Smallest cap & ball revolver?

[Electric Miner]

According to the data I have, the .31 round ball should have somewhere around 40 ft-lbs of muzzle energy.

As a contrast, standard velocity 22 Long Rifle has around 116 ft-lbs muzzle energy.


Here's a an article on using the pocket revolvers for self defense...


Link

 

[BGRooster1]

That is more than enough for rabbit,squirrel or small pest, even big two legged pest at card table distance. Not a magnum and not going to cause much internal damage , but I wouldn't want that in my chest or face.
Imagine someone taking a pen and hitting it with 45 pounds of force .Ouch

 

[Electric Miner]

I wasn't suggesting otherwise. However, it wouldn't be my weapon of choice for self-defense carry, either.



I still want one...

 

[rodwha]

I would definitely agree that it has plenty for small game, but I doubt it would be accurate enough at any real distance (15-25 yds) with a typical barrel.

According to that article it can get through a bit of wood. More than I figured it could.

Are there any conicals for it commercially available? Molds? Or has anyone resized the base of a lead bullet to work? If so what kind of load can be made with what expectations?

I really want to like the Remington Pocket enough to buy one, but if it's not very useful I don't see the point. I've been looking at a '62 Police with a 3 1/2- 4 1/2" barrel instead.

 

[Electric Miner]

Are there any conicals for it commercially available? Molds? Or has anyone resized the base of a lead bullet to work? If so what kind of load can be made with what expectations?

No idea. And since I wouldn't be using it for small game, etc, I'm fine with it being a mediocre stopper. I have other guns for that. I'd use it to punch holes in paper, and break targets.

It's just a neat little gun.

 

[jaxenro]

How about a 1862 Police with a barrel cut to 2 1/2"? Historically accurate and .36 caliber. Supposedly the Mormons ordered 50 of them for police work but for a pocket pistol they pack a punch

 

[rodwha]

That is precisely what I've been looking at.

I'd get a 6 1/2" barreled version for small game and plinking, and a 3 1/2" or 4 1/2" barrel assembly for pocket use.

Then an additional backstrap for a birds head grip and an additional hammer to have made more like a Bisley hammer.

But I still like the Remington Pocket's easy cylinder change, safety recesses in the cylinder, and lighter weight.

 

[jaxenro]

How hard is it to change a Colt cylinder with a properly fitting wedge? Unless someones shooting at you seems like under a minute. Plus with the fluted (62 police) and rebated (62 navy) cylinders and different barrel assemblies (creeping and regular rammer) and lengths one gun could take on many different appearances. Try changing the barrel length on a Remmington in under a minute

I have been playing with swapping parts between my pocket navy's and police's. The pocket police with the rebated cylinder from the navy looks just like a baby 1860 army

 

[rodwha]

And with a Pocket Navy/Police you could also convert it to a .31 cal.

But I've read the Colt Pockets are very tight and prone to cap jams. In the video Duelist made it shows several in each cylinder load he fired. Jams and misfires just suck. A friend of mine was turned off by having many misfires due to improper nipple/cap fit.

Myself, I would not really want to fill in the hammer safety recess to "fix" that problem. Some say they have no real problems though.

But due to these problems with pocket models it pushes me to consider scrapping the idea of a small pistol.

 

[AceMerrill3]

Remington states a 32 S&W has an 88 grain bullet pushed to 680 fps with 88 ft/lbs of energy.

Hogdgon's states a .31 cal pushed by 10 grains of powder on gives 580 fps. Even if it had just a little more and traveled at 600 fps it only has 38 ft/lbs with a 47 (.315") grain RB. At 700 fps it would only have 51 ft/lbs.

The lowly 25 ACP has 67 ft/lbs.

I'd question it's ability to penetrate plywood.

The max recommended load for the .31 pocket is 12 gn fff and supposedly gives you 790 fps which is 69.3 fpe which gives it exactly the power of a modern pocket .25