Even a lot of the originals needed some tuning up. My dad was a collector, and shooter as well as an awesome gunsmith. I saw it happen many times. (Never this much in one pistol) I own a Pietta 1851 .36 cal; and have never had a problem with it.
What you have said about fixing problems with Black Powder guns is especially true with used BP guns. When you buy a used BP guns you often inherit problems from previous owners. Most of the time they are worth fixing. Both 1858s I own have had varying issues from severe to minor.
Funny, you just described every problem I have come across with my 1851’s. I have one, a brass frame that to this day has no issues. The others, I worked on relentlessly until I had everything working great. Also, by doing all that troubleshooting and work, I now know these things inside and out!! Your video series is truly awesome for black powder arms.
Couldn't agree more with Blackie's assessment. After years of wanting one, I was able to pick up a Uberti revolver that had been on my bucket list for many years. Everything was perfect, and functional, EXCEPT the trigger pull was so light it was dangerous. I mean so light I couldn't get a reading. The second anything touched the trigger, it would let go. An excellent local gunsmith tuned it, and it now has a reasonable 6-lb pull, and it is one of my all-time favorite revolvers. Sometimes you have to work the problem.
You are more patient then me! When I find a sweet one, I shed mediocre pistols like a snake loosing skin. I recently picked up a Pietta brass frame in 44 and I mean.. sweet! I load her full and we’ll see how long she lives but I’m smiling as we speak. ❤️😁
Been buying Pietta BP revolvers starting with my first one @18, a brass framed 1860 Army replica via EMF in 1976. I was thrilled to get a real firing gun through the mail. I will say that over the years Pietta quality, in my experience, has gone WAY up. Great vid and nice shootin' Blackie!
pietta nd uberti have both came up and with cowboy action shooting and so many guns having 45 colt drop in cyl..the guns and esp the rifling has had to make big improvements
@@BLACKIETHOMAS That makes sense. I've already converted my Pietta .44 Remington Sheriff, Ruger Old Army 5 1/2" stainless fixed sight, and a Pietta 1860 Army .44 snub-nose with birds head grip and they all function flawlessly.
You encountered a problem, put your mind to it, figured it out, fixed it, and the result speaks for itself it's a good example for a whole lot of people who have been taught things like if it works don't fix it and if it don't work don't fix it throw it away. Good going blackie
This video exemplifies why so many people enjoy your channel Blackie! So many people would have made this a gripe and complain video but your wisdom and great attitude of "it's no big deal" is so pleasant and enjoyable in this day of instant gratification. You put it all in perspective and people are always drawn to that! Thanks again and keep it up!
When we first started shooting the Colt's model opentops around '92 they were extremely unreliable. We were shooting the Plainsman event and later the Frontiersman category is SASS. This was before the Ruger Old Army and the secret to winning either of these was having the most reliable pistols. We learned a whole bunch since those early days and since around '95 those revolvers are nearly as reliable as the cartridge guns if properly prepared.
You're a man of great patience but it takes patience to do a good job my first Cap and ball was a 1860 army .44. I had to harden several of the parts. I also replaced the nipples. I love shooting that gun ... Thanks for the learning video.
52 years ago, Dad came home from an OGCA gunshow with a Replica Arms (Uberti) 1861 Navy. It was a joy yo shoot, sufficiently accurate to hold my interest. Years passed and I bought the 1858 Remington I wanted from childhood. As time went on, my Cap & Ball collection grew. The Pietta 1851 was 'on sale' from an on-line Sporting Goods store. The recoil shield cutout was so shallow that caps had to be installed thru the hammer cutout on the frame. I cut the frame deeper, and can seat caps just like the big boys. I never had the need to install Ampco nipples, as I had on my Dragoon and other revolvers, since spent cap jams were rare. And then there were the all-wise and knowing morons who insisted that it was OK that the 1851 shoots sever feet high at 50 yards. After all, it's 'historically correct' - what a bunch of hooey. I want to shoot to point of aim, as all my other Cap & Ball revolvers do. My 1861 Navy still looks and functions as new, despite the thousands of rounds fired over the years. For performance, I can see why Colt replaced the 1851 with the 1861. What remains puzzling is why so many shooters insist that the 1851 is so high on the list of fa vorites.
Blackie, thanks for the quality videos and the explanations that you give us. Great info. Surprising that Uberti would pump out something like that. I’ve never had any trouble with my Pietta 51s, but who is to say that I won’t. Thanks Amigo.
I have one Pietta 1849 and two 1851 Navy's That have broken all the internal Springs 2 of which have never been fired within 3 months of owning them. And one uberti 1873 Cattleman All of its internals with the exception of the hammer Spring broke or wore out Including the firing pen in the 1 year of owning it. Completely rebuilt, it sold it haven't trusted a replica since.😮💨
Nice shooting Blackie. You obviously are an experienced black powder shooter and also a great deal of patience regarding the problems you found with your Uberti made 1851 Navy. You demonstrated just how accurate this vintage design can be if you load properly and know your gun.
I had problems with an 1860 fluted cylinder Uberti - had to take it apart and lube most of the parts - works great now. Wedge was also a problem! 1851 Navy is my favorite backup woods carry gun.
Hey Blackie. It was good to see you did not give up on this red headed step child. I used to own a Computer Repair Shop and I felt the same way about any computer I worked on. I had several difficult repairs that customers brought to me that had little pink " Best Buy " stickers on them. They had either been worked on by Best Buy or they quoted the customer an outrageous price for repair. I removed the pink sticker after I fixed these computers, always at a much lower rate than quoted by Best buy, and I put them on the wall behind my cash register haha. Thanks Blackie for your great Percussion Cap videos. Your videos helped me make my decision when I bought my Uberti 1858 New Army last year. It turned out to be a good one .
My Pietta 1851 .36 shoots like a dream, never gave me any problems. I stopped bothering with wads a while back. Can't tell any difference in function with vs without wads.
as long as you got a good seal the wads are not a have to..they can help with fouling but like ihave said start witha bore wet with bore lube and you will have a lot less problems
I enjoy your videos as I am a BP shooter as well, and there is always something to learn. I am New Yorker who was stationed at Fort Rucker in 1984 and I was living in the town of Enterprise. At some point during your talk I noticed the T-shirt you are wearing has the boll weevil monument on there. That brought back some good memories and I enjoyed my time living in Enterprise. Keep up the good work and keep making those videos.
