New to blackpowder

[Maximus89]

Hello all, New to the forum and blackpowder firearms. I have been reading a lot of the threads and getting a basic understanding of how things work. I am looking at getting an 1851 navy for my first bp firearm. My dad has one that looks to be a dragoon that he bought years ago and never took out. It has three chargers in the cylinder waiting on a nipple wrench so I can clear them out and clean the entire gun and get it going. I couldn't find anything that says who it's manufactured by but there are some serial numbers on the far end of the trigger guard to where it meets with the barrel part that slides off. It says 1848 on the cylinder so that's my reasoning to think it's a dragoon besides how the gun looks. Can anyone help me figure out how I would find out who it's manufactured by and what I should do after cleaning it to insure that it is safe to shoot and tips for what I'll need to shoot. Any and all help is welcomed thank you.

[Smoke & Recoil]

First, are you saying that three (3) cylinders are loaded ?

[BlackPowderBen]

He is talking about each chamber

[Maximus89]

No just one cylinder, 3 chambers loaded

[Hawg]

Post clear pictures of the entire gun along with any markings. There may be markings on the barrel under the loading lever. A Dragoon is a big revolver weighing over 4 pounds.

[Maximus89]

Ok I will have to do that later when I'm home, but I looked under the loading lever there wasnt any marking but I will check again and post pictures. Thank you.

[Smoke & Recoil]

What concerns do you have with capping the loaded chambers and
shooting them out ?

[Maximus89]

Personally I'm not to concerned, I think it will work fine. The gun looks to be in great shape no rust or anything and the bore down the barrel looked clean. But since it's my dad's gun he doesn't trust it since niether of us has experience in black powder he feels it's safest to just clear it out and go from there. It's been sitting for probably 20 + years so he is concerned that it might not work how it's supposed too

[Smoke & Recoil]

I would be more afraid to attempt unloading the chambers manually. What
plan of attack do you have by removing the nipples ?

[Maximus89]

I was thinking plastic toothpick and maybe some soapy water to get the powder out and then press the ball out. If there are any better ideas I'm all ears. Also I can try and fire it and do it that way just need to know what I should check before I attempt that. I'm a machinist so I have access to measuring equipment and tools. Also is there anyone who shoots bp local to me. I'm in southern California in Covina.

[Smoke & Recoil]

After sitting 20 +/- years loaded, the powder will be compacted hard and
will be very dangerous to pick at. If you don't want to attempt shooting it
out...you might try the ole ball puller method, such as you would with a muzzle
loading rifle. Remove the cylinder, place it in a vise, drill a hole in the ball (s)
but not all the way though with a drill press, then chuck an appropriate size
screw in the drill chuck, thread the screw in by hand motion by turning the
chuck, pull the ball (s) by lifting the handle.

DON"T PICK AT THE POWDER !!!

[Maximus89]

Ok, well I'm going to the range this weekend. Just got a new semi auto that I'm going to shoot. I'll take the revolver with me and try and clear the chambers by firing them. Do you think it will be dangerous to fire them after sitting for so long?

[Smoke & Recoil]

I don't think there'd be a problem shooting it after 20 years. People have
found old rifles loaded since the civil war and shot them out. You can brace
the pistol in some form...between two old tires, tie a sting to the trigger and
pull from a distance too. You can do a Google search on shooting long ago
loaded (cap & ball ) and muzzle loading rifles.

Keep us posted.

[Hawg]

You could just screw a wood screw into the ball and pull it with a pair of vise grips. There's no danger in picking at the powder with something non sparking. There won't be any danger in firing it provided they weren't loaded with smokeless.

[Maximus89]

Ok so updated my dad got it in the early 80's so it's been sitting for awhile. And ya I thought it would be ok to pick it with something like a hard plastic pick. Pulling the ball out won't cause any sparks? Is there any way to neutralize the gun powder? Lgs said to spray some wd40 to neutralize any one know if that works

[Hawg]

Lead is non sparking. You can squirt some WD-40 into the nipples to neutralize it. Anything to get it wet.

[Maximus89]

Ok so it looks more like an 1861 the levers for the loader match an 1861 although on the cylinder engraving it says engaged May 16th 1848. Can't upload pictures from my phone they are two big I will from a of when I can but there is some markings on the gun. Left side of gun where the 4 frame screws are it says v.2 on the frame right next to the grips it has pn stamped on barrel and frame with a star above it and some kind of symbol looks like a coat of arms. And than on the bottom where barrel and frame meet and the serial number is it is stamped dgg in a circle. Hope this helps

[Maximus89]

Ok well did some research looks like it's a euroarms manufactured gun made in 1975.

[foolzrushn]

The May 16th date is a reference to the battle with the Mexican Navy which is the scene pressed on the cylinder side. Several models have that scene.

Can your Dad remember if he got it loaded or did he load it?

My reasoning is to just try and make sure that someone didn't load it with smokeless powder instead of black powder. If he loaded it, he would remember. If he got it somewhere already loaded, you can't know for sure and maybe should shoot it out with a string as has been described.....just in case. That's if you don't clear it out manually.

