"Enough" is a powerful concept.
Figuring out how much is "Enough" is not as obvious as it appears.
1858 New Army Remington
I got to shoot an 1858 New Army Remington replica today.
It was the Pietta version and we had some nipple-cap issues, but that was anticipated. The owner has new nipples for #11 caps (the easiest ones to find locally) coming. Five of the nipples cheerfully held their caps. One would not.
By-the-numbers:
Source
A .357 Magnum case holds 1.7cc of volume which converts to "25 grains by volume" of blackpowder.
25 grains of FFFG Triple Seven "by volume" can be expected to push a 140 grain, .454" lead, round-ball somewhere between 750 and 790 fps. 25 grains-by-volume of FFFG pencils out to 300 rounds per pound of Triple Seven.
35 grains of Pyrodex P can be expected to push the same ball at 900 fps.
The first load is the equivalent of a wadcutter target load out of a .38 Special and the second load is the equivalent of a "combat" load out of a snubby .38 Special.
A 1858 with a 5-1/2" barrel tips the scale at 40 ounces which is almost exactly twice what a steel-framed, .38 Special "snubby" weighs.
The recoil on the 1858 is negligible, the sights are "fine" and the trigger is lovely.
If a .38 Special loaded with wadcutters is "just enough", it is hard to argue that a 0.45" diameter ball of the same weight and velocity is totally inadequate. Even if you might wish for a bit more, it still beats a harshly worded memo when things go bump-in-the-night.
The Pietta 1858 has parking-notches in the cylinder between the nipples. You can park your hammer in any of the notches to keep it off a percussion cap and avoid accidental firing if the weapon is dropped.
If push-came-to-shove and the mission was to shoot across the width of your bedroom at somebody who busted through your bedroom door, an 1858 New Army replica in .44 would be "enough" if you could keep the caps on the nipples. By the same token, if you needed to pot a deer at 15 yards, you would still have "enough" as long as you restricted yourself to broadside "lung" shots.
It will never be a "Magnum". It doesn't have enough steel in the right places to support those kinds of pressure. But within the envelop of what it is, it performs well.
As a side note, if you look at the cost of shooting one of these beasts on a per-hour basis, you will be hard pressed to find a more economical gun. It is entirely possible to burn through 100 rounds of ammo in a semi-auto in ten minutes if you have enough magazines. That same 100 rounds would last you for HOURS and HOURS in a replica blackpowder pistol. And since you have so much invested in loading it, you are more likely to slow-down and attempt to learn more each time you pull the trigger.
Bonus video Shooting pop cans at 21 yards after adjusting the sight. Not me nor my buddy. Just a video found on the internet.
Damn impressive shooting at end for a old school black power at 60 feet!
ReplyDeleteQuite a few guns are "good enough", especially when the shooter has practiced with them.
ReplyDeleteKnowing your gun and what it can (and can't) do makes a big difference.
And I agree - revolvers and bolt actions go through ammo much slower than semis do.
Jonathan
I like shooting those and especially the Colts which I prefer. You are right about getting in a lot of shooting time for not much money. I have found that pinching the cap just a little will help keep it on a nipple. ---ken
ReplyDeleteThere are brass framed New Army's and Steel Framed New Army's.
ReplyDeleteMost sources say limit FFG to 15 grains with brass and steel frames can handle as much as you can fit in the cylinder. It's called full military load with a 200 grain conical bullet.
I've hunted hogs with it. NOT Recommended. Worked after 3 hits but I prefer more in the 357 Mag in a carbine now.
I'd not feel under gunned with a New Army in a across the room discussion.
Michael, did you or anyone you know ever hunt hogs with the Colt Walker? ---ken
DeleteNo, I can't say I did, nor know of anybody who has a Colt Walker.
DeleteI have a Walker, I just don't have any hogs. Too far north. --ken
DeleteBe happy you don't have wild hogs in your area.
DeleteDestructive and dangerous.
Michael
There's a pair of Navy Arms .44 Army Colt replicas in the gun safe and there is a Replica .44 Remington next to them.
ReplyDeleteAs coyoteken48 said, pinching the caps a bit works well to keep them in place.
I remember fondly when we loaded up all 18 chambers at the range and after sending the balls downrange the "fog of war" was a real thing.
Cap & ball pistols did the job for a lot of years ....
ReplyDeleteFred in Texas; I've got some friends that are firearm limited by their legal history... They can legally carry a black powder replica because its "not a firearm" according to the legal code. We chuckle about the matter. Our modern government does not consider a black powder replica a firearm. There's a million civil war veterans that would contest the point... And BP can be made at home. Yes sir, there's a bunch of arguments for having some in your collection.
ReplyDeleteCheck state laws on that - some states limit access to "sporting arms" as well as modern firearms and some don't.
DeleteJonathan
I have an old Remington replica I bought 40+ years ago as a kit. First time I shot it I learned about greasing the end of each round in the cylinder. One down the barrel and one out each side of the barrel. Gun was ok, I was ok, wife was ok. Got to learn something without the usual pain being involved.
ReplyDeleteBack in the late 70's, I owned and shot both Colt and Remington pattern repro's. When a cap blew loose on a Colt, it would likely ride the hammer face down into the action when you cocked for the next shot, gumming up the works. It was mostly an issue with Remington caps. The Italian made caps gripped much better.
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere that Civil War soldiers learned to "flip" their arm backwards as they cocked their colt pattern guns, the idea being that any loose cap would fall clear of the gun. Many Civil War veterans were technical advisors for very early western movies, starting in the silent film era. The actors copied the technique, even though they were shooting cartridge guns.
As close as I get these days is a repro I picked up, IIRC, back in the 2000's. It was made by Armi San Marco and only offered for a short time. It is an 1861 Colt Navy (round barrel) cartridge conversion chambered in 38 special as a concession to modern convenience. Original chambering was 38 Colt.
Val Forgett, Jr.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt-9ZijLNYQ