Just throwing this out there. Seeing the modern Italian reproductions, made with modern production methods available not equaling the originals in fit, finish, functionality, and robustness, where the originals were mass produced using a machine and tool process that had no computer assistance in it’s design, is a testament to Elijah Root’s ability. Furthermore, many of Colts employees were strait off the boat and low skilled, compared to those making modern reproductions. Something to ponder.
never give up on a Navy, The second return .36, I bought was put together with a hammer. Dents in the front of the BBL. Big burs around the wedge slot. It now has the sweetest action and best trigger of the bunch. I shoot it without a rammer like a '49 and I have been working on a black stock finish which is finally getting there. Conversion cylinders keep us old folks shooting. For me Navys have become a lifetime shooting adventure . tim
So sorry for your problems on that Colt . I too bought one of the signature 1851 models unfired , no box . So far mine has has been flawless and shoots very accurately with 25 grs of Pyrodex using .380 dia balls . Yes sometimes you get less than expected , I have had to return 2 Ruger Blackhawks , 1 was so bad they had to replace the gun as it had too many problems some of which could not be repaired .
i worked on a high dollar ruger that was meant to commerate some event..it shot bad..when i looked down the bore it had lots of rifleing damage i called ruger..the guy said you shot it? it was ment to be a collector..so i took a guess and asked is this what you do with all the damaged parts from the line make non shooting high dollar wall hangers?? he would not reply
I understand the 3rd generation pieces has the signature on the backstrap. A question, if you have a paper cartridge, is there reason why you don't use it?
One issue/problem. It is not a real Colt. All the Signature series are Uberiti clones. Usual fairly well made, but NOT real Colts. This demonstrates just why Colt will not letter repair or deal with them. At least he admits that, as many Signature series owners stubbornly claim they are real Colts.
At least you having a great deal of knowledge and experience you were able to take a one in a million lemon and turn her into a beautiful working accurate and reliable Colt. Nice looking side arm, she's beautiful. Thanks for sharing
@@BLACKIETHOMAS Oh! I want one of those! And the 30 round magazines that hold 500 rounds so the hero never has to reload! And the magic shotgun that will throw a 250 bad guy half way into the next time zone. The Hollywood cars that explode like a Michael Bay wet dream? Those they can keep.
Hi Blackie, here is a hint I learned about colts shooting right or left. file the frame pin just a little away from the direction it is shooting and make sure there are no burs in the mating holes see if it changes anything. I fixed 2 of my Navys that way. Keep up the good work.
I have been shooting a 1851 Navy 36 caliber five shots original and a Remington 44 caliber original that my childhood friend have and I have shot a new Pietta or maybe it was a Uberti Remington. The original American made Remington never misfired, but the Italian made Remington misfired quite many times. I just wonder why you in USA buy Colts and Remingtons from Italy and not old real ones from your own country? Maybe it´s the price of the gun I think. I bought a real Remington 44 Model 1858 made in 1862 in Ilion N Y. The price was 22 000 Swedish Crowns about 2300 Dollars. I don´t know if it was overprized, but it was worth it. I still haven´t fired it yet, but I will this summer. Thank you for your great video. From a man from Sweden.
I bought a Colt 1851 and had a similar issue. I got t working and sold it. I actually swamped it for a Lyman 1851 Navy and some cash. The Lyman shot fine.
That revolver was actually made by Uberti. it is just finished nice by Colt's standards. No part of that gun was ever manufactured by Colt. It is an italian copy that has a Colt logo. They are pretty and collectable only because of the Colt logo on the gun. The generation 2 are actually finished by Colt and even those have italian barrels, and frames that came in to Colt rough cast. Colt finished them and made the rest of the gun. They are the closest to the originals that you can buy made in America.
@@normanbraslow7902 You are right. the signature series finish had nothing to do with colt. The second generation on the other hand was finished by colt
You articulate a point over looked by many hobby gun smiths. To wit “figure out WHY”. So many people just want to go to work fixing a problem they dont understand.
Get some percussion cap keepers. They are available at numerous online vendors and they are small, soft rubber/plastic sleeves that fit over the cap, and then loaded onto the revolver. The keepers not only prevent the caps from fragmenting and falling apart, they also keep water, oil, and sparks from entering the cap. You can also make your own. I carry a Pietta 1851 as one of my main defensive EDC sidearms and I shoot quite a lot of rounds through it too. I have NEVER had a problem with cap jam or failure to fire due to the propellant or primer getting contaminated with moisture. I always use the plastic keepers. I don't just target practice with my black powder revolvers, I use them to hunt and rely on them in dangerous situations too, so I cannot afford to have them fail at critical moments.
@@BLACKIETHOMAS Did you like how they worked? I use them all the time and change them out after each shot. I do not reuse the sleeves because the flame from the caps firing can distort and crack them. Also, when you are loading them onto the cones of the revolver, be sure to push the sleeves downward after seating the cap so A: The sleeve skirt forms a seal between the base of the percussion cap and the base of the metal cone, and most importantly, B: enough surface area of the cap is exposed for the hammer to strike and ignite efficiently. If too much rubber is covering the cap, they might be interfering with the hammer strike and you will get a ignition failure. Make sure to push the sleeves downward after loading the caps. One time my 1851 Navy was in one of my work duffle bags and it got soaked, repeatedly, sitting in the back of a pickup truck during a severe thunderstorm. All six rounds fired fine, even though the gun had been waterlogged for hours.
The colt signature series were built in NY with Italian parts. They probably didn't get enough attention to detail as far as checking for defective parts. I have a Pietta that is a beautiful solid gun.
I have had a lemon in double action modern firearm. The manufacture repaired it no charge , however my confidence suffered. At least you have the skill and ability to repair or modify your firearm. Thank you for sharing.
all modern colt black powder guns are made by ubirti and then when colt gets them they go through them and do a 3x pressure test smooth up the action and even file the barrel till it shoots straight then they will put colts name on it and give it the colt warranty but it is not transferable. i got a set of remingtons from a colt gunsmith and he had a colt video on it. try shooting it and when u pull the hammer back point it up then pull the hammer back that is how i was shown to shoot a cap and ball that way the cap drops out and not get cap jam. i got a ubirti navy 36 the first year of ubirti 1958 got it for 100 bucks
I have an 1861 Uberti Navy Hege (imported). I had a hard time taking the gun apart, the barrel off the arbor, and putting it back together. I had looked the gun over when I got it, but missed two things. One was some pitting at one point in the barrel. The other was what was causing the gun to be hard to take apart and put back together. That turned out to be, of all things, lead in the barrel arbor hole. I finally figured that out and got it out of there and now I have no problems in disassembly of the gun. Yes, these guns can be worked on, but man, wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have to?
