Why Brass?

[oldwolf]

Some percussion revolvers have a brass grip frame and backstrap, or a brass grip frame and a steel backstrap. Even some others are all steel.

What was the purpose of this and why were they not all made of steel?

Was it simply a cost measure, being that brass is more easily cast and machined?

Or could it be a corrosion measure, the hands of most cowboys and soldiers being dirty and sweaty?

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Actually it started in the Civil War! A materials shortage in steel made the South find a replacement that would be able to be built down there. That's it...nothing to do with sweaty hands, humid climate or anything else!

Confederate revolvers and there Italian copies come in brass and steel. Some folks today think that the brass frames will stretch out of shape with full-power loads, others do not. Depends on who you talk to.

Dave

 

[Zonie]

Like smokin.50 said, the Confederates usually used brass for their revolver frames with very few exceptions like Dance Bros in Texas.

Colt also used brass for the grip frame and trigger guard. Often these were silver plated to make the guns more attractive.
When Colt opened his factory in London, England they found that the British much preferred an all steel gun so many of these English Colts used steel for all of their parts.

Remington chose to make their frames and grip out of iron or steel but often used brass for the trigger guard, here again in my opinion, for appearance.

 

[Poor Private]

By accounts I have read, the south became so desperate for brass that they were using bells, and candle sticks and any thing else they could melt down to make the frames.