chiphasnoteeth
32 Cal
Hey all, this will be my first black powder gun and I was wondering if there are any kinks or anything I should know? Thanks!
Just bought a Pietta 1851 Navy in .36, what do I need to know?
- Thread starter chiphasnoteeth
- Start date
Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:
Take the revolver apart and thoroughly clean and relube it. The factory nipples are gonna take a #10 cap ( Remingtons fit the best on my piettas with stock nipples) . A .375 or .380 round ball will do just fine. Slix shot nipples are a very good upgrade and help to greatly reduce if not eliminate cap jams. The gun will shoot high at pistol distances. Aim at his belt buckle.
Agreed with the above. If it's an Uberti #11 caps will be OK; Pietta likes #10 caps (#11 caps will just fall off). 0.375 balls shave nice 100% rings on my Pietta.
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2013
- Messages
- 318
- Reaction score
- 446
The first thing I do with my opentop revolvers is smooth the hammer face with a smooth hard stone and the slot in the hammer with a triangle ceramic stone. This will prevent most cap jams.
After you get familiar with your revolver, and begin to develop that revolver’s accuracy sweet spot. You can take a small needle file or knife edge file and slowly make a few passes in the rear sight notch of the hammer and start to moving the point of impact upward to match your point of aim. That is just what I do. I want my sight picture to be where the projectile hits.
Old Shepherd
Old Shepherd
Actually, if one is using the typical V-notch sight picture, where the top of the front sight is aligned with the tops of the rear sight side wings, just deepening the center V-notch only will have no effect on point of impact elevation.
I said aim at his belt buckle for the new guy with the new revolver. So his shots would at least be on paper. Some of them shoot really high. I have not modified the sights on my open tops I just use a different sight picture for them and they do just fine.
Actually, if someone is deepening the hammer sight, they must be burying the front sight don't ya think?
Yes, that would be the other solution, though not the typical v-notch sight picture, which is why I was careful to elaborate and distinguish for the benefit of the OP, who said this was his first BP gun, and might not know what that is (unless maybe he's also a Carcano owner, hah!!)
So, perhaps also for the benefit of the OP (since you mentioned it), you might want to elaborate on what you mean by "burying the front sight"?
Last edited:
Ive never modified the sights on any revolver. Just shoot and see where it hits. Aim accordingly and hopefully the third and consecutive shots will hit what your aiming at.
All fantastic recommendations ^. They tend to shoot high. Like @ frontstuffer070 recommended, aim for the belt buckle. Since putting sliXshots on my 51 Navy, and 60 Army, not a single cap jam. Added bonus, #11's fit great. #10's are kinda hard to find. You'll have fun shooting it, and methinks you will be wanting to buy more.
Clean it, remove the nipples and clean those inside and out then apply a SMALL amount anti-seize to the threads and put them back snug is all you need not overly tight. Get your shooting supplies and go to the range and SHOOT it. After you are done come home and CLEAN it, oil it and put it away until the next time you want to shoot it - that's it - enjoy it!
chiphasnoteeth
32 Cal
I don’t have enough time to respond to everyone right now, apologies for that, but I already ordered quite a few CCI #11 caps. Will they work on the pistol or have I made some horrible mistake? I’d hate to have wasted money on that
- Joined
- Feb 3, 2022
- Messages
- 905
- Reaction score
- 1,344
My Pietta 1851 Navy is one of my only revolvers that actually shoots point of aim with no sight modifications.
There are loads of YouTube videos on how to load and fire a black powder revolver.
Here are some tips:
Maximum accuracy will be around 12 grains of 3F powder.
Make sure your balls are shaving a ring of lead on loading into the chamber. Undersize balls cause chain fires.
When shooting, never allow any part of your hand to be beside or in front of the chamber. Shooting one-handed is safest.
There are loads of YouTube videos on how to load and fire a black powder revolver.
Here are some tips:
Maximum accuracy will be around 12 grains of 3F powder.
Make sure your balls are shaving a ring of lead on loading into the chamber. Undersize balls cause chain fires.
When shooting, never allow any part of your hand to be beside or in front of the chamber. Shooting one-handed is safest.
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2017
- Messages
- 1,112
- Reaction score
- 1,231
Get a 2nd gun or learn to reload fast as the bad guy will get back up and now he will be pissed ! /Ed
Haha, like the Texas Rangers. I read that carried multiple single shot pistols. Then later on a couple Walkers on the horse and how many ever smaller revolvers they could stuff on their person.
They may not fit properly on the factory nipples. But the sliXshots definitely will. After having a good cap jam, you will definitely appreciate them. I recommend one of their wrenches too.
You can try to pinch the cap a little to get it to hold on to the nipple a little better and you may get by that way. I've never liked the idea of doing that as I don't want to risk a chain fire (thats a whole other subject). As Snakebit said, get you a set of slix shot nipples and you can use any size cap you want on them. They truly are awesome and worth every cent.
IMO pinching caps is a waste of time. Now, pinching nipples .... that's a whole 'nother story.
It doesn't happen from that.
That's BS as #10 CCI's won't.
#11 CCI caps are the same size as #10 Remington caps as well as are RWS 1075's . ("size" means nothing from brand to brand!!! These guys are perpetuating b.s.!!!) !!!
Mike
It's amazing what people that DON'T know will tell you!!!