Excellent upload Blackie , I can almost see the frustration on your face but true to form the professional shines through . I think we all have had a disappointment or two . Nowadays it’s just trouble at the range , back in the day it was life or death . Is it possible that the signature series was meant purely as a collectors pistol not intended for use ? Just a thought buddy .
having spoken will quite a few shooters who have had several makes of reissue colts..it seems to be luck of the draw..some were rock solid performers..others had soft parts that didnt hold up..i am not giving up on mine yet
Update on my black stock finish my son hasn't chipped it yet it is Kiwi Black shoe dye, couple of coats, sand a little tooth, after it dries, flow Super glue over the stock. sand lightly for a matt finish
Interesting. I had one of the Colt 2nd. gen. Navy’s from the 70’s, and it was also a lemon. The wedge was almost impossible to move, but even worse, the rear face of the barrel wasn’t square! The bottom actually rubbed on the cylinder face, but thankfully the barrel was so soft that I was able to fix it myself with a file. 😳. The loading lever also dropped on its own like yours does, and the action felt really rough and gritty. I sold it and bought a Uberti London Navy which was alright, but the mainspring was way too light.
well i am thinking most people bought the colt reissues as collectors not shooters..so..i am sure a part may have slipped thru the cracks every now and then
I'm so sorry your gun gave you so much trouble. For what is worth, my Uberti 1861 navy built in 2007 has close to 2000 rounds. Main issue is hand spring breaking, bought a special one from Dixie that's beefier and has not broken in hundreds of rounds. I did have the arbor get a hair loose and made the cylinder gap too big. I shimmed and JBwelded the front end of the arbor slow and it brought the gap back to spec, repair has held for hundreds of rounds.
Oh wow! Not the Colt of the day uh...Paying for the name. I have 10 BP revolvers of various styles and all are Peitta. I've had very little issues. I always wanted a Colt 1860 but just couldn't justify the cost...Glad you are smoothing it out...👍
i have had and have now uberti and pietta..and i have shot and used many colts over the yrs ever originals..but i was gonna pay the price and have the pretty name on one..yep i payed the price..lol
Signature Series are not considered Colts by Colt. That explains why it is a lemon. Only the Second Series are considered to be "real" Colts. It's a very long story.
Aside from the cap jams that every single Pietta / Uberti has, that I worked to cure, I had a problem with the cylinder to forcing cone gap. Not knowing much about the gun, I figured the fouling (to the point the gun would jam after 2 cyls). After some research at what the problems was, figured it was poor assembly tolerances. No, this is NOT a brass framed gun that was overloaded, it was a new steel frame gun, loaded only with max recommended loads. After some thinking, measured the cyl to forcing cone gap, subtracted the proper clearance figures and was left with the thickness of the shim I needed to machine, to place between the cylinder face and the frame. All it took was a flat washer of the right diameter, a flat true surface and some sand paper. I glued the flat washer to a Dowell, so I had something to grab and proceeded to make figure 8's on the sand paper, until I cut it down to the thickness I needed. Silver soldered it to the steel frame and voila, no more excess blow-by when firing.
I think Pietta has a lemon tree. Found a variety of issues with several new ones at my local cabellas. I was fortunate to return a 1858 brass frame , but had to set through many to get something usable. I also got a snub nose colt from taylor. It won’t even function to fire just caps. I feel like they are just making display pieces. I’m not expecting a custom grade Ferrari, but I do expect a completed product to at least function on a basis level.
I've heard several stories about loose arbor pins in Colt 2nd issue 51' Navies. It's a bummer but can be fixed. Cosmetic wise they are superior to any Uberti, but no better mechanically.
Hey Blackie. You mentioned greasing the bore before firing. What lube do you use...and how much? If you have a video showing the procedure please provide a link. Thanks.
I have to pick between a squareback triggerguard 1851 and a round triggerguard version, and I remembered about this video. I love the squareback look but I'm worried about size and comfort: the spike on your fingers isn't annoying or painful? It's still a .36 so there shouldn't be a big recoil, but I'm still on the fence about this.
I’m going to search your videos to see if you have any content on Kaido’s bullets for the 36. I’ve meant to order those molds for a while now. Thanks for the video Blackie.
I think these anniversary modules were made to be wall hangers or presentation pieces.long time ago I had acquired a regular colt navy 36 cal it came with its own mold in a box.i shot it everyday for years was a great pistol until I sold it . Then I bought one just like the Lemmon you have and it did the same thing yours is doing. The cylinder pin locked up after a little shooting.
I had the same problem with the barrel wedge on my Pietta 1860 Army. It was all bent up and took Herculean amounts of force to move, and the spring would stick out too far. Eventually it tapped out when I had a chain fire and it was bent up so bad I had to tilt it and pull it out at an angle. Soft ductile steel. I ordered a new wedge on eBay and didn't have any more issues. I think it was just that wedge.
could have been i have seen several in the last few yrs way too soft and they deform easy ...too easy
4 года назад
Hey Blackie! I finally shot my new brass framed 1851 from Dixie Gun Works (Pietta import) yesterday and it did well. I'm going to switch to commercial powder because I had some inconsistencies that I am blaming on my home made stuff. One thing I am wondering is if a 17 grain load is big enough to fill the chamber. I was trying to keep the load light because of my brass frame, but even with a Wonder Wad and standard .375 ball, I couldn't tell if I was even contacting the powder and compressing it, because the stroke of the loading lever only went so far down. It kinda felt like there may be an air pocket in the chamber, and the ball was about a quarter inch away from the end of the cylinder. I wanted to get the ball closer to the forcing cone like I heard you say, so I added some grits on top of the powder, but I got inconsistent results. About 22 grains seemed to be a better volume to ensure that there wasn't an air gap in the cylinder, but still the ball wasn't near the forcing cone. Any ideas what I can do? I'm thinking I want to switch to a stiffer, thicker wad. Thank you sir!
my advice is try with the 22 grain and a wad..that should have no air gap and yes it will be deeper..BUT ...if you get good accuracy go with it..the new guns i see today are much better in the forcing cone area..my advice try it and if you like it go for it
4 года назад
@@BLACKIETHOMAS Thank you very much. Also, I'm going to watch your sighting in video again! I'm going to try to shoot this thing every evening. I think I may name it "Riot" since it had to travel through Portland, Oregon to get to me. Also considering "Liberty Bell" or "Nathan Bedford Forrest" hard to decide.
