fired a Flintlock before, first pull was just a small flash because the flint was out of adjustment a little. The screw that holds it was seized so we added a little more priming and I let fly again this time I got satisfaction, with a big cloud of smoke a big bang and a splash where I wanted it, this is at approximately 50 yards from where we were shooting.
Then the bug really hit and I trotted out my Pietta 1851 fake Navy with the brass frame.
I loaded it up with 17.3grs per shot of 3F BP shoved the proper 36cal. ball on top of it, sealed the chambers with some CVA patch lube I've had since about '75, and handed it to my friend and he fired off 3 shots and was crowing about it and I thought he was cheering HIS prowess with my gun, but when he handed it to me to shoot the next three, I found he was cheering MY GUN! We were still scaring my fish at 50yds, and I was hitting where I was aiming. That puppy is dead on! Yahoo, yippee!
Still haven't gotten rid of the grin on my face. I couldn't be happier with my "cheap" little Pietta gun! I'm looking forward to many more times the fun we had today!
Gabby

 

[tac]

I loaded it up with 17.3grs per shot of 3F BP

No need to be quite so precise! Your revolver won't know the difference between 17 and 18, TBH, and nor will you.

Isn't it a hoot, though?

tac

 

[BillGabby1]

No need to be quite so precise! Your revolver won't know the difference between 17 and 18, TBH, and nor will you.

Isn't it a hoot, though?

tac

Oh Hell yes!
But just so you know I shortened the spout on my flask so that it measures 17.3 +or- a couple tenths. According to Pietta 22 grains is max for that brass framed gun, so I calculated 75% of that and that is very close to 17 grains. I'm figuring this gun is going to have to last me so hopefully it won't be stretching any time soon!
LOL
Gabby

 

[tac]

There's a shooter over on muzzleloadingforum.com who has been shooting his brass framed Colt for well over thirty years without any sign of the dreaded stretch. He reckons it's all hokum, TBH.
Stick to ordinary loads, and don't try and make a Magnum out of 150-y/o gun and you'll be fine.

I shoot two rifles made in 1862 without any problems, and both of them saw service in the military.

tac

 

[BillGabby1]

Flint or percussion? The rifles that is.

I have a nice percussion CVA kit that I built over 30 years ago, that is still in pristine condition because my EX Stole it and stored it at her mothers place till she died, and my daughter retrieved it for me, I doubt I've put more that 50 shots thru it total. I'm including a photo of it, I call it El Tigre' Spanish for "The Tiger" for obvious reasons. When you move it around in the sunlight it ripples like it's alive! There are 16 coats of "Linspeed" brand linseed oil hand rubbed into the wood!
When I got the kit the wood looked really ordinary but once I started to get it sanded down fine the grain started to show, and so as to not hide the grain I only put a light bit of red maple stain to bring it out, and I'm totally happy with the result! Now I need to get it out and shoot it, but wet rainy winter has arrived so I'm not expecting much good shooting weather for a while, and if I get any I'll probably be shooting the 1851 instead until spring anyway.

 

[BillGabby1]

Here are some shots of the revolvers after I finished them.
The light wasn't the best, but perhaps you can see the high finish I put on them especially the Walker as my friend wanted it "Pretty". LOL

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Some cap and ball pistols of mine.
Andy

 

[Alexx1401]

Here are some shots of the revolvers after I finished them.View attachment 323815 View attachment 323813
The light wasn't the best, but perhaps you can see the high finish I put on them especially the Walker as my friend wanted it "Pretty". LOL

Came out looking damn nice!!!

 

[Alexx1401]

This is making me want to order another Black Powder eater.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Post #36 is a closer look at my trade pistol.
Circa 1850's or 60's.
Not sure why my text didn't show up or the double picture ... Sorry but I can't edit it out.
Andy

 

[Ura-Ki]

View attachment 325485 View attachment 325484 View attachment 325485

JoyGasim! Damn, that's really nice Andy!

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Thanks!
She shoots pretty good two.
She is a smoothbore about .56 caliber.
My load is about 30-35 grains of 2F , a ,15 patch and a .530 round ball.
Not quite the right size ball .. but it keeps the pressure down some.
Andy

 

[Gaucho Gringo]

I currently have 11 repro cap and ball revolvers and all are a hoot to shoot with either BP, Triple 7 or Cowboy cartridge loads with conversion cylinders. Three of them have cartridge conversions. There are 3 - 1858's(2-44's 1 w conv cyl, 1-36 w conv cyl), 3 -1851 Colts, 1849 Colt w conv cyl, 1847 Colt Walker, 1860 Colt Army, Rodgers & Spenser 44 and a NAA .22 mag mini cap & ball revolver. Others have come and gone over the years. Thinking of thinning the pack some to buy a few more conversion cylinders but this is just in the thinking stage for now.