Nice video. My first BP was a Cabela's special--Pietta brass-frame Navy in 44. Use 25 grains, Goex FFF. Make my own paper cartridges. Shoots great with very few cap jams.
I was able to pick up the 5.5" version of that Pietta brasser for only $220 back in 2021. The price may be about $40 higher now, but it still is very affordable compared to a steel frame model.
I have one of the 5.5" revolvers around here somewhere, as well. Haven't had a chance to try it out, yet. Pretty sure I paid about the same for it as you did yours. These revolvers are absolute bargains - you get a lot of gun for very little money.
I sighted my 1851 Navy revolvers with a Dremel in the rear sight for both lowering the shot and windage. Once you cut into it you can then switch to a small file from the Dremel. There's a great video on Duelist's Den on RU-vid that show how to do this.
Ok 3 things. First I have an 1851 Navy .36 caliber brass frame made in 1972. And yes the older brass frame guns did use a softer brass alloy, as those guns was designed for use in Civil War re-enactment where blanks are shot using a re-enactment powder not real black powder. And the newer guns I have heard of fewer issues with. 2. Pyrodex is a more powerful powder than traditional black powder, that is a lighter weight powder so it is measured by volume not by grain that will produce about a 10% over charge if weighed by grain like black powder. 3. If you shoot a brass frame colt reproduction in .44, which did not exist during the civil war I would recommend using the Re-enactment powder over black powder due to its lower power. Thus reducing the chances of damaging the brass frame with the .44 caliber, or if you must shoot black powder or a substation powder, reduce your charge to about 25 grains. Even though Pietta is using a brass allow that is closer to what Colt required, it’s still a brass allow that is still weaker then steel or iron.
I agree - even though the brass being used now does appear to be a bit tougher than the brass of old, I still think it is a good idea to keep the powder charges at a reasonable level and not try to hot-rod these things. I don't normally use Pyrodex, but I figured that a lot of people who are buying these brass revolvers probably aren't going to be doing a whole lot of shooting with them, and Pyrodex is a lot easier to find in most sporting good stores than real black powder.
Clearly these guns can shoot! And so can you. Which is especially encouraging as I bought a pair(a brace!) last December along with a 44 caliber old Army cap&ball 1860 model by Armi San Marco. All brass frame fitted!
Thank you. They will shoot all right - especially if you take some time to work up a load it likes, these revolvers will shoot right up there with the rest of them.
I have a Traditions pistol that I built from a kit, and the 'brass' components actually appear to be a phosphor bronze alloy. It still looks the same as brass, but it is a lot harder and quite difficult to bend. I have heard about some people trying to adjust the shape of Pietta brass grip frames and being unable to get them to bend, so I bet Pietta are using a phosphor bronze too. if that's the case, I would have no qualms about using normal loads in one, even in the .44 version.
Got my Pietta 1851 (Reb revolver) in early 1980's from Gander Mountain and it cost under $60 including shipping to my Brooklyn apartment. Mine is .44 and has the naval battle scrollwork on the cylinder. Gave it to my dad in mid 1980's and got it back when he passed in late 1990's. Totally agree that IF you're not sure about taking the cap-n-ball plunge $$$, this is a fine starter gun. Accurate, reliable and freakin' cheap. Admittedly, not 60 bucks no more but great value non the less. Hell, it's just boss.
I wish we could still get these for $60! Still not a bad deal for what they go for today. Another 20 years from now, we may be wishing for the good old days when they could be had for $250!
@@martyjewell5683 Yeah, pretty depressing how things have changed. You may make five times as much as you did then, but everything costs ten times as much!
I never told you, nice shootin' in the video. The Pietta is a bit heavy, no lie. I used 22 grains in mine and it's nice to see folks using eye and ear protection. Swell video. @@johnzx6r
Nothing wrong with babying them! I am really tempted, though, to put a serious amount of rounds through one to see how it holds up - kind of like a little "torture test", of sorts.