You are totally right about problems with new firearms. I can vouch for that one! Damn that's disappointing, especially when it's a name brand! Excellent vid! ^..^~~
Great shooting Blackie! sorry to see you had so many problems with the gun. On my Remington New Army I never had the loading lever fall down after a shot, but I don't like how the lever is so loose from side to side. Tried to tighten the set screw, already tight as it will go. Don't know if they were meant to be that way? Mine also has a brass frame instead of metal. Don't know if that makes a difference or not? like I mentioned to you before it's a Traditions brand. Ordered it from the Gander Mountain catalog when that company was around and fairly new, probably at least 30 yrs. ago. I'm thinking the manufacturer's of black powder pistols must have improved since then. Can't wait to get a more modern old gun!
ok here is a trick..i have tapped the pin holding the latch ALMOST out so i can gently pull out the latch and spring..the strech the spring a touch or as i did drop a single lead shotgun pellet down the bore of the latch spring it will add pressure on spring and help keep loading lever from rattling
I loved the 185 Uberti 1 I had. It shot to where i was looking. Just pointed naturally, for me. But sold it to buy the signature series colt version. Never found one I liked the action of.
The Piëtta Colt Navy replica's grips are a little small for me, which makes me loose confidence that I can properly control the gun, especially when moving and shooting, so I tend to use a two handed grip, but revolvers are designed to shoot one handed. I just have to take care to keep the supporting hand back of the cylinder face, there is potential for a burn.
It breaks my heart to see you having all these problems Blackie. I will take that lemon off your hands for a hundred bucks and pay shipping. What are friends for.
Picked up a Pietta 1860......strange bluing (not uniform)...once i got all the factory oil off of it, noticed the finish had obviously been crudely "polished" (scratches like fine grit sand paper)....put a light to it....a piece of 1/8" X 3/4" metal had been welded or hammered into the barrel about 2" forward of the cylinder and had been "blued" (it was brown, like Benchwood Casey "out of the bottle" bluing)....!!!! I was so astonished, I didn't even look down the bore to see what was going on there.......returned it. Never risking buying another one.....bought a Glock. I'm so off of black powder.:( You can see a picture of it on my channel. Not spending money on wall hangers.
all my ubertis are rock solid..and i have now gotten the colt to performing well ..still i think it was being built for a collector /show type gun since a few parts seemed to be to lack the normal hardning you find on replica parts
I just found this as I was looking at black powder revolvers. You're good at responding, I hope you can respond to this From what you've experienced, what is the most reliable self defense black powder pistol available today? Like caliber and ease of use and all that stuff. Is a 36 sufficient or is bigger better?
Guess you should have bought a Uberti directly from Uberti, or Cimmeron (hand picked pretty Ubertis). It's sad that your Colt had THAT many problems. Pushing through the problems is fun if you like projects, but some problem guns run way overbudget.
The Signature Series must all have that wedge issue, in terms of being tight. Took me forever to get my wedge out of my Signature Series 1860 Army the first time. Still hard to do, but easier now.
Even a lot of the originals needed some tuning up. My dad was a collector, and shooter as well as an awesome gunsmith. I saw it happen many times. (Never this much in one pistol) I own a Pietta 1851 .36 cal; and have never had a problem with it.
What you have said about fixing problems with Black Powder guns is especially true with used BP guns. When you buy a used BP guns you often inherit problems from previous owners. Most of the time they are worth fixing. Both 1858s I own have had varying issues from severe to minor.
they are so cheap for replicas, just buy new... can get 1851 navy in brass for $180-200.. and the steel for $260.. why buy someone else's head ache
@@jeepsblackpowderandlights4305 , because many times they are easy to fix and you get them for 50% less or lower than retail.
Funny, you just described every problem I have come across with my 1851’s. I have one, a brass frame that to this day has no issues. The others, I worked on relentlessly until I had everything working great. Also, by doing all that troubleshooting and work, I now know these things inside and out!! Your video series is truly awesome for black powder arms.
thats how ya truly know a gun..and in time all of the same make and model ya seen it ya fixed it
Couldn't agree more with Blackie's assessment. After years of wanting one, I was able to pick up a Uberti revolver that had been on my bucket list for many years. Everything was perfect, and functional, EXCEPT the trigger pull was so light it was dangerous. I mean so light I couldn't get a reading. The second anything touched the trigger, it would let go. An excellent local gunsmith tuned it, and it now has a reasonable 6-lb pull, and it is one of my all-time favorite revolvers. Sometimes you have to work the problem.
Thank you for letting us into your life thank you for the knowledge you bring.
Yes!
^..^~~
You are more patient then me! When I find a sweet one, I shed mediocre pistols like a snake loosing skin. I recently picked up a Pietta brass frame in 44 and I mean.. sweet! I load her full and we’ll see how long she lives but I’m smiling as we speak. ❤️😁
glad you found a sweet gun..i have a few of them ..safe journeys
Learned it all from you, Thank You!!!!
Strange but true. Many cheap brass frame revolvers are great
shooters.
Been buying Pietta BP revolvers starting with my first one @18, a brass framed 1860 Army replica via EMF in 1976. I was thrilled to get a real firing gun through the mail. I will say that over the years Pietta quality, in my experience, has gone WAY up. Great vid and nice shootin' Blackie!
pietta nd uberti have both came up and with cowboy action shooting and so many guns having 45 colt drop in cyl..the guns and esp the rifling has had to make big improvements
@@BLACKIETHOMAS That makes sense. I've already converted my Pietta .44 Remington Sheriff, Ruger Old Army 5 1/2" stainless fixed sight, and a Pietta 1860 Army .44 snub-nose with birds head grip and they all function flawlessly.
