A percussion revolver doesn’t have a cartridge. You pour powder in the cylinders, then seat the projectiles , install caps then have fun.

 

And they are going to be .36 caliber or .44 caliber.

 

Old video, but not much has changed since it was made..

 

If I were a prohibited person (I'm not) for buying or owning modern firearms, I'd be interested in black powder revolver for potential home defense (this may not be legal in your state but I didn't say it was).

 

Hi OP,if you are looking for an 1851 Navy then you are looking for a .36 caliber gun. Uberti and Pietta are the two choices i'm aware of. I have two Pietta 1851s and have been pleased with both.

 

Ruger old army.
Built on the Blackhawk frame. They are no longer made but if you find one they are accurate and built Ruger strong.
I own and shoot 2 of them.
Screen grab but my 2 made in the 70's are like this one.

Edited to add. They don't require real BP but can use BP substitutes like 777 or pyrodex . Absolutely no smokeless powder.
BTW percussion caps can be hard to source currently.

 

I 2nd the Ruger Old Army! Built like a tank and shoot even better.

 

https://m.youtube.com/@duelist1954


This guy has a lot of info on black powder.

When Obama was in office and there was a big ammo shortage, I really got into black powder revolver, casting my own Roundball and making my own wads

 

Just don’t get one of these, they kill and injure multiple people with a single shot - even if you never point one at them and never touch the trigger.

 

Just don’t get one of these, they kill and injure multiple people - even if you never point one at them and never touch the trigger.

View attachment 1269993

Only if you play it like a Baldwin piano.

 

The OP said, "So, I'd really love to have an Uberti (or any brand) of an 1851 Navy percussion revolver.."

My question is WHY all the non 1851 Navy suggestions ?

There is an acronym for this, ATFQ ............. by the way.

 

There’s also an acronym for this^ as well, FQ2.

By the questions asked, the OP is apparently not well versed on cap & ball revolvers. Giving more information might be helpful.

 

The Uberti’s seem to be stronger and better looking than the Pietta’s . The bad thing with the Uberti’s with their Navy and Army models the arbor is slightly too short causing end shake and eventually frame stretching from the play during recoil . The point of impact could change every time you remove the barrel , and change the wedge .

The Pietta’s have a proper length arbor . If I wasn’t good at DIY repairs I would get the Pietta in the open top models , 1851 Navy 36 caliber , or 1860 Army 44 caliber .

The easiest for beginners IMO is the 1858 Remington New Army 44 caliber .

Ruger doesn’t make that model anymore . Uberti and Pietta still do . I would get the Uberti with that model .
Check for percussion cap availability before getting the revolver . They have been hard to find . You might buy a bp revolver and not be able to shoot it for along time .

I would also change the factory nipples to Slixshot nipples . Check their size chart for the revolver you buy and order the size nipples to fit them .

 

I'm not sure what an arbor is, but sounds like something that needs watered...

Not opposed to the Army.

the 1858 New Army .44 is in my zone. Nice price too.

I don't know what nipples have to do with this either - but I'm excited about that!

I know some guns have conversion cylinders. TRhat would be awesome if i could use .357. I have .357 guns. Rather not add another caliber, but nothing wroing with it.

Is there a benefit to a .44 such as a conversion cylinder works better?

 

There is a world of difference cleaning a black powder revolver after shooting one, from centerfire. I had a 36 cal years ago, traded it off. The next guy shot it and never cleaned, it was never to be shot again.😢

 

Never fired!

 

But cocked a lot .

 

What's the holdup ?
Shoot it

 

I guess it depends on how long ago he drank the Crown Royal!

 

I would start with a Uberti 1851 Navy in .36

Throw away the factory nipples the moment you take it out of the box. Buy some Treso or Slixx Shot nipples.

Slixprings, LLC

Experience improved ignition with Slixshot Black Powder Nipples. New Improved SliXshot nipples for Uberti, Pietta, Ruger and Walker percussion revolvers

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Percussion Nipples for your muzzleloader or Cap and Ball Revolver

Cap and Ball Revolver Nipples

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My SlixxShot nipples were made to fit Remington #10’s, but they are not being made any longer so you need to make sure they fit the CCI caps that are still available. Luckily I bought 1000 of the Remington caps years ago and still have several hundred left.

