Just Dropped the Hammer on a Pietta Model 1858 New Army Stainless

[cynthialee]

yep he's hooked

:grin:

I think you meant grains not grams on that powder charge....

The 1851 inspired pistols are my favorite. Now granted I do want a dragoon (and a Walker and a plains pistol and an underhamer...) but that is just for the OMG factor.

 

[BRiddle]

yep he's hooked

:grin:

I think you meant grains not grams on that powder charge....

The 1851 inspired pistols are my favorite. Now granted I do want a dragoon (and a Walker and a plains pistol and an underhamer...) but that is just for the OMG factor.

You're exactly right. Guess I was thinking drugs or something! :grin:

BTW, I used #10 Remington caps and they fit the stock nipples just fine. Much better than the Winchester #11's.

I have the old West pattern collection by Will Ghormley. Just got the patterns out and started figuring out what holster I'm going to make first.

Looks like I may make a cross draw so I can carry my Damaskas and Stag handle knife on my right side. I bought the knife from Sportsman Guide. I really like the knife but the sheath is cheap looking. I'll be designing a sheath to match the holster.

I bought some Hermann Oak leather to make some holsters out of. I've been using a cheaper leather I got from Tandy while practicing. This rig is gonna get the Hermann Oak!

Also going to make a new belt to hang the holster on. I'm going to figure out a pouch to hold the spare cylinder. Not sure of the exact pattern but thinking of using a Sam Browne Button Stud for a closure. Should make it look more period correct.

Anybody have any suggestions for the holster, belt, sheath, or cylinder pouch?

 

[BRiddle]

One thing I forgot to mention.

I had a hard time finding the little brass front post site. It was hard to get it lined up in the rear. I think it will be pretty accurate with little site work if I can get a good consistant sight picture.

Any suggestions for improving the front sight? Paint, polish??

Just realized I hijacked my own thread! Should've posted this under the 1851 Navy thread! Oh well. :redface:

 

[M. De Land]

I changed the front sight on my 1860 as these were designed by Colt to shoot high for battle and if your going to use them for target work than you need a blade up front to get enough sight height to make them shoot lower.The notch in the hammer nose leaves something to be desired for a rear sight as well.
The 58 Remington was also designed for battle to be a man and horse killer but had a much higher front sight and is more usable for target work.
The 60 was far more prevalent than was the 58 but I shoot my 58 at least five times more than I do the 60. Both are accurate though.

Factory sight on the target model 58 and new brass sight I put on the 60 to make it shoot where pointed at 6 o'clock hold. MD

 

[BRiddle]

Nice job.

How is the brass sight mounted? Is it just a small round hole like the '51? Just wondering about modifying my '51.

 

[M. De Land]

The 60 has a radius barrel cut just like a cotter key in a shaft has.Both are partridge in sight picture and both are raked to the rear. The 60 sight is HI-Force 44 now temperature silver soldered in place. MD

 

[BRiddle]

I got the 1858 yesterday. I unpacked it and cleaned it good to get it ready to shoot. The cylinder release pin was really hard to pull out. It seemed that the finish on this stainless model was a little rougher than the 1851 Confederate I recently purchased.

Went out to the pasture/shooting range and put about 2 dozen rounds through it.

I had to use a leather mallet to tap the release pin out the first few times. As I shot it and changed out the cylinders, it got easier and easier to use.

By the end of the session, I was really happy with the way it was working.

I'm using .451 round balls on top of Cabela's Lubed Black-Powder Revolver Wads and 25 grains of Pyrodex P with bore butter finishing off the chamber.

If I use the wads, do I still need the bore butter? I also tried Crisco lard in a couple of cylinders. Seemed to shoot just fine also.

Question for everyone, What are your preferences in loading and why.

