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1863 Remington vest model?
Howdy everyone, anyway this little gem caught my eye the other day... one of the Pietta 1863 Remingtons (.31 vest model). Teeny little pistol, that looks like it could be quite a bit of fun, however I am still considering several factors;
A. Do the brass framed variants hold up well? (figuring it's so damned small anyway)
B. Are they worth what they're charging for them? If so, who's the cheapest?
C. How fun are these things to shoot? They look like the could be a blast!
I'd figure one of these would be a great little addition to my collection... they definitely sound fun enough. Thanks in advance.
Whoops, should've noted that they are percussion. My bad guys... sorry!
I don't have a .31 caliber cap and ball revolver, but I have a .36 caliber and four .44 calibers. I have never had a problem with a brass framed revolver, my .36 caliber 1851 Navy Colt and two of my .44s, both are the same model as the .36) have brass frames. I have been told that if you shoot extremely heavy loads out of these the frame can be damaged. I doubt that the .36 caliber can hold a powerful enough charge to damage the frame without thousands and thousands of shots. The .44 caliber does have some power though. There's no way that the powder charge that you can load into a .31 caliber chamber is going to damage it.
I think mine were worth what I paid. If you are patient, Cabela's occasionally sells them at a discount and the price is pretty reasonable.
I really love shooting mine, especially the .36 caliber, it is extremely accurate. and fairly reliable. If you like shooting and you like black powder weapons, I think you'll love C&B revolvers. I would recommend something bigger for a first cap and ball revolver, but that's my own preference. If you like the smaller gun, then by all means get that one.
As much fun as these are, C&B revolvers are lethal weapons. Read and follow the instructions in the owner's manual and if you have any doubts about them ask someone who knows how to handle these guns, but don't ask here.
Added- you won't have any trouble with ammo for this gun. A C&B revolver fires a round ball that is slightly larger than the chamber diameter. Lead is shaved off of the ball when you push it into the chamber with the loading lever. 0 buckshot is the right size ball for a .31 caliber ball. For powder you can use 3F black powder, Pyrodex P, or any other black powder substitute that is made for pistols/ small bore rifles. In addition to the ball and powder, all you'll need is a percussion cap (#10s are usually perfect for revolvers, but #11s should work as well). Finally you can use lard or crisco to seal the chamber mouth after you load, but before you cap the chambers.
ADD- Anyone who doesn't alreay know these are percussion shouldn't be answering this question. Percussion revolvers are also called cap and ball (C&B) revolvers.
Scott Hartman 76 trombones w/ Blast of Brass Ensemble at Eastfield College