1858 remington

[Anthony_I_Am]

I just got my new 1858 army. I'm a black powder virgin and I got a question for anyone who knows about them. The instruction manual says to 12-15 grains FFFG for the .454 ball round. The "Shooting Information" pamphlet included with the gun says to use 22-30 grains FFFG for the .454 ball.
Very confusing. There is a BIG difference between 12 grains and 30 grains! Which is is? And please don't blow me up.

[theicemanmpls]

I just got my new 1858 army. I'm a black powder virgin and I got a question for anyone who knows about them. The instruction manual says to 12-15 grains FFFG for the .454 ball round. The "Shooting Information" pamphlet included with the gun says to use 22-30 grains FFFG for the .454 ball.
Very confusing. There is a BIG difference between 12 grains and 30 grains! Which is is? And please don't blow me up.

Have you googled the makers website? That is a brass cap and ball. Not as durable as the steel one, but you will enjoy it once you figure out how many grains of powder. Are you using wonderwads?

[AvidshooterTX]

I think the higher numbers are probably correct. If you go with the lighter loads you may not fill up the cylinders behind the round balls, which is not a good idea. Some people shoot light loads and then use cornmeal (I think) as filler so that the ball is properly seated on top of the propellant. Also, you should put grease over the balls after loading to completely seal the chambers in order to lessen the chances of a chain-fire - where multiple cylinders fire due to embers jumping from one to another. They make lubricated over-wads that can substitute for the grease, which is kind of messy.

[Anthony_I_Am]

Have you googled the makers website? That is a brass cap and ball. Not as durable as the steel one, but you will enjoy it once you figure out how many grains of powder. Are you using wonderwads?

No. The manual says to use the enclosed "wonderlube" instead of wads. Sounds messy - and I think I saw some of the wonderwads at the gun shop. Probably get some. I googled the website (traditionsmuzzle.com). The only info is to download the manuals that I already have in hand. I did send them and email, tho.

[theicemanmpls]

Also, don't forget to clean it within hours of firing. Black power when fired becomes a nasty substance. It will ruin your cap and ball. Don't wait over night to clean. You may want to even remove the grips always, or on occasion.
Even with all this pain the ass stuff, they are really fun to shoot.

[AvidshooterTX]

I don't think you can overcharge it if you can seat a ball to where the cylinder is free to rotate. A few other tips:
1. NEVER use one of those powder flasks that has the built-in measure and a push-button cut-off valve with spring - except to pour into another measure and then into the cylinder. Those things should never come anywhere near the gun. That cut-off valve can pinch a few grains of powder and not completely seal the measure from the rest of the flask. If an ember in the chamber ignites the powder being poured then it can ignite the main vessel and it becomes a hand grenade.
2. After firing a shot turn the pistol upside down as you cock the hammer. This will allow the loose debris from the spent percussion cap to fall harmlessly to the ground instead of down into the action of the handgun where it can gum u[p the mechanism and interfere with the hand that turns the cylinder.

[theicemanmpls]

I don't think you can overcharge it if you can seat a ball to where the cylinder is free to rotate. A few other tips:
1. NEVER use one of those powder flasks that has the built-in measure and a push-button cut-off valve with spring - except to pour into another measure and then into the cylinder. Those things should never come anywhere near the gun. That cut-off valve can pinch a few grains of powder and not completely seal the measure from the rest of the flask. If an ember in the chamber ignites the powder being poured then it can ignite the main vessel and it becomes a hand grenade.
2. After firing a shot turn the pistol upside down as you cock the hammer. This will allow the loose debris from the spent percussion cap to fall harmlessly to the ground instead of down into the action of the handgun where it can gum u[p the mechanism and interfere with the hand that turns the cylinder.

Hell, at least once per range session, i was digging primer debris out of the action with a screw driver. Thank you.

[Anthony_I_Am]

How often do you have to replace the nipples? I see they offer a replacement set for a few bucks on their website. Might be worth having a couple replacement sets and a mold on hand when Bama bans bullets.

