Recent Posts

1

Handguns / Re: Smith & Wesson Model 1

« Last post by Hanshi on May 09, 2024, 02:47:15 PM »

If I understand this correctly both pistols are number "1" models.  Your restoration job looks good to me and must have tried your patience at some point.  As for the magnum (Ahem!) BP charge of 4 grains, I believe I may have some idea about the actual self defense expectations of that era. 

The powder used was likely a very high grade as the velocities from CW handguns exceeded what we usually get from our repros.  Maybe something like Swiss?  And no one wants to get shot, even just a little bit.  I'd be surprised if the usual target for these tiny pistols was anything other than somewhere around the head at handshake distance or less.  Another thing is that infection was a common result of nonfatal hits.

I would be very interested finding out the chronographed velocities of those cartridges.  The results "could" be surprising.  Years ago I took squirrels with CB caps that were powered only by the prime in the case.

Now that I've added nothing to this discussion remotely related to your post, I'll just ask to be sure, "what information exactly were you hoping for.  Also the fact that you know who this post comes from goes a long way to explaining the "WHY" of this response. 

2

Handguns / Smith & Wesson Model 1

« Last post by hotfxr on May 09, 2024, 11:33:57 AM »

I know I am stretching the forum rules with this post, but this has been an interesting project a couple years in the making. These are a couple of Smith & Wesson Model 1 revolvers, 3rd version. Versions 1 and 2 were almost all sold to Union troops during the Civil War. Version 3 came out after. The model 1 was the first firearm S&W ever made. They have a long and interesting history. I won't go into that now. These two were made a few months apart in 1872. They are top break, .22 (short) caliber 7 shot revolvers. My justification for posting them here is they shoot BLACK POWDER cartridges. They shot a 29 grain bullet propelled by 4 whole grains of black powder. I was given one, without a hammer and a couple of springs and was instantly intrigued and set off to restore it. I finally found another on GunBroker that was cheap enough to buy for a parts gun. (This is "On the Cheap", remember.) The day the parts gun arrived I found a hammer on Numrich and bought it. After playing around with small parts and lots of work with small files and stuff, I finally have one fully restored. The other is operational, but needs a very weird spring that so far I have been unable to fabricate. Both of them have nice clean barrels with fairly sharp rifling and are just plain cool.
I managed to roughly reload a dozen or so bullets and have fired both of them. Reloading a 22 is a challenge all on it's own. I did come to the conclusion that with 4 grains of 3fff pushing that bullet out, they are not too intimidating. I mean, if you were to shoot me with one of these, you would really piss me off.











You might have noticed that they look loaded. I keep an empty shell in all my rimfire firearms. Why? Because most people cannot resist dry firing any time they have a gun in their hands.

3

Flintlock Rifles / Re: I really love everything about...

« Last post by flintboomer on May 08, 2024, 06:29:02 PM »

I used to have a Pedersoli 32 flintlock and due to the size of the powder pocket it would not go off consistantly with less than 35 gr. I never found a perfect load for it and finally got rid of it. I have owned a couple of percussion 32s and one would not group with more than 18 gr of 3f and 15 was better. The other one worked ok with everything I tried but a young lady needed a gun and I sold it to her at a loss because she needed it and I didn't and she didnt have much money.

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Flintlock Rifles / Re: I really love everything about...

« Last post by Hanshi on May 07, 2024, 02:58:06 PM »

My .40 liked 40 grns of 3F up to 60 grains.  40 grns was a perfect all around load in my "former" .40.  60 grains of 3F had around 2150 fps of push.  Odd but true 30 grns of 3F (but it could have been 2F) made one hole groups at 25 yds and was my choice for squirrels.

I killed lots of deer with 80 grains of 3F in my flint .45 and 60-65 grns in my .45 underhammer.  But I eventually toned down most of the higher loads to 60-70 grains.  I killed deer with 100 grns in my .50 Virginia rifle; my current .50 gets fed 60-70 grns just like the .45s.  Now that I don't hunt powder-puff loads suit my needs quite well.  Plus my .32 and .36 get the most attention nowadays.  With the .32 and .36 we're talking 20 to maybe 30 grains of 3F.  Might even like dropping a tad below 20 grns.

5

Flintlock Rifles / Re: I really love everything about...

« Last post by flintboomer on May 03, 2024, 06:40:05 PM »

Back when I started everyone said start your load at bore size in grains and work up from there, but that old (It was new back then.) TC Renegade took me 2 years to find out that I needed to go DOWN not UP with the powder. It is .54 caliber and prefers 40 grains. My .50 prefered 35 grains. My .58 seems to like anything I have erver tried and my .40s like 40-65.

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Your Favorite Rifle / Re: Powder

« Last post by flintboomer on May 03, 2024, 06:27:03 PM »

Well, as long as it looks like 2f, 3f or 4f it will do.

And goes bang when you need it to. one of the guys at the sprng rendezvous had some that didn't. I don't know what it was except that it was in a black can and DID NOT look like
the old Elephant brand. I used Elephant brand when it was available and never had a problem with it. I did always use 3f and I was told that their 2f was a little dirtier and a tiny
bit slower than GOEX.

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Flintlock Rifles / Re: I really love everything about...

« Last post by Hanshi on April 30, 2024, 01:11:06 PM »

Got fingers?

[/u]
Just the one. 
[/quote]


I wish you would quit talking about that accident.  I hit your hand with that hammer only that ONE (1) time by accident.  If you hadn't moved your head your hand would be okay. 

My shooting ain't what it use to be.  I get keyholes with my prb in nearly every gun.  And I can't shoot a sub 1" group even when I fire just ONE SHOT!

8

Your Favorite Rifle / Re: Powder

« Last post by Hanshi on April 30, 2024, 12:55:55 PM »

Well, as long as it looks like 2f, 3f or 4f it will do. 

9

Prayer Chapel / Re: Redbadger undergoing surgery

« Last post by Hanshi on April 30, 2024, 12:48:45 PM »

A few others here are like me in that they have no sense of humor.  I was born without one.  I laughed once long ago, ONCE, and that's all I've ever had in me....gone now.  I guess I should add that only a few years ago I did GRIN, but then corrected myself immediately.

10

Your Favorite Rifle / Re: Powder

« Last post by hotfxr on April 25, 2024, 01:44:25 PM »

In the interest of full transparency, I don't actually use commercial powder. I'm not allowed to say how or why, but I make my own powder grinds. I have sifting screens in different sizes that give me powder that looks real close to factory powder grinds.