You can thank me later. The factory cones are garbage. With SlixxShot nipples and the caps designed the fit them perfectly misfires and cap jams are near a non-issue.

Check out Duelist Den on YouTube. A few hours of his videos and you willl have near 100% confidence before you set out for your first range trip. He’s the man when it comes to all things black powder.

https://youtube.com/@duelist1954?si=2F8F4aYre3Lh5yBP

Cap and ball revolvers are a blast. They are accurate even by modern standards. I really enjoy mine.

I have a Uberti 1851 Colt .36 and a Pietta 1858 Remington .44

Both are a blast but the .36 is my favorite. It’s very accurate, shoots to point of aim perfectly and it’s very efficient and economical to shoot. I can plonk with 15g of powder.

I go on a hunting trip every year and carry my Colt Navy revolver on my hip the entire week. It’s no Glock 17, but I don’t feel unarmed with it either.

Shooting round ball is a blast. You will enjoy it.

I don’t make paper cartridges for my cap and ball guns, I load them powder and ball. Do make paper cartridges for my brown Bess. I load 100g of black powder, a .69 ball, and three 00 buck pellets. It’s a blast to shoot.

My Pietta and Uberti are both good to go. I think either brand is good to go.

 

The 44s are deadly, even in today's world.

 

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Lots of choices.

 

I started with a Pietta 1858 New Model Army 44 revolver.

Then found I prefer to shoot 36 cal Pietta 1851 Navy and 44 cal 1860 Army revolvers. The Colt Action in my opinion is so much smoother than the Remington actions. I can shoot my Pietta Colts all week without cleaning with a dab or Bore Butter on the Arbor. The Remington Action jams up / locks up fast from Black Powder fouling.

My Pietta 36 cal 1851 Navy Revolvers:

My Pietta 44 cal 1860 Army Revolvers:

Old target, 5 shots from my 44 cal Pietta 1860 Army using 30grains of FFFg powder, wonder wad, .454 diameter Hornady round ball, and Remington #10 caps. Shot at 21 feet:

Re conversion cylinders, yes they are available but expensive. I'd recommend you start with real black powder, ball, and cap. Then think about a conversion cylinder. Real black powder is a ton of fun. For me it combines 2 of my favorite things - Independence Day fireworks and shooting. That black powder smoke cloud is addicting.

 

I had a .36 Remington for a while in the pre-pyrodex years

I sold it because it was such a hassle to clean.

Cartridges Simplified:
Find a dowel of the correct diameter.
Roll a cigarette paper round the dowel
Twist one end closed, insert powder, then twist the second end closed.
Load powder charge and ball separately.

The only thing missing from this is the grease to put over the ball to prevent flashover.

I used to store the powder charges in a flip top Marlboro box.

 

I don’t take mine completely apart every time that I shoot it . I pack the insides with synthetic grease and clean the inside about once a year . I don’t think it is that much more trouble cleaning the cylinder and barrel , except that you have to do it by the next day or two if you don’t want rust and pitting and you have to dry it good .

If I were the op I would go on YouTube and watch some videos , on loading , cleaning , chain fires and search Uberti cap and ball short arbor syndrome . It will explain the arbor and the importance of being the correct length .

 

My stainless .44 Pieta. It was given to me and I've never shot it. Keep thinking I will sell it to fund another Glock but have yet haven't done so.

 

Oh man that is nice. Not my favorite appearance wise, but low maintenance. Something you can put up dirty for a few days and not worry about corrosion.

You should shoot it. Or sell it and let someone else enjoy it.

 

My first love was shooting black powder rifles and handguns, flint and percussion. Discovering Dixie Gun Works in the 50s I could find anything and learned about black powder arms. Even today I have a new Dixie catalog at my desk. About 30 years ago I was given a Colt replica .36 Caliber revolver imported by Navy Arms, made by Uberti. I think Val Forgett was probably the first to import replicas of all kinds.
I relined the barrel and cylinder and chambered it for .22 rimfire. Made an ejector and loading gate. It was fun and works well. But sometimes I wish I had kept it stock as it is an early Navy Arms import and was beautifully made. If I was still shooting BP I would get Uberti guns. Of course, the Ruger was probably the best C&B revolver ever made.

