New Pistol! (to me)

[cynthialee]

I just received this pistol I bought from a member here on the classifieds.
It is a .36 caliber Sheriff Model Colt from CVA. (made by ASM) She is old, but I find no evidence of ever being fired and a note came attached from the seller advising I take it apart and remove the cosmoline.
Here is a picture.

I got plenty of powder and caps, but not a single (recommended by the box) .380 roundball on hand at all. So it will stay a safe queen until I can get some proper ammo. :/
Time for a proper cleaning and oiling at least. That should keep me busy for a little while.

Oh yeah!
It fits in my hand very well and when drawn she stands ready like a charm. Feels real natural.

 

[rodwha]

Wow! What a looker you have there!

Sounds like you are in need of a mold!

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Looks pretty.

 

[Wes/Tex]

"Way cool!"..a blast form the past. :wink: That is nice and has a really 'gotcha' look. Two quick thoughts, don't think gun makers have used real cosmoline since shortly after the Korean War. The grease used for shipping will usually clean out with little more than something like WD-40 and a few rags or paper towels. The other is to set a .375" ball on the chamber opening, assuming that's what you have. Not every chamber reamer is the same actual diameter and it's worth a couple moments to see if you can play with it till something different, if really necessary, gets there. If you do need larger, think about buying a as few larger sized balls as possible till you see what it actually takes. The M.1862/'53 variations I've played with through the years seem to chug along on 15 grains of FFFg just fine. Some knock their horsepower compared to bigger revolvers but they were called "Pocket Navy" and "Pocket Police" for the obvious reason. Have also seen one really cool old saddle bag with a built in pocket holster under the flap for one like yours...neat! Have fun!!

 

[cynthialee]

no .375 roundballs on hand either
I haven't had a .36 in about 20 years. I have been a .44 fan but when I saw this pistols pictures I had to have it. It is even neater to hold. :grin:

 

[Wes/Tex]

Well, a .365" is half the weight of a .454"...so if you cut a .454" in half and....

Not that desperate, huh? There are a number of places in your neck of the woods to get goodies, though to a Texan 'nearby' might be the same as 'next state over' to normal folks! :haha: Just hang in there, you'll make it...then make smoke!

 

[cynthialee]

oh it is nice! I did a Hollywood style gun slinger spin with it first try. Took me a number of days to get it with my current 1851.

It doesn't have pins on the cylinder. That kinda blows.

It is a large frame. I put it next to the 1851 fantasy gun and they are same size in many dimensions. Barrel is shorter and the grip is a tad different, body is the sameish. And it is a 6 gun. Not a small frame 5 shot.

 

[Wes/Tex]

The M.1862 and what's now called the M.1853(basically your gun with the octagon barrel and unfluted cylinder) were actually built on the .31 M.1849 'Baby Dragoon' frame that had been rebated like Colt did to make the M.1860 'Army' on the M.1851 'Navy' frame. Upgrades in steel making since the early 1850's allowed Colt to make these design changes and create bigger bores on smaller frames. Pretty good thinking on his part. Just practice spinning! By the time you get a holster you'll be doing the Randolph Scott thing! :wink: :rotf:

You can get some good pointers watching Val Kilmer do the Doc Holliday drunken gambler version with a tin cup in "Tombstone"! :blah:

 

[cynthialee]

Randolph Scott?!
..
Randolph Scott!!
..
Randolph Scott.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Yes m'am! I got a good chuckle out of that. Hadn't thought of it in years. The only movie I ever watched that made me sit the Coke and popcorn on the floor and forget it...for my own health and safety! :rotf: Thanks for the memories...oops, think the line is taken! :wink:

 

[jaxenro]

I just bought 300 380 cast balls from a guy that casts and sells them for a good price. If your interested PM me and I will send you his contact info

 

[Alden]

Cynthialee;
Glad you found something so nice that you like! One of these days I'd like a similar model -- not as fancy perhaps, but otherwise.

 

[MSW]

cool!
:thumbsup:

 

[Patocazador]

My .36 brass two cavity mold (RB and conical) throws round balls between .378 and .380. The gun is a Navy model from CVA. It came with the mold when I bought it in the 70s. Maybe you can find a used one.

I believe that 0000 buckshot is about .380 but I'm old and screw things up sometimes.

 

[Brian6396]

I was drooling over that gun but couldn't talk the wife into letting me spend the cash. A pound of lead will cast a lot more 36 cal balls than 44 and at half the powder charge means cheap shooting :hatsoff:

 

[Rick Son]

Yep saw that too,wished i would have had the cash,would of got it for it's big brother,i wonder if i can find a powder holder like that?(powder holder,i know i got a head cold can't think)

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Congrats on the new & fancy shootin' Iron!

Several places may be able to help you by selling a handful of lead balls to check size. Dixon's out in PA comes immediately to mind. They don't have online ordering, they do it all the old fashioned way--over the phone. I've seen several common size loose balls that folks can buy singles of. Not sure about .380's but couldn't hurt to ask, right?

Take care and I hope you & your partner have a great Christmas!

Dave

 

[mjulihn]

Beautiful revolver indeed, Cynthialee!

 

[cynthialee]

So I tried the search feature and it stymied me...

What nipples am I going to need for this gun?
The nipples on it are ok, but they are rather large in the fire port for my tastes. (I don't know what the hole at the end of the nipple on the inside of the chamber is called, I call it a fire port.) Not up to my standards.

 

[Wes/Tex]

Believe the CVA takes the 6X1mm nipples, but I'd highly recommend you check with TOTW just to double check on this one, they can usually tell you right off the top. As for the base hole on nipples, I always heard them called base holes...but then, you're dealing with Texans! :v