You encountered a problem, put your mind to it, figured it out, fixed it, and the result speaks for itself it's a good example for a whole lot of people who have been taught things like if it works don't fix it and if it don't work don't fix it throw it away. Good going blackie
This video exemplifies why so many people enjoy your channel Blackie! So many people would have made this a gripe and complain video but your wisdom and great attitude of "it's no big deal" is so pleasant and enjoyable in this day of instant gratification. You put it all in perspective and people are always drawn to that! Thanks again and keep it up!
I appreciate that
When we first started shooting the Colt's model opentops around '92 they were extremely unreliable. We were shooting the Plainsman event and later the Frontiersman category is SASS. This was before the Ruger Old Army and the secret to winning either of these was having the most reliable pistols. We learned a whole bunch since those early days and since around '95 those revolvers are nearly as reliable as the cartridge guns if properly prepared.
very true i have had cap and ball guns shoot as accurately and reliably as any modern made gun
You're a man of great patience but it takes patience to do a good job my first Cap and ball was a 1860 army .44. I had to harden several of the parts. I also replaced the nipples. I love shooting that gun ... Thanks for the learning video.
glad you enjoyed it safe journeys
Personally I like the way the Navy handles and shoots over the Colt army and the Remington.
i love the feel and balance
My favorite cap n ball revolver.
@@BLACKIETHOMASWhat brand?
52 years ago, Dad came home from an OGCA gunshow with a Replica Arms (Uberti) 1861 Navy. It was a joy yo shoot, sufficiently accurate to hold my interest. Years passed and I bought the 1858 Remington I wanted from childhood.
As time went on, my Cap & Ball collection grew. The Pietta 1851 was 'on sale' from an on-line Sporting Goods store. The recoil shield cutout was so shallow that caps had to be installed thru the hammer cutout on the frame. I cut the frame deeper, and can seat caps just like the big boys. I never had the need to install Ampco nipples, as I had on my Dragoon and other revolvers, since spent cap jams were rare.
And then there were the all-wise and knowing morons who insisted that it was OK that the 1851 shoots sever feet high at 50 yards. After all, it's 'historically correct' - what a bunch of hooey. I want to shoot to point of aim, as all my other Cap & Ball revolvers do.
My 1861 Navy still looks and functions as new, despite the thousands of rounds fired over the years. For performance, I can see why Colt replaced the 1851 with the 1861. What remains puzzling is why so many shooters insist that the 1851 is so high on the list of fa vorites.
Blackie, thanks for the quality videos and the explanations that you give us. Great info. Surprising that Uberti would pump out something like that. I’ve never had any trouble with my Pietta 51s, but who is to say that I won’t. Thanks Amigo.
I have one Pietta 1849 and two 1851 Navy's That have broken all the internal Springs 2 of which have never been fired within 3 months of owning them. And one uberti 1873 Cattleman All of its internals with the exception of the hammer Spring broke or wore out Including the firing pen in the 1 year of owning it. Completely rebuilt, it sold it haven't trusted a replica since.😮💨
Part of being an excellent marksmen is to adapt and overcome. Very nice work Blackie.
Yes! Thank you!
Nice shooting Blackie. You obviously are an experienced black powder shooter and also a great deal of patience regarding the problems you found with your Uberti made 1851 Navy. You demonstrated just how accurate this vintage design can be if you load properly and know your gun.
Well this is how experts are made for sure. School is never in at a convenient time. Love your videos, and your expertise!
I appreciate that!
I had problems with an 1860 fluted cylinder Uberti - had to take it apart and lube most of the parts - works great now. Wedge was also a problem! 1851 Navy is my favorite backup woods carry gun.
Hey Blackie. It was good to see you did not give up on this red headed step child.
I used to own a Computer Repair Shop and I felt the same way about any computer
I worked on. I had several difficult repairs that customers brought to me that had
little pink " Best Buy " stickers on them. They had either been worked on by Best Buy
or they quoted the customer an outrageous price for repair. I removed the pink sticker after
I fixed these computers, always at a much lower rate than quoted by Best buy, and I put them
on the wall behind my cash register haha.
Thanks Blackie for your great Percussion Cap videos. Your videos helped me make my decision
when I bought my Uberti 1858 New Army last year. It turned out to be a good one .
glad you found it of use..safe journeys
nah you got the Monday morning weekend hangover one
could be..but on a good note all of you get to see me work thru the problems
My Pietta 1851 .36 shoots like a dream, never gave me any problems. I stopped bothering with wads a while back. Can't tell any difference in function with vs without wads.
as long as you got a good seal the wads are not a have to..they can help with fouling but like ihave said start witha bore wet with bore lube and you will have a lot less problems
I'm extremely happy to hear that. Mine arrives tomorrow. First black powder firearm.
Storm sounds like Georgia! Great show once again.😊
I enjoy your videos as I am a BP shooter as well, and there is always something to learn. I am New Yorker who was stationed at Fort Rucker in 1984 and I was living in the town of Enterprise. At some point during your talk I noticed the T-shirt you are wearing has the boll weevil monument on there. That brought back some good memories and I enjoyed my time living in Enterprise. Keep up the good work and keep making those videos.
Just throwing this out there. Seeing the modern Italian reproductions, made with modern production methods available not equaling the originals in fit, finish, functionality, and robustness, where the originals were mass produced using a machine and tool process that had no computer assistance in it’s design, is a testament to Elijah Root’s ability. Furthermore, many of Colts employees were strait off the boat and low skilled, compared to those making modern reproductions. Something to ponder.
never give up on a Navy, The second return .36, I bought was put together with a hammer. Dents in the front of the BBL. Big burs around the wedge slot. It now has the sweetest action and best trigger of the bunch. I shoot it without a rammer like a '49 and I have been working on a black stock finish which is finally getting there. Conversion cylinders keep us old folks shooting. For me Navys have become a lifetime shooting adventure . tim
i will be working more with her soon..
So sorry for your problems on that Colt . I too bought one of the signature 1851 models unfired , no box . So far mine has has been flawless and shoots very accurately with 25 grs of Pyrodex using .380 dia balls . Yes sometimes you get less than expected , I have had to return 2 Ruger Blackhawks , 1 was so bad they had to replace the gun as it had too many problems some of which could not be repaired .
i worked on a high dollar ruger that was meant to commerate some event..it shot bad..when i looked down the bore it had lots of rifleing damage i called ruger..the guy said you shot it? it was ment to be a collector..so i took a guess and asked is this what you do with all the damaged parts from the line make non shooting high dollar wall hangers?? he would not reply
I understand the 3rd generation pieces has the signature on the backstrap. A question, if you have a paper cartridge, is there reason why you don't use it?
