[Big Dog]

Over on another site, a guy and I have a friendly game going on - to see who can shoot the best group with our cap&ball revolvers. He had posted a very nice 2.5" group with his 1858 Remington at 20 yards.
My older 1851 Navy and 1860 Army just weren't co-operating, so I bought the new 1851 Navy (a Pietta-made CVA) from Midway. It showed good promise, but was shooting way high - about seven inches at 15 yards, even more at 25 yards.
Well, I ground off the front brass bead, and JB Welded on a new blade cut from a nickle coin, then blackened. It's now dead on! At 25 yards, I shot a five round 2.5" group, with the first (of six) round being a flyer from a clean barrel. Four rounds were in a 1.5" cluster! This was a .454 round ball atop 27 grains of Triple Seven - made a respectable Boom! Having run out of Wonder Wads and getting short on Bore Butter, I greased it with the only other thing I had - a can of Kiwi-brand Mink Oil grease (for leather dressing). Works mighty good! Perfect consistency, softer than the Bore Butter and stiffer than Crisco, and it didn't run in this cooler weather.
It sure didn't hurt accuracy any! I'll see how it cleans up. I don't know how it reacts when burned, but after shooting, there seemed to be no problems atall.

I'm pretty well pleased with this gun! Best $89 I've spent on a gun.

[jerry]

Your a danged cap & ball salesman or at least out to be.

This all sounds too fun. I already have some of the BP rifle background so I smell what your steppi'n in.

Mink oil, I'd have never figured???? Gets me thinking of what else could be used. #2 bearing grease mabe? Again, burn & clean up reaction would play. A tube of bearing grease is about $2.

The sight. That was ballsy I bet your butt cheeks were clenched when you started that project. Bottom line is, it worked

The online contest are cool. Phaco did one last year. I won! Well, only him and I participated, & it was real close :uzi: :assult:

Keep on keepi'n on.


now where's that Cabellas catalog

[Big Dog]

Yep, whoda thunk these old hoglegs would shoot so well?

The really satisfying thing was outshooting a guy here who considered himself a "tactical shooter" with his 9mm Glock! He had a lot more shots, but I put 'em where they counted.

The front sight on this one is good, but I did the same on the older '51 too. It shot off after the third shot! Oops - must not have degreased it well enough.
It was too high anyway, so I'll re-do it like the new pistol - maybe even solder it on.
I had ground the rear sights too, opening them up into square-notches - much better sight picture! A little bottle blue cleaned 'em up nice.

I was a bit worried about the Mink Oil, but a guy experienced in BP on another site says that was one of the accuracy tricks in the "old days", as mink oil grease didn't turn rancid like other animal greases and performed very well. I just rediscovered the old "secret recipe" on my own. Cool!