BP and Time-outs

[ZVP]

It's hard shooting BP with all the time-outs rangemasters give!
Seems you just get one step done and it's Cease Fire again!
Well I got BP to slow ammo consumption and boy have I!
Sometimes in a 4 hr session, I only get 24 shots! Then I have to clean em up no matter what!
It's not really a hassle. Windex and water, dry and apply Break-free. Simple.
I need a couple more BP Revolvers! Just cause it'll be the last they take. Harmless against Nato guns!
I am in a great club who appreciates BP and promotes it. I looked long and hard to find a good club with BP AND CAS!
Club membership might be the only salvation to the shooting sports, that and Airguns.
BP is fascinating .36 vs .44 different loads different bullets and with modern guns, accurate shooting!
Todays guns are made so well and out of the best materials, they are better than the origonals!
Components are the best too!
I prefer Pyrodex, Remington caps and use lubed wads. All makes it cleaner!
Crisco was a mess. BP was dirty and inconsistant and it was tougher to clean!
OK so I only get 30 shots on a good day, it's all fun!
Besides the intrest in BP brings about some very good question sessions! We both learn from them! As a teacher, I try and give as much history as possible!
I let some people shoot the guns but theere are some that you'd better not let shoot.
Fanners, quick draw etc.
I pride myself in my revolvers and keep them shiney and clean. I don't leave them loaded.
In the worst of times, I will load the BP revolvers.
NP was first just a diversion for me. now they are an obsession historically and for the fun of it!
I own 6 revolvers, the best of the lot is the Uberti .36 '1851 London model!
I have NEVER felt an action so smooth or precise! It's so easy to operate and cock! I don;t know what Uberti does (maybe the Fulcrums of the axis'es of the hammer and trigger?
Anyhow it is the most accurate, has the best action, and is the best feeling grip of all my BP Revolvers! I'd like to have a cartrige conversion on that gun!
5 shots of round balls is a dangerous load!

I also have a sweet Piettia Sheriff's model that is the smallest, holds 6 and has a full size .36 caliber cylinder!
In fact the gun is a '62 Navy with a chopped (Factiry) barrel. Itshoots well enough for a fighting gun. It has a full size Navy Frame and all just a short bbl!
Piettia took a chance there and I think it'll pay off!
The original Police was a 5 shot (4 shooter) and used a .31 frame.
I think the Piettia is going to be a fine gun for everything!
My others are .44's 2 Remmies and a colt Brass clone.
Pyrodex does well in all!
I want a Rogers and Spencer and a Whitney. I like fixed frames!
I never got into the rifles.
The leather gear is cool but to get the good stuff, you need to go custom built.
You can get by with Cabelas but it'll just hold the gun and not "set it off" on a nice holster.
BP is lotsa fun! I hope they let us keep em for a long while yet!
ZVP

 

[Panzerschwein]

I can understand your frustration.

Let it out, it is okay! Are there any other ranges close that you can try?

 

[zimmerstutzen]

After getting some experience loading, you can get many more than that. If you load at a bench and shoot offhand you'll be able to shoot one per minute without being winded.

I once saw a fellow shoot 4 match targets in a 20 minute relay, 5 shots each. He won with two of the four.

 

[4v50 Gary]

During the Great Depression, the some poor resorted to black powder muzzle loaders because they were much cheaper than cartridge guns. It probably kept the handful of gunsmiths busy and thankfully kept the tradition alive for folks like Kit Ravenshear, John Bivens, Wallace Gusler to come along and rediscover the art.

 

[BullRunBear]

I'm fortunate that the folks on the line where I shoot ask for target changes as needed. It's a cooperative effort that works for us. As the slowest shooter with C&Bs, I usually start the process after 2 or 3 cylinders. That way the slow pace of BP shooting that is so appealing to me doesn't infringe on the others with modern gear. I also try to stay downwind from the others so the smoke doesn't obscure their targets.

Sounds like I shoot a little faster than you but I "lose" some time in conversation. Many people (and almost ALL kids) want to discuss, handle or try the BP stuff, especially cap and ball revolvers. (Flintlocks are another draw.) This makes for a very pleasant range session and keeps the hobby even cheaper since I'm not going through as much ammo.

I've got 7 C&B revolvers which will keep me going for the rest of my life. Maybe. The ROAs are the most accurate and well made. But NOTHING feels as good or points as naturally as the Uberti Colt 1860 Army. The Colt 1851 is close. I don't use Pyrodex anymore, only real BP. Clean up is just as easy and I get more consistent results at the range. Also, since I get BP in bulk, it's less expensive than the substitutes. I'm a bit obsessive about cleaning guns so it doesn't matter which propellant I use. My older BP guns show legitimate wear from use but there is no rust anywhere and the innards are spotless. I take a little pride in that.

I happen to think that modern BP guns, especially C&B revolvers, are one of the best values in shooting. They are accurate and effective; comparatively inexpensive for the quality of manufacture; cheap to shoot if you make some of your own gear like wads and casting balls; and evoke a sense of history that adds, at least to me, to the enjoyment of the hobby. They are also superb teaching tools for kids and newcomers to firearms.

Jeff

 

[Pulp]

BP really get the attention of other shooters if you're at an indoor range! Folks kinda get used to the little popping sounds of the 9mm and .38Spcl guns, then I'll pull out the Walker and BOOOOOM! Fire goes halfway down the range. Everyone else stops and in unison say, "What the Hell was that?"

