OK, I've done it again....I can't seem to stay away from those pretty little, easy pointing Civil Way era Revolvers. I've had a dozen, from a Walker (too big) to a 31 Cal five shot (too small). I've had the the Navies, the Colts and just picked up a 1858 Remington made by Pietta in .44 (just right). I'll be using it for rabbits and other targets of opportunity in a few weeks. It seems like the perfect desert walk-a-bout gun on targets out to 25 yards. I'm getting 1" at 10 yards and about 6" at 25 yards. I know that it can do better then this, I just pick up all the toys necessary to make it sing.

Now I have some questions for you. If you have a .44 (not a Ruger Old Army as they take a bigger ball size):
1) Do you use a .451 or the .454 Ball. The .451 shaves lead like it should, the .454 is the recommended size?

2) What over ball lubricant do you use? Crisco blows off all the cylinders with the first shot?

3) Do you use a fiber wad between the powder and ball?

4) I'll be looking at this when I get to the range, but is there a "More Accurate" powder charge to start with?

5) I have both Triple 7 and Pyrodex in ff and fff. Is fff to fine?

Thanks all,
Bill in OR

I had an Uberti 1858 Rem a while back. I didn't do a whole lot of "development" with it but it shot decent with .454 balls and the 30 grain P-Dex pellets. I didn't use any grease in front of the balls, they fit tight enough that I wasn't worried about chainfire. Midway sells wads, but a cheaper alternative is the thick felt that they sell in craft stores, use a 45LC case and a hammer and cut all you need for fractions of a penny per. Like I said, I didn't spend much time trying to "dial it in" but it was smokey fun for all.

I have one just like Rods. I filled up the cylinders with FF and put a 45cal ball down on top of it. It cut a ring off the round ball, but there are more acerate in both of mine than the 44's. At the range I would put crisco over them and while hunting I have been known to use a bee’s wax mix. I bet one of those home made lubes for cast bullets would be perfect.

I have a pair of '58's. Mine too are Pietta and they are the guns with the gain twist rifling. They are really scary accurate. I shoot .454 lead balls in mine.

I have only used real black, never any of the substitutes. I use Goex 3f and Remington #11 caps. I use a felt Wonder Wad between powder and ball, and nothing else. If you get a good seal with a ring of lead shaving you won't get any chain fires. Most if not all chain fires come from the back of the cylinder when a round is fired and the adjoining cylinder is not capped. Never shoot the gun with any other cylinders loaded and not capped. If one falls off (they will) replace it before you fire the gun. The real reason for the grease in the cylinders is to keep the fowling soft. The felt wads eliminate the need for this. You can make your own wads as mentioned, and it helps to cover them with Thompson Center Bore Butter.

One thing that helps any of the Italian C&B guns is to change the nipples. I use Treso and they work very well.They are more reliable and consistent.

Good luck and enjoy!

Dan

Dan is spot on. do use crisco though to keep the fouling easy to clean. Even though it blows out after the first shot or two the residual in the chambers is enough to help. I have had a 1858 that I put together as a kit 30 years ago and it has had untold pounds of lead through it. It was the gun that got me into handgun hunting. Use to use it to hunt jack rabbits and snow shoe hares with. Have also shot grouse and a coyote with it.
Still one of my all time favorite guns to play with and knock about the woods with.

Oh and I do find FFF powders to be be more accurate in both my 44's then ff.

Great stuff! I have 3-4 tubes of T/C Bore Butter and it is a lot thicker then Crisco, maybe it will stay in. I think I'll move up to the .454 from the .451 balls, that may make it a bit more accurate. A 45 colt shell and felt...I can do that!

My wife is having a kidney transplant Monday so the load development will be a few weeks down the line. She'll be in Portland for 6 weeks and I'll be there for two taking care of her. This project will give me something to dream about till I get home.

Thanks all!

Bill in OR

Hope all goes well with that! God bless.

Amen to that one!

I use FFF Goex if I can find it otherwise pyrodex and I use the wonder wads and bore butter/crisco. I've noticed on the chrono I lose velocity with the wonder wads. I started using a big syringe minus the needle and stuffing it full of crisco. The crisco is alot cheaper than bore butter and as was said earlier there is plenty left even by the time you get to the last cylinder to do it's job. Now I'm playing with conversion cylinders. So far I've put one in my walker but I'm looking at putting a true gated kit in one of my 1860's. I'm trying to deal with the manufacturer directly and they seem to be kind of flakey.

By the way Bill if you want a real adrenaline rush go over east by John Day and hunt rattle snakes at dusk with your pistol. That's a blast but a little nerve racking until you can see. I've had a couple close calls from misses. The northwestern rattler is the most aggressive of all the rattlers so it's kind of like dangerous game hunting on a smaller scale

My friend and his friend shot 26 Rattlers in one weekend on a family ranch out that way last year.

I like the idea of a big syringe, keeps the fingers cleaner too!

I have a line on one of those conversion Cly's. A 45 LC drop in Cly would be a lot of fun and add some versatility. Do you use BP or Smokeless, like 5744?

Bill

Rod, I use to walk the banks of the canals in the everglades and hunt cotton mouths with my 1858 rem. I have taken beaver with mine as well. They are a hoot to play with.

Bill

I have used both black and smokeless with my conversion cylinders in my Remingtons. I use light/low pressure loads only with Titegroup powder and 200 gr RNFP lead bullets for my smokeless loads. I am amazed at how well they shoot. I used 250 gr bullets, but they shot too high. The lighter bullet is dead on. Adding those cylinders is like having two different guns now.

Hope all goes well with your wife. Our thoughts and prayers are with you Pard.

Dan

Looks like I made a good choice of fun guns. I'll get that conversion barrel when I get back to Bend, OR.

Thanks for the good wishes!

Bill in OR

I'm using some light colt loads I had loaded up for a lever gun. They are within the pressure limits but they are a 250gr RNFP with HS6. I'd have to look up the charge I haven't loaded any in years. I did some checking on the conversion cylinders before I bought mine and I went with a Howells, I was finding comments from guys with clymers where they were having to an awful lot of fitting for a drop in. The Howells for my walker literally dropped in and I walked out on the porch and shot my wifes alder. The gun was actually regulated just about perfect but I did get in trouble for the tree. The poor thing has half a dozen lead balls and another half a dozen bullets in it but it's still going, personally I think it likes the lead

Our best on Rattlers was just over 100 in six days between three of us. I almost got bit while fishing and that's what started me on my quest. I've been know to chase them into bar ditches much to my wifes dismay.

Bill, I am praying for your wife.

Bill I somehow totally missed your reply where you mentioned what was happening with your wife. My thoughts and prayers are with you and her for a successfull operation and speedy recovery.

Bill, prayers to you and your wife!!

Today is Monday...

I’ll be praying, let us know if there is anything we can do!

Thanks for all the support! Wife and new kidney are doing great. Our friend (donor) is having some rough spots. I think that both will do fine, it has only been 20 hours since the surgery.

I'll be here for at least 2 weeks, maybe three. Looking forward to getting home and out to the field and some range time!

Bill in OR

Wonderful news Bill! Wish all a speedy recovery!

You and I have the same guns, same loads, same advice. COPYCAT!!! LOL These old guns are just plain fun to shoot.

I've been using #10 caps, they seem to hold a bit tighter but don't appear to have the same spark (power?).

Bill in OR