One issue/problem. It is not a real Colt. All the Signature series are Uberiti clones. Usual fairly well made, but NOT real Colts. This demonstrates just why Colt will not letter repair or deal with them. At least he admits that, as many Signature series owners stubbornly claim they are real Colts.
No rust in the cylinder doesn't mean un-shot. I just took one of my cylinders out to check and it's clean & shiny down there.
At least you having a great deal of knowledge and experience you were able to take a one in a million lemon and turn her into a beautiful working accurate and reliable Colt. Nice looking side arm, she's beautiful. Thanks for sharing
Very true!
"Don't laugh..." SIX OUT OF SIX!
well it could have been a hollywood revolver and shot 10 times...lol
@@BLACKIETHOMAS Oh! I want one of those! And the 30 round magazines that hold 500 rounds so the hero never has to reload! And the magic shotgun that will throw a 250 bad guy half way into the next time zone. The Hollywood cars that explode like a Michael Bay wet dream? Those they can keep.
Hi Blackie, here is a hint I learned about colts shooting right or left. file the frame pin just a little away from the direction it is shooting and make sure there are no burs in the mating holes see if it changes anything. I fixed 2 of my Navys that way. Keep up the good work.
yep it can be adjusted for windage as long as you go slow
He's right that's an extremely light load at 18 I shoot 32 grains through mine and have never once had a problem..
I have been shooting a 1851 Navy 36 caliber five shots original and a Remington 44 caliber original that my childhood friend have and I have shot a new Pietta or maybe it was a Uberti Remington. The original American made Remington never misfired, but the Italian made Remington misfired quite many times. I just wonder why you in USA buy Colts and Remingtons from Italy and not old real ones from your own country? Maybe it´s the price of the gun I think. I bought a real Remington 44 Model 1858 made in 1862 in Ilion N Y. The price was 22 000 Swedish Crowns about 2300 Dollars. I don´t know if it was overprized, but it was worth it. I still haven´t fired it yet, but I will this summer. Thank you for your great video. From a man from Sweden.
I bought a Colt 1851 and had a similar issue. I got t working and sold it. I actually swamped it for a Lyman 1851 Navy and some cash. The Lyman shot fine.
LYMAN WAS A WELL MADE GUN
That revolver was actually made by Uberti. it is just finished nice by Colt's standards. No part of that gun was ever manufactured by Colt. It is an italian copy that has a Colt logo. They are pretty and collectable only because of the Colt logo on the gun. The generation 2 are actually finished by Colt and even those have italian barrels, and frames that came in to Colt rough cast. Colt finished them and made the rest of the gun. They are the closest to the originals that you can buy made in America.
Bill Waller Good summary of the Colt re-issue issues. However, the finishing for the Signature Series was not supervised or approved by Colt.
@@normanbraslow7902 You are right. the signature series finish had nothing to do with colt. The second generation on the other hand was finished by colt
You articulate a point over looked by many hobby gun smiths. To wit “figure out WHY”. So many people just want to go to work fixing a problem they dont understand.
Good name for the gun (Bad News) lol. Great vid Blackie !
hmm actually i was thinking of HOLDUP..since every time i took it out it was hold up now whats wrong
How accurate, how far, and how fast? Good looking firearm. Mr. Stolen, Sir, He is a lot more patient that I am too. Thumbs Up!
thank you
All said and done the Colt Signature series is still an Italian revolver. I had one that had similar issues I sold it.
Great stuff Blackie. I enjoy watching your videos.
Get some percussion cap keepers. They are available at numerous online vendors and they are small, soft rubber/plastic sleeves that fit over the cap, and then loaded onto the revolver. The keepers not only prevent the caps from fragmenting and falling apart, they also keep water, oil, and sparks from entering the cap. You can also make your own. I carry a Pietta 1851 as one of my main defensive EDC sidearms and I shoot quite a lot of rounds through it too. I have NEVER had a problem with cap jam or failure to fire due to the propellant or primer getting contaminated with moisture. I always use the plastic keepers. I don't just target practice with my black powder revolvers, I use them to hunt and rely on them in dangerous situations too, so I cannot afford to have them fail at critical moments.
i tried those in the past
@@BLACKIETHOMAS Did you like how they worked? I use them all the time and change them out after each shot. I do not reuse the sleeves because the flame from the caps firing can distort and crack them. Also, when you are loading them onto the cones of the revolver, be sure to push the sleeves downward after seating the cap so A: The sleeve skirt forms a seal between the base of the percussion cap and the base of the metal cone, and most importantly, B: enough surface area of the cap is exposed for the hammer to strike and ignite efficiently. If too much rubber is covering the cap, they might be interfering with the hammer strike and you will get a ignition failure. Make sure to push the sleeves downward after loading the caps. One time my 1851 Navy was in one of my work duffle bags and it got soaked, repeatedly, sitting in the back of a pickup truck during a severe thunderstorm. All six rounds fired fine, even though the gun had been waterlogged for hours.
What are the 2 medals hanging off your chain? Another great video on cap & ball! Love it!
The colt signature series were built in NY with Italian parts. They probably didn't get enough attention to detail as far as checking for defective parts. I have a Pietta that is a beautiful solid gun.
I have had a lemon in double action modern firearm. The manufacture repaired it no charge , however my confidence suffered. At least you have the skill and ability to repair or modify your firearm. Thank you for sharing.
best of luck in your future guns...safe journeys
She might be a lemon but the Colt Navy is still one of the most beautiful pistols ever made.
oh i fully agree the square back is a favorite of mine
all modern colt black powder guns are made by ubirti and then when colt gets them they go through them and do a 3x pressure test smooth up the action and even file the barrel till it shoots straight then they will put colts name on it and give it the colt warranty but it is not transferable. i got a set of remingtons from a colt gunsmith and he had a colt video on it. try shooting it and when u pull the hammer back point it up then pull the hammer back that is how i was shown to shoot a cap and ball that way the cap drops out and not get cap jam. i got a ubirti navy 36 the first year of ubirti 1958 got it for 100 bucks
I have an 1861 Uberti Navy Hege (imported). I had a hard time taking the gun apart, the barrel off the arbor, and putting it back together. I had looked the gun over when I got it, but missed two things. One was some pitting at one point in the barrel. The other was what was causing the gun to be hard to take apart and put back together.
