WHY COLT PERCUSSION REVOLVERS SUCK

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

hi guys.hope you enjoy this video and i hope it gives you some ideas safe journeys to you

[@adameve8026]

Sync is a little off video/audio

[@MORiverFishing]

@@adameve8026 yeah there was another one a few days ago the same way. It's unfortunate, it makes it really hard to watch.

[@benjermanvanderburg7638]

How do you feel about the colt cylinder percussion rifle

[@gregzeigler3850]

What about the 1862 Pocket Police?

[@SandlapperSam]

Hey I was wanting to buy my first black powder revolver and was wondering if I should get a 5.5" barrel? I wanted to get a 5.5" barrel for being more compact and easier to pull from a holster but I dont want to regret my decision if the 5.5" barrel suffers in velocity and accuracy. Can you help answer this for me?

[@VincentVader]

I feel like I'm watching an old kung fu movie with the audio being slightly off.

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

yep i had the same thought

[@karlhoss6840]

I love my Uberti Colt Dragoons , Walkers and 1860 Armies , I use them for range shooting though, not Indian Fighting on the Frontier.... the Remingtons used about 30 years of Colt Development to make their improvements. However I just can't fall in love with the Remingtons. If I want to shoot a solid frame revolver I'll just play with my Ruger Vaqueros. 99% of the reason I love my percussion revolvers are those beautiful Colts.

[@ValMartinIreland]

The later Colts are the most pointable handguns ever made. They resemble a single barrelled shotgun which is also very pointable. The bore is almost exactly in line with the line of sight.

[@benjaminjarrett9816]

I was short on money once and looted my wife’s hair and cosmetics drawer. Found a Bobby pin, cut it to length and made the necessary adjustments. So far it’s been performing better than the trigger/bolt spring that broke. Thanks for the awesome video!

[@AtomHeartMother68]

Yup.. I've had an Uberti Walker since 1988....lots of rounds thru it... original springs. I do the wolf trigger and bolt springs in everything else. Hand springs just piss me off and you're spot on with your assessment. If you're careful, you can change the hand spring maybe twice without changing the hand. That crimp that holds the spring in the hand only has a few bends in it before it breaks. That sucks because you'll almost always have to time a new hand to get it to function right.

[@ValMartinIreland]

It is a bad design. The Ruger Bearcat hand is held in against the ratchet by a coil spring plunger which is much better.

[@jefflang6271]

I have always liked the elegant look of the open top Colt's but the overall design is undeniably inferior to the Remington. However, if not for the Colts the Remingtons would not have existed and improved on it. Having said all of that, I still tend to prefer shooting the Colts. Many more versions to choose from and they are easily modified/tuned to the point where they are almost as reliable as the Remington. I guess I 'm just a masochist & like tinkering with the obsolete design of the Colt!

[@sandemike]

I had a Uberti Colt Navy .36 and loved it.

[@twintwo1429]

The design of the REMINGTON would have existed, but maybe under a different name. Most anytime there is a flaw, someone will change or improve it. Its the reason we have such great amendments to the constitution.

[@BillyJ244]

Thanks for the information. I still like colts. It is definitely a design flaw. I appreciate your video.

[@greywuuf]

I bought a used Pieta '61 and one of the issues ( there were many ) was a broken trigger return spring. I happened to have a hardware store local that carries various diameters of Piano wire. I believe I used .020 and made my own wolff style spring, been going strong for 3 years.

[@paulreins2332]

Thank you Blackie for another great video on a subject that informs and educates us in the care and repair of our revolvers, this was something I had not heard of before.

[@shadetreeforge]

When me and my friends were into black powder shooting, after trying both colt and remington I settled on a stainless remington in .44. What you failed to mention was that dang wedge on the colt barrel! always coming loose sometimes after every shot! Thanks for the video it was informative... Still wish I had my remington today!

[@beachcomber1able]

You never hammered the wedge in hard enough. 😄

[@mrkemoun]

HI !! Thank you for this video. Could you please tell me which cartridge conversion cylinder have you use in this video ? which trademark ? Thank you very much for all. Regards.

[@BogeyTheBear]

When the hammer falls, so does the hand! When the hammer is full forward (as in when it's _firing_ the gun) the hand is fully retracted into the channel. So how could a recoiling cylinder star break the hand spring when it doesn't make contact with the hand?

[@ValMartinIreland]

I made that point too. The Colt design has 3 joints. 1) The screw thread holding the base pin to the frame, 2) The 2 pin joint between the bottom strap and the barrel and 3) the wedge. On firing, the frame jolts back pulling the barrel with it.

