1860 Revolver - WHat do they lke to eat?

[Mr_Sheesh]

Considering getting one, but not sure if they just like Goex or can be fed other powders. What do people who have 'em feed them? (Some of they almost-BP powders "require" 209 primers, and I imagine those'd be poor choices...)

[Beagle333]

Mine likes Pyrodex "P" just fine. You can shoot 3F or 777, but I find Pyrodex to be easier to find and usually cheaper. 'Been using it nearly 30 years in my BP revolvers.

[marlin39a]

I've used triple 7, some old pyrodex p, and 3f black. Shoots all just fine.

[ToolmanTaylor]

I've used Goex fff some, but primarily Pyrodex P.

[mooman76]

I've never had a problem using Pyrodex with standard primers in any of my BP guns. Revolvers have a straight through ignition so easier to set off. They do have magnum primers also.

[Good Cheer]

And Jacks Battle Powder.
SWC's or RN's with the hind ends sized to slip into the chambers can make useful substitutes for the original bullets.
The toothed gearing on Colt's redesigned loading levers were engineered to provide mechanical advantage for loading and the revolvers have the big opening to get pre-fabbbed cartridges rotated into position, so no different from any revolver, getting cast boolits in there without losing alignment is pretty easy if the boolits are prepared with proper dimensions for a given piece.

[Mr_Sheesh]

I hadn't heard of Jack's Battle Powder. Not sure it's available around the Pacific NorthWet. IIRC Triple 7 is less corrosive than Pyrodex? I was considering starting off with round ball loads, just plinking for fun - Life needs enough Fun

[Beagle333]

Shooting it is corrosive. Handling it is corrosive. Leaving it hanging on a nail on the wall so you can admire it is corrosive.
Just clean it like you're s'posed to after you shoot it and oil it with any of 20 different things and it'll be fine in 20 years, except for some bluing wear if you holster it. If you don't clean it after you shoot it and preserve it with something, you can be one of those people who write about "Pyrodex ate my gun!".

The 1860 is a fun gun. Have fun, then clean it up good and have fun again next week. Happy shooting!

[Mr_Sheesh]

The place I'll be shooting it's about 400 yards from the parking lot and my knees are toast (Been told I can't do any more damage to them...) So I may have to do it the "put it in boiling water (use a pot I'm not planning to eat from!) then dry well" cleaning method for the cylinder or something? I'll have to do more research, probably going to buy it once we finally set a camping date and drop past the store on the way there Probably will have some good fun with it, too. I'll do more research and planning as if I'm in the boonies I won't be able to grab anything I didn't bring with me. I definitely plan to enjoy And good folks to be out with, that helps too.

[Bent Ramrod]

My first cap&ball revolver was an 1860 Army replica from Navy Arms. I found 0.452” round balls shot better than the conical boolits. It was the most user-friendly model of all the black powder revolvers I’ve tried since: easy to load, easy to cap and easy to shoot. It shed the busted caps off the outboard side of the frame almost all the time. I recall few caps stuck on the nipples and none falling into the lockwork. I used a .38 Spl case as a “standard” powder measure and a .357 Magnum case for extra power.

I shot GOEX 3F and Pyrodex P with no ignition problems using Remington #11 caps. With black powder, I could get about 60 shots off before the cylinder got sticky on its arbor. Wiping it off with a wet rag gave me maybe another 3 cylinderfuls before it got draggy again. Usually by that time I’d run out of something (balls, caps or powder) and it was time to quit.

This was way before Ballistol came on the market, so I would completely disassemble the gun, wash the parts in water and dishwasher detergent, rinse in hot water, dry, oil the parts, grease the arbor and reassemble, and then take a shower myself. Never could get the procedure down to less than an hour.

Nowadays, I take the cylinder and barrel group off the rest of the gun, remove the nipples, wipe those parts and the outside of the frame and hammer with Ballistol-water and then pure Ballistol, spray Ballistol into the crevices of the frame, grease the arbor and reassemble. Then I wash my hands and I’m done. Takes maybe 25 minutes, max. Once a year, I remove the grips, disassemble the frame group, dredge out the black “mud” that’s accumulated in the frame spaces, wipe with Ballistol-water, coat with pure Ballistol and reassemble.

