I have been using an 1858 as a truck gun for the last year and a half. As long as I shoot it once a week and clean it it's been pretty reliable. Somehow I let 3 weeks slip by without shooting the 1858. It's been hot , muggy, rainy and humid here in the north east. Finally shot her last night and I had all six go bang but two shots were slow ignition. Usually when I get slow ignition I pull low and left. Naturally my first shot was one of the slow ones . only about a foot low and six inches left at 20 yards so still a hit on a silhouette target but not the way I prefer to get them.. My threat level is green so not a big deal but a good reminder to keep fresh loads in these pistols.
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1858 truck gun.
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I'd be wondering about my components, load and loading regimen ! In another week or so those hang fires might become mis-fires !
I have had very good reliability when shooting it fresh once a week. I do have a spare cylinder in the van that is also working on three weeks. Planning on shooting that one when I get home from this mini road trip. If I shoot it fresh every week or often even two weeks it's pretty close to perfect. The added advantage of that system is you stay current with the pistol. I know guys who haven't fired their truck guns in months and sometimes years..
I have went a few months without firing my '60 snubby and it went off with no problems. It is carried outside a lot but stored inside in the pistol safe. So your's being in the truck may be the difference. What is your loading regimen? I clean the chambers out with denatured alcohol first, then load 35 grs 3F, then the ball, then I top the chambers with 50/50 beezwax and Tallow. Then the #10 Remington caps get the little cap collars around them. I feel like loaded this way it is pretty moisture resistant.
I live in N. W. Alabama with high humidity and frequent temperature swings. I take mine back and shoot it once a month (part of a weekly rotation) for a couple of hours to stay proficient. Never have a slow or misfire. But my cleaning/inspection is very detailed. And my loading process keeps any and all lube away from the powder.
shooting it once every few months is too small a sample size to mean anything. I shoot mine two to four times a month. More opportunity to show defects in the system. I suspect that my weak point is the cap to nipple fit. I am pinching #11 caps so obviously that is not an air tight seal. again it doesn't seem to be a factor if i shoot at least once a week which is good practice anyways. I know I had a bad cap about a month ago that looked oil contaminated to me. these are not modern cartridge guns and simply will never be as reliable as such. You can however make a modern cartridge inert by soaking in oil or solvent. Mostly a factor in revolvers that don't get shot regularly and are over oiled.
I shot that spare cylinder that was about the same age as the one I shot yesterday. today was perfect. this is a good example of small sample size. I don't know if the reason this cylinder had perfect ignition is because it was not stored in the gun? because todays humidity is only 50% for the 2nd day in a row? or possibly I was more careful loading it or just sheer luck?
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Keeping fresh loads in percussion revolvers apparently is not a new idea as I have read folks like Bill Hickcock would fire off , clean and reload every day to insure reliable ignition. Never have read of how he cleaned though as I doubt it was a complete break down, cleaning and re-lubing each day.
Interestingly I read an article the other day in an old black powder magazine from the 80s that percussion revolvers remained popular for decades after cartridge guns were introduced. I would think this speaks very well of their reliability and earned trust from folks that depended on them to eat and stay alive.
Interestingly I read an article the other day in an old black powder magazine from the 80s that percussion revolvers remained popular for decades after cartridge guns were introduced. I would think this speaks very well of their reliability and earned trust from folks that depended on them to eat and stay alive.
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one of the more famous instances of fresh powder ruling the day was the battle of the snow shoes in the 1750s Rojers rangers were being pursued by French and Indians. they took the time to pull their charges, clean and dry their muskets and reload. they then ambushed their pursuers to great effect with the return fire being very weak do to wet powder. of course the French and Indians received reinforcements that held back and cleaned and recharged their own muskets before resuming pursuit and that ended up being a very long day for everyone involved.
You know come to think of it, I haven't had a cap and ball not reliably fire after being loaded for a while. I've had them sit in the safe for God only knows how long and they fire off just fine. I've been carrying my snubby since I got it ( a year and a half now) and it has been 100%. So yeah, I would say these things are more reliable than people give them credit.
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smoothshooter
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I never bought the story of Hickok emptying , cleaning, and reloading his guns every day. That is just not practical. Or needed.
smoothshooter
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Most people did not carry a gun every day, even on the frontier.
he did not have a real job. I have a real job and shoot my single shot competition pistols almost every day. when you shoot every day you can get away with a different type of cleaning. usually whipe it down with baristol, poar some in the action, whipe everything clean and be ready to go bang tomorrow. with no job, no TV and lots of time to kill before the next card game started why wouldn't he go out to the edge of town and bang some caps every day. I know I certainly would.
I have lived in the desert all my life so humidity is not an issue. In Nevada with 3-10 % being normal I have left 1858's loaded for years. They go bang every time. In 1997 I had my Ruger Old Army in my truck that had been loaded for well over a year and had to use it to pun down a wild horse that got hit right in front of me on the highway and it went bang (sucked bad). I can see high humidity being a problem though. 70 % I would die. I am a lizard.
I also use #11 caps I use to pinch them until I bought some slickshot nipples. Caps fit great with these nipples. Great ignition and less cap jams. Caps fit good and snug. I put them on all my cap n ball revolvers.
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The other option is to find a brand of nipple that fits well
RWS caps fit my Pedrosolli and CCI fit my TC . I know caps are expensive in today's world but that is what I do
RWS caps fit my Pedrosolli and CCI fit my TC . I know caps are expensive in today's world but that is what I do
I agree cap fit is important. Just got to go with works best for you. I use CCI #11 solely because that’s the only kind that I can get in my area. It also keeps it simple for me.
