New to me 44cal pistol

michael t · September 3, 2009, 08:10 PM

Today I bought a used but5 very clean BP pistol
It is a Colt Army style and in 44 cal made by FLLIPIETTA Italy I have a 50 cal hawkins but have never had or even shot BP a pistol.
What kind of powder should I use and a starting point for a charge
What dia ball should I use No manual with gun Just pistol and holster
Lastly I always thought the barrel wedge just pushed out I couldn't get this one out and has a screw just above it on L/side What am I doing wrong
I bought for a $100 Locks up tight and pretty good trigger Did I Spend to much

madcratebuilder · September 3, 2009, 08:33 PM

From the Dixie catalog for Pietta 1860 Colt.

22grs, .451rb, #11 cap.

22gr is a light load for the 1860, you should be able to work up to a 30+gr load.

simonkenton · September 3, 2009, 09:14 PM

I use the .457 round ball in that pistol.
When you load the ball, it needs to be tight. You must shave off a little lead "donut" when you ram the ball home.
Some guys use a .454 ball.

You got a good deal on that pistol.
Use fffg black powder.
I use 30 grains.

Those wedges can be a little trouble at first.
Get a brass or wood punch, support the pistol well, and hit the punch with a hammer, you will get the wedge to behave after a few times.

Welcome to cap and ball pistol shooting, they are a lot of fun, you have a very good pistol at a very good price.

robhof · September 3, 2009, 10:20 PM

That does sound like a good deal. The only used B/p revolvers that go for under $150 are the brass ones that usually have been shot loose. You might check the makers website for a downloadable owners manual. I did for my Ruger Old Army and a Traditions Hawkins rifle that I got at a garage sale.

michael t · September 3, 2009, 11:25 PM

Thanks for all the information and I never thought to see if they have a web site I just came here first dummy me

mykeal · September 4, 2009, 06:35 AM

F.A.P. di Pietta has been working on a web page for several years now, and there is finally a good attempt at one available: http://www.pietta.it/. The translations are rudimentary ('cases' are 'caskets', for instance) but it's really pretty well done. Unfortunately one thing that's missing is a customer support link, and due to that there's no link to any manuals. Pietta has recently been including a basic manual with their new guns, but reports I've seen suggest it's not much help. They've been reported to have recommended very low loadings, for instance, on the order of 10 to 12 gr in .44 cal revolvers. You'll get much better information from this forum.

Edit: I stand corrected. There is a link to an Adobe format manual (.pdf file) on the page obtained by clicking on one of the model categories (Army, Navy, etc.) on the Muzzleloading Gun Products page: http://www.pietta.us/pdf/Manuale_Avancarica_ENG.pdf. It's a manual covering all of the black powder guns they make and it does indeed understate the max loadings (see page 18). A nicely done manual with good translations, but the loading information is essentially worthless.

Doc Hoy · September 4, 2009, 07:09 AM

Mike,

Congrats on a good deal on the pistol. I just happened to be shooting the 1860 that I have that is closest to your pistol last Sunday. On that day, I found that I could tighten my groups by going up to 28 to 30 grs. That is more than other .44s of mine need but I figure, whatever works.

The manual will come in handy, but a better suggestion is just to hang around here and read the posts....ask the questions. I just got back into cap and ball shooting about 18 months ago and these guys have tried to teach me a lot.

I am one of those guys that Simon was talking about when he said .454s are used as well. I don't feel like I get good enough resistance on loading with .451s but that is a very personal thing.

Nice to read your post. Have fun.

September 3, 2009, 10:20 PM	#4
robhof Senior Member Join Date: September 16, 2007 Posts: 712	robhof That does sound like a good deal. The only used B/p revolvers that go for under $150 are the brass ones that usually have been shot loose. You might check the makers website for a downloadable owners manual. I did for my Ruger Old Army and a Traditions Hawkins rifle that I got at a garage sale.

