An ugly girl that kisses good

[45 Bravo]

Well, the other day I picked up a 1999 dated steel framed ASM 1861 navy imported by CVA, for next to nothing.
It was beat up, the barrel was rusted to the arbor, it cocked, and rotated, but that was about it.

The seller said it had been in his safe for years, he took it out, saw it was rusted, and took it to a local gun shop, they got it freed up, and suggested he sell it..

They apparently, didn’t know much about them, just enough to make it work.

Well, after a lot of penetrating oil and some wood popsicle sticks under the loading lever, the barrel came off.
The nipples were stuck, but finally got them freed.
Internally, it is not rusted, and worked.

I should have passed on it, but since it was steel framed I just had to get it as I have another .36 caliber ASM 1851 brass frame I could swap parts on if need be..

It has everything going against it,
The barrel face is not cut square to the cylinder
It is off by .0165 of an inch left to right.
http://i44.tinypic.com/dhebkh.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/2myx8yd.jpg


The cylinder shows marks where the local gun shop put the cylinder in a vice or vice grips and rotated the action to get the cylinder to rotate free on the arbor.
And the cylinder has a buggered chamber thanks to the local gun shops attempt to free up the gun.
http://i42.tinypic.com/2dqsh79.jpg

the inside of the barrel is slightly pitted.
And the timing was somewhat off.
I fixed the timing issue, and decided to see how it shot.

All that being said, she is a shooter!!!
6 shots, 25 yds off hand.
http://i41.tinypic.com/vzggva.jpg

The other guys were shooting their muzzle loading rifles at 50 yards.
I tried one of their targets (a bowling pin) to my surprise, it fell over, I took aim at a second one, and it too fell over. (I quit while I was ahead)

I fired off 48 rounds (8 cylinders)
Using 25gr pyrodex RS (I don’t have any P or 3f at the moment)
Covered by a home made felt wad lubed with bore butter mixed with beeswax and olive oil. And a .375 round ball.

The only issue was a few cap jams from the caps sticking to the hammer.

I was going to Square off the barrel, and a few other things, but after shooting this, I am not going to change a thing.

Oh, I shot some high speed video to see if the bad gap would shoot more gas out to the left than the right, but it seem to be about equal.

(It is being fired ghetto style to get a top down view of the gas pattern)


http://i40.tinypic.com/2lakxe.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/vh6nex.jpg

As one of my shooting buddies said today, she is like an ugly girl that kisses good.
She may look a little rough, but man does she shoot.


See ya.
45 Bravo

[mazo kid]

Looks like ya done good!

[wolfe28]

Good evening;

Good on you! I picked up a TC New Englander for $25 in similar shape. About a week later, it gave me a 1" 3-round group at about 50 yards.

D

[mooman76]

Just gives it character.

[Bzcraig]

I need to step out of my comfort zone and not be afraid of deals like that.

[RKJ]

I like the ghetto shooting style. :) May have to do a drive by on some Gangstas.

[Mk42gunner]

I like the Colt style Navies; I have had several 1851's, and one 1861. The 61 is popcan accurate at 50 yards, and looks sleeker. The only brass framed revolver I ever had is a .31 cal from DGW that I never have fired, I need to change that.

I usually load a full charge of FFFg with a 1/8" felt wad and a .375 ball. BP has worked better than Pyrodex for me.

Robert

[Guido4198]

That's awesome.
Don't change a thing at this point. I have Smith and Wesson's that don't shoot that good at 25yds. ?? Or maybe it's me ??
Nah...!!
You done well Pard.

[smkummer]

Even if you have right and tight fitting caps, they still do blow off.
A old time trick was to cock the revolver while the muzzle is pointing to the sun. I have been using prodex RS in my 2nd Generation Colt dragoon. While you do not want an air gap, try not to compress the charge at all. I have notice if I really compressed the charge it really went boom and the tight fitting loading lever would fall down.

[Green Lizzard]

i like those ugly girl projects good job

[45 Bravo]

I don't normally shoot gangsta, I was just giving the camera a "top down" view of the gas pattern.

I just added a 1860 army to the family today.

I will post photos and the rest tomorrow.

Tune in tomorrow for the next exciting episode..

How many of us remember that line....

