Percussion Pistols

[FullTilt]

Hi, I’m totally new to black powder. I recently traded some other hobby parts for a couple of pirate style pistols; a 50 cal continental arms, and a 45 cal Jekar (sp) Spain. I have shot both, but have some questions

1. How hard should it be to push the ball in? Perhaps I’ve gotten old, or my wadding is too thick - but its a fight. I guess I just need to try different diameters? Whats the best lube?

2. After shooting yesterday, I got home without the ramrod on the 50 cal”¦..guess that’s why they put a place on the gun to store it. What should I buy to replace it and where? I can readily find Rods with rifle lengths.

3. I bought some synthetic powder from Gander Mountain ”“ pros and cons over black powder. Any recommendations?

4. I was told to use 30 grains for each? Is there a guideline or way to determine what is best (probably all within my normal shake)
The experience has me interested enough to be consider a 1958 Army Uberti revolver”¦”¦”¦.then a long gun.

You can spend more time at the range for a lot less money than shooting a modern pistol. I would have died before getting the second ball loaded.

Thanks
Cliff

 

[bpd303]

Hi, I’m totally new to black powder. I recently traded some other hobby parts for a couple of pirate style pistols; a 50 cal continental arms, and a 45 cal Jekar (sp) Spain. I have shot both, but have some questions
Hi and welcome to the forum and affliction, Are your pistols rifled or smoothbore? cap or flint?
1. How hard should it be to push the ball in? Perhaps I’ve gotten old, or my wadding is too thick - but its a fight. I guess I just need to try different diameters? Whats the best lube?
If you are using patched round balls the patching is too thick. It should push in without a lot of pounding, but be tight enough to seal the bore.
2. After shooting yesterday, I got home without the ramrod on the 50 cal”¦..guess that’s why they put a place on the gun to store it. What should I buy to replace it and where? I can readily find Rods with rifle lengths.
Can't help without seeing the pistol.
3. I bought some synthetic powder from Gander Mountain ”“ pros and cons over black powder. Any recommendations?
Synthetic powder will work in percussion(cap) guns but not in flintlock's. I only use black powder in all my guns.
4. I was told to use 30 grains for each? Is there a guideline or way to determine what is best (probably all within my normal shake)
The experience has me interested enough to be consider a 1958 Army Uberti revolver”¦”¦”¦.then a long gun.
30 grains will be a light starting charge, you can work up in 5 gr increments till you find the most accurate charge.
You can spend more time at the range for a lot less money than shooting a modern pistol. I would have died before getting the second ball loaded.
One reason for having two pistols. :haha:
Thanks
Cliff

 

[Zonie]

Welcome to the forum.

Most folks shooting rifles use a pretty tight patch/ball combination but with a pistol it ins't necessary and it makes loading difficult as you've found.

Your .50 caliber pistol should be using a .490 diameter ball and a .010 thick patch should work.

Although I wouldn't suggest it with a rifle, even a old cotton tee shirt will work pretty well in your pistols.

You can use either a store bought patch lube or a light coating of vegetable oil or olive oil.
Some folks have found that Crisco will work but it often melts on a hot day so it can be kinda messy.

The .45 caliber pistol should be shooting a .440 dia patched ball.

With pistols this size, you can use powder loads ranging from 20 to 40 grains. Usually the smaller ones work best for accurate shooting.

Again, I wouldn't recommend it for a muzzleloading rifle but with a pistols short barrels a wooden dowel from the local hardware store can be used for loading.

Continental imported some pretty good guns, usually from Italy.
The Jukar was made in Spain and is safe to shoot but back in the days when they were called Jukar they weren't noted for their great craftsmanship.

Be that as it may, as your finding, shooting muzzleloaders is not only less expensive but their is a satisfaction with loading one of them and having it fire like it should.

I've got a feeling that your going to like shooting black powder guns so much you start ignoring your cartridge guns.
Lots of folks around here have found this to be true.

 

[Ken Cormier]

What Zonie said. Good advice.

 

[CKeshen]

I have a .50 cal. Traditions William Parker that I load with 20 grains of powder along with 20 grains of cream of wheat on top of it. In my .44 cal. Pedersoli LePage I use 15 grains of powder along with the same amount of cream of wheat. You don't need a lot of powder to get a good accurate load.

For me Pyrodex is just OK, but Hogdon 777 and Swiss Powder seem to shoot the most consistent groups. Both provide an easy clean up, and have more velocity (by volume) than either Pyrodex or Goex black powder.