@@johnzx6rI just acquired a brass Armi San Marco 1851 Army in .44, made in 1979. Just to see how much FPS I could get out of it, I’ve shot a couple of cylinders of 35 grains through it. Unfortunately I only got about 750 fps max out of it, but no damage to it at all. I won’t be shooting that much through it anymore though because there’s no need to now.
@@historyandhorseplaying7374 I'm sure they will handle a fair amount of heavy loads without damage, but as you said, for the most part heavy loads through these is typically unnecessary. Usually get better accuracy with lighter loads, and of course less wear and tear on the revolvers. Most .44s seem to work just fine around the 25 grains of powder range.
@@johnzx6r True absolutely, but 25 grains (which translates to 500 fps or so, if you’re lucky), is not enough for self defense purposes. To approach even weak .38 special loads out of a modern snub nose you’d need about 800 fps, with a .44 ball. I’m not a hobbyist or collector so to me a peashooter is no better than a paperweight. But 750 is about acceptable, especially since any real self defense incidents aren’t going to happen at long or even medium range. But of course one doesn’t need to fire 750 fps regularly just to practice at the range and maintain proficiency! 25 grains would be fine for every day practice.
This gun is one of the best. Most opinions against guns are based on personal bias. You’re rarely ever going to have a unanimous decision. About 98% of these videos are based on what people like or dislike on their own personal opinion.
Thank you for the kind words. When it comes to firearms, an "oopsie" when the gun doesn't go off is much preferable to an "oopsie" when it goes off when you don't expect it, or worse!
John, sir, thanks for another most informative video on this 'entry-level' black powder revolver. I won't say much about some of the remedies that I have utilized on how to cause a more consistent shot placement here for I don't want to use your platform to lead or mislead others on your dime. However, I have learned ways to make this style of handgun shoot extremely consistent. Also, each pistol will require its own work to cause it to be competitive in its own right. Again, you've nailed well with your research and demonstration here, thanks! Pietta in this day and age is making good products as a rule over the past, or for the last 10 to 15 years it seems. - Colonel Montana Kid Hammer SASS 6476-Patron in Wild-AK
When I was 18 there was no shortage of these reproductions. Now clones like the smith carbine, lemat, cs clones etc seem to have gone with no sign of returning any time soon. I've been on a bit of a cap & ball binge lately
I don't think we will ever see new production models like the LeMat, Patterson or Starr ever again. Considering what used copies of these revolvers go for on Gunbroker and the like, there is certainly a market for them, but gunmakers apparently have no interest in bringing them back. I hope I'm wrong, but it looks like the Spiller and Burr has joined the extinction list as well. The last time Pietta offered them was close to three years ago now, and I haven't heard anything about them being available anytime soon. It's too bad. I guess if you are wanting any of the above revolvers, your best bet is to probably scour gun sites and hope to find one in decent condition at a price you are willing to pay. It looks at this point that demand for them - and prices - are just going to keep going up, so might as well get them now while you still can!
If I remember correctly, one of the Confederate revolvers that was produced was just about an exact copy of this revolver. I don't remember what that revolver was called, though.
@johnzx6r the Griswold and Gunnison (Or Griswold & Gunnison, I don't recall which is the proper name) .36 caliber. Usually made of soft brass, such as church bells and melted down odds and ends. Fun fact, the Griswold & Gunnison actually had a by-name appearance in Episode 1 of Hell on Wheels as the revolver carried by Mr. Cullen Bohannon, though it is quickly traded out for a Remington 58
I have a brass frame engraved Navy 1851 that was made by PR in Italy and imported by FIE. I bought it new for about $50 in the early 1980's. I've shot it a few times but the spent caps kept falling in front of the hammer and frame which would sometime jam. If I'm not mistaken I believe they use a smaller cap than what I had for my muzzleloader rifles. I ain't fooled with it much since then.
Most of the older revolvers seem to work best with CCI #10 caps, which are impossible to find right now. I've got a couple of the FIE imports, and while still fun to shoot, they are not as nicely made as the newer production revolvers. Even the new ones can suffer from the cap jamming you experienced, though.