The Ballistol seems to stabilize black powder residue in such a way that it doesn’t react with the metal. Pyrodex contains perchlorate, which leaves chloride ion residue, same as the old corrosive primers. If left unattended, chloride in a moist atmosphere will put a coat of rust on even “stainless” steel, and will eat regular steel in short order. However, with water and careful cleaning, it cleans off as readily as black powder fouling.

[rodwha]

My first cap&ball revolver was an 1860 Army replica from Navy Arms. I found 0.452” round balls shot better than the conical boolits. It was the most user-friendly model of all the black powder revolvers I’ve tried since: easy to load, easy to cap and easy to shoot. It shed the busted caps off the outboard side of the frame almost all the time. I recall few caps stuck on the nipples and none falling into the lockwork. I used a .38 Spl case as a “standard” powder measure and a .357 Magnum case for extra power.

I shot GOEX 3F and Pyrodex P with no ignition problems using Remington #11 caps. With black powder, I could get about 60 shots off before the cylinder got sticky on its arbor. Wiping it off with a wet rag gave me maybe another 3 cylinderfuls before it got draggy again. Usually by that time I’d run out of something (balls, caps or powder) and it was time to quit.

This was way before Ballistol came on the market, so I would completely disassemble the gun, wash the parts in water and dishwasher detergent, rinse in hot water, dry, oil the parts, grease the arbor and reassemble, and then take a shower myself. Never could get the procedure down to less than an hour.

Nowadays, I take the cylinder and barrel group off the rest of the gun, remove the nipples, wipe those parts and the outside of the frame and hammer with Ballistol-water and then pure Ballistol, spray Ballistol into the crevices of the frame, grease the arbor and reassemble. Then I wash my hands and I’m done. Takes maybe 25 minutes, max. Once a year, I remove the grips, disassemble the frame group, dredge out the black “mud” that’s accumulated in the frame spaces, wipe with Ballistol-water, coat with pure Ballistol and reassemble.

The Ballistol seems to stabilize black powder residue in such a way that it doesn’t react with the metal. Pyrodex contains perchlorate, which leaves chloride ion residue, same as the old corrosive primers. If left unattended, chloride in a moist atmosphere will put a coat of rust on even “stainless” steel, and will eat regular steel in short order. However, with water and careful cleaning, it cleans off as readily as black powder fouling.

Ballistol was made well before anyone here was born. From the wiki:

"The product originated from Germany before World War I, after the German military requested an 'all-around' oil and cleaner for their rifles and equipment. The German military used it from 1905 to 1945.[1]"

[bedbugbilly]

My first C & B was a '60 Army - some fifty some years ago. I learned on an original '51 Navy and personally, I prefer .36 - don't ask me why as I probably can't give you a good reason! LOL Of all the Colts, I do think that the 1860 Army is one of the sleekest and prettiest of the Colts - as is the 1861 Navy that is just a smaller version in .36.

I've never used anything but Dupont/Goex but if it is safe and makes it go bang - then there are certainly alternatives. I have a friend that is 83 who picked one up at Cabelas a year ago 'cause he thought it was "pretty". I taught him how to load and shoot it as well as clean it - the smile on his face when he fired it made my day. If you get one, you'll love it! No matter what you use for powder - i.e. real black or substitute - just clean it well and oil it well - check it over in a day or two to see if it is thoroughly cleaned and not beginning to rust and pretty soon, it will be "old hat".

Hace fun - life is too short not to enjoy it!

[Rattus58]

Mine likes Pyrodex "P" just fine. You can shoot 3F or 777, but I find Pyrodex to be easier to find and usually cheaper. 'Been using it nearly 30 years in my BP revolvers.

Me too... in everything but my flintlock...

