Euroarms 1863 Remington

[dave951]

I didn't know these details before. Thanks!

You should hang out with us in the North South Skirmish Association. We compete with Civil War guns including artillery.

 

[springfield art]

Bought one at Dixon's on Monday. Got the rifle, bayonet, frog and scabbed for $325. She's literally new in box condition. The bore is very smooth and looks like a rolled up mirror. The lock is very smooth and the trigger pull is quite nice.
Overall the rifle is well made and finished.
I cast up some Lyman 575213OS, lubed them with SPG and poured in 60 grains of 2f Swiss.
50 yard groups, 3 shots, ran from 1 11/16 to 3 3/16. No swabbing between shots or groups. The minies fit rather looser than I like so I think these groups are a good start.
Also cast up some Ideal 575213s. Can't wait to try them.
Loading was no problem from first to last shot.
No leading and recoil was mild. She lit high ( 4 3/8) and right ( 7 1/4). I believe I will be needing a larger diameter minor. Maybe a 577 or larger. Have to slug her.
Euroarms says a 1-66 twist. But a patched jag makes half a turn in 24 inches so I'm thinking she may be a 1-48. If so HAPPY DAY!
This one will be a hunter for things with teeth and claws and other bigger critters needing shooting. I'll be making paper cartridges for quicker reloads.
She's heavy. 9 pounds at least. A .58 should pack some weight. Had an H&R Springfield Stalker .58 that was both inaccurate and brutal to shoot.
This one has manners.
Gonna be a HOOT once I get the sights worked out.
Anyone have a Euroarms Remington 1863? How's it treating you? Helpful suggestions welcome.
Thanks!

I've been to Dixon's, recently about a month ago. I can't believe the price, but if that's what you paid, that's what you paid. For something in that condition I'd think at least a hundred more. I have a nicely made older Navy Arms '63 Rem.; haven't shot it yet. The quality of these older arms varies as different shops slapped them together with stock parts...yours sounds like a real winner! Good luck & best regards. The traffic up there on Rt.. 22 with the roadwork is to be avoided!

Zoo-avv?

Zoo-ayve?

Zwavv??

Zoo-ahv. French.

 

[Muddly]

Well now. Even with fall down the bore minies shoot well. My Ideal 575213 drops them at .573 and 3 of them went into 2 inches at 50. I leaned on the rammer a bit and that thin skirt flared a touch.
Still. Larger is better and needed.
I bought some 577611's and 580213's at Dixon's, just to see if she likes them before I go mold shopping. And based on those, I'd say she has a .580 bore. Can't wait to try them! Not the best castings, but I can get a rough idea.
I also bought a bag of balls/minies for scrap lead. There were several that REALLY caught my eye. Big chunk of telephone pole looking things, with a very round nose and a parallel flat topped cavity. There were 4 and I'm saving one and will shoot the other 3. If they shoot well, perhaps I can find a mold or maybe have one made.
The base is .578, is 1.032 long, skirt thickness .125 and .368 deep. The thing is a BEAST. No idea what it weighs. My scale only goes to 500 grains.
No doubt this would be a great hunting bullet.
Unfortunately, this Remington has REALLY got my attention... This could get expensive...

 

[Stantheman86]

My .54 Euroarms Mississippi shoots .533 Minies into fist sized groups at 200.

 

[Muddly]

Found it. The minie is a Lyman 57730

 

[dave951]

Big chunk of telephone pole looking things, with a very round nose and a parallel flat topped cavity. There were 4 and I'm saving one and will shoot the other 3. If they shoot well, perhaps I can find a mold or maybe have one made.
The base is .578, is 1.032 long, skirt thickness .125 and .368 deep. The thing is a BEAST. No idea what it weighs. My scale only goes to 500 grains.
No doubt this would be a great hunting bullet.
Unfortunately, this Remington has REALLY got my attention... This could get expensive...

IIRC, that is a LEE bullet. Lee molds aren't the best quality for minies and nearly every one drops at 575ish. I have yet to see a Lee mold drop larger. I have that mold and NOT ONE of my guns will shoot it accurately and it's no like I haven't tried. But that's part of the fun with these, you never really know what's going to work.

If you're serious about seeing what will shoot best in your gun, go to this guy on the Lodgewood site-
http://www.lodgewood.com/Bullets_c_7.html
Look especially at the 575470M. Unfortunately, that's no longer in production but it's wicked accurate in 575 guns. Rapine (no longer in production) made a 580 version of it and it's a one hole group bullet in my 62 Colts. Moose Molds makes the new version of it and it shoots very well.

If you're going to be serious, better learn to cast minies. Pay attention to the type and amount of lube on the bullet. Beeswax/lard (or Crisco) seems to be about the best thing going.

Use only real black powder. The fouling from the subs can cause all sorts of problems. I'd suggest Swiss 3f first, followed closely by Goex Old Eynsford 3f.

Welcome to the addiction

 

[Stantheman86]

Sub powders are pointless, if you're going to shoot Blackpowder guns then shoot Blackpowder.

Subs have their place maybe for hunting where you're gonna load one shot and sit in the woods all day.

 

[hanshi]

My Euroarms .54 US 1841 is my pride and joy. I shoot nothing but prb in it and it is ACK-YU-RAT (accurate)!

