Cap 'n ball newbie...3 revolvers bought in 2 weeks

Jon80 · February 10, 2009, 04:52 PM

Hey,

Just got into the blackpowder hobby when I bought a '58 Rem starter kit a couple of months ago. I should've done more research and passed up on the brass frame, but it's a lesson learned. I traded in the brass frame for a stainless '58, bought my first Colt replica (Pietta) last week, and just bought an Uberti Walker (used in nice shape) over the weekend. I haven't even had a chance to fire them yet and I'm addicted. My question is about the Pietta Colt I bought used. It was tagged as a '60, but I think it might be a '51 replica. The cylinder's not engraved, and the backstrap doesn't have any guards behind the cylinder..I could put caps on either side on 2 nipples. Anybody know what this is?

mykeal · February 10, 2009, 07:36 PM

It's very probably a 1861 J. H. Dance replica. .36 cal, 7 1/2" round barrel, smooth (no engraving) cylinder, brass backstrap, color case hardened frame, squareback trigger guard. Made by Pietta for Dixie Gun Works.

Originals were made in Texas for the Confederacy beginning in 1862. Very few were made, so original guns are quite valuable.

Fingers McGee · February 10, 2009, 07:40 PM

Quote:

My question is about the Pietta Colt I bought used. It was tagged as a '60, but I think it might be a '51 replica. The cylinder's not engraved, and the backstrap doesn't have any guards behind the cylinder..I could put caps on either side on 2 nipples. Anybody know what this is?

It's a replica of a Dance Bros revolver. Here's some information

http://www.civilwar.si.edu/weapons_dance.html

Ahhhhhh, ya beat me to it MYKEAL.

mykeal · February 10, 2009, 10:39 PM

It ain't a race.

Just glad to know I was correct. I was getting close to my allocation of mistakes for the day. Thanks.

Fingers McGee · February 10, 2009, 11:28 PM

madcratebuilder · February 12, 2009, 01:48 PM

Good score on the Dance replica, few and far between.

Jon80 · February 12, 2009, 04:44 PM

Thanks. I bought it at the Kittery Trading Post in Maine. They had it tagged as a '60 Colt. It's a .44, not a .36 cal. I can't wait to start firing these, and to add more to my collection. They've got a nice display case full of cap and ball revolvers for sale. Several Walkers...Uberti, Taylor, and a San Marco, a brass Remington .31 pocket model (which it was steel would be mine right now), Derringers, a Hawkins single shot with the hammer underneath, and a bunch of original Colts.

williamfeldmann · February 12, 2009, 06:29 PM

That little Remington is not something to worry about over the brass. With those little .31s you aren't going to damage the frame, if that is what you are worried about. It's the heavy .44s that will damage the brass.

I don't know that I have ever seen a Dance in a .44, only .36. Good find.

pohill · February 12, 2009, 09:30 PM

Jon80, don't give away my secret place, KTP.
I have bought the following at KTP:
1851 .36 Pietta (2)
1860 .44 Pietta
1849 .31 Baby Dragoon
Uberti Walker .44
High Standard Griswold & Gunnison .36
Spiller & Burr .36
3rd Model Dragoon .44
Remington NMA (2) .44
Colt Signature Series 1861 .36 Navy
Colt Signature Series Custer 1861 .36 Navy (cased with goodies)
Original Whitney .36 Navy
Original Savage & North .36 Navy
Double barrel Belgian handgun
Hawkins rifle .50
I probably missed a few...
Great place. In fact, the only place in the east with any kind of a BP selection. But all of their Ruger Old Armies are long gone.

mykeal · February 12, 2009, 10:06 PM

An underhammer Hawken? An underhammer half stock plains rifle, perhaps?

Hawg · February 13, 2009, 05:02 AM

Quote:

An underhammer Hawken? An underhammer half stock plains rifle, perhaps?

Well if those half stocks that TC and others sell can be Hawkens why not an underhammer too?

pohill · February 13, 2009, 06:31 AM

It's an underhammer pistol. I looked at it - tempting.
http://www.ktpguns.com/interior.php/pid/28/gid/133065

sundance44s · February 13, 2009, 07:00 AM

Dave ..I`ve been thinking about that underhammer pistol ever since you mentioned it ....good thing they don`t have a pic of it .....I`d be blameing Dave again ...

mykeal · February 13, 2009, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Quote:
An underhammer Hawken? An underhammer half stock plains rifle, perhaps?
Well if those half stocks that TC and others sell can be Hawkens why not an underhammer too?

