Spiller and Burr

[Trot]

I just use regular old shotgun choke grease and shot six cylinders in a row without any cleaning and no binding whatsoever. I think it is important to not only grease the cylinder pin, but also pack some in the hole in the cylinder for the pin.

 

[Muskatoon61]

I just use regular old shotgun choke grease and shot six cylinders in a row without any cleaning and no binding whatsoever. I think it is important to not only grease the cylinder pin, but also pack some in the hole in the cylinder for the pin

 

[Muskatoon61]

I can put fifty rounds or better thru my Pietta Navy and it will still run, but of course being an open frame with an arbor that has grooves helps there.
This Spiller and Burr surprised me, though. A few shots and doesn't want to turn. I tried putting grease atop the round balls after loading and that seemed to help, but I'm not a fan of performing that step.
I really like the gun. The action is great, the balance and point ability. I'm going to take it out again and make a few changes and hope foe improvement.

 

[B P Arn]

It isn't the design of the gun that is causing the binding. I can shoot mine a lot before it starts to get sluggish.

I lube all of my black powder guns with Ballistol, and nothing else.

Mine shot really high when I got it. I made a new, taller front sight for it out of an old brass screw. That solved the problem.

 

[Muskatoon61]

It isn't the design of the gun that is causing the binding. I can shoot mine a lot before it starts to get sluggish.

I lube all of my black powder guns with Ballistol, and nothing else.

Mine shot really high when I got it. I made a new, taller front sight for it out of an old brass screw. That solved the problem.
View attachment 333665View attachment 333666

Nice holster. I need to get one for mine.

 

[B P Arn]

Nice holster. I need to get one for mine.

I made mine.

 

[Secesh]

I can put fifty rounds or better thru my Pietta Navy and it will still run, but of course being an open frame with an arbor that has grooves helps there.
This Spiller and Burr surprised me, though. A few shots and doesn't want to turn. I tried putting grease atop the round balls after loading and that seemed to help, but I'm not a fan of performing that step.
I really like the gun. The action is great, the balance and point ability. I'm going to take it out again and make a few changes and hope foe improvement.

You can use a small needle file to make a shallow spiral cut (grease groove) around the cylinder pin, similar to the grooves that are machined into open top Colt arbors. It would be nice if Pietta would implement this little design change.

The tolerance between the front of the cylinder and the frame is a bit close and likes to hold fouling and cause some binding problems in that area. I’ve heard of some guys who bevel the brass frame slightly to open that gap up to reduce the fouling buildup.

I have three Confederate Whitney’s and I am very satisfied with each one of them.

 

[James Dietz]

Just throwing this out there. Lodgewood does a great de-farb on the Spillers!

 

[Tenring]

Speaking of fouling from tight tolerance one of the 58 New Army’s I shoot has a conversion cylinder and even if your loading modern powder let alone BP in the cartridges it will foul pretty quickly. The cylinder fits as intended but if you are off even a little when retuning it back in the frame it will lock up. Some times tight tolerance is good and bad so to speak. P.S. if I do use heavy viscus grease it really binds with the fouling. Just my two cents.

 

[Flint1]

A question for those of you who have these brass framed revolvers and have shot them a great deal. Have you noticed any looseness in the frame fit, or do you always use light loads?

 

[Smokerr]

This is the holster my wife got with her 76 ASP

 

[B P Arn]

A question for those of you who have these brass framed revolvers and have shot them a great deal. Have you noticed any looseness in the frame fit, or do you always use light loads?

I have three brass-framed revolvers, and I do not baby them. I shoot as much black powder as will still allow easy seating of the ball. None of them are loose. All are 36 caliber, BTW. I think 44 caliber revolvers will loosen with lots of full loads, but I don't know from experience.

 

[Secesh]

Nice grouping! I love the S&B, what I call the Confederate Whitney.