[archeryrob]

I have 1858 army pistols and use .454 balls with 23 grains of GOEX FFF powder. I am considering switching to lubed felt wads to replace the crisco as I find it a PITA and messy.

Cleaning I heat 2 - 3 gallons (approx) of water in a stock pot and disassemble the gun. Remove the grips and whip they down. Remove nipples and pick while cleaning and after dry. Stop up the stainless kitchen sink and lay the gun and cylinder in it and pour the 180° water over it. I have rubber tipped tong and swash the cylinder and gun around and let them sit for 5 minute to soak up the heat. Remove them from the water, shake a bit and rest on paper towels to cool and dry. Run a twinge of hard lube on the nipple threads and screw them back in. Make sure you have an extra rag to hold the barrel and move the loading arm and cylinder pin back and forth to get all the water out. It will take 20 - 30 minute to cool down to be able to reassemble.

I have no problems with Pryodex or 777, I just like use old school powder with old school weapons.

Forgot to mention clean sink and counter or take a butt chewing when the wife comes in the kitchen. My defense is she wanted me to shoot with her in the backyard with her Glock 19. I showed her a picture of a Pietta 1858 and said I'd shoot with you if I had one of these. Guess what was under the Christmas tree that year?

[Gray Fox]

Just remember that any boolits you cast to run through these pistols must be cast from pure lead so you can get them to swage into the chambers without breaking off a rammer handle. Other than the Rugers which take a .457 ball, most new C&B pistols take a .454 ball. GF

[quail4jake]

FWIW...I can only tell you where I've landed. My revolver is a Pietta 1860 which I slicked up the action, improved the trigger and changed the front sight to zero on at 25 yards. From a rest it will reliably group less than 2 inches at 25 yards and chronographs about 1270 fps. I changed the nipples to Treso AMPCO with a .025" base hole, use 32 grains Swiss FFFg (max charge), .454 ball topped with 1:1 bore butter and beeswax using RWS 1075 caps. You could probably change some things and get the same results but I found that any charge less than 30 grains did not group as well. Remember that if you use a charge that sinks the ball in further than the loading ram can reach you should use enough COW over the powder to bring the ball up to seat on the charge. Good luck!

[taco650]

Here's what I feed my Uberti 1860 Army .44 with: ~28-30 grains of 3f Goex covered by a felt "wonder wad" and topped by either a .451 or .454 lead ball. Caps are CCI #11 but I recently got a tin of Remington #10's that I haven't tried yet. #11's seem a little fat for my revolver but I just pinch them a little when putting them on. I love the 1860 Army grip-fits my hand really well!

[stubshaft]

My Uberti 1860 has Slix Shot nipples (to eliminate cap sucking) and prefers 21 gr 3F Triple 7 topped off with a felt wad lubed with 1 to 5 castor oil/beeswax and a .457 ball. The .451 was too small and the .454 did not give accuracy as good as the .457. RWS 1075 or CCI #11 Magnums spark the load.

[maillemaker]

I shoot pretty much like Quail4Jake said. I shoot them in N-SSA competition. I found 18 grains of 3F Goex gave the best group for me in my Pietta 1860 Army, using a .457 round ball. I can use .454, but my Walker needs .457 to shave lead, so I use .457 in everything.

Like Jake, I use Cream of Wheat over the powder and under the ball to make the ball seat flush with the cylinder face. The logic is that the ball will build up less of a head of steam before hitting the rifling. I also use lube over the ball as it is required in N-SSA competition. I use 50/50 beeswax/crisco. I've also used white lithium grease.

Steve

[KMac]

Ballistol was made well before anyone here was born. From the wiki:

"The product originated from Germany before World War I, after the German military requested an 'all-around' oil and cleaner for their rifles and equipment. The German military used it from 1905 to 1945.[1]"

Yes it was invented in Germany around the turn of the century but to the best of my knowledge it was first imported into the US around 1993 by the Washington Trading Company which eventually became Ballistol USA. And the first time I remember seeing it on the shelves at gun stores was in the last few years.