Where are my meds? I feel dizzy.

pohill · February 13, 2009, 12:16 PM

Sundance, that underhammer is unique enough to justify it and the price isn't too bad. If I go up there this weekend I'll check it out again. For some reason, Kittery gets a few underhammer pistols every year, unless it's the same one that keeps coming back.
How the heck did I miss that Dance Bros...
I know how I missed it - I look but I don't ask to see guns out of the case anymore.
I saw an original Allen and Thurber sidehammer pistol in an antique shop in NH last week and man, I was tempted, but instead I bought an original Victrola Talking Machine (crank, 78 RPM records) for about the same price so maybe there is hope for me.

sundance44s · February 13, 2009, 12:53 PM

Dave I saw the pic of the talkin machine ya bought ....nice buy ...you must have taken the wife in Kitterys ...

pohill · February 13, 2009, 01:03 PM

Kittery is a dangerous place. Last time I went I bought skiis.

sundance44s · February 13, 2009, 01:12 PM

Skis ...ok I`ll be looking for ya next winter in the cross country sking shooting events .........

arcticap · February 13, 2009, 03:13 PM

I only visited KTP once when I went on a weekend trip to NH, and I came home with a nice TC Renegade after sorting through a big bunch of used BP guns that they had.
The salesman was so apologetic about having to charge the Maine 5% sales tax. He must have thought that I was from New Hampshire where they don't have sales tax and that I wouldn't buy it!

Jon80 · February 13, 2009, 05:02 PM

Hopkins....I was kinda close. I was checking out all the rifles afterwards so the name stuck. The only reason I bought the Dance replica was due to the cylinder not being engraved, it looked sleeker. The lack of back strap cylinder guards and the exposed ball seater arm, or whatever you call it, make it look even simpler than a Colt.

bprevolver · February 19, 2009, 08:45 PM

Jon80, what caliber is the Dance revolver you have? If it is .44cal. is the cylinder straight or rebated? If it is .36cal. what is the serial number range?
If it is a Pietta .36cal. and the serial number is correct you may have a $1000 collectable.

Jon80 · February 20, 2009, 04:45 PM

It's a .44 cal. straight cylinder, serial number C00357

February 10, 2009, 04:52 PM	#1
Jon80 Member Join Date: February 10, 2009 Posts: 19	Cap 'n ball newbie...3 revolvers bought in 2 weeks Hey, Just got into the blackpowder hobby when I bought a '58 Rem starter kit a couple of months ago. I should've done more research and passed up on the brass frame, but it's a lesson learned. I traded in the brass frame for a stainless '58, bought my first Colt replica (Pietta) last week, and just bought an Uberti Walker (used in nice shape) over the weekend. I haven't even had a chance to fire them yet and I'm addicted. My question is about the Pietta Colt I bought used. It was tagged as a '60, but I think it might be a '51 replica. The cylinder's not engraved, and the backstrap doesn't have any guards behind the cylinder..I could put caps on either side on 2 nipples. Anybody know what this is?

February 10, 2009, 11:28 PM	#5
Fingers McGee Senior Member Join Date: March 19, 2008 Location: High & Dry in Missouri Ozarks Posts: 2,113	__________________ Fingers (Show Me MO smoke) McGee - AKA Man of Many Colts - Alter ego of Diabolical Ken; SASS Regulator 28564-L-TG; Rangemaster and stage writer extraordinaire; Frontiersman, Pistoleer, NRA Endowment Life, NMLRA, SAF, CCRKBA, STORM 327, SV115; Charter member, Central Ozarks Western Shooters Cynic: A blackguard whose faulty vision see things as they are, not as they should be. Ambrose Bierce

February 13, 2009, 03:13 PM	#19
arcticap Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2005 Location: Central Connecticut Posts: 3,166	I only visited KTP once when I went on a weekend trip to NH, and I came home with a nice TC Renegade after sorting through a big bunch of used BP guns that they had. The salesman was so apologetic about having to charge the Maine 5% sales tax. He must have thought that I was from New Hampshire where they don't have sales tax and that I wouldn't buy it! Last edited by arcticap; February 15, 2009 at 06:09 AM.

February 19, 2009, 08:45 PM	#21
bprevolver Senior Member Join Date: November 23, 2006 Location: Oklahoma Posts: 141	Dance revolver Jon80, what caliber is the Dance revolver you have? If it is .44cal. is the cylinder straight or rebated? If it is .36cal. what is the serial number range? If it is a Pietta .36cal. and the serial number is correct you may have a $1000 collectable.

February 10, 2009, 07:36 PM	#2
mykeal Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 2,772	It's very probably a 1861 J. H. Dance replica. .36 cal, 7 1/2" round barrel, smooth (no engraving) cylinder, brass backstrap, color case hardened frame, squareback trigger guard. Made by Pietta for Dixie Gun Works. Originals were made in Texas for the Confederacy beginning in 1862. Very few were made, so original guns are quite valuable.

