I tried out my 1858 remmigton .44 for the first time. What I noticed that it is hard to seat the balls to the same depth. I read that they should be seated almost flush with the end of the cylinder (very hard to get even) but the ram mechanism seats it fairly deep if you push it all the way. Is this a problem seating them all the way? You would not need any filler other than a wonder wad and they would be all even in the cylinder. Also noticed the #11 caps will come off. Both .451 and .454 balls seemed tight and shaved a bit of lead . I do like shooting it though. I tried different loads between 20-30 grains.
Seating balls in a black powder revolver
- Thread starter Garyg
- Start date
- Location
- windsor,ontario
you want to ball on the powder(if theres a gap it can blow up) and to stop chain fires one should put some crisco on top of the ball or a wad under ball
you want the powder to compress a bit
you want the powder to compress a bit
I'd say do your best and don't worry. Overcompressing can change burn rates, but it's a bp revolver, so how accurately are you shooting anyways 
Personally I'd prefer slight compression over an accidental air gap.
For caps do you find pinching the caps holds them on better? As for both the balls being tight and shaving lead, as I'm sure you know that's a good sign - good sealing in the chamber and less risk of a chain fire in addition to the greasing.
Personally I'd prefer slight compression over an accidental air gap.For caps do you find pinching the caps holds them on better? As for both the balls being tight and shaving lead, as I'm sure you know that's a good sign - good sealing in the chamber and less risk of a chain fire in addition to the greasing.
.44 cap & ball
Don't worry about the balls not being flush (or nearly so) with the end of the cylinder.
Go for slight compression and fill the gap with a BP lube harder than Crisco, which blows away with the first shot and melts away in summer heat. Make up your own recipe and use a popsicle stick to apply it. Use #10s and they won't fall off or jam up your gun.
I've got four Remington .44 cap & ballers and they all shoot ridiculously well with 30-32 grs FFFg and .451s. At our annual BP RV I came in 2nd on the pistol trail shooting one. I got beat by 1/2 ball diameter on tie breaker target shooting against a custom French Dueller with single set trigger.
Anyone who doesn't think a Remington cap & ball revolver is capable of good accuracy simply has no experience with one. Now the Colt 'wedgies', that's another matter .... ;>)
They shoot loose, jam up with cap fragments and can't hold a candle to a Remington for accuracy. Remingtons rule!
Don't worry about the balls not being flush (or nearly so) with the end of the cylinder.
Go for slight compression and fill the gap with a BP lube harder than Crisco, which blows away with the first shot and melts away in summer heat. Make up your own recipe and use a popsicle stick to apply it. Use #10s and they won't fall off or jam up your gun.
I've got four Remington .44 cap & ballers and they all shoot ridiculously well with 30-32 grs FFFg and .451s. At our annual BP RV I came in 2nd on the pistol trail shooting one. I got beat by 1/2 ball diameter on tie breaker target shooting against a custom French Dueller with single set trigger.
Anyone who doesn't think a Remington cap & ball revolver is capable of good accuracy simply has no experience with one. Now the Colt 'wedgies', that's another matter .... ;>)
They shoot loose, jam up with cap fragments and can't hold a candle to a Remington for accuracy. Remingtons rule!
Now now sir, I represent that comment. My colt pockets may be small and fussy, but at least they look good
Garyg...take an old cartridge and make a measure out of it by cutting it to length, loading straight from a powder flask is not a good habit to get into. Find a charge that works for you...for a Colt 1860 Army .44 cal. the recommended charge is 25 grains... maximum is 30 grains the Remington is stronger than the open top Colts so filling the chamber to the top leaving enough room for the ball is one way to go. Personally I don't like to waste powder and trim the charge to a point where more is just more and doesn't increase velocity.
The thing to avoid is an air space between the powder and the ball, if you use a smaller charge fill the chamber with corn meal then seat the ball and seal the chamber with whatever goop you use to prevent a chain-fire.
I had trouble with caps falling off as well and finally had to replace the nipples, I have both #11 and #10 Remington caps on hand and the only difference is in the length. The #10 Remington caps are longer than the #11 and they might work better if the nipples are tapered.
