1849 pocket revolver.

[His lordship.]

I have never shot the small framed Colt, the 1849 pocket.  Thinking of getting one, but I have noticed the last few summers that the heavier hammers like on the larger 1860 Army seem more reliable compared to my smaller 1851 Colt.  Sometimes if a spent cap gets down in between the hammer and the frame it can cause a misfire on my 1851, so I have to rock the gun back after each cock of the hammer to clear it.  With my 1860 Army, I can get away with just cocking it like a normal modern gun. 

Has anyone had reliability issues with their 1849 pocket?  If I have to I can just rock it back before cocking it like my 1851 Navy.

Thanks.   

[StrawHat]

I have three of the small framed revolvers, the 1862 series, and do not have the trouble with the caps falling off the nipples.

I replace the nipples on my revolvers if they do not hold caps.

...the heavier hammers like on the larger 1860 Army seem more reliable compared to my smaller 1851 Colt...

The hammer on those two guns are identical and interchangeable.  So are the rest of the internal parts.

The only parts not identical are the triggerguard, backstrap and grips.  On the 1860 they are a bit longer.

Perhaps the mainspring on your 1851 is weaker than on the 1860.

[torpedoman]

rocking all black powder revolvers back when cocking is a good practice because no matter how good your nipples are all bets are off after the cap is fired I even do it on cartridge guns partially out of habit and the muzzle is usually up from muzzle flip and recoil anyway.

[Flint]

What everyone said....   The nipples do make a difference, get Treso nipples (from Thunder Ridge).  Mainsprings on cap & ball guns are heavier than cartridge guns for the purpose of both firing the cap reliably and keeping the cap in place as it fires and the back-pressure tries to recock the gun.  I have seen over sized flash holes and light mainsprings bring a cap & ball to half-cock.

The small framed Colt 1849 pocket pistols outsold all the other revolvers put together, even in spite of the military contracts during the Civil War, they must have had something going for them.