 

[FullTilt]

thanks for the help and advice - I didn't think about a dow rod....that's easy. I was going to use a broken arrow and insert a ramrod/cleaner piece into the end.

I was using 490 balls for the 50, but probably thicker patches (the only pack they had in the store at the time). Someone else just gave me some pillow tacking to use.

I'm not sure if I will give up the modern guns, but I'm going to order the Uberti this weekend (1858 not 1958).

thanks again

 

[dikman]

The Uberti is a nice gun. Unless you've got dainty little fingers (!) you may want to consider an inline capper, makes it much easier to get caps onto the nipples.

A word of warning - you're at the start of a slippery slope! Next thing you know, you'll want to cast your own balls :wink: .

 

[cynthialee]

Yeah and I thought that also, then I sold off the modern stuff to buy more BP stuff.
See I was fine for years being happy with a single BP revolver at a time. Then I went and bought a T/C Hawken...That is the moment my minor BP infection went terminal. Wasn't much longer after I got my rifle that I was buying up stuff to cast my own bullets and trying my hand at some lube recipe's of my own concoction. Now...I won't even say how many BP firearms have passed through my hands in trades and sales or became my property in the last 2 years for fear of Sevan (my better half) reading this post. :grin:

So I would say that so long as you only have 1 BP firearm at a time you will be able to maintain the addiction at a mild state, but cross that line and get a second gun....You got it bad.

 

[mooman76]

I haven't given up my modern fire arms but I do shoot them allot less. Good advice here. Find a ball/patch combo that goes in allot easier and you will enjoy it allot more.

 

[crockett]

1.On a single shot, muzzle loading pistol, the butt of the pistol on some designs sort of "kicks out" and makes seating the ball sort of difficult but once you get the ball and patch below the crown of the muzzle, from that point on down the bore it should slide with minimum effort. If you don't have a short starter, get one. I'd start with pre-lubed patches if you can get them. Patch thickness can make a difference in accuracy.

2.Usually you don't want to use a dowel because they can split and stab your hand but on a pistol, the ramrod is so short that I think you will be okay. Maybe a 3/8 for "show" and use a 1/2" to load.

3. Almost all the folks here like real black powder, it is easier to ignite but the Pyrodex pistol and other substitutes are okay. They are just as corrosive, or worse, than black powder so clean up the gun after a shooting session. Hot soapy water for the bore, maybe take the lock off and brush out the inside parts- black powder residue can get into the nooks and crannies.

4. I'd say for a 50 caliber a 30 grain charge is okay, I have a 50 caliber that shoots best with a 37 grain charge.

 

[Artificer]

FWIW, U.S. Navy Ordnance Regulations during and immediately after TWBS called for 30 grains of powder for pistol cartridges and 18 grains of powder for revolver cartridges.

Gus

 

[Arkansashillbilly]

18 grains in a revolver seems light. Especially considering the intended target. Is that for a .44 or for a .36? Oh wait, just noticed that's Navy. That would be .36 then, wouldn't it?

 

[crockett]

No, it was the same for the Army but you have to bear in mind that although nothing is etched in stone the majority of revolvers used combustible ammunition and the combustible cartridge had to be small enough to fit into the loading port of a revolver. That probably accounts for the small charges. If you do a net search on combustible cartridges and look at the labels on the boxes, you'll notice the powder charges were small.
How many military revolvers were loaded from a flask? Flask loading I believe was detailed in the manual of arms but I have tried to locate images of government issued Civil War era flasks and containers for loose balls, etc. No luck so far. At least for me.

 

[Arkansashillbilly]

The cartridge explanation does make a good bit of sense. I think I saw a pic and account once of a Civil War soldier who survived being shot in the forehead with a revolver. I've often wondered how he'd survive that unless the shot was a lucky one from some range, now it makes a little more sense. Lower powder charge and a guy with a thick skull.

 

[Grumpa]

In a thread from 9/27/12 (".45 Power" , in "Flintlock Rifles" bottom of page 3, I posted an account of a man shot in the forehead by a cop armed with a .38 Spl. Bullet penetrated skin, then turned on the skull and rode around to the back of the head. The shootee regained consciousness on a gurney outside the OR, and departed when he learned that the surgeons were awaiting his X-rays before commencing surgery.

 

[crockett]

There's plenty of questions I'm still kicking around. The old "PC" conicals were long and pointy. WHY? I don't know. The shape took up a lot of room in the chamber- resulting in less area for the powder and in ramming the conical it could twist out of alignment- not much for accuracy.