 

[cynthialee]

I go with powder, corn meal then wads under the bullet and bore butter the cylenders after it is loaded.
Wads and or corn meal would probably be sufficiant as I use a .454 ball that shaves plenty of lead, but I am anal about not getting a chain fire. I already had one a number of years ago and I don't care for them. :haha:
Mainly I use fillers to bring the ball closer to the cylender face so it isn't a long jump from the powder to the barrel for the bullet. Helps improve acuracy somewhat.

Been using over cylender greese of one type or anouther always.

Edit to add:
Probably get shot some greif over this one but when I am shooting and it is many cylenders worth I do not use bore butter. I use a droper to place one drop of 10w-30 motor oil on top of each ball after it is loaded. This forms an oil seal on the chamber and I'd wager lubes bullet passage down the barrel. I keep hearing that petroleum products and black powder cause issues. But I have never found any issues come clean up time.

 

[BRiddle]

Thanks for the reply. I never heard of using cornmeal, however, bringing the ball closer to the barrel makes sense.

I keep reading about the possibility of chain fires and I really have a hard time believing that with a properly fitted and seated round ball, that you could get fire in from that end to create a chain fire. I could see more easily how an improper fitting nipple or a nipple that falls off could possibly get a spark to ignite the cylinder, and that even seems a little far fetched as well.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not doubting that you or anyone else has had them, I'm just not sure that with a properly fitted and seated round ball that it would be physically possible. I too, get a small ring of lead when I seat a .451 round ball, so I feel that I'm getting a good seal.

If you were using round balls that were too small, I could see how sealing the end with grease of some kind would be beneficial in preventing a chain fire.

I'm not an expert and definitely lack the experience of most of you, so my observations are only based on my limited understanding and experience. It does seem to me that as tight as the lubricated wads I'm using seem to fit, that they would/should prevent a chain fire from occurring from the front side.

When I was shooting yesterday, the bore butter from adjoining cylinders would partially come out when fired, so I don't see how the addition of the grease in the end would prevent a chain fire either. I do think it helps with lubrication and keeping the barrel cleaner. The Crisco I used seemed to stay in the end of the cylinder better...it was thicker.

I also meant to comment on the nipples. On the 1851 Confederate, the OEM nipples works well with a #10 Remington cap. I didn't see any difference between the OEM Pietta's and the Slix Shot SS nipples.

On the 1858 New Army, the SS nipples do not hold the #10 caps very well. I installed a set of the Slix Shot nipples in each spare cylinder that I bought, so that I could compare them to the OEM Pietta's. The Slix SHot SS nipples worked much better than the Pietta SS's.

I will probably put both sets of Slix Shot's in the 1858, and put the OEM Pietta regular nipples back in the 1851 Colt. If I start to experience problems with the OEM regular Pietta nipples, then I'll order some more Slix Shots for the Colt as well. For now the ones that came in the 1851 hold and fire the Rem #10's just fine.

 

[cynthialee]

so...which pistol are you favoring?

 

[BRiddle]

Well, I love the looks of the brass on the Confederate, but I also love the SS on the Remmy.

I like the ease of clean up on the stainless and the easier to change cylinder, soooo I guess the edge goes to the Remington New Army.

I'm getting ready to make a holster for each one and I think a 3" belt to hang them on. Would it look funny to have a mismatched set on the same rig? I'm thinking that may have been a common occurrence in the late 1800's??

I also have a Damascas knife that I want to make a sheath for. I'm thinking hang the Remmy on the right, Colt as a cross draw, two cylinder pouches on the left, with the knife and powder flask mounted behind the Remington.

I saw a picture of a powder flask holder and thought it was pretty cool.

 

[M. De Land]

Wonder how a leather powder flask would work and look.Sure would be impervious to denting. MD

 

[necchi]

I'm thinking that may have been a common occurrence in the late 1800's??

I also have a Damascas knife that I want to make a sheath for. I'm thinking hang the Remmy on the right, Colt as a cross draw, two cylinder pouches on the left, with the knife and powder flask mounted behind the Remington.

I don't think Hollywood was all that popular at that time. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5F9l-Wp4itQ