February 10, 2009, 10:39 PM	#4
mykeal Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 2,772	It ain't a race. Just glad to know I was correct. I was getting close to my allocation of mistakes for the day. Thanks.

February 12, 2009, 01:48 PM	#6
madcratebuilder Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2007 Location: Northern Orygun Posts: 4,923	Good score on the Dance replica, few and far between.

February 12, 2009, 04:44 PM	#7
Jon80 Member Join Date: February 10, 2009 Posts: 19	Thanks. I bought it at the Kittery Trading Post in Maine. They had it tagged as a '60 Colt. It's a .44, not a .36 cal. I can't wait to start firing these, and to add more to my collection. They've got a nice display case full of cap and ball revolvers for sale. Several Walkers...Uberti, Taylor, and a San Marco, a brass Remington .31 pocket model (which it was steel would be mine right now), Derringers, a Hawkins single shot with the hammer underneath, and a bunch of original Colts.

February 12, 2009, 06:29 PM	#8
williamfeldmann Member Join Date: December 23, 2008 Posts: 60	That little Remington is not something to worry about over the brass. With those little .31s you aren't going to damage the frame, if that is what you are worried about. It's the heavy .44s that will damage the brass. I don't know that I have ever seen a Dance in a .44, only .36. Good find.

February 12, 2009, 09:30 PM	#9
pohill Senior Member Join Date: December 27, 2005 Location: northeast Posts: 521	Jon80, don't give away my secret place, KTP. I have bought the following at KTP: 1851 .36 Pietta (2) 1860 .44 Pietta 1849 .31 Baby Dragoon Uberti Walker .44 High Standard Griswold & Gunnison .36 Spiller & Burr .36 3rd Model Dragoon .44 Remington NMA (2) .44 Colt Signature Series 1861 .36 Navy Colt Signature Series Custer 1861 .36 Navy (cased with goodies) Original Whitney .36 Navy Original Savage & North .36 Navy Double barrel Belgian handgun Hawkins rifle .50 I probably missed a few... Great place. In fact, the only place in the east with any kind of a BP selection. But all of their Ruger Old Armies are long gone.

February 12, 2009, 10:06 PM	#10
mykeal Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 2,772	An underhammer Hawken? An underhammer half stock plains rifle, perhaps?

February 13, 2009, 06:31 AM	#12
pohill Senior Member Join Date: December 27, 2005 Location: northeast Posts: 521	It's an underhammer pistol. I looked at it - tempting. http://www.ktpguns.com/interior.php/pid/28/gid/133065

February 13, 2009, 07:00 AM	#13
sundance44s Senior Member Join Date: February 6, 2006 Location: Hernando , Ms. Posts: 579	Dave ..I`ve been thinking about that underhammer pistol ever since you mentioned it ....good thing they don`t have a pic of it .....I`d be blameing Dave again ...

February 13, 2009, 12:16 PM	#15
pohill Senior Member Join Date: December 27, 2005 Location: northeast Posts: 521	Sundance, that underhammer is unique enough to justify it and the price isn't too bad. If I go up there this weekend I'll check it out again. For some reason, Kittery gets a few underhammer pistols every year, unless it's the same one that keeps coming back. How the heck did I miss that Dance Bros... I know how I missed it - I look but I don't ask to see guns out of the case anymore. I saw an original Allen and Thurber sidehammer pistol in an antique shop in NH last week and man, I was tempted, but instead I bought an original Victrola Talking Machine (crank, 78 RPM records) for about the same price so maybe there is hope for me.

February 13, 2009, 12:53 PM	#16
sundance44s Senior Member Join Date: February 6, 2006 Location: Hernando , Ms. Posts: 579	Dave I saw the pic of the talkin machine ya bought ....nice buy ...you must have taken the wife in Kitterys ...

February 13, 2009, 01:03 PM	#17
pohill Senior Member Join Date: December 27, 2005 Location: northeast Posts: 521	Kittery is a dangerous place. Last time I went I bought skiis.

February 13, 2009, 01:12 PM	#18
sundance44s Senior Member Join Date: February 6, 2006 Location: Hernando , Ms. Posts: 579	Skis ...ok I`ll be looking for ya next winter in the cross country sking shooting events .........

February 13, 2009, 05:02 PM	#20
Jon80 Member Join Date: February 10, 2009 Posts: 19	Hopkins....I was kinda close. I was checking out all the rifles afterwards so the name stuck. The only reason I bought the Dance replica was due to the cylinder not being engraved, it looked sleeker. The lack of back strap cylinder guards and the exposed ball seater arm, or whatever you call it, make it look even simpler than a Colt.

February 20, 2009, 04:45 PM	#22
Jon80 Member Join Date: February 10, 2009 Posts: 19	It's a .44 cal. straight cylinder, serial number C00357