FIE Baby Dragoon For Free!

[Capnballhunter]

Hey folks. A good buddy of mine was cleaning out the old family home and came across several black powder pistols that belonged to his father. According to him, they were rusted up beyond repair and he chucked them in a box to be thrown away. He told me about them and said I could have them but they were total junk...

So he brought me one to look at and it was in rough shape but totally solid underneath and perfectly shootable with a little work. No real damage at all, just rust from years of neglect. Stripped it down, soaked it in oil and scrubbed everything with a wire brush. The bore was badly rusted with a lot of the rifling gone and somewhat nasty pitting. Scrubbed and scrubbed and removed all that rust. Put it back together, loaded it and test fired the same evening.

I wish I would have taken before and after pictures because it is just a night and day difference. Its a brass frame Baby Dragoon with the loading lever, everything locks up nice and tight. Action is solid as a rock.

There is a western stage coach scene stamped on the cylinder and markings that are clear enough that I dated it to 1979. It has the coolest patina and looks very much older.

Now here's the best part despite the extremely poor shape of the bore, it grouped tighter at twelve yards than my new Pietta .36 Navy. I was using ten grains of Pyrodex P and a .315 round ball. My best group measured 1 1/8" compared to around 2" for the navy model. IT'S A KEEPER!!!! Oh and my friend has a couple more "junk guns" he's throwing away
:grin:

 

[azmntman]

INSANE group....maybe I let mine rust bad and clean it up! :rotf:

 

[Grenadier1758]

Its worth gathering those "junk" guns up to take a look at them before destroying them.

 

[Capnballhunter]

INSANE group....maybe I let mine rust bad and clean it up! :rotf:

I don't know why it shoots so well, but it surprised the heck out of me. I figured my group would look like a shotgun pattern. I was counting my holes on the target after firing one group and there was was one missing. I looked all over for a flyer then looked closer....I put two little .315 round balls in the same dang hole. haha Not shabby at all

 

[Capnballhunter]

Its worth gathering those "junk" guns up to take a look at them before destroying them.

Don't worry about that, he's gonna give them to me. I'm told they are rusted up tight, cylinders locked up and all that. This Baby Dragoon was in the best condition of them all he says but I'll bet I can make 'em run. We shall see, my friends not even sure what kind they are, besides being cap n ball revolvers. Could be some real gems, who knows

 

[cynthialee]

well even if they are not going to be fixable there will likely be a number of parts that can be salvaged for resale

 

[FishDFly]

Mix up some acetone and ATF and shake it up each day. Need enough to submerge them. The specific gravities of each are different, it will take some agitation for the mixture to go into solution.

Find a container, pour the solution into the container, remove the grips, drop in and place the lid on the container. Stir as necessary and wait.

 

[Capnballhunter]

Mix up some acetone and ATF and shake it up each day. Need enough to submerge them. The specific gravities of each are different, it will take some agitation for the mixture to go into solution.

Find a container, pour the solution into the container, remove the grips, drop in and place the lid on the container. Stir as necessary and wait.

Interesting, never heard of that one. Thanks

 

[Capnballhunter]

well even if they are not going to be fixable there will likely be a number of parts that can be salvaged for resale

Yeah, I'm sure they aren't beyond some use, even if its for parts. I had a ball cleaning up the Baby Dragoon and the years of neglect have actually given it character, with a patina not unlike an original.

 

[FishDFly]

Has been reported here a bunch and many farmers and ranchers use the concoction to restore unused tractors and equipment to operating condition.

Kroil oil is excellent as well, I use at the ranch all the time to fix broke stuff.

Hose the pistols down in Kroil oil and place in a plastic coffee container and place the lid on.

Time will work.

 

[Capnballhunter]

Has been reported here a bunch and many farmers and ranchers use the concoction to restore unused tractors and equipment to operating condition.

Kroil oil is excellent as well, I use at the ranch all the time to fix broke stuff.

Hose the pistols down in Kroil oil and place in a plastic coffee container and place the lid on.

Time will work.

Appreciate the advice, if they're locked up bad it sounds like this should work.

 

[MSW]

congrats on the new-to-you revolver ... hope the rest work out as well!

 

[Capnballhunter]

congrats on the new-to-you revolver ... hope the rest work out as well!

Thank you very much!

 

[Rick Son]

They always look cool framed up with a hand of cards,pocket watch whatever of the time period and you can lie like heck on em :grin: :bull: :grin:

 

[Capnballhunter]

They always look cool framed up with a hand of cards,pocket watch whatever of the time period and you can lie like heck on em :grin: :bull: :grin:

:wink:

 

[Artificer]

I have been using Kroil oil since it became generally available and it is GOOD stuff.

However, I have run across a couple things where kroil did not work, BUT a product called "PB Blaster" worked like a charm. Spray it on, leave it overnight and most of the time, it loosens everything up. Just make sure to follow directions on the can afterwards and clean it off and oil it with good gun oil.
Gus

 

[FishDFly]

I have often wondered if you put the above pistols mentioned in a center fire vibrating cartridge cleaner with ATF/Acetone or some other concoction, would the vibrations free up things quicker.

Would the vibrations let the solution into areas it would normally might not penetrate?

 

[CaptainKirk]

FREE...that's the BEST kind of deal. Congrats!

 

[Capnballhunter]

I have often wondered if you put the above pistols mentioned in a center fire vibrating cartridge cleaner with ATF/Acetone or some other concoction, would the vibrations free up things quicker.

Would the vibrations let the solution into areas it would normally might not penetrate?

Sounds like it would work well actually. One of those common sense things we never think about...

 

[Capnballhunter]

FREE...that's the BEST kind of deal. Congrats!

Thanks a ton. I feel blessed indeed