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Which Cap and Ball pistol


Filthy Lucre, 55674L

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My daughter is thinking of starting to shoot CAS. I was thinking of getting a .36 cal cap and ball with conversions to .38 Does anyone have any recomendations? I think 51/2" would suit her well. I shoot both Uberti and Pietta 1860's and have not had any problems with either.

Thanks

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I'm jealous...how wonderful to have your daughter interested in shooting. Mine isn't.

 

How old is she? What appeals to her? I mean, we know you like the cap and ball types, but does she?

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FL:

I started my wife off shooting cap guns with 5.5" 44 caliber 1860s.

20 grains powder is a nice pleasant charge & the big hole in the barrel made for a lighter pistola.

She enjoys shooting them, & shoots them very well.

First time, just pistolas. Rifle & shotgun was smokeless. I think she was a bit apprehensive.

She enjoyed it so much, next time she went full-sootlady!

Course, I loaded them up for her after each stage & cleaned them when we were done........

 

I would still get the 44s even if I was going to shoot conversions.

I would load the EPP-UG big lube with 20 grains powder in a Schofield case or even go to Adirondack Jack's 45 cowboy special.

That leetle boolit shoots well & is easy to manage.

 

Pietta probably as I don't think Uberti makes one.

-DAwg

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My daughter is thinking of starting to shoot CAS. I was thinking of getting a .36 cal cap and ball with conversions to .38 Does anyone have any recomendations? I think 51/2" would suit her well. I shoot both Uberti and Pietta 1860's and have not had any problems with either.

Thanks

That would be Tutt's mom? 51 Navy conversions 38s stuffed full of BP and we'll have you, her, Tutt, me, my daughter, my son and we can throw in Easy Emily to round it out shooting FCD! I could convince Rusty to shoot it once, her boyfriend is shooting his first match out at PRVC this weekend. Slim maybe.

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I like the Pietta version of the '62 with the short barls for .36 caliber but do understand that there are more issues with cartridge conversions of the .36s than there are with the .44s. Most of the c&b 44s match the 45cal bore very well while the 36 is a fair bigger than the 38spec bore.

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5 1/2" will work just fine for her Filthy. You will have to shoot hollow based bullets if you want to use conversions. It might work better to have extra cylinders for a '62. The .36 cal is a nice shooting gun but will not take knock downs to the mat at times.

 

A nice set of .38's might be a better choice if she is going to be shooting the heathenist smokeyless powder.

 

JJ

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Cimarron has a variety of conversions plus the 72 Colt open top. I was told that they were made with the smaller bore to shoot the. 38's. My 58 Remington conversions should arrive today. Let you know more when I open the package.

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I set up a pair of 1851 Civilians (Piettas) in .44 to use R&D covernsion cylinder in .45. My load is a .45 cowboy special, 160 grain SWC and a slightly compressed load of FFFg. Recoil is about the same as .38 cowboy loads in my OMV and accuracy is 2" at 15 yards. I prefer the smaller Navy grips.

The .36 conversions will require a hollow based bullets or very, very soft swaged bullet like the Hornady swaged version since the bore is .003" larger than normal .38 bores. The 1872 open tops are advertised to use standard .357" bullets.

Pietta and Uberti both make very good cap-n-ball guns.

Other small gun options are the Cimarron 3/4-size guns and Ruger .32s. A lot of cowgirls and youth in my area do very well with the Ruger .32s.

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My daughter is thinking of starting to shoot CAS. I was thinking of getting a .36 cal cap and ball with conversions to .38 Does anyone have any recomendations? I think 51/2" would suit her well. I shoot both Uberti and Pietta 1860's and have not had any problems with either.

Thanks

Do you intend to switch back and forth from cartridge to C&B?

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Do you intend to switch back and forth from cartridge to C&B?

My plan is that she would shoot the guns with cartridges and if she decides she's not having fun I can use them for C & B.

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FL;

 

IMO, a pair of single action cartridge handguns are easier to shoot than a pair of C&B guns with conversion cylinder..... BY FAR. I've had both and there was no doubt in my mind. If she can not shoot a "P" frame gun, then consider a pair of Uberti Stallions. They are 38sp, and the frame is the same size as a 1862 Colt Police C&B.

 

Snakebite

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My plan is that she would shoot the guns with cartridges and if she decides she's not having fun I can use them for C & B.

I have a pair of Pietta's that I've converted (nearly finished) so if you would be interested in trying out the concept I'll send them to you.

Just let me know.

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He Haw- More people to the dark side where wee are nice and serve cookies-Dammit

 

Plus one on the 1585 with short barrels- very light gun and no recoil.

 

Then you can convert easily to 45 Schofield or the short cowboy brass I use.

 

It is a cool 108 and 45 percent humidity.

 

I can not wait to get back to Chorro Valley in the summer when I wore a wool coat!

 

Have and make smoke!

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The bore of a .38 percussion is not .003 larger than .357, it is .018 larger. The bore of the cap & ball guns was called by the bore before rifling, .36 lands, .375 grooves. A 44 has .44 lands and grooves from .450 t0 .454.

 

Yes, .360 is .003 larger than .357, but the rifling takes it to .375 groove diameter. The .38 Special/.357 bore is called by the groove diameter, as are most all cartridge calibers.

 

By cartridge standards, a Cap & Ball .36 is actually a .38. A modern .38 is actually a .36. The .357 diameter was arrived at by subtracting the cartridge case wall thickness from the chamber diameter of .38. A moddern .44 bullet diameter of .43 is case wall subtracted from .45.

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My daughter is thinking of starting to shoot CAS. I was thinking of getting a .36 cal cap and ball with conversions to .38 Does anyone have any recomendations? I think 51/2" would suit her well. I shoot both Uberti and Pietta 1860's and have not had any problems with either.

Thanks

 

There's the major flaw in your plan. "I was thinking." :rolleyes: What you need to know is what is SHE thinking. Don't know the young lady, how old she is etc. If she is a young child the last think I would be doing is starting a young beginner off with the hardest to use revolvers you can buy. Start her off with something simple.

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We just to Echo everyone else, but

I use two Uberti Navy's - a 51 & 61 in 36 Cal in 7 and one half

Indeed if one does get conversion Cylinders (I use the Kirst ones) the you will need the Hollow base (Minie?) syle to engage the rifling.

With the Kirst Konverters I have used both BP and a light Trail Boss Load to a satisfaciotry level with non knock down targets.

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