@@johnzx6r Thanks for the reply! So I must've been using #11 caps which are probably a tad bigger. When the #10 percussion caps are back in stock I'll pick me up several tins of a hundred which should do me for a while. I've been looking at the newer cap and ball revolvers but haven't decided on any particular one yet. Not too long back I purchased a Uberti/Taylor's and Company 5 1/2" Gunfighter model in .38/357, I enjoy shooting it as well.
I would say about the durability of a brass frame is more important pick a .36 caliber or smaller and don’t use to much powder and if you use a felt wad between the powder and the lead you can’t overload the powder as easily. And get a set of feeler gauges from the automotive parts store to check for gap between the cylinder and the forcing cone if you can see the gap between grows. But that depends on is the cylinder backed by the brass frame or the base pin and is the recoil of the cylinder get stopped by the frame. Now if it getting stopped by the base pin then the pin is getting stop by the wedge in the barrel and no deformation should happen in the frame. And one more thing what kind of brass is it? Alpha - beta brass is harder and stronger and is worked hot alpha has higher zinc so it’s lighter in color than beta. Beta is stronger but is worked hot and is more of a casting metal. Now remember more copper the softer the brass is. Now I will say stay away from brass .44 caliber frames because of the powder load.
@@johnzx6r I haven't found a store close by my podunk town that stocks any black powder arms. I got ticked off and ordered a colt style, I'm glad the handles are bigger. I like the remington style better, but if it's no fun to shoot, I don't want a paperweight. thanks for the reply
I don't like to show the loading process in the videos anymore. RU-vid has become a bit draconian towards any videos featuring firearms, so I don't want to possibly violate any of their arbitrary "rules" and get my videos or the channel taken down because someone at RU-vid was having a bad day.
Doesn't really matter - whichever fits on you revolver the best. With Pietta factory nipples #10 seem to usually work pretty well. I am using aftermarket nipples on mine, so the #11 are a much better fit.
I don't disagree. I like the Remingtons better than the Colt style. However the Colt style generally cost less than the Remington, especially these brass frame revolvers. That might be a factor for someone just getting into black powder revolver shooting.
I own #4 black powder rifles , but will never own a black powder pistol. To me, a pistol should be used as an oppsy thingy. An oh shyte gun. And I was raised on that principle ...!!! A pistol is meant for when your primary weapon fails, or breaks, or is unusable. That's where your pistol comes into play. And in that situation it is of vital importance to be able to hit your target every single time accurately...!!! And you cannot do that with a pistol with fixed sights. I can hear the weirdo's and black powder mountain men { Fake ones} Screaming foul from here. But it is what it is. Hollywood sells a dream . And people fall for it every movie. Contrary to 99% of todays cowboys and Mountain men, who actually believe everyone including women and kids all had their own rifles and pistols. And nothing could be further from the truth , reality. 99% of the population did not own a gun of any kind. Guns were extremely expensive. Powder and shot were hell to come by. And extremely expensive. Most towns and city's provided the police with guns and ammo, but the city regulated their use and firing. There was very little crime. Most everyone carried a knife. Farm tools were also for protection. Your common man , working man , farmer etc couldn't even dream of owning a gun. A gun was a years work or 2 for even an old flintlock. And all you have to do to verify any of this is do a little research on your internet. All #3 of my rifles a sidelock and 2 inline all have adjustable sights and are very accurate. The last one is what frontier people carried that were rich. A .72 Fowler. It's basically a shotgun and a smoothbore rifle. From birds to critters to deer and bear. And that's what most people had , that could afford a gun. Of what use would a pistol be for????? Mountain men carried Fowlers. Farmers , Ranchers , Homesteaders. People were tight in the good ole days. My Aunt Melba said the good ole days weren't really that good. She said she likes microwaves, and central air, and no more outhouses. Peace.
@@steelgila Never said that at all. What I said is people from the good ole days would never pick a pistol over a rifle or shotgun. And they wouldn't have. Not many had them or carried them. In the movies everyone and their brother has them and wears them. But that's far and away from the truth. Peace.