That turned out to be, of all things, lead in the barrel arbor hole.
I finally figured that out and got it out of there and now I have no problems in disassembly of the gun. Yes, these guns can be worked on, but man, wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have to?
yep often a new wedge will be a touch too long and make it hard to remove the barrel
I bought a couple of the colt signature series , very expensive and i think they are geared more to the collector not the firer !
Blackie I had a black powder revolver ruger 45 army and it had some soft metal parts. I sold it fast.
Excellent upload Blackie , I can almost see the frustration on your face but true to form the professional shines through . I think we all have had a disappointment or two . Nowadays it’s just trouble at the range , back in the day it was life or death . Is it possible that the signature series was meant purely as a collectors pistol not intended for use ? Just a thought buddy .
having spoken will quite a few shooters who have had several makes of reissue colts..it seems to be luck of the draw..some were rock solid performers..others had soft parts that didnt hold up..i am not giving up on mine yet
You're absolutely right Blackie, she just needs a little TLC.
Thanks again for all you do.
That was some fine shooting.
when i get her fully dialed in i will do more with it
I figured it was a Uberti before you said it was. They seem to have many more problems than Pieta.
Update on my black stock finish my son hasn't chipped it yet it is Kiwi Black shoe dye, couple of coats, sand a little tooth, after it dries, flow Super glue over the stock. sand lightly for a matt finish
Great video, I dont understand why the lever only falls for the first shot and not any of the others? Can you elaborate on that?
Another great video, thanks.
Interesting. I had one of the Colt 2nd. gen. Navy’s from the 70’s, and it was also a lemon. The wedge was almost impossible to move, but even worse, the rear face of the barrel wasn’t square! The bottom actually rubbed on the cylinder face, but thankfully the barrel was so soft that I was able to fix it myself with a file. 😳. The loading lever also dropped on its own like yours does, and the action felt really rough and gritty. I sold it and bought a Uberti London Navy which was alright, but the mainspring was way too light.
There's not a lot of people today that takes pride in there work
Blackie Thomas!! The real deal / Hombre. Appreciate your videos Sir!
That sucks that you have had all of those problems with that colt re pro. The only problem I've had with mine (pietta) is a broken bolt spring.
I wonder if that pistol was meant to be a display piece only? Good on you Blackie for getting it running. I won't own a firearm I can't shoot.
well i am thinking most people bought the colt reissues as collectors not shooters..so..i am sure a part may have slipped thru the cracks every now and then
that one was my first love and still is
Obviously did some fine smithing. Shoots good!
I'm so sorry your gun gave you so much trouble. For what is worth, my Uberti 1861 navy built in 2007 has close to 2000 rounds. Main issue is hand spring breaking, bought a special one from Dixie that's beefier and has not broken in hundreds of rounds. I did have the arbor get a hair loose and made the cylinder gap too big. I shimmed and JBwelded the front end of the arbor slow and it brought the gap back to spec, repair has held for hundreds of rounds.
I love the square trigger guards. Reminds me of the virginians revolver.
Oh wow! Not the Colt of the day uh...Paying for the name. I have 10 BP revolvers of various styles and all are Peitta. I've had very little issues. I always wanted a Colt 1860 but just couldn't justify the cost...Glad you are smoothing it out...👍
i have had and have now uberti and pietta..and i have shot and used many colts over the yrs ever originals..but i was gonna pay the price and have the pretty name on one..yep i payed the price..lol
@@BLACKIETHOMAS I get it, lol. Pretty peice though! I'm sure once your work & frustrations are done you'll have an awesome firearm!
During the civil war the colt revolvers had a reputation as being cap suckers. Polishing the hammer is supposed to help
IT CAN
Signature Series are not considered Colts by Colt. That explains why it is a lemon. Only the Second Series are considered to be "real" Colts. It's a very long story.
Aside from the cap jams that every single Pietta / Uberti has, that I worked to cure, I had a problem with the cylinder to forcing cone gap. Not knowing much about the gun, I figured the fouling (to the point the gun would jam after 2 cyls). After some research at what the problems was, figured it was poor assembly tolerances. No, this is NOT a brass framed gun that was overloaded, it was a new steel frame gun, loaded only with max recommended loads. After some thinking, measured the cyl to forcing cone gap, subtracted the proper clearance figures and was left with the thickness of the shim I needed to machine, to place between the cylinder face and the frame. All it took was a flat washer of the right diameter, a flat true surface and some sand paper. I glued the flat washer to a Dowell, so I had something to grab and proceeded to make figure 8's on the sand paper, until I cut it down to the thickness I needed. Silver soldered it to the steel frame and voila, no more excess blow-by when firing.
I think Pietta has a lemon tree.
Found a variety of issues with several new ones at my local cabellas. I was fortunate to return a 1858 brass frame , but had to set through many to get something usable. I also got a snub nose colt from taylor. It won’t even function to fire just caps.
I feel like they are just making display pieces.
I’m not expecting a custom grade Ferrari, but I do expect a completed product to at least function on a basis level.
true..i understand a burr here or there or some small prob it when ya find such big one that bother me
I've heard several stories about loose arbor pins in Colt 2nd issue 51' Navies. It's a bummer but can be fixed. Cosmetic wise they are superior to any Uberti, but no better mechanically.
Amen to that 👍
I had a navy 1861 from 1975 no problems
Hey Blackie. You mentioned greasing the bore before firing. What lube do you use...and how much? If you have a video showing the procedure please provide a link. Thanks.
I have to pick between a squareback triggerguard 1851 and a round triggerguard version, and I remembered about this video.
I love the squareback look but I'm worried about size and comfort: the spike on your fingers isn't annoying or painful?
It's still a .36 so there shouldn't be a big recoil, but I'm still on the fence about this.
I’m going to search your videos to see if you have any content on Kaido’s bullets for the 36. I’ve meant to order those molds for a while now. Thanks for the video Blackie.
i have some and i keep saying i am gonna do a video..got to get off my butt and do that soon
I think these anniversary modules were made to be wall hangers or presentation pieces.long time ago
I had acquired a regular colt navy 36 cal it came with its own mold in a box.i shot it everyday for years was a great pistol until I sold it . Then I bought one just like the Lemmon you have and it did the same thing yours is doing. The cylinder pin locked up after a little shooting.
