Loads & etc. for 1862 Pocket Police .36

[doctundra]

Just finished reading thru all 27 pages of posts on this great forum, which is no doubt why a Taylor's Uberti 62 Pocket Police whispered to me when I passed it in the dealer's case this morning.

Thanks to Gatofeo's lucid essay and all the informative posts I've read, I also got a jar of JB paste to smooth the bore. and while I wait for a whole bunch of .380 pure lead balls to come in from Track of the Wolf, I started researching loads.  I have a copy of Mike Venturino's Shooting Colt Single Actions...wherein he recommends 20 gr of FFFg for this shorty.  Can that be right?  Seems like a lot.

Haven't seen any references to the use of lubed over-powder wads for these - but because there was one lonely old bag of them at a discount hanging on a hook when I bought the pistol, thought I'd give it a try.   Now I'm thinking that with 20 gr of powder, a wad, and a ball in there, that cylinder's gonna get a little crowded.

Any experiences with this stack out there?  Is 20 gr a bit stout for this light frame?

As to ball diameter, Venturino says .375.  There were two pamphlets in the box: Taylor's & Uberti's.  Taylor's says .375; Uberti's say .380.  Will mike the chamber mouths, but the common wisdom says go with .380, and I will eventually start casting that size.  I do, however, have a small number of Speer .375 balls lying around, so those will have to do for starters.

Lastly, I can see that the tiny little pointy brass post used for a front sight is gonna have to go.  Can it just be yanked out with vise grips?  I'd like this thing to print dead on at about thirty feet, so I'd welcome suggestions for replacements.  Have even given some thought to use of a period dime (or small foreign silver coin) for a unique yet not wholly outrageous look.  The present plan is to build up the brass post with a Little JB weld and adjust as needed to determine the proper height of the permanent replacement.

This is only my second C&B (my other is a Walker) - I appreciate whatever opinions, suggestions, or guffaws the company can offer a newbie.

Thanks

[Cowpox]

Welcome to the board doctundra. By paying attention to Gatofeo's advice, I have never failed to get improved performance from my cap and ball revolvers. I think you will like your new 1862. I have a Uberti with the 5 inch barrel, and it is one of my favorite revolvers. The first load I tried in mine was 15 grains (that was the spout on my small flask) of fff Goex, and it was so pleasant to shoot, with good accuracy, that I have never bothered to try anything different. The striking energy leaves something to be desired, because at 20 to 30 yards, I have only broken the skin on stripped gophers a couple of times. It sure kills them on contact, but usually the only blood you see is leaking from every natural oriface on their little bodys. If you look, you will find a small bald spot with bruising, and every bone in them is chushed. they never even quiver after the hit !
I use cast dead soft balls of .375 diameter, and get a nice ring of lead shaved off.  It did shoot high,but using a Dremel tool and cut off wheel, I was able to deepen the sight notch in the hammer enough to find point of aim hits at 25 yards. I didn't have to regulate east or west, because that is right on. The little brass bead is small, but it works for me ok. I would suggest you try it before you change it. They are pocket revovers, and a taller sight would be more likely to catch in clothing. 

[doctundra]

Thanks, Cowpox - Minute-of-Gopher between 60 and 90 feet!  Good on ya!  I'm not sure I can see that far.

Nice to hear that the .375 works for you - thing wants to just press right on into the chamber with simple thumb pressure on mine, but she's worth a shot anyhow.  Are you using overpowder wads?

Dremel & me is a dangerous combination - I see that the sight slot is also a "V" shape when seen from above, as well as from front to back, and just barely cuts down into the front side of the hammer nose; with such compound angles to keep track of, I probably oughta go with a fine triangular file if i try to deepen it at all.  But how deep?

If I "temporarily" build up the front post and adjust that to the desired POI, will the height added to the front post roughly equal the amount to be removed from the rear notch?  Or have I successfully confused myself again?

[Cowpox]

I sure don't hit a gopher on every try Doc. According to the tight little 2 inch groups it shoots on paper from a good rest, at 25 yards, the misses are my fault though, not the revolver.
     If you can push .375 balls with your thumb, you will need those .380 balls for sure. The mold I use to cast mine are marked .375, but I have never miked a ball, so they could be a little larger than the mold mark. The recoil with 15 grains of fff is almost non existant in mine, so I doubt you will have problems with the .375 ball moving in other chambers, but I suggest using plenty of lube over the ball to guard against flash over.
     I use Gatofeo's lube recipe and wads cut from felt weather stripping under the ball. As he points out, they make for a pretty clean bore, even after many shots are fired. Just one of the several helpful hints he has provided this board with.
     I would bet I am at least as dangerous with a Dremel, as you or anyone else. I have learned to wrap the work piece in several layers of cloth, and lock it in my rubber padded bench vice. Then I can support the Dremel with both hands, while my left forearm is resting on the jaws of the vice. After learning this, I no longer cut unwanted designs on things. Because I'm not partial to V notches, I just cut sraight down into the notch. Easy does it, and when you see you have removed a small amount of metal, stop grinding, load one chamber, and try it. Each time , the point of impact will keep droping. Repeat until you reach point of aim. I have "regulated" the sight notch on all five of my Colt style Italians, and the slit in the hammer does not appear to affect the hammers ability to capture cap fragments.
      I don't know if the heigth of the front site would correspond with the amount removed from the hammer or not. Logic says it would, however, I have a friend who didn't want to alter the hammer on his several Colt style revolvers, so he made taller front sights from brass brazing rod. To my eye, his front sights look taller than the distance I cut into my hammers ?  I would strongly suggest the careful, "little at a time" approach, rather than trying to find a formula, and removing it all at once.
     
     

[Cowpox]

I forgot to add, that you will want to try different loads and components until you find the load your revolver likes best, or at least is acceptable to you, before altering your sights. Use the same point of aim. The group will be above your point of aim, but group size is what you are looking for, not hitting the bull. Once you find what your revolver likes, then do what has to be done to bring your groups to point of aim.

[doctundra]

Thanks yet again.  I am in fact just now popping wet parts into the oven for a final drying after a good scrub with hot water & soap.  Mucho fouling; downright crusty!

Just shot for groups this afternoon - made a 'temporary' front sight extension out of electrician's tape folded over the brass post - height will have to be almost twice as high to get the desired POI at the 'combat' line (30 ft.)  Guess I'll be filing real easy - will go for a square-bottom notch, and be mindful not to interfere with the cap-catching function.

But what a blast to shoot!  20 gr FFFg makes it bark, ok! & the .375 ball was just ok.