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Raider2000 · August 5, 2008, 04:30 AM

My very first Cap & Ball Revolver that I saved my money to buy was my 1860 Army by Pietta, it has been a very reliable & fun companion for over 25 years now & along with a few others that I have in my collection it is still one of my favorites.

If you want to get into Cap & Ball Revolvers "AKA Black Powder Revolvers" it is usually suggested that either the replicas of the Colt 1851 Navy in .36 cal. ".44 caliber is not historically correct but to each his/her own" Colt 1860 Army .44 cal. or the Remington New Model Army or Navy .44 or .36 cal..
These are suggested because they are the easiest to handle, maintain, & shoot with proficiency & you cannot go wrong with either design but many will tend to lean more towards the Remington design because it is easier for a novice to learn & maintain without getting frustrated & give up, because the Colt design has the wedge that tends to be difficult to beginners but to me if the person is willing to learn & be careful of what tools that they use when disassembling them the Colt design is just as easy.

If you have not gotten yourself a rifle yet & have no experience with Muzzle loading then a Percussion design will be easier to learn & will give you the basics to learn Flint Locks but it is usually suggested that a Novice not get a Flint Lock rifle as their first rifle because it too needs patience, & determination to learn how to use a Flint Lock with proficiency, having said that I’ll give you my suggestions for a Rifle & a Revolver.
Revolver: Pietta or Uberti manufacture:
1851 Navy in Steel Frame .36 cal.
1860 Army .44 cal.
1858 New Model Army .44 cal.
1858 New Model Navy .36 cal.

Rifles: all new manufacture, you can find some fine used ones but there are too many to mention here, also both of these can be gotten in either Percussion of Flint Lock:
Lyman Great Plains Rifle .50cal. or .54cal.
Cabelas Traditional Hawken .50cal. or .54cal.

I suggest a .50 or .54 caliber because both of those will cleanly take any North American large game with the right bullet & powder combination although you can get a .45 caliber offerings for them are not as plentiful.

August 5, 2008, 04:30 AM	#3
Raider2000 Senior Member Join Date: July 23, 2007 Location: Virginia Posts: 719	My very first Cap & Ball Revolver that I saved my money to buy was my 1860 Army by Pietta, it has been a very reliable & fun companion for over 25 years now & along with a few others that I have in my collection it is still one of my favorites. If you want to get into Cap & Ball Revolvers "AKA Black Powder Revolvers" it is usually suggested that either the replicas of the Colt 1851 Navy in .36 cal. ".44 caliber is not historically correct but to each his/her own" Colt 1860 Army .44 cal. or the Remington New Model Army or Navy .44 or .36 cal.. These are suggested because they are the easiest to handle, maintain, & shoot with proficiency & you cannot go wrong with either design but many will tend to lean more towards the Remington design because it is easier for a novice to learn & maintain without getting frustrated & give up, because the Colt design has the wedge that tends to be difficult to beginners but to me if the person is willing to learn & be careful of what tools that they use when disassembling them the Colt design is just as easy. If you have not gotten yourself a rifle yet & have no experience with Muzzle loading then a Percussion design will be easier to learn & will give you the basics to learn Flint Locks but it is usually suggested that a Novice not get a Flint Lock rifle as their first rifle because it too needs patience, & determination to learn how to use a Flint Lock with proficiency, having said that I’ll give you my suggestions for a Rifle & a Revolver. Revolver: Pietta or Uberti manufacture: 1851 Navy in Steel Frame .36 cal. 1860 Army .44 cal. 1858 New Model Army .44 cal. 1858 New Model Navy .36 cal. Rifles: all new manufacture, you can find some fine used ones but there are too many to mention here, also both of these can be gotten in either Percussion of Flint Lock: Lyman Great Plains Rifle .50cal. or .54cal. Cabelas Traditional Hawken .50cal. or .54cal. I suggest a .50 or .54 caliber because both of those will cleanly take any North American large game with the right bullet & powder combination although you can get a .45 caliber offerings for them are not as plentiful.