[@MrHrKaidoOjamaaVKJV]

Blackie, you brought up some serious valid points, concerning the "Replicas" of Colt percussion revolvers. Even the "Replica" Remington percussion revolvers require some necessary modifications ( no where near what the replica Colt style revolvers do) as you know; like Boring Rings around the cylinder pins and or a Collar on the cylinder face to negotiate through the sludge from powder fouling which causes the infamous Cylinder Binding to often occour. Years ago during the early 1980's at Navy Arms Company, a noted Salesman, Mr. Wayne, told me that the Replicas of Colt and Remington percussion revolvers were not made to the same exact specifications, with the same exact features as the originals be it in ; Size of the Frames, Grips, Barrel Bore dimensions or type of Gain Twist Progressive Rifling albeit for the Pietta Deluxe Remington Shooters model which is said to be an exact historically accurate replica in every manner. It is Interesting that it was Colonel Samuel Colt who invented the Solid frame Top Strap percussion revolver which he patent in 1848 and which expired in 1858 without having full production runs of Top strapped revolving belt pistols and we know what came after that, the Remingtons! (See my video of my trip to the Museum of Connecticut history with the Top Strapped Colt percussion revolvers the link is bellow) Over the years I have herd from credible sources that the original 19th century Colt percussion revolvers did not have all of the complicated functioning issues that the replica Colt style percussion revolvers have. I have read about that Colonel Samuel Colt ran a fair Military precision strict regime in his factory. That demanded perfection high quality functining percussion revolvers which had been properly tuned before being released for sale. As well as that on Colonel Colt's own personal recolvers he had taller front sights mounted. I do give credit to the Italian Replica Arms manufacturers for making improvements to their replicas with the empolyment of C in C Machinery, redesigning the replica percussion revolvers sizes with larger better cut finished frames (closer to the originals) and they are being better made today, are of a better general quality then they were during the early 1980's. However these replica percussion revolvers are still not 100 percent tuned with the general exception of the Deluxe Pietta Remington Shooters model. Other wise the price point would be much higher then has been in the recent past. During the early 1980's I purchased several Colt style percussion revolvers from Navy Arms Company. Each one had to be returned because they failed to properly function. The last one I returned the founder owner Mr. Valmore Forgett was present and I said to him " Sir with all due respect if the Civil war had been fought with these guns , it would have been over with in a day". "How can you allow this junk to be brought in and be sold"! This is a insightful good pointer video Blackie, as your pointing out the truths about these Replica Colt style percussion revolvers flawes. Which are in general way more finicky and require modifications tuning to be done. Which I usually modify ( Deepen open up the Rear Hammer sight and Loading ports). As well as I have Master Black Powder Gunsmith Mr.Dykes Reber of the muzzleloadershop.com in Berryville Arkansas to do the necessary needed modifications such as; Check and adjust the timing, do an action job, shorten or leaghten the cylinder gap if needed , Mount Taller Front sights,( manditory) Ream& Chamfere the cylinder chambers, mostly) Cut the Forcing Cone,Drill& Tap an Allen Screw with Locktite Red to perminetly pin in place the arbor pin, Drill& tap an Allen Screw to the front face of the arbor as a Wedge adjustment screw, mount a Lanyard Loop ring for secure weapon retention while afield Hunting, Fishing or Hiking. On my Walkers and Dragoons Mr. Reber, also strengthens the Dragoon Loading lever latch springs and adds a needed 1860 Loading lever latch to the Walker and mounts a Picatiny rail on the side square slab before the wedge for mounting of Laser/ flashlight combo devices for legal Boar Hunting and or emergency situations in low or no light conditions. Then I have Master Black Powder percussion revolver Tuner, Mr. Mike Brackett of goonsgunworks.com Do his needed work which consists of; Hardening all the exterior Screws, Adjusting the Arbor Pin to Barrel fit, Install a Cap Block Post and needed Action Shield Guard. After all of this work is completed I will then state I can usually rely on the said Replica Colt to be Well Regulated to be fully functionally reliable to Hunt with or for Wilderness Defense purposes against apex preditorial animals in emergency situations. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5WYfpePgNV_a9E

[@lemontier]

I always felt that the bigger diameter of the Colt cylinder pin with its grease grooves was superior to the Remington because they held lubrication better. I have fired both and the Remingtons will start to bind up on the pin way before the Colt. I like both of them and the advantages or disadvantages of either one are no reason to Monday morning quarterback the 168+ year old designs. Just buy a Ruger old army if it bothers you that much.

[@kevchard5214]

Blackie: I don't know if its just me but your audio is not sinked with the video.Just figured I would let you know.

[@dd_ranchtexas4501]

Kevin Blanchard: Same......