 

Here is a tutorial on how to make paper cartridges for a cap and ball revolver.

 

Aceman,

I got in to black powder pistols about 8 months ago. I love it! I gained a whole new respect for soldiers back in the Civil War who had to fight with these things. I find the whole ritual of loading them almost therapeutic. I also shoot FAR less ammo at the range!

I started with a pair of 1851 Colts (36 caliber) and recently purchased an 1860 Colt in .44 caliber. Love both revolvers.

Here are some things I figured out along the way:

Unless you really like to clean gummy stuff out of the cylinder, hammer area, barrel and loading lever buy real black powder. I started with 777 powder which is an alternative to black powder...similar to Pyrodex. It gums up really bad by about the third cylinder of firing.

I then switched to black powder (Scheutzen FFFg) and I like it a lot but then I bought some Swiss powder in FFFg and oh my, it's a big difference in carbon fouling. FAR less with the Swiss powder. Cleaning the gun takes half the time over 777 powder.

I tried wads and without wads. I tried smearing grease over the loaded chambers and not using grease. What I found was the accuracy didn't change using or not using wads and the added step of loading with a wad slows me down so I abandoned wads. I found smearing grease (actually black powder stuff) just got everything really sooty and dirty. I abandoned that as well.

I load the powder, the ball and ram tight and accuracy is pretty good and the gun doesn't get all that dirty considering what I'm shooting.

I know some folks say you must use wads for safety, same for greasing each chamber (prevent a chain-fire scenario where each loaded cylinder fires). There are differing schools of thought on that. I ended up not using them but making sure my balls left a ring of lead after I rammed them. If they get a good seal, and I'm careful and not sloppy with the powder I'm convinced they really aren't needed. As far as greasing each chamber for safety...same deal.

Make SURE the ball sits BELOW the end of the chamber before you advance to the next chamber during loading. If you don't and a ball is too high, you can't back up and either you drive it down with a wood dowel and a light hammer or you have to remove the cylinder from the frame and advance it to where you can ram the ball home.

I got more great tips from the young fellow at my local gun shop that cut the learning curve in half. The bit about checking the ball before advancing being one.

As was mentioned by another post, substitute-out the factory nipples for Slixshot nipples. Far fewer primer issues result.

Shooting these guns is a total blast! Literally and figuratively.

 

My one hard fast rule is NO SMOKELESS POWDER in C&B firearms. That's a good way to kill yourself.

I use everything from FFg, FFFg, to FFFFg in my C&B revolvers. Yes you read that right, 4F. CW era Hazard cartridges were loaded with 4F.
The 1975 Lyman Black Powder Handbook gives 4F C&B revolve powder charges all the way up to chamber full powder charges with a deformed ball. Lawyers removed all that info from subsequent BP Handbooks.

Black Powder Handbook: C. Kenneth Ramage (editor): 9780912412078: Amazon.com: Books

Black Powder Handbook [C. Kenneth Ramage (editor)] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Black Powder Handbook

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You can't have a discussion of C&B revolvers without mentioning chain fires. Chain fires wont hurt you or a modern reproduction gun as long as you keep your fingers and body parts away from the face or front of the cylinder.

I've tried to induce chain fires in my Pietta's with no success. That includes spilling powder all over the face of my greasy cylinder and leaving caps off loaded chambers. I've had no luck. I think you would need to deform / gouge your chambers to get a Chainfire or use really undersized ball.

I found the most accurate loading were with 30gr of FFFg powder, a wonder wad, a dab of bore butter on top of the wad, and a Hornady .454 diameter ball out of my Pietta Colt 1860 Army revolver. However, that is a tedious loading procedure. The purpose of lube is to keep the fouling in the barrel soft. That results in best accuracy.

When I'm just having fun, I'll start with lube on top of the ball for 1 cylinder than no lube for a couple cylinders and back to lube over ball. As I mentioned previously I like to put a dab or bore butter on the cylinder pin / aka Arbor of my Colts. It keeps them running smoothly.

 

This is an 1851 colt navy made in 1862 someone chromed it so it makes a good, historic, shooter .36. Suggest cover each loaded cyl with grease or waxed wool wad to avoid chain fire

Th