Tell me where to start

[SinisterNerd]

I've always had a fascination with black powder revolvers.  Are the brands at Cabelas worth trying?  It'd probably help if I could remember the brand.  It's a common brand that use to always have build your own black powder kits.They had a single shot with an unfinished wood handle .


I've seen mention of Uberti.


Are there starter kits?   I know the basics,  Powder horn, powder measure, ball/bullet, wax, and a primer cap.  But I probably know just enough to hurt myself without proper instruction.

[TexasRedneck]

Go talk w/David Day over at the Powder Horn in San Antonio - likely one of the best resources in the city when it comes to cap and ball stuff!

[Winchester]

Just keep in mind that shooting black powder is a messy affair. Fun but messy.

[TexasRedneck]

And ALWAYS use LOTS of lube on top of your charges - a chain fire WILL ruin your day!

[FLASH4314]

I LOVE BP shooting and especially the revolvers! Revolvers from Cabela's are nice and priced right.

I prefer the Remington style revolvers because the grips can be removed with one screw. The Colt style requires that the grip frame be removed to pull the grips.

Why pull the grips? I remove them and boil the entire pistol in an old cooking pot (NOT a good cooking pot!). I remove the parts and lay them on a pan on an OPEN oven door. Temp....just warm.

When they're dry, I oil the gun while still warm and reassemble it.

I prefer the steel framed pistols. They have an entirely different feel to them compared to a brass framed pistol.

I shoot all 44 cal. Once you branch out into .36 or 31 cal, the cost of stuff needed multiplies.

Regarding lube over the loaded chambers......yes, do that for sure! I have always used Crisco cooking lard. Deposits stay soft and it comes off easily in my boiling water cleaning trick. I buy a tiny can of it and it lasts forever. I have never had or seen a crossfire due to sparks flying from one cylinder to another but it could happen and I understand it does happen.

Crisco is a great bullet lube, too. You will regret using petroleum grease. It's a mess.

I never use over powder wads. Instead, I load the powder, press the ball into the chamber and cover the ball with Crisco.

I have a small press that I use to load revolver cylinders. It's about $25 and it works great for pressing the ball home.

Flash