New to black powder pistols. I have a 1958 Pietta Remington. Just purchased a 44 Colt conversion cylinder. What kind of cowboy loads should I purchase and where? Thanks
Here is you problem better explained. Your gun even though its called a 44 takes a .454 round ball making it a 45. They are all like this. Since they first came out in the 1800's. OK with this said. follow normal loading procedures for loading a cap and ball when using it like a cap and ball using a .454 round ball. Powder first 35 grains, wad if you like then round ball. press in. then use crisco or another lube over the ball. cap the nipples and your good to go.
Now for the conversion cylinder. You can purchase a conversion cylinder for your gun. HOWEVER the conversion cylinder when shooting cartridges shoots the correct size bullet. Meaning you need a 45 Colt conversion cylinder as a 45 colt uses a .454 lead bullet. You can not use a 44 conversion cylinder. Frankly i dont think one is made. That would be using a .429 bullet which would be way to small. Now once you use a 45 colt conversion cylinder you need to stick with black powder type loads. Nothing strong or +p type loads. If you are interested in loading your own then let me know but thats another discussion.
scrat, I have two 1858 Remington .44cal Pistols. I have the .45LC con. cylinder($225 buck Jeezzz). I would like your input on reloading .45LCs for this. I have BP(777) and Smokeless Powder(American Select). Thanks.
Here are a few pictures of mine for your enjoyment.
scrat wrote:
Here is you problem better explained. Your gun even though its called a 44 takes a .454 round ball making it a 45. They are all like this. Since they first came out in the 1800's. OK with this said. follow normal loading procedures for loading a cap and ball when using it like a cap and ball using a .454 round ball. Powder first 35 grains, wad if you like then round ball. press in. then use crisco or another lube over the ball. cap the nipples and your good to go.
Now for the conversion cylinder. You can purchase a conversion cylinder for your gun. HOWEVER the conversion cylinder when shooting cartridges shoots the correct size bullet. Meaning you need a 45 Colt conversion cylinder as a 45 colt uses a .454 lead bullet. You can not use a 44 conversion cylinder. Frankly i dont think one is made. That would be using a .429 bullet which would be way to small. Now once you use a 45 colt conversion cylinder you need to stick with black powder type loads. Nothing strong or +p type loads. If you are interested in loading your own then let me know but thats another discussion.
.36cal likewise were converted to .38cal.
did you by chance, from your first post state, .44colt instead of .44cal. fom the barrel address.
I have been shooting black powder for almost 40 years. If you shoot precussion revolvers, it is safer to use a round ball slighty oversize and let the rammer shear some lead when it seats the bullet .Then cover the bullet with Crisco. BEFORE you put the caps on make sure no powder came out the nipples when you seated the bullet.If it did brush or blow it away. I have seen many multiple discharges and have never had one.I truly believe multiple discharges come from the nipple side of the cylinder
I have a Pietta 1858 44 cal. and bought a conversion cylinder. It calls for 45 cal long colt ammo. So I loaded shells from my Lyman reloading handbook with Unique powder, is this not a good idea, I have not shot any yet. Please advise
most likey you will not be able to reach 1000fps in a pistol load using Black powder with a full case. 40 cal and up ffgbelow 40 cal fffgfill the case seat your bullet
GOOD GRIEF--the reason the .44 percussion pistol takes a .454 is because the bullet is purposely oversized so that it fits tightly over the loose powder load in the cylinder and helps prevent multiple ignitions of the cylinders--a memorable and dangerous experience. An old percussion .36 actually uses .38 caliber balls. Today, that relationship still exists--what we now call a modern .38 is actually a .36. This is why a .357 can chamber a .38 Special--the .38 Special ain't .38 caliber--it's .36. BUTdon't ever put a .357 in a .38--if it chambers it, it might very well blow up in your hands. Got that?
Back in the 1800's. a 44 barrel would be drilled out to a .44. After that the barrel would be rifled. The rifling process used would make the diameter bigger than a 44 actually making it a 45. however they would go with the original measurement of .44 calling it a .44. this was the same for all guns at the time thus a .36 would actually use a .38. todays methods are more exact where if you buy a .38 the measurment would be a .38.
Gallery loads.
A gallery load is a light load where a roundball is used instead of a bullet. using a round ball you can load as low as 5 grains of powder (black). then use a fiber wad then fill the remaining with a filler such as cream of wheat. up to around 1/8 below the top. to allow for the ball. The ball will press against the cream of wheat packing it in. I have experienced better results with 15 grains of powder. but you can tailor to your best accuracy. On the round balls i have found making up a batch of 60% bees wax to 40% olive oil. Then dip the balls in the mix and letting them cool on wax paper. then load them. this will lube up your balls.
shooting black. same thing. you can tailor to your needs. around 30 grains of black with a fiber wad then fill the remaining with cream of wheat. you will need to eye ball the amount of room needed for your bullet. allow your bullet to compress the powder.
I have five 1858 Remingtons, three brass and two steel. If you are going to use the .45 conversion cylinder, use it on a steel frame only. As said before, use .45 Long Colt Cowboy Action only. Those are approved by SASS. http://www.sassnet.com/ There are several different brands, but it must be Cowboy Action. I got lucky at a gun show and found an R&D Conversion Cylinder for a Pietta 1858 Remington. It only cost $150.00, I wasted no time purchasing it either.
scrat, I have two 1858 Remington .44cal Pistols. I have the .45LC con. cylinder($225 buck Jeezzz). I would like your input on reloading .45LCs for this. I have BP(777) and Smokeless Powder(American Select). Thanks.
Here are a few pictures of mine for your enjoyment.
I just bought a 45 long colt conversion cylinder for my Uberti 44. Is 225grs too much? They r cowboy loads.
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