In order to participate in the GunBroker Member forums, you must be logged in with your GunBroker.com account. Click the sign-in button at the top right of the forums page to get connected.

black powder pistol

jednorrisjednorris Member Posts: 21 ✭✭
I recently bought a Conn. Valley Arms .36 cal. revolver. I need two nipples and round balls. I understand the OO Buck Buckshot is .36 dia., can I make this work? I was told "no patch, cover with grease", FFF powder.Any opinions?
Newby

Comments

  • stegsteg Member Posts: 871 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    You shouldnt use buckshot. It is too hard and won't properly load. You should use only round balls cast from soft lead. You can buy these ready made from any muzzleloader gun store. On the internet, try Dixon Blackpowder in PA. or Dixie Gun Works.
    Before trying to load or shoot, locate several black powder shooting sites and get instructions on what to use and how to load your gun.
    One tip: Unless your life and health insurance is paid up in full, do not try to use modern smokeless powder in your gun-even in so-called reduced loads! Doing that is a good way to ruin your gun as well as various body parts!
    In loading, if you use Wonder Wads directly between the powder and ball, and one on top of the ball, you can forego putting grease on top of the ball in the loaded cylinder. A lot less messy too.
  • navc130navc130 Member Posts: 1,193 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    I suggest you contact CVA for their users manual or download it if available on their website. 3F powder and a .375 ball is the normal for a .36 cal. revolver.
  • jednorrisjednorris Member Posts: 21 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    Steg says a wad over powder, which seems logical, but one over ball seems like it opens the potential to interfere with the ball leaving the cylinder and entering the barrel that could be dangerous.Can someone confirm?
    Newby
  • hillbillehillbille Member Posts: 14,121 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by jednorris
    Steg says a wad over powder, which seems logical, but one over ball seems like it opens the potential to interfere with the ball leaving the cylinder and entering the barrel that could be dangerous.Can someone confirm?
    Newby


    no it is soft cotton, it is there to keep the flame from jumping cylinders, I use it instead of grease over, as said it is less messy, may cost a few dollars more, but to me it is worth the extra money over the greasy mess. it will shoot out just in front of ball with no trouble. grease or patch both are acceptable it is the shooters call....
  • flyingcollieflyingcollie Member Posts: 197 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Not to contradict, nor say anyone's "wrong", I was taught (over 40 years ago) to grease the cylinder bores after ramming the ball . . . depending on the "goo" you choose, it's always messy, and IMHO, resulted in more fouling.

    Recently, in other places on the GB forums, the opinion has been offered that "chain firing" almost never occurs at the bore-end. Chain firing usually results from using an oversize cap, and "squeezing" it, to hang on the nipple, or from grains of powder hung up around the nipples.

    This makes sense to me, as a soft lead ball, properly seated is swaged into the cylinder bore and makes a very tight seal; moreover, with the proper charge, the ball itself is well behind the face of the cylinder, well away from "flash" at the forcing cone.

    I've been doing a lot of shooting this summer with two Uberti 1861 Navy Colt's, and forgoing a "grease job" between loading. I pass a bronze brush through the barrell and the cylinder bores between loads, and have minimal mess and fouling. No chain-firing.

    Has anyone actually experienced a chain firing ? If so, was the reason apparent ?

    I have an idea the "grease job" (in the era these arms were in use) may have been a ploy to keep one's powder dry in excessively wet weather, keeping a piece loaded and laid by for indeterminate periods of time.
  • machine gun moranmachine gun moran Member Posts: 5,198
    edited November -1
    The only chain fire I ever had, was also the only time I did not grease the front of the chambers. 4 chambers were lit. I routinely squeezed oversized caps, but never had a chainfire as long as I greased the front end. So my mileage varied from that of some others, but I went with what worked for me.
  • stegsteg Member Posts: 871 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    Sometimes, an inexperienced cap and ball shooter will load his revolver without first capping the cylinders in the mistaken guise of a safety factor. This can allow minute amounts of powder to leak out of the cylinder through the nipples when the ball is rammed home. Then when the cap goes off, this ignites and can cause a chain fire.
    If one has concerns about caps going off prematurely during loading, why not cap the nipples with spent caps before loading. Then, after loading with powder, wonder wads and ball, replace the spent caps with live ones. Then, one doesn't have to worry about loading a live capped cylinder.
  • flyingcollieflyingcollie Member Posts: 197 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    ?? Wow !! I must have really missed the safety boat with my C&B pistols (and shotguns) !! Not only was I not taught to cap first, but no one I know does this. It does make sense in terms of powder grains present at the nipples possibly causing chain-fire.

    One difficulty I'd have with using spent caps for safety in loading is the fact that I rarely encounter a spent cap that's "whole" and thus capable of being re-installed to prevent leakage of powder through the nipple. In fact, I have to take care that spent caps (which usually split three ways) don't fall into the action between firing and re-cocking the piece causing a jam.

    Just for safety sake, I checked my Navies and find the nipple orfices are too small to admit passage of grains of FFFg black powder . . .
  • hillbillehillbille Member Posts: 14,121 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    quote:Originally posted by steg
    Sometimes, an inexperienced cap and ball shooter will load his revolver without first capping the cylinders in the mistaken guise of a safety factor. This can allow minute amounts of powder to leak out of the cylinder through the nipples when the ball is rammed home. Then when the cap goes off, this ignites and can cause a chain fire.
    If one has concerns about caps going off prematurely during loading, why not cap the nipples with spent caps before loading. Then, after loading with powder, wonder wads and ball, replace the spent caps with live ones. Then, one doesn't have to worry about loading a live capped cylinder.





    INEXPERIENCED ????? foolhardy is a better word, You SHOULD NEVER,NEVER,NEVER PUT A CAP ON BEFORE LOADING, YOU ARE ASKING FOR MORE THAN A CHAINFIRE!!!!!!!! DEATH COULD EASILY RESULT FROM THIS PRACTICE!!!!! as someone else stated triple FFF powder should not fall thru the nipple as it is bigger unless the nipple has been drilled or worn out.


    If you are that concerned about the powder falling thru, a simple puff or blow on the nipple side when you are done should blow any loose powder away.
  • allen griggsallen griggs Member Posts: 35,183 ✭✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    "cap before loading..."

    "use spent caps..."

    My spent caps are blown to bits. Cap with a live cap before loading?
    Hell no!
  • EhlerDaveEhlerDave Member Posts: 5,158 ✭✭
    edited November -1
    A couple years ago I went to a real shooting range. Only been to a couple in my time. I saw a man shooting a BP pistol that had a second cylider for it. I got to thinking that would sure make my shooting more fun so I stepped over to ask the man about the extra cylider.

    He was like most shooters willing to share what he knew and chat away. One thing I quickly found out was that the extra .44 cal cylider he had sitting on the shooting table was not only loaded but capped.

    Got me to thinking of what would/could happen if it rolled off the table and set of a cap. I would bet before it was done bouncing around and setting off more caps it would be empty. I did not like those odds so I went home.

    Jus cant get behind the idea of preloading the cylinder then capping it.
    Just smile and say nothing, let them guess how much you know.
  • flyingcollieflyingcollie Member Posts: 197 ✭✭✭
    edited November -1
    It's my understanding that percussion weapons are considered to be "unloaded" even with a charge of powder and shot, until they are capped . . .

    As for "real shooting ranges", a gun club can have the finest safety program in the world in place, and conscientious range officers, and it's still no proof against the occasional yahoo. [:)]
Sign In or Register to comment.