Let's hope the manufacturers learn from their flaws! u.u
My one and only cap and ball gun (1851 navy) I ever bought is a lemon... wedge wot come out, the ram rod latch falls out... it’s an absolute TURD
Wise words
I had the same problem with the barrel wedge on my Pietta 1860 Army. It was all bent up and took Herculean amounts of force to move, and the spring would stick out too far. Eventually it tapped out when I had a chain fire and it was bent up so bad I had to tilt it and pull it out at an angle. Soft ductile steel. I ordered a new wedge on eBay and didn't have any more issues. I think it was just that wedge.
could have been i have seen several in the last few yrs way too soft and they deform easy ...too easy
Hey Blackie! I finally shot my new brass framed 1851 from Dixie Gun Works (Pietta import) yesterday and it did well. I'm going to switch to commercial powder because I had some inconsistencies that I am blaming on my home made stuff. One thing I am wondering is if a 17 grain load is big enough to fill the chamber. I was trying to keep the load light because of my brass frame, but even with a Wonder Wad and standard .375 ball, I couldn't tell if I was even contacting the powder and compressing it, because the stroke of the loading lever only went so far down. It kinda felt like there may be an air pocket in the chamber, and the ball was about a quarter inch away from the end of the cylinder. I wanted to get the ball closer to the forcing cone like I heard you say, so I added some grits on top of the powder, but I got inconsistent results. About 22 grains seemed to be a better volume to ensure that there wasn't an air gap in the cylinder, but still the ball wasn't near the forcing cone. Any ideas what I can do? I'm thinking I want to switch to a stiffer, thicker wad. Thank you sir!
my advice is try with the 22 grain and a wad..that should have no air gap and yes it will be deeper..BUT ...if you get good accuracy go with it..the new guns i see today are much better in the forcing cone area..my advice try it and if you like it go for it
@@BLACKIETHOMAS Thank you very much. Also, I'm going to watch your sighting in video again! I'm going to try to shoot this thing every evening. I think I may name it "Riot" since it had to travel through Portland, Oregon to get to me. Also considering "Liberty Bell" or "Nathan Bedford Forrest" hard to decide.
Wow... My dad ran into one and gave up on it. All his problems were easy too... These guns arent tough... But thats a list for sure
take your time..and work each problem..thats how you get her to shoot where ya want..safe journeys
You are totally right about problems with new firearms. I can vouch for that one! Damn that's disappointing, especially when it's a name brand! Excellent vid!
^..^~~
Great shooting Blackie! sorry to see you had so many problems with the gun. On my Remington New Army I never had the loading lever fall down after a shot, but I don't like how the lever is so loose from side to side. Tried to tighten the set screw, already tight as it will go. Don't know if they were meant to be that way?
Mine also has a brass frame instead of metal. Don't know if that makes a difference or not? like I mentioned to you before it's a Traditions brand. Ordered it from the Gander Mountain catalog when that company was around and fairly new, probably at least 30 yrs. ago. I'm thinking the manufacturer's of black powder pistols must have improved since then. Can't wait to get a more modern old gun!
ok here is a trick..i have tapped the pin holding the latch ALMOST out so i can gently pull out the latch and spring..the strech the spring a touch or as i did drop a single lead shotgun pellet down the bore of the latch spring it will add pressure on spring and help keep loading lever from rattling
@@BLACKIETHOMAS Thanks much Blackie, I will try that. Much appreciated. Take care.
I loved the 185 Uberti 1 I had. It shot to where i was looking. Just pointed naturally, for me. But sold it to buy the signature series colt version. Never found one I liked the action of.
once ya learn to work the action to your liking ..all of them start to look a lot better
@@BLACKIETHOMAS I just bought a reissue of the 1851 of the previous gen of your. Colt was supposed to have had better QC on that gen.
Hate to hear of your bad luck. Them signature series guns were pricy pieces
Enjoyed the vid
The Piëtta Colt Navy replica's grips are a little small for me, which makes me loose confidence that I can properly control the gun, especially when moving and shooting, so I tend to use a two handed grip, but revolvers are designed to shoot one handed. I just have to take care to keep the supporting hand back of the cylinder face, there is potential for a burn.
true..i good friend of mine has large hands and we fit 1860 grips to his 1851 he shoots better and he controls it much easier
It breaks my heart to see you having all these problems Blackie. I will take that lemon off your hands for a hundred bucks and pay shipping. What are friends for.
Picked up a Pietta 1860......strange bluing (not uniform)...once i got all the factory oil off of it, noticed the finish had obviously been crudely "polished" (scratches like fine grit sand paper)....put a light to it....a piece of 1/8" X 3/4" metal had been welded or hammered into the barrel about 2" forward of the cylinder and had been "blued" (it was brown, like Benchwood Casey "out of the bottle" bluing)....!!!! I was so astonished, I didn't even look down the bore to see what was going on there.......returned it. Never risking buying another one.....bought a Glock. I'm so off of black powder.:( You can see a picture of it on my channel. Not spending money on wall hangers.
sorry you had bad luck i have shot and enjoy these gun for yrs..
If it's a third series, It's made by Uberti but written colt on it. I wonder how the Uberti replicas hold up.
all my ubertis are rock solid..and i have now gotten the colt to performing well ..still i think it was being built for a collector /show type gun since a few parts seemed to be to lack the normal hardning you find on replica parts
Where did that 1851 get manufactured Blackie?
I just found this as I was looking at black powder revolvers. You're good at responding, I hope you can respond to this
From what you've experienced, what is the most reliable self defense black powder pistol available today? Like caliber and ease of use and all that stuff. Is a 36 sufficient or is bigger better?
Guess you should have bought a Uberti directly from Uberti, or Cimmeron (hand picked pretty Ubertis). It's sad that your Colt had THAT many problems. Pushing through the problems is fun if you like projects, but some problem guns run way overbudget.
Giblets going everywhere. Perfect.
You reresent our state very well sir
thank you sir..safe journeys
The Signature Series must all have that wedge issue, in terms of being tight. Took me forever to get my wedge out of my Signature Series 1860 Army the first time. Still hard to do, but easier now.
i dropped i na uberti wedge i had on hand fit fine and its proper hardened
I always picture you with old western garb shoulder holster 31 and a 36 navy cross drawn Blackie.
lol i have carried a 51 cross draw many times
Good shooting