New Guns, Please Help!

[vanbuzen9]

Hey guys, I was at cabelas here in Hoffman Estates to buy a Muzzleloader to catch the last few weekends of the MI mz season, and bought a Remington Genesis.  But let me get to my main point, while buying the genesis, I saw a nice Remington 1858 army in the case, and after handling it, I bought it along with the genesis. 

My main question is this: although I am well versed in muzzeloading, this is my first cap and ball revolver, and I would like to know what kind of propellant you guys use.  I wish I could use the same as I do for my rifles (blackhorn 209), but they obviously don't make a pistol version of that yet, so I am stuck between using pyrodex pistol and 777 fffg.  Please give me some insight as to how these two perform.  I see that the pyrodex gives more velocity in most of the sources I have looked at, although it is probably more corrosive. Any help on this would be great.

I would also like to get one of the 45 colt conversion cylinders for this gun as well.  I see the main manufacturer of these is R & D.  For you guys that own them, are these cylinders decent quality?  They should be, they cost about 50 more dollars than the entire pistol does!

thanks,
vanbuzen9

[Ol_Gal]

 I did pretty much the same thing last weekend.  I got the 1858 New Army 5.5" barrell.  I picked up some Hodgdon Pyrodex pellets (30 gr) for 44/45 cal pistols, and a pound of Pyrodex "P" loose powder.  I use 30 gr of powder or 1 pellet, a lubed wad and ball.  They all work very well.  Pellet are so easy.  No measuring, and no misfires as long as the ball is seated well.  The pellets have on the container PISTOL 'New propellant for cap and ball revolvers."  Good Luck & have a bunch of fun!

[Flint]

If you look at an R&D or a Kirst cylinder, you will realize they are made better than the host gun to start with.  If you wear out the gun, the revolver is the throw-away part, the cylinder will last forever.

If you put in a conversion cylinder, you can also put in a much lighter mainspring.  If you want to shoot cap & ball again, you'll have to put the heavier spring back in.

[vanbuzen9]

Thanks all for the info.  Flint, what affect does the lighter mainspring have the conversion?

thanks,
vanbuzen9

[Odinbreaker]

I use goex pincale 3 f or American Pioneer 3f in my Cap And Ball I get a lot more shots before clean up and it is not quite a powerful as T7.

[Sir Charles deMoutonBlack]

With the conversion cylinder and cartridges, the primers are easier to set off.  This allows the lighter spring. The effect of the lighter spring is to make the action much easier to use with speed.

When you go back to cap'n ball, you need the stock springs to give a stronger blow to the caps.

[Flint]

As Sir Charles said.....

The other reason for a heavy spring on the cap & ball is to help hold the caps on the nipple when fired, to fight the backpressure.  Too light a spring can blow off the firing cap and it often ends up in the lockwork or between the hammer and the frame, and can jam the cylinder as it gets pushed out the side...   These problems don't occur when firing a cartridge.

[blhof]

You also might want to use round balls for the revolver, as they seem to work best in most revolvers, due to the twist rate of the rifling.  I have the Ruger Old Army and have tried many cast bullets and gone back to the round ball for best accuracy.  If you get the conversion cylinder; be sure to use only cowboy action loads, as modern high pressure loads are beyond the ratings of B/p revolvers, also don't get the conversion if you have a brass frame, they stretch with higher pressure loads such as the 45Lc, even the cowboy stuff is hotter than B/p.