Shooting a shoulder stocked Colt Navy

[Stantheman86]

I finally got out to shoot my Uberti London Navy that I put the skeleton stock on

The gun and the stock fit nicely in a canvas messenger bag

I fired my first cylinder at 50 yards , arms rested on a range table.

The Uberti Navy has a very shallow rear sight notch and a large brass front sight, with the stock on the sight picture is hard to acquire and looks like a brass bead above a blurry dark mass. I'll need to probably open up the rear notch

It was hard to get a consistent sight picture so I'll need to do some work

I wanted to shoot at 100 but people were zeroing deer rifles so I couldn't get to it

At 25 it was easier to stand and hit the target, I had to step into the sunlight to see the sights

The old Remington caps I bought were a little weak, the newer Rem 11s worked better on the RMC nipples I have on the gun

I found time to test fire my new Uberti Leech & Rigdon and Pietta Navy I made into an Augusta Machine Works , they both worked well

 

[TDM]

Always wanted to try a stocked revolver. Where did you get yours?

 

[Stantheman86]

Always wanted to try a stocked revolver. Where did you get yours?

Cimarron had them in stock about 2 years ago, they used to say they were for Pietta or Uberti medium frame revolvers not cut for shoulder stocks. Then suddenly changed the description to Uberti Only

It came with a Uberti hammer screw and some other mysterious screw that fits neither a Uberti or a Pietta

The "cap blast in the face " isn't bad at all, and recoil is 0 with 25 grains of 3f and a .375 ball

The cheek weld is awkward but it's doable

 

[TDM]

Well it’s very neat. I like it.

 

[frankie]

Great setup, do you loan that out on weekends? lol

 

[Stantheman86]

Well it’s very neat. I like it.

They are around , there's one on GunBroker and I think some places have them in stock.

The sights are the only issue, the Pietta has finer sights that are more suited to a stock but I can make the Uberti work with some light filing. Moving my eye 2 inches from the rear sight makes the sight picture look like a large front bead in a very shallow notch that's easy to "lose" and hard to stay consistent with. On most of my shots I was basically just putting the front bead somewhere over the blurry mass of the hammer nose and letting fly. Maybe my eyes are also not 25 anymore also

Otherwise it's a ton of fun, it feels good locked into your shoulder and it's definitely interesting. It needs some Slixshot nipples because it's hard to shake caps out, and I had a few fall into the hammer.

It's awkward to load if you don't have a table or one of your knees handy

I always wondered why the wood stocks were rarely used originally, a stocked Dragoon would be an effective "carbine " but then I can also see why they weren't popular, this would be awkward in combat on foot and probably not much would be gained for actual combat accuracy, since shooting at 100 is still possible just holding the revolver.

I'm going to have fun playing around with it, it's been over 2 years and I finally got around to using this stock on the gun I bought it for .

They're more of a novelty, they look cool and they're fun for range popping. I got some attention at the range today with it, probably more like, what the h--l is that guy shooting, what is he a vampire hunter or something?

 

[Stantheman86]

Great setup, do you loan that out on weekends? lol

I would let anyone take a crack at shooting this because I want to see just how weird someone looks shooting it, because I sure looked weird contorting my neck and doing some awkward Weaver stance thing trying to stand and shoot this thing

 

[dehart.stephen]

You might try a simplified tang sight mounted on the wrist of the skeleton stock. Just an aperture to focus the other sights better. Try a piece of tape at the right spot on your shooting glasses, with a round hole big as a pencil lead first, just to prove the principle before altering the gun.
There's also a way of putting a simple loop sling attached under the stock, that can be used slanchwise around your shoulders for a firmer offhand stance. It helped me with MY 1860 Army "Paratrooper's Model."

 

[Stantheman86]

You might try a simplified tang sight mounted on the wrist of the skeleton stock. Just an aperture to focus the other sights better. Try a piece of tape at the right spot on your shooting glasses, with a round hole big as a pencil lead first, just to prove the principle before altering the gun.
There's also a way of putting a simple loop sling attached under the stock, that can be used slanchwise around your shoulders for a firmer offhand stance. It helped me with MY 1860 Army "Paratrooper's Model."