 

[Buzzard II]

I shot a Euroarms Zouave in N-SSA for some years. I used a RCBS N-SSA mold. I used 50 gr Goex 3F and we had 50 YD and 100YD targets. I see that you have the rear sight blade drilled for a peep sight. It seems a bit big so you could solder it closed if you want to redrill a smaller sight in a different location. Replacement sight blades are also available from different sutlers at the N-SSA Nationals in Winchester Virginia. You could also check S&S Firearms in Glendale (Queens, NY) for parts. Ask for Phil 718-497-1100. You can also replace the front sight with a tall sight if it shoots too high. Paint the front sight with neon nail polish, it shows up bright. I sized and lubed my bullets with SPG lube, but you could also use homemade lube, even Crisco works. Good luck.
Bob

 

[Sparkitoff]

When I was a teenager I helped change a lightbulb in an underground dugout and when the light came on I noticed some guns down there. The owner said "take one", so I took the Zouave. I had no idea what it was. When I was about 20 yo I walked into a gunsmith in Fayetteville, NC and asked what the rifle was and if it could be shot. The gunsmith got a big grin and said "I have the same rifle and it is my favorite". He gave me about 25 conicals that he said were 555-grain. He also gave me a tin of musket caps - no charge for anything. Back then I knew nothing about muzzleloaders but the library had one book and everything pointed towards 100-grains as a standard charge. I went to a gunstore and asked for black powder and a measure. I have no idea what they provided but based on the timeframe I would be it was Pyrodex. I did what any "deer hunter" would do, I set a target up at 100-yards and sighted in. I managed about 4-inch groups off the bench at my farm. That winter I proceeded to deer hunt. A little whitetail buck came in probably 20-yards and I let him have it. I was shocked that he ran off! Of course that big bullet with that charge went right through the little deer and it didn't run very far. That gunsmith died and for the next several years I could not find "bullets" or musket caps. The rifle got traded off for something more usable. Now, I wish I would have had more muzzleloader education and worked with that rifle with proper loads and maybe PRB's. It balanced, pointed and just felt like a real quality rifle and I appreciate the lines and looks of it. One day I will find just the right one to replace it. Enjoy yours!

 

[springfield art]

Sub powders are pointless, if you're going to shoot Blackpowder guns then shoot Blackpowder.

Subs have their place maybe for hunting where you're gonna load one shot and sit in the woods all day.

Amen, brother!

 

[Muddly]

Even my unmentionables get fed NOTHING but Swiss Holy Black.
I finally got to running good minies! Years ago, I opened the hole in the sprue plate to match the meplats of the bullets. It helped.
But I took notice to the small hole in my ladle and thought, that can't help anything. So I opened it up to 5/16 and improvement was immediate! Much fewer culls. Fill a mold fast is apparently a key to good minies.

 

[Stantheman86]

With powder inc. Shipping 5 lbs of Goex OE to my door for 150 some odd $$ there's no reason to pay the same for subs.

 

[tc45dave]

So where can I get a Zouave for about the same price ?
Bought one at Dixon's on Monday. Got the rifle, bayonet, frog and scabbed for $325.

 

[Muddly]

Don't know. I wasn't even looking for this one.
Perhaps some of the auction sites, but things can get out of hand pretty quick once folk start a bidding war...

 

[dave951]

So where can I get a Zouave for about the same price ?
Bought one at Dixon's on Monday. Got the rifle, bayonet, frog and scabbed for $325.

Good luck. Sometimes you can luck out at a gun show. That's where I scored one. Sometimes at gun auctions, check pawn shops, you never know.

 

[hanshi]

I can get anyone a deal on a gun. All I have to do is buy one at the inflated price, take it home and a sale of the century will start that same day. My luck always.

 

[springfield art]

So where can I get a Zouave for about the same price ?
Bought one at Dixon's on Monday. Got the rifle, bayonet, frog and scabbed for $325.

You can't, generally. Guy stumbled into a great deal, and I'm surprised it was so reasonable, esp. with the bayonet. Try auctions, if there's any in your area that handle firearms. Nice thing about BP guns is, no paperwork/registration!

 

[Esrussell]

I can get anyone a deal on a gun. All I have to do is buy one at the inflated price, take it home and a sale of the century will start that same day. My luck always.

Hanshi, would you mind buying a Lyman GPR in .54 because I've been thinking about getting one? Or one of these Zouave would muskets be fun too.

 

[rrebuck]

Fun and VERY effective...
I have to slug her for bore diameter. Curious as to groove diameter too as the rifling looks awful shallow. My Euroarms P53 has deeper rifling. The ads say .005 which, if so, is dandy.
She's gonna be a hunter. To that end, I have a plan to use a sight a bud gave me.
It looks like it was originally on a shotgun and has a regular semi buckhorn sight dovetailed into it. If I mount it just behind the lower band, its lower than the original and I can trim the step elevator to specific ranges. Once I have her best load developed. Cut the notches for 50, 75 and 100 yards. Minies have a trajectory somewhere between a baseball and a mortar.
Its all good fun! My one bud was amazed at the bullet strike. A good healthy " Crack" on the plywood backer. I told him you ought to hear it when it hits flesh and bone. After I got my first deer with a minie out of my P53, I felt truly bad for every yank I pulled down on after that...

Is slugging any more accurate or valuable that using a high quality micrometer?