Another Addition to the Collection

[Condor]

I've been kinda intrigued with black powder guns for a while now, and have maybe 10, or so, single action Italian copies 'cause I can't afford the real thing... I also like that they are FFL free in most states, and can be shipped straight to my door in war torn California . And holding true to form of liking 'different' types of any gun I just picked up this one... just because.

[zagger]

Hey Condor,

Do you load your own rounds - or is that something you can purchase?

zag

[slowrollwv]

Nice addition to the collection.

[Condor]

Hey Condor,

Do you load your own rounds - or is that something you can purchase?

zag

 

Yeah I do Zag with modern center fire cartridges, but with BP it's sorta load as you go. You don't purchase the ammo. The BP revolver was the first design of something that allowed more than the lather-rinse-repeat single shot muzzle loaders. But even then after usually 6 shots the gun required reloading one cylinder at a time before getting back into service again. Time consuming.. To quicken the process guns that allowed interchangeable cylinders were created... I'm not a big fan of muzzle loaders, but like the single actions and the western provenance they represent....

 

 

Edited November 25, 2018 by Condor

[Freebird]

Way back around 1975, I was working in Courtland, AL for Brown and Root Construction company building a paper mill. A friend won a football raffler where the prize was a cap and ball revolver. He didn't want it and sold it to me. I don't remember the brand or anything else but it was a decent reproduction and I think I paid about $80.00 for it. I enjoyed it for a while. I remember time spent in the kitchen melting old lead tire weights and pooring the lead into the mold to make the balls. It was fun but looking back, I realize that I probably inhaled more lead fumes than I needed to.

 

I enjoyed shooting it late in the afternoon just as the sun was about to go down. About 6 shots and there would be a good haze of low lying smoke so thick that you could no longer see your target. I never remember it mis-firing though and it was fairly accurate at close range. If I remember correctly, there was no rifling in the barell but it was a long time ago, I may be wrong about that. I do remember that after loading each ball, you would put a light coat of grease on the end of the cylinder to prevent any flash across from one cylinder to the other.

 

The only bad part was after shooting it for the evening, you had to spend some time scrubbing the cylinder and barrel with hot soap and water and then oiling everything up so that it didn't corrode. I enjoyed it for a while and then sold it to somebody else.

[luvmy40]

I wouldn't worry too much about inhaling lead vapors when casting. You're not vaporizing the lead at melting temps. There are plenty of nasty fumes that are caused by the impurities and contaminates boiling off in the process and you should not breathe them in, but it is not lead you are inhaling. The danger from lead is from ingestion. Residue on your hands getting on food or in your eyes is what you want to watch out for.

 

Wash your hands thoroughly before doing anything after/during casting. I also wear a lab coat that is only used for smelting and casting and never comes in from the shop. This helps keep and particulate transfer to a minimum.

 

The old wheel weights(the newer stuff is all zinc and useless) are pretty hard for casting balls but work very well for 9mm and .45 bullets. I used to be able to get the wheel weights for free from the local service shops when they had to pay someone for disposal. Now-a-days, they go for $.50-$1.00/lb if you can find them. Then you have watch the smelt for zinc weights and get them out before they melt or they ruin the pour.

[Condor]

Way back around 1975, I was working in Courtland, AL for Brown and Root Construction company building a paper mill. A friend won a football raffler where the prize was a cap and ball revolver. He didn't want it and sold it to me. I don't remember the brand or anything else but it was a decent reproduction and I think I paid about $80.00 for it. I enjoyed it for a while. I remember time spent in the kitchen melting old lead tire weights and pooring the lead into the mold to make the balls. It was fun but looking back, I realize that I probably inhaled more lead fumes than I needed to.

 

I enjoyed shooting it late in the afternoon just as the sun was about to go down. About 6 shots and there would be a good haze of low lying smoke so thick that you could no longer see your target. I never remember it mis-firing though and it was fairly accurate at close range. If I remember correctly, there was no rifling in the barell but it was a long time ago, I may be wrong about that. I do remember that after loading each ball, you would put a light coat of grease on the end of the cylinder to prevent any flash across from one cylinder to the other.

 

The only bad part was after shooting it for the evening, you had to spend some time scrubbing the cylinder and barrel with hot soap and water and then oiling everything up so that it didn't corrode. I enjoyed it for a while and then sold it to somebody else.

 

There's a very good chance that your gun was a Navy Arms. They were the first to bring in BP's from Italy and started the 'copy' revolution, and the barrel was rifled... That haze or smoke was called the 'Fog of War'. Can you imagine what it looked like during the civil war when thousands of black powder rifles and pistols, on both sides, were fired at Bull Run... or Antietam... or?? Now days you can walk into most sporting goods stores carrying BP and buy what you need in black powder and ball... They even have BP substitutes. Pyrodex.

 

And... since I'm on a roll here. I just picked up another BP. A Pietta 1858 Target with a 12" barrel. Later on they were better known as Buntlines..

 

[slowrollwv]

Jack I have one of those. I got it from my brother that had two of them and let me have one. I have never shot it and probable never will. I get out of the cabinet and oil it down and it goes back in.

[Condor]

Jack I have one of those. I got it from my brother that had two of them and let me have one. I have never shot it and probable never will. I get out of the cabinet and oil it down and it goes back in.

 

Same here Chuck....