 

[4v50 Gary]

BTW, I do plea guilty to holding up the firing line. I raise my hand and announce to the rangemaster that I'm partially loaded. He allows me to finish and to shoot. No one complains (that I can tell).

 

[BCRider]

Being retired now I avoid the weekends other than for specified matches. Instead I go mid week where I'm often as not the only one on the range.

Both my clubs also have separate pistol pits or cowboy pits where I can find ONE of the pits to be alone if I really want.

Sorry if I'm gloating....

ZVP, like you my C&B guns and even my flint locks have surprised me at how accurate they can be. I give up nothing by shooting these guns vs modern cartridge guns since I'm the limit on accuracy rather than the guns.

They do respond to changes in charge and seating though. I need to play around with my Remingtons and my flintlocks to find the happy spot for all of them. My 1860 though really love just a 30gn drop then push the ball right down on the powder.

I never did use the Crisco or other grease for my revolvers. Instead I went with a solution of using a drop of Canola cooking oil laid at the edge of the ball after it was seated. The canola oil wicks around the V joint and seals the balls in place. And viscosity holds the oil until the gun is fired. The fouling left is a soft oily black goop about the consistency of dish detergent. The Canola oil even does a great job of softening the fouling that gets into the cylinder pin and tries to gum things up. I use a drop of oil on the front joint after loading and the cylinders remain free spinning all day long. Using the oil is MUCH less messy and 4 years into this game I have found no downsides at all to the Canola oil vs greases and other options.

Mind you how it'll work with Pyrodex I'm not sure. But it's worth a try.

 

[EljaySL]

BTW, I do plea guilty to holding up the firing line. I raise my hand and announce to the rangemaster that I'm partially loaded. He allows me to finish and to shoot. No one complains (that I can tell).

At my range we're OK at a cease fire as long as there's no percussion cap on the nipple or power in the pan. There's a one minute warning so it's not really an issue except occasionally I'll have three caps on a revolver and I'll have to decide if I'd rather spend that minute getting on three more caps and firing it or removing the three caps I've already put on.

re: the speed issue...

With revolvers I usually do 2-3 cylinders per 15 minute period. Load and shoot 2, and charge but don't cap the third. Then the next firing period cap the cylinder and shoot it and load and shoot 2 more. With single shots I usually do around 12 shots per 15 minute period. There's some variation but that's pretty typical.

 

[BullRunBear]

BCRider,

I agree. Being retired gives me the whole week to play with. On a weekday morning I often have the pistol range to myself or share it with a couple of other codgers. No one is in a hurry so it's all very relaxed and pleasant. Conversation is mostly about guns, fishing, and how we don't miss commuting.

GLOAT!!

Jeff

 

[BCRider]

Careful Bullrun'. They'll ALL get the idea that this is what it's like, they'll retire and then there won't be anyone paying into the pension plans to let us keep on doing things OUR way....

 

[robhof]

robhof

I'm another retired that has reunited with the dark side, started with a kit gun as a teen, gave it up when I entered the USAF and for 20+ yrs used only modern guns and burned many lbs of powder, thanks to reloading, I either shot more rounds or saved money, doubt the latter. Now a lb of black usually lasts me a month or 2 and I talk a lot more with my fellow B/p shooters so it's a pleasant trade off. I seem to collect B/p guns more lately, they seem to follow me home or come in the mail.

 

[swathdiver]

I quit going to the ranges with the time outs every 15 minutes and stupid flags to put down the barrel or chamber.

We now shoot at a range with few and separated stations, we take a break when we want to to change targets, only a few people there at a time if any at all on weekdays. Weekends are busy and the place mainly caters to the shotgun sports and cowboy action crowd.

Best of all, a hot lunch is just steps away at the on-site restaurant!

 

[chuckr1952]

Range we go to has little to no supervision , members call for a break to put up targets . Outside 200 yard range , never seen a problem between members ,always a friendly bunch of folks . We shoot BP so we try to let others shoot our guns to encourage them into getting into it .
We pay $50.00 a year ad you get a key to the gate and can take up to 5 guests .

 

[DD4lifeusmc]

time out

A couple options other than different ranges.
Buy some extra cylinders.
roll your own paper cartridges. speeds up the loading process.
Is the country very far away?
Go make friends with some one far enough out you can shoot there.

 

[grter]

I had success using a powder inc loading press. It's fast, safe, neat, and I don't have to worry about pressing my revolver lever too hard. It can seat a .457 ball into a pietta cylinder (.451 to .454) with ease.

In an indoor range sweeping the muzzle to the ceiling and in various directions while you pour powder down the cylinder and ram balls and patches into it can make those uninformed about muzzleloading nervous.

Quality loading presses are worth the price in my opinion.

 

[Mike OTDP]

You do understand that percussion revolvers don't use patched round balls, don't you?

 

[grter]

Yes I "realize that percussion revolvers don't use patches" I really meant to say wads whether home made or wonder wads.

My mistake in grammer

They are ~1/8 inch thick round caliber size lubricated wool pads that you put between the powder and the seated ball to fill up space and also help prevent chain fires (I am not going to argue whether they help prevent chain fires or not.) They also lube your bore with each shot making cleaning easier. They are also great for filling up space if you dont want to fiddle with stuff like cream of wheat.

 

[ZVP]

At my Club you can be filled with powder, wad, and ball, or Criscoed but not capped and be considered "SAFE" during Cease Fire.
Te moment you cap, it's the others that must wait fir you to fire and unload, then firing ceases.
I think that's safe.
ZVP