45 Bravo

[eka]

Awesome. Kinda like adopting a scraggly puppy from the pound and it turns out to be a great dog.

[1Shirt]

Another blind hog and acorn story!
1Shirt!

[webradbury]

I love these pistols! I've got two of them I love to shoot and my Dad and brother have a sack full of them (like the scene from Hatfields and McCoys). When we shoot, as the grand finale, we all three line up with two pistols apiece and let em fly...really smokes up the range!!

[45 Bravo]

yes they are fun.
I don't normally dual wield them.
May have to try that someday..

[45 Bravo]

Well, I got her big brother out for photos.
This is the one i picked up the other day.
Its a 1995 dated Pietta .44 1860 army.
Again, another facebook find. It came with a flask, some balls, a capper, 6 extra new nipples.
http://i40.tinypic.com/xbbdqv.jpg

We went to the range today, and had a blast shooting the 1860 army's.
a friend brought his Armi San Pablo 1860 he hasn't shot in 20 years.
He got re acquainted with it, and has decided he needs to shoot it more.

Using .451 balls and 25gr. pyrodex p,with a home made felt wad lubed with bore butter. at 25 yds it does this. 3 inches above point of aim.
6 shots.
http://i42.tinypic.com/11ln8s1.jpg

the pasters are from shooting my .36 5.5 inch at the target earlier.

To anyone that tries to say these pistols are not accurate, needs to shoot one.

This target was the 3rd cylinder I fired after cleaning the bore.
Today I fired about 75 .44 caliber rounds trying different ball sizes and loads before i settled on this one. (I tried .451, .454, & .457 balls)

Here are a few extra photos.

1860, 1861, and 1862
http://i44.tinypic.com/2j606f6.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/zlrtqb.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/zx4cas.jpg

[Rio Grande]

I like stories like yours.
Just goes to show you, looks mean little. And our cherished opinions about whats necessary for a firearm to shoot well sometimes are just that - opinions.
The proof is in the shooting.

People are like that too. Can't judge a book by a cover.

[combat32]

I have a Walker, a 51 navy and and ASM made 44 navy style with a brass frame, I find the 51 Navy in 36 to be the most fun to shoot and it too is accurate to boot. I have been wanting a 60 Army for a while but just haven't found a good deal like yours yet on one. I wouldn't change anything on that pistol either,

[45 Bravo]

Cool, I have 2 brass framed '51 navies in .36.
One is undated and a kit from ASM, the other is dated 1965 and is technically a Schneider & Glassick replica. (imported by EIG Cutlery, and made by GLB)

The Schneider & Glassick I have, the frame is actually made from bronze (the frame is a slightly different color than the trigger guard so we electrically tested it at the local scrap yard)
the trigger guard and backstrap are made from common brass, but not the frame.

Fun guns, I love them all.
and want at least 1 of everyone they make..

Its an addiction.....

[mikeym1a]

For all the negatives you listed, the photo showed a really pretty gun. Seems to shoot good. Good find!! Happy Shooting!!!

[Hellgate]

When I looked at that first froup I said to muyself "Man, I wish I could do that from a REST!" (let alone off hand. Good shootin. Great little ophan ya got there.

[BUSHMASTER]

i have just recently purchased the 1851 navy revolver in 36 cal just what loads are you using to get that group so far im just inside a 10 inch circle trying to bring in closer like your good shooting

[45 Bravo]

Congrats on the 1851.
How many times have you fired it?

After some trial & error I settled on for this guns favorite load is Using 25 Gr. pyrodex RS (yes it works in pistols too) actually a .38special case filled level full with pyrodex RS.
Covered by a home made felt wad (cut from a old wool resistol cowboy hat) and cut out using a sharpened .38 special hull as a punch. The felt wad is lubed with bore butter mixed with beeswax and olive oil. And topped with a .375 cast round ball.
No fillers.

But I have over 200 rounds through this gun, I think after you have some more rounds through the barrel, yours should settle in.

Other than that, try different powder charges, or granulations (2f or 3f).
R ball sizes (.375 or .380)
But only make 1 change at a time..

The most accurate load out of my 1860 army .44 is also a .38 special case level full with powder.
It isn't the stoutest load, but it is the most accurate I have found out of my gun.

Please post some photos of your ..1851,

We like photos...
And keep us posted..


45 Bravo