Do you have a nipple wrench?

Do you have some #10 percussion caps?

You will need the caps to shoot the chambers out.

If you have a wrench that fits the nipples, you have more options.

With a wrench, you could just take the cylinder out and gently try to remove the nipples on the loaded chambers at home. Then you could wash the powder out with water or whatever and then use the wood screw on the ball.

Another way is to use a small solid brass shaft that will fit through the hole with the nipple removed and tap the ball out. I made myself a tool like that with brass rod and a wooden ball to push with my palm instead of tapping with a hammer.

I think getting a wrench and cleaning the gun up at home is better. That way you could get the other things that you would need (powder or substitute, some balls and caps etc.), and be ready to fire the gun when you make your trip to the range this weekend. No need to wait to start having fun!

If you have been reading posts you may have already started to get a black powder range bag together.

[Maximus89]

No I do not have a nipple wrench yet and I couldn't not find anything ing he tools I do have that worked. My dad bought it loaded so we have no way of knowing if it's smokeless powder or not. I think I'm just going to get the 1851 .36 caliber navy from cabellas and get the starter kit. And then clean my dad's gun out. He doesn't really want to shoot it he just wanted it as a wall piece so I will just take it apart once I get my own gun and tools and stuff. I just need to wait tell I have some money to spend. If anyone is familiar with the starter kit that comes from cabellas is there anything else I will need besides powder and caps and I believe I will need lube and cleaning supplies but not sure what I should get for any of those. And is the .36 1851 pietta from cabellas a good starting gun?

[Hawg]

I would forget the starter kit and get the items separately. As for cleaning I don't use patches I use bore mops. Hot soapy water is the best cleaner you can get. The 51 is a good gun. The 58 Remington may be a little more user friendly but I prefer the Colt's designs myself. Don't fool with a brass frame. You can only shoot light loads in them and IMO they're not worth the money. Not to mention historically inaccurate for most of them.

[maillemaker]

If you don't know what it was loaded with, you're taking a big risk shooting it out. If someone loaded it with smokeless, it will explode like a bomb when fired. You can google that and see the pictures of what remains.

You can either pull the ball out or remove the nipples and pick the powder out.

There should be no danger in picking the powder out. If you are really concerned about it, fill your sink with water and dunk the thing in the sink with the nipples out and pick the powder out while it's soaking wet. When all the powder is out, you can set the cylinder on a block of wood with a hole drilled in it, and then use a large nail to drive the bullet out of the chamber into the hole in the block of wood.

Steve

[BlackPowderBen]

I had some some powder go bad in a my revolver before, took the nipple of, picked at the powder, dumped it out, put some fresh powder back in, rammed the ball down to make sure it was tight, capped it up and fired away. I was a little scared though, you could attach a string to the trigger or something and go a distance off and shoot it so you dont have to hold it. Once you take the powder out look to see if there is rust behind the ball in the chamber.

Dont get a starter kit, the flask is nice to have, the measure looks good, the capper will be useful (I dont have one) but I dont know about the nipple wrench. You want hardened steel wrenches, I'll give you a link to a good one. Also the starter kit isn't worth it, you could probally buy some balls from someone on here or over on the castboolits forum, or at cabelas or any store like that. Cabelas has a good price for pyrodex black powder subsitute, and they also sell caps. the lube or wads isn't totally necessary, it just keeps the fouling down. People claim it prevents chainfires, and some say chainfires occur from the nipple end. it's a big controversy in the black powder world.
As for the '51, they are classic C&B revolvers. They do put them on sale if you wait, they had them $180 at Christmas. Colt black powder revolvers do hang up though, the hammer pulls the spent cap of each nipple sometimes on some guns. The remington 1858 doesn't do this.
If you really have to have lube, you could buy some unsalted crisco at the grocery store.
Have fun! Once you start shooting black powder, there's no going back

[wogpotter]

You might want to try a "schraeder valve tool" used for unscrewing car tyre valves, & so available from the local car parts store. In many cases its as good as, or better than a nipple wrench.
WD-40 applied liberally & left to soak overnight will help with the powder. & Hawg's idea with a drywall screw (also dripping with WD-40) should pull the ball easily enough.

[Maximus89]

Ok thank you guys for the replies. I have plenty of Schrader valve tools I'm an avid mountain bike rider so I have those. Will try and make it work with that and then soak with wd40 and pick it out slowly with something that's not metal. And yes the starter kit looked like craps but it looked decent enough to get me started. But I guess I'll just go the other route and get what I need as I need it. And yes I have done quite a bit of reading so brass frame is out of the question for me I plan on shooting it quite a bit so don't want to worry about the frame stretfhing over time. I like the 51 the best for looks so I will start there but I'm sure I will get more as time goes along thanks again everyone for the replies I will keep you updated as I make progress and pick up a gun of my own. One more question though is there anyone in socal that shoots? Be fun to be able to meet up with someone that has experience and shoot with them