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

i just changed to a new computer and a new video edit system .. i see the problem and i am trying to fix it but thanks for the comment safe journeys

[@JFearlessJourneys2112]

@@BLACKIETHOMAS Made me chuckle on the last few videos! I know you'll get it synced up with time! thanks for an awesome video!

[@mikes622]

@@BLACKIETHOMAS over all good video but reminds me of watching one of them old kung fu movies were words didn't match the English words spoken !!!!

[@BeetleBuns]

@@mikes622 holy crap, you're right! I love those movies, don't know how I didn't make the connection lol

[@eljuano28]

Pietta specific: the metallurgy of their factory springs is not spectacular, (main springs seem to be the exception.) I've gotten in the habit of ordering or making a full set of springs with each gun. Haven't had a problem since I started doing that. I didn't know about the SSA spring swap. I may try that if I have a failure in the future. Happy father's day, Blackie.

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

thank you

[@dannyfain879]

Great video Blackie, I love the black powder series, I was wondering if you might do a video about your top five modern woods guns?

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

i have been thinking about that maybe this fall i can do that one for you guys

[@joshcarpio2282]

Very true. A fix that's worked for me on pietta 1860 army is using a new model army trigger bolt spring and making a new hand spring from a Bic lighter safety spring. Haven't broke them since .

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

cool

[@waddney4121]

I found that when you tighten the bolt/trigger spring it has a tendency to twist and but up against the frame and that also breaks them, I always make sure there is clearance when I fit them

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

very true in my tuning video i talk of how over tighten will cause the spring to give up

[@joefielding2298]

love your videos, I've learned more than I ever thought about the revolvers. for me the colt design is not perfect but it's genius at the same time. I can change cylinders on my 1860 almost as fast as changing a magazine in one of my modern pistols. it's all in how everything is setup. for me the loose cylinder setup is an advantage.

[@blackpowderfirearmenthusia3194]

Very interesting, I never gave it much though the difference between the Remington and the Colt percussion revolvers. This makes a lot of since, thank you for a very good video.

[@hercules1073]

First one I bought over 30 years ago was a colt pattern... loved the look and feel. Bought a Remington pattern next and since then have always preferred it's design especially when i hunted with it although I always had the colt tagging along and took game with both. I love the looks and feel of my colts, but prefer the ruggedness and quick cylinder change of the Remington's. The Remington's usually shoot point of aim as well, while that's very rare with a Colt, although there are exceptions, my son's Walker for example shoots point of aim. I've owned many over the years and one thing I've noticed is that when showing them to people that know nothing about cap and ball revolvers... especially those who are into the so called black rifles etc... they're always most fascinated with the Remington pattern and my conversions of some of them. I was exact opposite though... I was fascinated with the Colt designs, but chose the Remington for it's design and much better trouble free function. Cap jams are few and far between with a Remington and you get just as many shot's before fouling the gun as long as you have water, solvent, or spit with you to add a drop to the cylinder pin as needed.

[@garyfoltzer6618]

Thanks Blackie! I didn't know that! Have shot BP cap&ball off and on since about 1970 and never knew that! Thanks for sharing this info!...And Happy Father's Day!!

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

glad to be of help

[@pelewads]

Preach. I thought you were going to talk about frame stretch, or cap jams. This is a reason I was not aware of.

[@mkshffr4936]

Great info. My question is which is more likely to give you minute of squirrel accuracy?

[@jakebennett1047]

Blackie I enjoyed started watching your videos it's been about a month or two you got great knowledge on the colt black power pistol I've owned the black powder pistol of the Remington new army model for about 5 years and I've been thinking on getting a colt walker and I've learned a lot of knowledge on the black powder rifle from you too I enjoy your knowledge of camping and the knowledge that you share I appreciate because I'm thinking I'm getting the Colt pistol soon I love the design of it I've seen it in movies plus it's one of the oldest famous pistols ever made to my knowledge I appreciate your great knowledge that you share with us to me you're one of the best on the black powder rifles and the black powder pistols of the two types and other types

[@cal9064]

You make some very solid and insightful observations, Blackie. Some folks might disagree. But...the logic of your argument is clear, and hard to dismiss. Another informative and educational video. Keep up the good work.

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

I appreciate that

[@SuperSneakySteve]

Few people actually know what they are talking about on youtube. You're one of them. Thanks for the video.

[@doranmaxwell1755]

I have clones of the pocket and the 51 and the 60. My buddyt has 44 remington.. You are correct in my opinion about the modern wire springs fixing the broken spring issue but LOL.... my last broken spring was a mainspring. But... what we have noticed is that his stops running due to fouling much sooner than the Colts. