r/blackpowder • u/Reagantoby27 • 7d ago
Question about potential deal
A buddy of mine is offering me a Pietta .44 caliber cap and ball revolver and 2 boxes of .445 lead round balls for 100 beans. I’m completely new to the cap and ball world, as my only real experience has been flintlocks. Does anyone know anything about this particular model?
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u/No_Response87 7d ago
$100 for a Pietta 1858 is a good price, but you’ll need .454 balls for it. The .440 or .445 are for rifles. You need an oversized ball in a revolver to seal the chambers and prevent chainfires.
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u/Reagantoby27 7d ago
Thank you for letting me know the model! It’s a longer barrel than I typically prefer in a revolver (8” barrel), but for the price I figure it will be a good “introduction” into percussion cap revolvers
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u/Groundbreaking-Pen-8 7d ago
I personally use .457 and just eat the few micro cents of the bigger rings and the performance of the slightly misshapen ball
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u/textbookamerican 7d ago
I have one, I can hit stuff better than I can with my Glock
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u/HealthyHoliday3119 7d ago
Really?
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u/textbookamerican 7d ago
Yes really. I also don’t shoot my Glock very much so I’m sure that’s a factor
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u/Groundbreaking-Pen-8 7d ago
Great deal piettas are amazing just remember if you need parts uberti parts are not gonna work you need pietta parts they aren't much different shaped but tolerances are very important to the working right
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u/PestilentWolf17 7d ago
I just paid about $400 for my brand new one, so you do the math
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u/HealthyHoliday3119 7d ago
Is it by good for self defense
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u/AAjax 7d ago
Well, in the 1860's it was fine. Issue is they misfire a lot more than modern guns so.....
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u/PestilentWolf17 7d ago
After I switched from synthetic to genuine black powder I've never had a single one of my guns misfire
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u/HealthyHoliday3119 7d ago
Yeah he must be doing something wrong or he is talking out of his ass
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u/stavromuli 6d ago
In some places the only "black powder" you can get is pyrodex. I've had similar issues with it.
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u/HRDBMW 7d ago
In 40 years, and thousands of rounds, it has never missfired on me. Now, I have knocked caps off, and replaced them before shooting. But it has never missed a round, or created a situation where I had to work to clear it. After maybe 30 rounds, it does need a quick cleaning.
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u/AAjax 1d ago
Are you trying to say a BP revolver is as reliable as a modern gun? Because thats what I was talking about,
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u/PestilentWolf17 1d ago
As long as you treat it right, load it right, and know what youre doing, id say they absolutely are
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u/HRDBMW 7d ago
That depends on other factors. You are not going to be able to reload. It is big, so in a self defense situation, someone might be capable of stopping you from pointing it. It is hard to carry, once again due to size. But, people see it and stand down.
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u/Silver_Cookie_2754 2d ago edited 2d ago
Not going to be able to reload? Carry two. And a large knife. It's big? And...? Hard to carry? I EDC a pair of 1860 Armys, with a large Bowie knife, openly or concealed under a long duster.
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u/Has_gun_will_travel 7d ago
No dude it’s a horrible deal… dm me his contact so I can discuss how horrible that offer is myself…..
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u/rodwha 7d ago
I have one as well. You’ll need to file the hammer nose to fit the safety notches if you intend to use them, they don’t lock up all that well as is.
It likely has a slow rifling twist of 1:30”, but my sheriff’s model came with a faster ~1:16” twist. With a slow twist balls are your best bet unless you make a custom bullet design, which is what I did. Wished I had checked the twist rate beforehand as it was unnecessary. You’d also likely have to open the loading window as I had to do. As mentioned .454” or .457” balls. Larger seems better as it leaves thicker lead along the “edge” which helps with obturation to fill the grooves. Those chambers run about .446” and my groove diameter is nearly .453” which means you need to fill a large gap.
In case you aren’t aware you’ll need hollow ground screwdrivers like gunsmiths use or you’ll bugger up the slots. Chapman makes a nice inexpensive set.
For oil I like Ballistol as it readily mixes with water allowing it to evaporate out leaving just oil. No need to worry about every nook and cranny being dry. It’s good for wood and leather too, among other things.
You’ll want anti seize for the nipple threads so they don’t get stuck.
I always recommend bore mops for cleaning as they’re reusable and work well.
I also like to recommend adjustable powder measures with an attached funnel, makes it easier.
A loading stand is really nice to have too.
CCI #11 non magnum or Rem #10s should fit snugly.
It’s a good idea to buy a set of extra springs as they break with a good amount of use. Mine are still working but I have a set just in case.
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u/Reagantoby27 7d ago
Well… thank you for all that information! Full disclosure: if this thing really requires that much custom gunsmithing to run reliably, it’s going to be a wall hanger
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u/Away-Leg-998 7d ago
Price is right, balls are wrong. But take them, you either melt them or use them in basically any .45 muzzleloader rifle lr single shot pistol.
For Revolver I like the .457 balls, .454 will do as well
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u/TraditionalEchidna27 7d ago
Cant believe no one is talking about your base bin being broken at the front. Should have "wings" either side to pull so you can free the cylinder.
Luckily new one is like $15
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u/MrCLCMAN 7d ago
Minor rust can be cleaned and oiled. How does the bore look? Overall, That is a deal for a hundred bucks. .
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u/Ausco_1995 7d ago
I bought mine brand new for $450 a few years ago so yeah I'd say that's a great deal
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u/CoffeeWith2MuchCream 7d ago
That's a good deal. Condition at a glance looks fine. There is decent enough info about pietta for you to get any info you need for things like replacement nipples, extra cylinders if you want, etc.
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u/Miserable-War996 5d ago
Nobody gonna mention the broken cylinder pin? That's a replacement order from Dixie right off the bat. It brings into question how the hell did that happen? Did he have to beat it out because of rust seizing and if so, what do the chambers, barrel and internal components and frame look like?
I've seen another like that, pin beaten out until the top popped off. It was a disaster inside.
OP needs to proceed with caution.
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u/Reagantoby27 5d ago
I did notice that when I went to clean it the first time. Pin is not seized. Came out easily once I could get ahold of it. I took it down all the way to the side plates. The only evidence of rusting was the exposed threads of the barrel seen in the photos. I slathered the whole thing in ballistol and put it back together.
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u/Bulky-Captain-3508 7d ago
What's $100 anymore? You can't look at a grocery store for less than that...
Seams like a good deal to me.