Pietta 1851 Navy

[tommygun]

Hi folks,
My 1851, .36 caliber, Pietta, navy colt , will not penetrate a steel burning barrel at 15 feet !
She puts a serious dent in it , but will not penetrate even one side.
I am loading it with a .375 round ball , and using 20 grains of triple seven propellant.
I am using a wonder wad over the powder , and also lubricating over the ball itself.
So, if this is all she has , then it is not impressive.
I mean my .22 revolver will go through both sides at this range !
Disappointed to be sure on this historic piece.

 

[hrt4me]

will it kill a squirrel?

 

[Phil Coffins]

Try it on a 20 pound chunk of meat, it wasn’t made to stop a trash barrel!

 

[hrt4me]

Try it on a 20 pound chunk of meat, it wasn’t made to stop a trash barrel!

that's beaver or raccoon size

 

[ADK Bigfoot]

Penetrating a man's chest to hit his heart (or other vital organs) was all Col. Colt had on his mind. He didn't shoot a lot of burn barrels, as far as I have read.

ADK Bigfoot

 

[Whitworth]

I don't think your 777 is burning too well. My 36 Navy will punch my metal target holder with 20 grains of real FFF. YMMV

 

[Gee Dog]

I've perforated my share of 55 gal. steel oils drums. Up the charge a little, use a harder ball than pure lead. Shoot .380's cause .375 is for girls. Aim at enter mass or lower and you'll hole that thing.

 

[eggwelder]

my ASM 51 Navy has a hard time penetrating 3/4 plywood at 75 yard but i`d not want to be hit by it. will embed deep in the wood though. have not tried it on an oil drum though.

 

[Gee Dog]

But, it perforated Davis Tutt at 75 yards. Job done.

 

[Dismount]

Hi folks,
My 1851, .36 caliber, Pietta, navy colt , will not penetrate a steel burning barrel at 15 feet !
She puts a serious dent in it , but will not penetrate even one side.
I am loading it with a .375 round ball , and using 20 grains of triple seven propellant.
I am using a wonder wad over the powder , and also lubricating over the ball itself.
So, if this is all she has , then it is not impressive.
I mean my .22 revolver will go through both sides at this range !
Disappointed to be sure on this historic piece.

my pietta will go through a oil drum with 25 grains of real fff black powder. wouldn't want to get shot by it. no no

 

[Dobermans]

Up the powder charge a bit and no need to grease over the balls, it is a waste and you'll never get a chain fire from the front using .375 balls. Chain fires almost exclusively come from the back of the cylinder. Use caps that fit and give them a little shove to seat them.

 

[Gee Dog]

That is incorrect, sir.

 

[.36Rooster]

will it kill a squirrel?

Mine does,

 

[Tusk11]

Shooting sheets of plywood is much more satisfying watching it blow a huge exit wound from the backside. Unfortunately wood is a little expensive these days!

 

[fishmusic]

I've perforated my share of 55 gal. steel oils drums. Up the charge a little, use a harder ball than pure lead. Shoot .380's cause .375 is for girls. Aim at enter mass or lower and you'll hole that thing.

Please elaborate on why .375 balls are for girls.

 

[Gee Dog]

Just an expression, old fellow. Don't let it trouble you. It's just that .375 is subprime ammo for a .36 C&B. Maybe you knew that.

 

[tommygun]

Thanks guys for all the info.
I will switch to FFF black powder. Never have been impressed with the 777 in my rifles and always used Black powder.
I am impressed with the accuracy of the 1851 though @30 yards.
I think I will stick to the .375 even though I do have a .380 mold.
The .375 loads tight and cuts a ring when loading.
I love my Pietta 1851 Navy at any rate

 

[user 51067]

Aside from whatever 777 is (listed as a propellant and NOT an explosive), the soft lead deforms rapidly upon hitting a large metal surface. The surface area of the impact between the ball and the drum serves to dissipate the energy rather than penetrate-much like a ballistic vest. The "lowly" .22 has a much smaller surface area and therefore potentially better penetration. You are comparing apples to oranges. Black powder coupled with a "bullet-shaped" projectile will most certainly give you the penetration to ventilate and "fend off" any attacking barrels.

 

[Packrat]

Shooting at a steel drum / target at 15' seems a wee but dangerous to me. especially since it's not penetrating, where do the ricochet go

 

[tommygun]

Shooting at a steel drum / target at 15' seems a wee but dangerous to me. especially since it's not penetrating, where do the ricochet go

The spent bullets fall down on the ground below the barrel.
Even so , next time I will shoot farther away using BP , 15 yards instead of 15 feet. I will also shoot a gallon water jug filled with water