Cap n Ball 1860 Colt

[TD1886]

I have a fairly new cap n ball 1860 Colt, Pietta brand, that pretty new. Bought it last year. All the cap n ball revolvers I've had through out my life would accept a conical bullet meant for the 1858 Remington Army. It's a hollow base and looks more like a round nose semi wadcutter. It's not an original mould, it's a mould that Lyman use to catalogue. I shoot Triple Seven. Shooting a 23 grain load, I got 1051 fps over my chrono. The bullet weighs 151 grains. It shot an inch at 25 yards. To put this in power perspective my midrange load for my Model 19 S&W is the RCBS 150 grain SWC over top 6.0 grains of Unique. It wears a 4 inch barrel and that gives me 1000 fps on the button. Now that 1860 Colt load looks really good! No, it's now ways near max. In fact I started shooting that bullet today using my powder measure that I use with my Ruger Old Army. I didn't chrono it, but I can tell you it was stinging my hand! So I went to a smaller charge which doesn't appear to be so small huh? I believe my ROA measure is 30 grains and I will have to check that. Now shooting the Hornady swaged lead balls in the 1860 with that 30 grain load gives me high 900 hundreds. BP cap n balls revolvers are nothing to sneeze at.

[HWooldridge]

Hell yes, they are nothing to sneeze at - a whole bunch of folks who died during the Civil War could attest to that.

[indian joe]

I have a stepped cylinder 1851 in 45 cal (yeah colt never made them but ASM Italy did) shoot it with 37 grains of Black under the round ball - could fit another grain - maybe two
Also have the mini version - pocket navy 5 shot in 38 cal - 19 grains, could also take a bit more - its a lively little gun in the hand - and accurate.
A purty pair of capguns - always turns some heads at the local pistol club
Its years since I chronoed the 45 - think I got about 800fps with proper black
puts a ball about an inch deep in dry treated pine @ 25 yards (ooops I blinked one into the target frame - son shooting a Walker next to me)

[Gtrubicon]

I have a fairly new cap n ball 1860 Colt, Pietta brand, that pretty new. Bought it last year. All the cap n ball revolvers I've had through out my life would accept a conical bullet meant for the 1858 Remington Army. It's a hollow base and looks more like a round nose semi wadcutter. It's not an original mould, it's a mould that Lyman use to catalogue. I shoot Triple Seven. Shooting a 23 grain load, I got 1051 fps over my chrono. The bullet weighs 151 grains. It shot an inch at 25 yards. To put this in power perspective my midrange load for my Model 19 S&W is the RCBS 150 grain SWC over top 6.0 grains of Unique. It wears a 4 inch barrel and that gives me 1000 fps on the button. Now that 1860 Colt load looks really good! No, it's now ways near max. In fact I started shooting that bullet today using my powder measure that I use with my Ruger Old Army. I didn't chrono it, but I can tell you it was stinging my hand! So I went to a smaller charge which doesn't appear to be so small huh? I believe my ROA measure is 30 grains and I will have to check that. Now shooting the Hornady swaged lead balls in the 1860 with that 30 grain load gives me high 900 hundreds. BP cap n balls revolvers are nothing to sneeze at.

Can you post the mold #?

[TD1886]

Can you post the mold #?

https://www.gunauction.com/buy/pictures.cfm?i=14929708

[Good Cheer]

My #450229 casts too large to start straight in Pietta chambers so I've been meaning to try backing off the plug a little bit to give the bullets a stepped tail.

[TD1886]

My #450229 casts too large to start straight in Pietta chambers so I've been meaning to try backing off the plug a little bit to give the bullets a stepped tail.

Mine is the same way. The best thing I've done that really changed how that revolver shoots is I reamed the cylinders to .452. Night and day difference how that pistol shoots now, you've just read about it. The bore and groove is tight on the Piettas too. My groove was shy of .450. That means it was .44? The cylinder openings barely barely made little over .450.

[gunther]

450229's can be sized to .452, and should seat straight. At least they will in a ROA. 43 grains of 4f will give a bit over 1000 fps.

[TD1886]

450229's can be sized to .452, and should seat straight. At least they will in a ROA. 43 grains of 4f will give a bit over 1000 fps.

I size mine in my Lyman luber/sizer to .452 with special lube I make that is so far compatible with smokeless and BP. That projectile has been one of my favorites since the late sixties.

I'm afraid to tell you what my Ruger ROA does with 200 grain SWC's meant for the 45acp and the 255 SWC for the 45 Colt using full charges of pistol 777.

[gunther]

A much more competent shooting buddy and I were comparing notes, and he mentioned at least one deer he had taken at about 35 yards with his ROA. A Hornady 185 grain XTP with a chamber full of 4f went all the way through. He also uses 200 grain cast swc's for target shooting.
Mine was with a ROA using a round ball, and a chamber full of 4f at about 20 feet.
We both use Ford moly EP tube grease for bullet lube.
These are eastern Ky 125-150 pound deer in hilly, brushy terrain (Rowan and Bath county) where a rifle is a real burden.