Accuracy potential

[hmeier4799]

What kind of accuracy can I expect from a percussion pistol such as repros of the Colts and Remington revolvers? I am especially interested in 5 shot group size at 50 yards.

 

[Tlukes]

I don't feel a pistol is a 50 yard gun. They are a close quarter arm. My 1858 Rem. lists 30 gr. of 3f as a max load.
They are more of a 5 to 25 yd. Gun.
:imo: :m2c:

 

This depends.

1. Quality of the pistol. Some are built better than others.

2. Quality and consistancy of the loading process and ammunition.

3. The ability of the shooter.

4. Outside factors such as wind, temp, light.

Allowing for all of these factors you can expect groups to hover somewhere between 4 inches and 4 feet at 50 yards.

In other words, no one can tell you how big your groups will or should be.

Anyone that tries, based on the information you have given, is just pulling your chain!

:imo:

 

[jgray]

I wouldn't be too optimistic especially with fixed sights, but the best way to answer that question would be to try your gun out at fifty yards and see what it'll do.

Try 12 shot groups, though that would show you if there is any inconsistency between the chambers.

 

[jtmattison]

I don't shoot revolvers but my Lyman .54 Great Plains Pistol shoots 2-3 inch groups at 25 yards with 30 grains of 3f Goex, .015 patch and .530 ball off the bench.

Huntin

 

[mewing6003]

I agree with percussion revolvers "not being a 50 yard gun." having said that however, numerous period sources do state that the fixed sights on revolvers were set for 100 yards from the factory (probably why most copies shoot high and you need to add onto or replace the front sight). :imo: the sights are very rudimentary and would most probably cover more than your typical paper target center at 50 yards. the ballistics of a round ball are poor and with a typical load of 30 grains of powder, at 50 yards the drop would be very significant (not to mention wind drift, etc.) the sight radius is very short and any tiny sight picture discrepancy would be magnified at 50 yards when your front sight completely covers the target center.

I am not saying that its impossible to shoot these revolvers at 50 yards and actually do well, just saying that I nor anyone I have known has done it.

I shot my repros at 25 yards, and from the bench can keep the groups at about 2 inches. offhand my lack of skill and practice time open them up to about 4-5 inches.

 

[2172]

I agree that a pistol is a 25 yd gun...with that said, my club has adapted the NMLRA rule that requires a pistol match to be at both 25 and 50 yds. Being forced to do it, we do. At 50 yds, my groups open up to 5 or 6" from 2" to 3" at 25 yds (hey, I never said I was a good shot). There are a couple of really good pistol shots in the club, and I see their typical combined scores run from a low of 140 to 168 out of a possible 200...the guy who shot the 168 also gets about 4 x's....he's shooting a customized Ruger Old Army...barrel's been bobbed by about an inch and a half...trigger worked on, and so on.
Hank

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Used to shoot at 100 yards with our Walkers and Dragoons using full loads. Also found it fun to shoot at the same range with '60 Armies. We could hit old ten pins and candle pins fairly regularly at this range. I suspect that the old
timers could do better. Then there is Hickock's one shot stop on poor old Dave Tutt at a claimed 75 yards with a '51
Navy. Not bad for an 80 grain ball at maybe 800 fps or so.

 

[noahmercy]

I've personally witnessed 4" groups at that range from a Colt 1851. This was a gun built in the 1980's by Colt and it was a fine piece. Never seen a clone do quite as well, either Colt or Remington. Most of them have been 6"+ 50-yarders. (I have seen sub-3" benchrested groups from numerous Ruger Old Army revolvers out at 50 yards.)

 

[Rat]

5-6" groups at 50 from a percussion revolver is not unreasonable. Good pistol and good shooter of course, and lot's of load development.

If that is your goal, you would probably do best with a Remington clone or the Ruger Old Army. Not saying the Colts won't do it...but more likely with the Remington and no problem with the Old Army...if YOU are a good pistol shot.

Rat

 

That 1980's 1851 Navy by Colt was made for Colt by Uberti & is stamped as such. I've seen 12 of them in the shop and they were all stamped Made by Uberti for Colt.
: This should answer any questions about Uberti Quality. The fact the Colt had 'their' 1851's made by the Italian outfit Uberti, speaks well for Uberti, doesn't it?
: Oh yeah 4" at 50yd. is very good accuracy - especially for a .36RB with hammer notch rear sight & post front. There are very few modern wheelguns let alone the generally less accurate auto's that can do that their much superior sights and fixed precision ammo, instead of a pure lead, oversized ball that's mashed into the front of the cylinder by the loading rod.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

I have a number of second generation Colts and the Uberti name appears nowhere on them. The rough forgings were purchased from Uberti and machined in America not Italy--this is why there are no Italian proof marks on second or third gen Colts. These guns are considered to be genuine Colts by Colt and by collectors, hence the higher values placed on them. Third gen or Signature Series guns have a lesser reputation for a number of reasons, some of them deserved, but they were made in Brooklyn, N.Y. not Italy.

 

Well, there ya go. The ones I saw here in P. G. had "Made by Uberti Arms for Colt" or" For Colt by Uberti Arms - something like that, and it was in the box, not on the guns. They were all at one place - maybe fakes? Sure sounds like it.
: I took for granted from that, that all of the 1970's, 1851's were made by Uberti. My mistake - and a big one!Sorry.