[jtg452]

It's a brass framed gun (actually ordnance bronze, but that's another story), so loading it until the cylinder barely rotates is going to shorten its' life span dramatically. That will shoot steel framed Colt copies loose over time, so you can only imagine how it will stretch a brass frame. I'd keep to 20-25gr of FFg (it's bulkier than FFFg and will take up more space when compressed and gives slightly less velocity) under a round ball. That load will be mild enough to be easy on the gun but still throw enough smoke and flame to kill every skeeter near the range. Wonderwads and other over powder wads are safe to use. Pour your powder, stuff the wad in and then seat the ball. Since you need to limit the load, the wad will actually take up some chamber space and help you insure you get compression on the powder. If you don't want to use a wad, seal the chamber with Bore Butter or another paste type BP lube. The idea is to limit the chances of a chain fire (with both the paste lube or the wad) and to help keep the powder fouling soft. Soft is good because it makes clean up easier and the gun will shoot longer before binding (although the Remington design will gum up after a dozen or so shots anyhow because the basepin isn't grooved like the Colt is). Make sure to lube the basepin well and wipe it down regularly.

After market nipples like Treso nipples (available at BP sites like Track of the Wolf) are far superior to the factory ones but properly set up factory nipples, when matched with the RIGHT size and brand caps, are fine for plinking and playing. Nipples do not need to be in contact with the hammer. There should be a gap the thickness of a piece of card stock between the hammer and the nipple when the hammer is at rest. Try different sizes (#11 or #12 probably) and brands of caps, too. All caps of the same size are not created equal. If you have to pinch them to keep them on, it's not the right size cap for the nipples.

If you really want to know how to get your Remmy replica running right, head over to some of the CAS websites (I'd suggest the Darksider's Den over on CAS City or The Darkside over at The Open Range) and ask. CAS shooters will be more than happy to help you out and may even have a 'How To Shoot a Remmy with BP' tutorial stickied.

[Anthony_I_Am]

It's a brass framed gun (actually ordnance bronze, but that's another story), so loading it until the cylinder barely rotates is going to shorten its' life span dramatically. That will shoot steel framed Colt copies loose over time, so you can only imagine how it will stretch a brass frame. I'd keep to 20-25gr of FFg (it's bulkier than FFFg and will take up more space when compressed and gives slightly less velocity) under a round ball. That load will be mild enough to be easy on the gun but still throw enough smoke and flame to kill every skeeter near the range. Wonderwads and other over powder wads are safe to use. Pour your powder, stuff the wad in and then seat the ball. Since you need to limit the load, the wad will actually take up some chamber space and help you insure you get compression on the powder. If you don't want to use a wad, seal the chamber with Bore Butter or another paste type BP lube. The idea is to limit the chances of a chain fire (with both the paste lube or the wad) and to help keep the powder fouling soft. Soft is good because it makes clean up easier and the gun will shoot longer before binding (although the Remington design will gum up after a dozen or so shots anyhow because the basepin isn't grooved like the Colt is). Make sure to lube the basepin well and wide it down regularly.

After market nipples like Treso nipples (available at BP sites like Track of the Wolf) are far superior to the factory ones but properly set up factory nipples, when matched with the RIGHT size and brand caps, are fine for plinking and playing. Nipples do not need to be in contact with the hammer. There should be a gap the thickness of a piece of card stock between the hammer and the nipple when the hammer is at rest. Try different sizes (#11 or #12 probably) and brands of caps, too. All caps of the same size are not created equal. If you have to pinch them to keep them on, it's not the right size cap for the nipples.

If you really want to know how to get your Remmy replica running right, head over to some of the CAS websites (I'd suggest the Darksider's Den over on CAS City or The Darkside over at The Open Range) and ask. CAS shooters will be more than happy to help you out and may even have a 'How To Shoot a Remmy with BP' tutorial stickied.

Whats the basepin?