Renewal Imminent - Reccomend Me a BP Pistol (or 2)

[majex45]

If you only enter the MLAGB competitions, they are all timed to account for only one cylinder.
If you shoot Timed & Precision and Multi-Target (PP1 and SPB as was) or America Match or practically any other competitions then an extra cylinder (or 2 if you can afford it) is useful as you can complete a stage of ten or twelve rounds, retire to the reloading area while the next detail shoots and then swap over again. This gets maximum utilization of the range time available.
Another alternative (at a higher cost) is nitro muzzle loaders (either converted LBP or specially made). These take as long to load as muzzle loaders but generally are more indoor range friendly as they don't produce as much smoke. They are listed as a muzzle loader on your ticket so you don't have to specify Nitro versus black or substitute.
Finding the right caps (number) is essential as BP revolvers can be very unreliable if you use the wrong ones, that's why I sold mine. Bang...click...bang...bang...click...bang etc really lowers your T&P scores.

[Buckle]

Well, had the FEO round today for my renewal interview and all went okay I think. He didn't seem to have a problem with extra cylinders for the .36 and .44 pistols - when he asked why I just said for re-loading mid competition.

Only additional thing he said was ensure the cylinders are stored in a separate locked container, away from the pistols in the safe. Oh, and I need an alarm now!

On the whole pretty succesful, and I should have my ticket back in a week or so. Hurrah!

[tacfoley]

In spite of the rather ad hoc gun terminology used here in UK - bullet HEADS, the gun MECH, muzzle BREAKS and so on, and the somewhat adventuous interpretations of the Firearms Acts in a few counties, the Ruger Old Army is actually classed by the makers as a .44" calibre Black Powder Revolver, NOT a .45".

Else we SHOULD be seeing all .303" rifles and carbines as .311".

However, it is my experience that reality has little or nothing to do with much of what goes on in any particular county Firearms & Explosives Licensing Department, and rules/descriptive terms/sundy technicalities are a matter of whimsy rather that fact.

The box marking and instructions that came with MY ROA are quite clear on the subject - it is a .44" cal and nothing else.

But where I live there are other folks with identical guns that have been called .45"s.

........sigh...... .....

tac

[tacfoley]

Finding the right caps (number) is essential as BP revolvers can be very unreliable if you use the wrong ones, that's why I sold mine. Bang...click...bang...bang...click...bang etc really lowers your T&P scores.

Most BP revolvers and pistols sold in this country use #10 or #11 caps. IF you intend to shoot substitute powder rather than the real thing, you'll need to get RWS HOT caps. BP has an ignition temperature of around 450F - the subs have an ignition temperature of around 600F - hence the lack of popularity/success using them in a flintlock pan.

tac

[tacfoley]

what size ball are .44 ? mold size? an weight if pure lead used .

thanks

Just to put you in the picture - ball sizes for BP revolvers seem to be way too big - at first glance. A .36 shoots a .380" diameter ball, and a .44 shoots at least a .451 - often bigger, or, in the case of the Ruger Old Army - MUCH bigger at .457". This is so that the ball - when being loaded - shaves off a rneat little ring around the diameter as it is rammed into the chamber, thus ensuring a good and tight fit.

And BTW - NEVER be tempted to load a jacketed bullet of any kind in your BP revolver -

1. It will fall out of the chamber in any case, but, if you DO get one that happens to fit,

2. it will move forward under recoil and jam up the rotation of the cylinder.

But mainly because the vastly increased pressure of trying to make a jacketed bullet go through a barrel forcing cone made to take a soft lead ball could well damage your gun.

tac

[harricook]

In spite of the rather ad hoc gun terminology used here in UK - bullet HEADS, the gun MECH, muzzle BREAKS and so on, and the somewhat adventuous interpretations of the Firearms Acts in a few counties, the Ruger Old Army is actually classed by the makers as a .44" calibre Black Powder Revolver, NOT a .45".

Else we SHOULD be seeing all .303" rifles and carbines as .311".

However, it is my experience that reality has little or nothing to do with much of what goes on in any particular county Firearms & Explosives Licensing Department, and rules/descriptive terms/sundy technicalities are a matter of whimsy rather that fact.

The box marking and instructions that came with MY ROA are quite clear on the subject - it is a .44" cal and nothing else.

But where I live there are other folks with identical guns that have been called .45"s.

........sigh...... .....

tac

Hey TAc

Now you know I trust you implicitly ... but I went through a lot of pain when I got my second ROA - as I had a slot for a 45 and the gun had been deposited with the RFD and tagged as a 44 in his register.

A letter from the nice Ruger company - confirmed it was a 45 & it found it's way onto my ticket without any further ado !

I give you a link to the Ruger webpage that dates my ROA for me & that also states that it is 45 cal

http://www.ruger.com/service/product.../RE-OAKBP.html

Sorrrrrrrryyyyyyyy !


Are we still friends??

Roy
.

[Oldboy]

Are the modern replicas made in exactly the same calibre as the originals?

If so the .36 & .44 was sometimes the bore size, the distance from lands to lands and the rifling grove was .38+ and .45+. It causes no end of confusion when collectors try to match a cartridge with a gun from the old west.

The Colt 1871-72 was a .44 Henry rimfire and had a bore size of .42 and a grove size of .44. The actual bullet diameter ws .443 so had a bit of seqeezing to be done.

[tacfoley]

Hey TAc

Now you know I trust you implicitly ... but I went through a lot of pain when I got my second ROA - as I had a slot for a 45 and the gun had been deposited with the RFD and tagged as a 44 in his register.

A letter from the nice Ruger company - confirmed it was a 45 & it found it's way onto my ticket without any further ado !

I give you a link to the Ruger webpage that dates my ROA for me & that also states that it is 45 cal

http://www.ruger.com/service/product.../RE-OAKBP.html

Sorrrrrrrryyyyyyyy !


Are we still friends??

Roy
.

See the new thread I started as a result of this here post of yours.

You are OFF my Christmas list.

tac

PS - Only kidding about the Christmas list

[Buckle]

Well, got my certificate back today with slots for 2 pistols (a .36 and a .44) and two spare cylinders for each! Result.

Then immediately smashed the windscreen in the car and the Jeep broke down. How did they know I had a bit of spare cash??!!