Would you stillshoot a BP pistol, if you could shoot a cartridge pistol?

[Jim McArthur]

I looked at the blog, though just briefly. If you're legally prohibited from owning a cartridge revolver or auto pistol, this is not at all a bad substitute, I think. It's not an air pistol, and it's not blackpowder, so you don't have to wait for the smoke to clear between shots.

I didn't catch the cost from the video. (?)

Jim

[Smokeless Coal]

I've seen Ian shooting that one Jim. Heres managing 3" grouping at 25m which is about on par with his other stuff over iron sights.

[Jim McArthur]

Before the ban I used to shoot both and ended up with a 6 inch 686 S&W revolver and a single shot flintlock and percussion BP pistols. I found the single shot a bit easier t get on with. I used to have a Rogers & Spencer revoler but I had trouble with the caps coming off because of recoil and then it chain fired despite caking it in grease. I used to end up covered in muck as well compared to the cleaner single shot machines.

Just my observations.

Allan

Do you shoot these muzzleloaders in competitions, Allan? What do they call them: Cominazzo (flint) and Kruchenreuter (or something like that) with the percussion?

Jim

[Jim McArthur]

I've seen Ian shooting that one Jim. Heres managing 3" grouping at 25m which is about on par with his other stuff over iron sights.

Good hearing from you, SC!

Yes, unless the cost is prohibitive...it seems a near ideal choice under the circumstances: a powder burner, a NITRO powder burner, 6 shots, not too noisy, low recoil, super accurate: other than the work involved in reloading, which really doesn't seem worse than a percussion revolver, and the need to manually recock it for each shot: I'm surprised they aren't a hot seller in the UK.

Jim

[Simon G]

If you can find one, a used example is I'd reckon in the 850 ballpark. But as smokeless said, 3 inches at 35 yards, I'd want a lot more for the money!My .36 Uberti Navy will do that and it cost 70 quid! And the Rogers & Spencer is also on par for a couple of hundred quid!

That being said, none of the alternatives to "proper" handguns have really taken off. The fact is, some of this stuff is just a poor second. Long barrel revolvers by Taurus and Ruger will sub 2" with work and the right load and the long barreled Browning Buckmark is a target pistol. But with a 12" barrel and an steel rod over hang to take the length to 24", it's not the same as slamming a mag into a 1911, racking the slide and storming "El Presidente"!

In fact Morini made a dedicated .22lr free pistol to conform to UIT, but again at 1200 pound plus, they obviously wouldn't get many takers for such a dedicated piece of kit.

[Smokeless Coal]

I said Ian is doing 3" groups and that is par for him with his other stuff over iron sights. Hes only had it a couple of weeks but it is very popular down the club and he generously allows other to use it, something he cant do with his Taurus or Buckmark.

My best with cap n ball is 4" but my eyes only allow 3" over iron so the Patriot is not doing too bad.

They've stop production of the Patriot with intention to bring it out later in .38. The .32 is a bit feeble, breech pressures have to be kept down with smaller calibers, it only uses one grain of Bullseye.

I think people are reluctant to buy LBP LBR or the Patriot in case the Home Office get shirty about them. Its a lot of money that could be lost as they say there would be no compensation if they decide to disallow ownership.

[Simon G]

I understand that there is a clause regarding any future legislation against the long barreled revolvers and pistols, but why with the Patriot? I thought as far as classification was concerned, it's a bog standard M/l pistol?

[harry mac]

If they repealed the handgun ban tomorrow I'd be back on cartridge pistols in a heartbeat. When the ban came along I had a smallish collection of firearms with which I could be lethal at about 50yds and dangerous to probably a couple of hundred given the capabilities of the average handgun cartridge. I now have a safe full of firearms that I can be lethal with at close to a mile and dangerous with at even longer range. If the ban were repealed there's no way I'd get rid of the rifle collection I now have, but I would restart my pistol collection.
Lost:
Dan Wesson 357 pistol pack with 2.5", 4", 6" + 8" brls,
4" P08,
Browning GP35,
Beretta M1934,
Zastava .32ACP,
Mauser C96 (red 9)
Gained
LE SMLE MkIII*,
LE SMLE MkV,
LE No4 Mk1/2
LE No5 Mk1
LE L39
Rem P14
Sauer 202
BSA Sportsman 15
MH MkII
.32 H&H rook rifle
But I'm now much less of a threat to society because my mind isn't being poisoned by proximity to pistols.
I never took up BP as it would only ever have been a substitute for what I had to give up. I saw rifles as a whole new venture.

[saddler]

Shot (but never owned) quite a few BP revolvers prior to the ban

Now have a .36 which I love to shoot & have fun with...

YES - I'd still use them though, as well as getting a few modern breechloaders of whatever type, I'd also invest in a repro cartridge conversion cylinder to add to the versatility of the BP design...

Besides - the 1861 is too CUTE to not shoot

[Jim McArthur]

When the ban came along I had a smallish collection of firearms with which I could be lethal at about 50yds and dangerous to probably a couple of hundred given the capabilities of the average handgun cartridge. I now have a safe full of firearms that I can be lethal with at close to a mile and dangerous with at even longer range. If the ban were repealed there's no way I'd get rid of the rifle collection I now have, but I would restart my pistol collection.
But I'm now much less of a threat to society because my mind isn't being poisoned by proximity to pistols.
I never took up BP as it would only ever have been a substitute for what I had to give up. I saw rifles as a whole new venture.

I could say that was funny, if it weren't so sad, Harry.

It looks as though you found a good way to compensate, though.

Jim

[harry mac]

Ooooh yes, there's nothing quite like working up a sweat trying to achieve 20 rds a minute with a SMLE. Makes you grin..A lot.

[Boom-stick]

When the ban came along I had a smallish collection of firearms with which I could be lethal at about 50yds and dangerous to probably a couple of hundred given the capabilities of the average handgun cartridge. I now have a safe full of firearms that I can be lethal with at close to a mile and dangerous with at even longer range.

EXACTLY!!

Friggin daft isn't it, and even pistol calibres like .22, .357 and .44 generate more MV and ftlbs out of 12" barrel than they ever did from a 4" or 6" barrel.

FTR, I'd still use my front stuffers, my ROA is probably my most accurate pistol and my Freedom Arms Mini revolver is just so dam cute it would rude not too

[Hares Ear]

I don't shoot B.P. pistols. But I do shoot B.P. Rifles, as well as shooting several Nitro Rifles and Shotguns. I am seriously considering a B.P. Shotgun.

So I suppose that if I had shot Pistols, and now shot B.P. Pistols and a ban was lifted. I would still shoot B.P. Pistols. Reason being? I like Black Powder.

[mehulkamdar]

Cartridge guns (and not just pistols) and muzzleloaders = Blondes and brunettes.

What's to dislike in either case?

Good hunting, gentlemen!

[slowcoach]

When the ban came along I had a smallish collection of firearms with which I could be lethal at about 50yds and dangerous to probably a couple of hundred given the capabilities of the average handgun cartridge. I now have a safe full of firearms that I can be lethal with at close to a mile and dangerous with at even longer range. If the ban were repealed there's no way I'd get rid of the rifle collection I now have, but I would restart my pistol collection.
But I'm now much less of a threat to society because my mind isn't being poisoned by proximity to pistols.
I never took up BP as it would only ever have been a substitute for what I had to give up. I saw rifles as a whole new venture

Lethal?? Interesting turn of phrase. Did that go down on the application as reason to own??