September 3, 2009, 11:25 PM	#5
michael t Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2004 Location: Out back Ky Posts: 4,044	Thanks for all the information and I never thought to see if they have a web site I just came here first dummy me __________________ Certified Armed Infidel Colt Defender ,Colt Mustang ,Dan Wesson CBOB, PPK/S, American Classic 1911,Bersa Thunder 380 http://bersachat.comHome of Bersa http://www.metroarms1911forum.com

September 4, 2009, 06:35 AM	#6
mykeal Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 2,772	F.A.P. di Pietta has been working on a web page for several years now, and there is finally a good attempt at one available: http://www.pietta.it/. The translations are rudimentary ('cases' are 'caskets', for instance) but it's really pretty well done. Unfortunately one thing that's missing is a customer support link, and due to that there's no link to any manuals. Pietta has recently been including a basic manual with their new guns, but reports I've seen suggest it's not much help. They've been reported to have recommended very low loadings, for instance, on the order of 10 to 12 gr in .44 cal revolvers. You'll get much better information from this forum. Edit: I stand corrected. There is a link to an Adobe format manual (.pdf file) on the page obtained by clicking on one of the model categories (Army, Navy, etc.) on the Muzzleloading Gun Products page: http://www.pietta.us/pdf/Manuale_Avancarica_ENG.pdf. It's a manual covering all of the black powder guns they make and it does indeed understate the max loadings (see page 18). A nicely done manual with good translations, but the loading information is essentially worthless. Last edited by mykeal; September 4, 2009 at 06:51 AM.

September 4, 2009, 07:09 AM	#7
Doc Hoy Senior Member Join Date: October 24, 2008 Location: Naples, Fl Posts: 5,440	Congrats Mike, Congrats on a good deal on the pistol. I just happened to be shooting the 1860 that I have that is closest to your pistol last Sunday. On that day, I found that I could tighten my groups by going up to 28 to 30 grs. That is more than other .44s of mine need but I figure, whatever works. The manual will come in handy, but a better suggestion is just to hang around here and read the posts....ask the questions. I just got back into cap and ball shooting about 18 months ago and these guys have tried to teach me a lot. I am one of those guys that Simon was talking about when he said .454s are used as well. I don't feel like I get good enough resistance on loading with .451s but that is a very personal thing. Nice to read your post. Have fun. __________________ Seek truth. Relax. Take a breath.

September 3, 2009, 08:10 PM	#1
michael t Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2004 Location: Out back Ky Posts: 4,044	New to me 44cal pistol Today I bought a used but5 very clean BP pistol It is a Colt Army style and in 44 cal made by FLLIPIETTA Italy I have a 50 cal hawkins but have never had or even shot BP a pistol. What kind of powder should I use and a starting point for a charge What dia ball should I use No manual with gun Just pistol and holster Lastly I always thought the barrel wedge just pushed out I couldn't get this one out and has a screw just above it on L/side What am I doing wrong I bought for a $100 Locks up tight and pretty good trigger Did I Spend to much __________________ Certified Armed Infidel Colt Defender ,Colt Mustang ,Dan Wesson CBOB, PPK/S, American Classic 1911,Bersa Thunder 380 http://bersachat.comHome of Bersa http://www.metroarms1911forum.com

September 3, 2009, 08:33 PM	#2
madcratebuilder Senior Member Join Date: November 2, 2007 Location: Northern Orygun Posts: 4,923	From the Dixie catalog for Pietta 1860 Colt. 22grs, .451rb, #11 cap. 22gr is a light load for the 1860, you should be able to work up to a 30+gr load.

September 3, 2009, 09:14 PM	#3
simonkenton Senior Member Join Date: April 25, 2008 Posts: 891	I use the .457 round ball in that pistol. When you load the ball, it needs to be tight. You must shave off a little lead "donut" when you ram the ball home. Some guys use a .454 ball. You got a good deal on that pistol. Use fffg black powder. I use 30 grains. Those wedges can be a little trouble at first. Get a brass or wood punch, support the pistol well, and hit the punch with a hammer, you will get the wedge to behave after a few times. Welcome to cap and ball pistol shooting, they are a lot of fun, you have a very good pistol at a very good price.