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Old November 11, 2017, 08:26 PM   #1
Model12Win
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Join Date: October 20, 2012
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.36 Brass Damage?

Can anyone with a Colt style open top .36 cap and ball, especially the modern ones made by Pietta or Uberti, give comments on the longevity and durability of them for shooting?

What loads should be fired? What is the max safe powder charge to avoid damage?

I'd like to get a Pietta Griswold and Gunnison .36 but am worried it will stretch out or otherwise become damaged over time, as I plan to shoot it quite a bit.

Thoughts?
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Old November 11, 2017, 11:18 PM   #2
Hawg
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Can't say about a Colt but I imprinted the cylinder ratchet into the recoil shield of a brass .36 Remington with 25 grains of Pyrodex RS and it didn't take but a few cylinders to do it.
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Old November 12, 2017, 01:37 AM   #3
James K
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In a percussion revolver with no top strap, the recoil of the cylinder tries to bend the frame, whether the frame is brass or steel, but it happens a lot sooner with a brass frame than with a steel one. That is the main reason people with brass frame revolvers need to keep loads light.

IMHO, there is no good reason to choose a brass frame over a steel* one except looks, so if you want a brass frame for looks, keep it for show and occasional shooting and buy a steel frame for shooting.

Jim

*Original percussion revolvers usually had frames made from wrought iron or even plain cast iron; modern guns are made from steel and so are a lot stronger than the old guns, but the antique design still dictates moderate loads and BP.

JK
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Old November 12, 2017, 04:40 AM   #4
45 Dragoon
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Mod.12,
As a test, about 2 yrs ago, I set up 2 brass '60s with tight tolerances and the users were to shoot normal-max loads in them. One of them was a designated fanner (2 different owners. One here in the East, the other in AZ). As far as I know, they are still going strong! In fact, I just asked about the fanner a couple of months ago and it's still going strong.

In my experience, seems to be in how the revolvers are setup from the "get go". Whether steel or brass, a close tolerance revolver (especially an open top) shooting bp loads will hold up just fine. Allow sloppy clearances to develop ( usually as is from the factory) and the life expectancy is concurrent with the amount of slop. Cylinders will become slide-hammers (excessive/growing end shake); and beat the revolver apart, modern or antique design.

I did the same as Hawg with a brass Remington (NMA) I got in the '70s (college boredom). In the mid '80s (and after a lot of shooting over its life) the cyl had imprinted as well. While shooting one day, I bent the arguably "strongest " design while loading it!! I've never bent a brass open top loading it, or shooting it, . . . . . ever!

The open top design is an extremely strong design, it's the poor execution in the build of it that has "tarnished" (brass or steel!! Pun intended!!) it! Short arbors, misaligned bore/chambers, crappy action parts . . . the kind of things that are the detriment of "our" copies and the reputation of an elegant design.
Automobile engines of the '40s, '50s, '60s and '70s were junk if they even made it to 100,000 miles! The '80s saw great improvement (with Alu. blocks AND heads no less!!) and today, 100,000 miles is piece of cake!! (Mine and my wife's cars have had 3 pieces of cake! Each!!)
Close tollerances with a good design will win every time!!


Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
Follow me on Instagram @ goonsgunworks

Last edited by 45 Dragoon; November 12, 2017 at 05:32 AM.
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