I would love to try this if I could make it work

 

[Stantheman86]

Took another crack with it today, I was limited to 30 yards because the range was busy today. I usually don't go on weekends but I was bored.

With the original rear sight picture, I did pretty ok. I reduced the charge from 24 to 20, with the 20 grain spout with my finger on it, probably more like 18. Still plenty of smoke and boom. I topped one chamber off to the top , and barely got the ball in. No noticeable recoil. The .36 is a pussy cat with the shoulder stock just like it is without it. If there were a way to put a skeleton stock on a Walker with 60 grain charges, it would probably be more of an invigorating experience

I did some range gunsmithing with a small file, and opened up the rear sight a little

I apparently accidentally fixed the gun hitting slightly to the right which it has always done. Just slightly off. The little tiny bit of extra daylight to the sides of the front sight helped with the sight picture. This isn't a sniper rifle and I'm still working with 1830s technology with these sights like we all are , so I'll take this as a win. The front sight is still more like a shotgun bead but it works.

3 shots to the head at 15, sure it's possible without a stock but I'm happy just to be shooting halfway ok with the cool shoulder stock

The stock shifts around a little given the lack of a notch under the grip, but I tried some leather under the attachment point. I trimmed it to fit more cleanly, it is nice and firm now. I will try this next time.

I was going to let some balls fly at 100 but it got dark, so I have something to do next time out

If anyone has gun OCD , avoid these stocks, they will mark up your grip frame and grips. I'm not worried, it's character and these are repros made to be used.

I altered the stock placement to more of a "bicep" weld and it worked better.

Better nipples will probably cure the cap jams but these square lug Ox Yoke nipples fit the older Remington #11s I have about 900 of that fit nothing else well , so they'll stay on until I exhaust those.

 

[dehart.stephen]

You could do a trial with some simple tang sight just taped firmly in place. a hardwood spacer block contoured to the two pieces can help adapt for trial, and serve.as a pattern for a permanenr one of brass.

 

[Stantheman86]

Or a period correct way to darken a case hardened hammer by the rear sight notch ?

Candle smoke?

I think blacking it up would help tremendously since I wouldn't be sighting through a gunmetal color, shiny hammer notch

As ugly as the new blued hammers look in Piettas, they do give you a nice sight picture against the brass front sight

 

[Stantheman86]

You could do a trial with some simple tang sight just taped firmly in place. a hardwood spacer block contoured to the two pieces can help adapt for trial, and serve.as a pattern for a permanenr one of brass.

This combined with a crosshair front sight dovetailed in would really give it an interesting look, like it should be loaded with Silver bullets dipped in Holy Water or something

 

[Stantheman86]

Just as a side note, if you're playing with shoulder stocks on revolvers, if you put in a conversion cylinder you are technically illegal.

I don't want anyone getting cross with the law over having the wrong cylinder in. Keep it percussion

Plus I don't know how states like NJ that require Pistol Permits for cap and ball revolvers feel about it. I know the ATF exempts muzzleloading firearms from the barrel length / stock law and also shorty shotguns that are muzzleloaders are exempt.

The Uberti Buntline accepts a stock but the barrel is above 16"

 

[William P Sepessy]

Thanks for mentioning the screw is for an Uberti. I bought the same stock about two years ago and it came with one nickel plated screw with no directions as to what it fit. I will have to try mine out soon.

 

[PathfinderNC]

Be careful to keep your left hand behind the cylinder in the event of a chain fire. Otherwise you’re in for some problems!

 

[Stantheman86]

Thanks for mentioning the screw is for an Uberti. I bought the same stock about two years ago and it came with one nickel plated screw with no directions as to what it fit. I will have to try mine out soon.

The mysterious 2nd screw is strange, I don't know what it fits , maybe something like an ASM?

The Uberti screw fit perfectly, no need to polish or fit anything