pietta brass frame .44 1851

[vano]

at cabelas they have these on sale for 129.00
is this the pistol to buy at the sale price
are the steel frames worth the extra 150.00
what is a standard load for this pistol i've read that heavy loads are not good to use
thanks in advance vano

 

[Don]

Many folks will tell you to avoid the brass framed guns but it won't be me. True, you can't load them to max because brass is softer and heavy loads will damage the gun with time. That said I load my brassers with .25 grains of pyro P and have had no problems. Brass framed guns are an inexpensive way to get into cap and ball shooting and if you enjoy it as much as the others on this forum do then you'll be buying a steel framed gun in short order.

Don

 

[vano]

thanks
it is most likelly better to learn the cleaning, loading,and shooting on a less expensive setup sell them at a discount then switch to steel or shoot them out and move on
vano

 

[Don]

I think you'll find that you will develop an attatchment to your brass framed gun and hang on to it. If you find that cap and ball revolvers arn't your cup of tea then you won't be out a lot of cash. That is the up side of a brass framed revolver.

Don

 

[bob308]

as i stated in another post. the only problem i saw with a brass frame pistol. was when they tried to load it with balls cast out of wheel weights which are too hard.

 

[CaptainKirk]

I load mine at under the recommended max loads:
.36 cal-15 to 18gr
.44 cal-18 to 20gr
Not only do they hold up well with these loads, but you will probably find them more accurate as well.
Full-house loads make a lot of smoke but accuracy suffers.

 

[deanscamaro]

Thanks a lot for all this info. I just purchased the Cabela's Navy 44 for the $129 sale price and this info will help prepare for the first shots. I am busy making my holster/belt rig, so shooting the first time will be down the road. From everything I am reading here there is a lot more to do in prep and care than there is in my 50 cal. smokepole (ref. chain fire!). The lighter loads will work for me as I will not be searching for all the excitement of "big blasts".
:rotf: :grin:

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Well there is a slight difference between a Remington repro in brass, and the Cabela's "navy" .44 in brass in that there is no "top strap" to the Colt copy. I have four of the Cabela's ".44 Navy" revolvers, and I use 15 grains of 3Fg, plus two .44 felt wads in each chamber, and then load my .454 all lead round balls on top..., prevents chain fires and doesn't gunk up the guns so much. This works fine for targets and for CAS when I competed..., and reduced wear on the gun and more importantly, any blown caps that might jam the action. I wouldn't go up to 20 grains unless it was a Remington, simply to keep the wear and tear down.

The other thing I did was to buy extra cylinders as I was competing with the guns and it was an experiment in lowering the cost. What I ended up with was two good revolvers, one "parts gun" and one revolver with a cut-down barrel for "vest pocket" side matches. They all shoot very well.

I did notice that in every cylinder one chamber seemed to shoot less accurate..., weird but true, and when I kept track of them, it was consistent for one of the six chambers in each cylinder. So I pulled the nipple from that cylinder, and used that as my empty "safe" chamber when shooting CAS, as per the rules.

LD

 

[Gatofeo]

Brass-framed guns are okay starter guns. I started with an 1851 .44 more than 40 years ago.
Aside from brass-framed guns being unable to take full loads without damage, they are almost always of lesser quality. The fit and finish are not there.
Typically, you'll find toolmarks around the trigger guard curves and numerous burrs on the interior parts. The final finishing is simply not put into them. Some emery cloth and the judicious use of Swiss Needle Files will remove the rough spots and burrs.
Bore and chamber polishing -- or lack thereof in brass-framed revolvers -- is another problem and one that the hobbyist probably shouldn't try to fix. The chance of ruining the gun is too great.
Brass-framed guns are made to be sold cheaply, so as much work isn't put into them as with the steel-framed versions.
Steel-framed guns are, in the main, better fit and finished. The extra time is taken with them.
Now, occasionally you'll find a brass-framed revolver that is well made, fit and finished but these are not the rule.
But as starter guns, to learn the basics without a lot of investment, they'll do fine.
One must know their limitations, though: lesser powder charges to avoid battering the soft frame. Never use Hodgdon 777 in them (Hodgdon doesn't recommend it, and it should know because it makes 777). Poorer fit and finish. Possibly soft steel internal parts.
Eventually, if you stay with this hobby, you'll want to go onto a steel-framed revolver. The best I've seen are marketed by Cimarron, which selects the best Ubertis and then gives them extra polish and fitting. Uberti ranks a very close No. 2, with Pietta sometimes on Uberti's heels, sometimes not.
Enjoy your hobby.
Search my internet postings, "Proper Use of a Cap and Ball Revolver," "So You Want a Cap and Ball Revolver?" and "Found! Original Loads for Cap and Ball Revolvers" for detailed information on using your revolver.
Search under my "Gatofeo" nom de net.
Keep your loads to no more than 20 grs. of FFFG black powder or equivalent and your revolver will hold up fine.
Welcome to a fascinating hobby!

 

[CaptainKirk]

With regard to the above post, mostly fact. However, if you are a hopeless tinkerer like myself, you will find brass much easier to work, de-burr, and polish than steel. You don't have to worry about polishing off the CCH or bluing, and anything you do can be highly polished to cover and machine work. Case in point; this Schneider & Glassick repro I bought off Auction Arms was in horrid shape when I bought it. A week later, I had this:

And the best part is, I can whip out the Flitz and go at it any time I wish without regard to any finish on the metal. Try THAT on your CCH Uberti! :wink:

 

[Gatofeo]

Whatever floats your boat, but I still maintain that brass-framed guns are -- almost always -- made with less attention to fit and finish and lesser quality than steel-framed guns.
Myself, I don't like to tinker much with a gun to get it work properly or look good. I figure that's the factory's job.
But hey, if you like to tinker, brass is okay.
I can use my steel-framed guns with full-power loads, if I wish. You can too -- but not for long. :grin:

 

[CaptainKirk]

That's why I have steel-framed guns, too! :wink: