Spanky,
>I've shot .44 pietta remington (1858 copy) for several years now in N-SSA competition, so if there is a mistake to be made, I've probably made it! >Pietta chamber size will vary, so the suggestion regarding 'shaving off' when correctly inserted is correct:far better too snug than too loose. One of mine works well with .457, the other two work well with a .452. Don't be surprised if all the chamber sizes on your cylindar are not exactly the same. Make sure that the balls seat firmly, otherwise they will shift forward as the pistol is fired and lock up your cylindar, a real 'b*%#h' during timed events! Even if you don't go for a full 'tune', get your smith to do a forcing cone job. It takes about three minutes and will make a real diff in your round placement.
>We generally use 28 gr. FFF under a few grains of cream of wheat (as filler), topped with either a homemade product or one of the commercial lubes. However, these are target rounds, for 25 and 50 yard competitions. >Contrary to popular belief, the 'gunk' spread on after loading is not to prevent chain fires (proper loading and ball sizing does this!). The 'gunk/lube' keeps the fouling soft, making cleaning these a GREAT deal easier. Without lube you have a hard, crusty black char to dig out; with lube, you have a soft, greasy, black sludge that is easy to run out with a bore snake!
>One of the best products to avoid the 'frozen nipple' scenario is Gorilla Grease. Just a tiny bit on each thread area will prevent seizures. A little tin of this stuff will last a long time, but watch out, for some reason, dogs love to eat it. If you store your '58 for long periods of time, you might want to leave the nipples out of the cylinder till you head to the range. And afterwards, CLEAN and oil your investment promptly. The residue really attracts moisture.
>A good source for black powder information (and product leads) is the North-South Skirmish Assoc. (N-SSA). Their web-site has a good listing of sutlers, and their threads specialize in black powder situations.
>Hey, sorry this ran on so long, but you know how it is when one of your fav subjects comes up!