Looking at getting into BP

So lately I've been contemplating getting into black powder shooting. I'm kind of a civil war buff, so I'd like to get something similar to such. I'd like some opinions on who makes a decent replica of the Enfield 1853 rifle and a nice army style revolver. I have a lot of research to do so please give me any advice I can use. Also if anyone would be willing to take a greenie shooting I would gladly compensate with their favorite brew. ( greenie in black powder ) I have plenty of experience in firearms and safety knowledge.

Thanks!

It's fun
Do it.
One suggestion is to find a beater sidelock percussion cap ML and learn on that.
Lots to learn
You can learn from posts here

You'll love it. I put it off for years. Then, my BIL gave me a Hawkins and I was off! That was 19 years ago and up until 3 years ago, it(BP) was the only gun I hunted deer with.

Happy to take you to BCC IWLA if you're near the area. My recommendation is to start with an inline rifle if you're a hunter.

If just for fun, get a Pietta revolver from Cabelas when they are on sale for ~$150-200. I personally have a pietta 1860 new army revolver in .44 and love it. Get powder (I use bp substitute personally), caps, wads, crisco, balls, powder horn and a powder measure. The stuff from the cabelas starter kit works fine.

And don't forget to wash it with lots of soap and water...


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I believe Cabelas has the 1860 New Army on sale now, and Midway also have Ubertis on sale at non-indecent prices.

PM me if you want to go to the Berwyn range to get the feel of mine. It's addictive!

tomandjerry00 said:

Happy to take you to BCC IWLA if you're near the area. My recommendation is to start with an inline rifle if you're a hunter.

If just for fun, get a Pietta revolver from Cabelas when they are on sale for ~$150-200. I personally have a pietta 1860 new army revolver in .44 and love it. Get powder (I use bp substitute personally), caps, wads, crisco, balls, powder horn and a powder measure. The stuff from the cabelas starter kit works fine.

And don't forget to wash it with lots of soap and water...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer, sorry but what range is BCC? I looked at the range sheet but couldn't figure out where it's at. I'm checking midway and cabelas now to see what they have.

BeoBill said:

I believe Cabelas has the 1860 New Army on sale now, and Midway also have Ubertis on sale at non-indecent prices.

PM me if you want to go to the Berwyn range to get the feel of mine. It's addictive!

Click to expand...

Thanks for the offer, PM inbound.

Gmercury2000 said:

Thanks for the offer, sorry but what range is BCC? I looked at the range sheet but couldn't figure out where it's at. I'm checking midway and cabelas now to see what they have.

Click to expand...

Bethesda Chevy Chase Chapter of the Izaak Walton League of America
http://www.bcciwla.org/

Some of the newer technology has been incorporated into BP.

The online market is pretty diverse. CVA, Traditions, Thompson Center.

Traditions has a flintlock (PA pellet) that has a removable breech plug, and can shoot BP substitute pellets.

I am not a member but if you like shooting CW firearms, you should consider joning the NSSA.

http://www.n-ssa.org/

Shooting Black powder is fairly simple, and there isn't a huge amount to learn, but there are some important differences best learned with an experienced shooter helping you out. IMO the main thing is to develop a "checklist" to load and fire in the correct order, helps keep really annoying or unsafe things from happening, like loading a bullet before powder, or firing a ramrod. Opinions also vary GREATLY on some practices, so read a lot, and do your research. I learned from a guy that fired more lead than I ever will for fun, food and competition, and I've done my own share of shooting over the last few decades. I use a lubed wonder wad over powder, but no grease over the ball, some that haven't used wads were sold on the convenience, others believe wads are optional, grease is not, claim I was going to blow my hand off and went to fetch the closest RO. My teacher figured a cap falling off, and sparks entering the nipple account for thousands of chainfires for every one that could be from a spark making it's way around a ball and wad.

As far as who makes good stuff, Colt made some of the best reproduction revolvers, but are expensive, I own a few Ubertis, and have been happy with them, Cimmaron and Pietta have their fans. For 1860s, and a few other Colt BP designs you want to order and fit a couple spare hands, the design uses a fragile leaf spring in the hand that breaks from time to time. It's a fun revolver to shoot, takes down easy, popular model, so parts and cartridge conversions are easy to find.

Haven't shot a 3 Band Enfield, don't own a rifle of that era, but have shot a couple 1861 Springfields and a 2 band. The more popular brands are Pedersoli, which produces a very well made repro, and Armi-sport/Chiappa that is less expensive, but has a reputation for poor quality control. I'm used to patched balls and sabots in 50cal percussion and flint rifles, so shooting balls in paper cartridges was a lot of fun, easy to make, easy to shoot, didn't get into conical bullets. A rifled musket has been on my list for a long time, just haven't got to it yet.

Gmercury2000 said:

So lately I've been contemplating getting into black powder shooting. I'm kind of a civil war buff, so I'd like to get something similar to such. I'd like some opinions on who makes a decent replica of the Enfield 1853 rifle and a nice army style revolver. I have a lot of research to do so please give me any advice I can use. Also if anyone would be willing to take a greenie shooting I would gladly compensate with their favorite brew. ( greenie in black powder ) I have plenty of experience in firearms and safety knowledge.

Thanks!

Click to expand...

I got into it a few years (sadly my collection hasn't grown in awhile):

Both .50 cal's (it keeps life simple)

As someone told me when you are loading BP:
1st The Black Stuff
2nd The Flat Stuff
3rd The Round Stuff

It's really quite simple, just pay attention to what you are doing and a whole lot of FUN!

Gmercury2000 said:

So lately I've been contemplating getting into black powder shooting. I'm kind of a civil war buff, so I'd like to get something similar to such. I'd like some opinions on who makes a decent replica of the Enfield 1853 rifle and a nice army style revolver. I have a lot of research to do so please give me any advice I can use.

Click to expand...

OK. Definitely head over to the North-South Skirmish Association BB at http://www.n-ssa.net/vbforum/activity.php , they've got the real expertise in Civil War firearms. I'm in Deep Southern Maryland, if you're willing to travel that far, but we should be able to find a Skirmisher closer to you.

As to rifle-muskets...For shooting purposes, the two-band rifles are preferred to the three-band rifle-muskets due to their better balance. Pedersoli makes good production guns, but a smarter move would be to go to the N-SSA board and ask around...you can pick up a musket that's match-ready for a lower price. And information on the right load.

Revolvers? That's the hard one. Of the revolvers currently available as of November 2015, I'd rate the Pedersoli Remington as the best. IF you can find a Hege-Remington or Feinwerkbau History #2 (Rogers & Spencer), buy it. On the cheap end, I'd go with a Pietta Remington 1858. Again, buy secondhand if possible.