Qs on black powder pepperbox style revolver

[ilikegunspdx]

Read mine above....

I appreciate the offer of some caps to take it around the block, but I don't want to have to be in a position of trying to beg or scrounge for percussion caps every time I want to go shooting.

I want a system that is sustainable. It doesn't have to be perfect but it can't involve long road trips or hours and hours of scavaging for percussion caps just to go shooting one time. In contrast, 45lc in 850 fps or less is readily available.

I'll have the BP cylinder and if the supply situation for percussion caps changes (or if someone creates an alternative) then I can try it.

 

[Yarome]

I don't want to have to be in a position of trying to beg or scrounge for percussion caps every time I want to go shooting.

Well... I do have nearly 4 bricks of #11's and really don't shoot black powder much any more. I might be convinced of selling off what's left of the partial brick (6 - 100's for 600 total). To be aware though that they are about 40yr+ old caps. Properly stored in a sealed ammo box and no FTF the last time I used them, but still, pretty old... if you're interested.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Not sure what to use for snapcaps for these so I cut pieces of stiff plastic tubing. Seems to work, fwiw.

 

[Gaucho Gringo]

Anyone try the toy plastic caps that look like percussion caps. I bought some and they went bang when tried them on empty cylinders but i wonder if they are srong enough to ignite black powder. For one reason or another I haven't been shooting in a long tme but I keep telling myself I will try them next time I go shooting.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Anyone try the toy plastic caps that look like percussion caps. I bought some and they went bang when tried them on empty cylinders but i wonder if they are srong enough to ignite black powder. For one reason or another I haven't been shooting in a long tme but I keep telling myself I will try them next time I go shooting.

I have heard of people using those but I never understood if they used the actual caps or removed the stuff inside the caps and put that stuff into a metal cap? I would love to hear if it works if you get a chance to try it.

I was looking at some 22 shorts I have yesterday and if I removed the bullet and powder they might work because they are so short. But they are probably too wide and might fall off even if I crimped them with pliers? (Apparently my gun users #10 caps?).

I have been hesitant to buy any black powder stuff for the gun cuz I don't want to spend a lot for powder/bullets/measure/press etc and then find no caps are available. So I'm thinking of getting that stuff once caps come back in stock (if they ever do).

I got the 45LC conversion cylinder the other day and the action works good with it fwiw. Can't wait to try it. The action has a slightly different feel to me than the black powder cylinder. Feels like "lighter" clicks somehow.

Here is what the fluted conversion cylinder looks like if anyone is interested. I couldn't find any pics of the fluted cylinder on a "1858" Remington online. Kind of looks similar to taylor's "lawdawg" revolver (or cimarron's 1858 conversion revolver) which is 45lc only. I got the fluted version of the conversion cylinder just so it looks a bit different, sort of similar to the Remington 1875 look. Cowboy loads only on the cylinder (850fps or less) but that includes many of the common loads out there such as Winchester white box.

 

[Gaucho Gringo]

That is a nice looking gun. Looks a lot better than my blued 1858's. And I have the plain conversioon cylinder for them(2 guns-1cylinder). Also have a 1860 with the full fluted cylinder that just makes that revolver. Nothing beats my Rogers & Spencer with the conversion cylinder for accuracy.

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Also here is a repost from the other thread for DIY percussion caps in case you didn't see it. Don't know anything about it. But that explosive stuff might be interesting to use to make 12 gauge HESH explosive slugs. Fill the hollow point slug with the stuff and put a 22 blank in the nose. (Then get a long string and fire from 40 feet away...) War wolf sells those hesh slug kits but they are $150 for 20 of them or something like that.

#11 Percussion Cap Maker

Make your own #11 percussion caps out of aluminum cans. Easy and fun to do... Comes with complete instructions. Use our Prime-All Repriming Compound as your priming compound, and make your #11 percussion cap for approximately 1¢ a piece. #11 Percussion Cap Maker Instructions - .pdf File

22lrreloader.com

 

[ilikegunspdx]

Finally got a chance to shoot the 1858 Remington today. Those grizzly 45LC cowboy loads must be some sort of black powder because they sure throw a smoke cloud. The cylinder and barrel were really dirty too.

I was expecting a lot more recoil, these loads were like shooting a .38 in a heavy .38 long barreled revolver recoil-wise. First six shots offhand about 12 yards pic below. Not great but lighting made it really tough to see the sights. The front sight is really thin which is great for accuracy but in this lighting I was almost guessing cuz I couldn't really see it. First shot was high then I did a 6 o'clock hold. Look forward to shooting it more.

 

[Spitpatch]

Looks like you got a shooter!

Those targets always confuse me about which of the pictured two I should shoot.

 

[tac]

OK, Guys and Ladies - please take a look over on the curio and relic thread for images of a beeeeYOOTiful English pepper-box pistol made in the 1840's by Cooper. Story comes with it, too.