I have many Colt open-top "wedgies" and have never had one "shoot loose" the caps jamming things up has been solved by replacing the nipples and changing brands of caps. I think my 1851 .36 Navy is at least as accurate as any "Remmy"
The thing to avoid is an air space between the powder and the ball, if you use a smaller charge fill the chamber with corn meal then seat the ball and seal the chamber with whatever goop you use to prevent a chain-fire.
I had trouble with caps falling off as well and finally had to replace the nipples, I have both #11 and #10 Remington caps on hand and the only difference is in the length. The #10 Remington caps are longer than the #11 and they might work better if the nipples are tapered.
I have many Colt open-top "wedgies" and have never had one "shoot loose" the caps jamming things up has been solved by replacing the nipples and changing brands of caps. I think my 1851 .36 Navy is at least as accurate as any "Remmy"
Remy vs Colt "wedgie"
Skinny - Yeah?, well nyaah-nyaah-nyaah to you ..... ;>)
This year or club held the 1st memorial match for the guy that founded CAS at our club. He loved cap & ball guns, so we made it a cap & ball only event. Smokeless in long guns for this year only. Next year it will 100 % BP in ALL guns.
It was the Colt "wedgies" that had the problems and misfires, jams, etc. We had everything in the match from '47 Walkers, .44 Dragoons, .44 Army's, .36 Navy's and of course - my .44 Remingtons.
The Remingtons mash their caps onto the nipples instead of fragmenting them and falling into the hammer recess on recocking, jamming the action or preventing a full hammer fall. Many times I need to use a finger nail or knife blade to remove fired caps at the unloading table. Often they fly off when I recock the hammers.
In our BP RV, they allow cap & ball revolvers. The guys with the "wedgies" do miserably as they don't have that degree of accuracy. But boy - do they ever look kewl!
Skinny - Yeah?, well nyaah-nyaah-nyaah to you ..... ;>)
This year or club held the 1st memorial match for the guy that founded CAS at our club. He loved cap & ball guns, so we made it a cap & ball only event. Smokeless in long guns for this year only. Next year it will 100 % BP in ALL guns.
It was the Colt "wedgies" that had the problems and misfires, jams, etc. We had everything in the match from '47 Walkers, .44 Dragoons, .44 Army's, .36 Navy's and of course - my .44 Remingtons.
The Remingtons mash their caps onto the nipples instead of fragmenting them and falling into the hammer recess on recocking, jamming the action or preventing a full hammer fall. Many times I need to use a finger nail or knife blade to remove fired caps at the unloading table. Often they fly off when I recock the hammers.
In our BP RV, they allow cap & ball revolvers. The guys with the "wedgies" do miserably as they don't have that degree of accuracy. But boy - do they ever look kewl!
Often they fly off when I recock the hammers.
Often they fly off when I recock the hammers.
Almost always they fall on on my ruger old army when I #### the hammer while letting the muzzle rise with the movement.
#### right away while the cap is still hot and gravity is your friend.
Often they fly off when I recock the hammers.
Almost always they fall on on my ruger old army when I #### the hammer while letting the muzzle rise with the movement.
#### right away while the cap is still hot and gravity is your friend.
My ruger old army is very accurate. I don't use any filler. I find XX grains with a round ball is perfect. I am not giving out my load weight. The loading handle comes right down to the stop. It loads the same everytime. Then crisco or borebutter and it is ready for fun.
Need to build a loading stand to make that a little faster.
I did have an 1858 Remington and it is very similar to the ROA. The ROA is just built much stronger.
Need to build a loading stand to make that a little faster.
I did have an 1858 Remington and it is very similar to the ROA. The ROA is just built much stronger.
until the cornmeal WELDS itself into the sides of the cylinder- then it's a bugger to get out, if you can at all- while i've never personally had it done, i've seen those that have had it, and at that point it's either get a new cylinder or put up with the "little pits"
As long as I pinch the caps before putting them on the nipple, they usually stay in place. I think the big risk of chain firing is actually flame at the breach going down an uncapped nipple.
I also use a corn meal filler between the powder and ball so that the ball seats a little short of the mouth of the cylinder. I think in Colts, heavy charges will crush the wedge and give you a loose barrel, or at least it did in my gun.
cheers mooncoon
I also use a corn meal filler between the powder and ball so that the ball seats a little short of the mouth of the cylinder. I think in Colts, heavy charges will crush the wedge and give you a loose barrel, or at least it did in my gun.
cheers mooncoon
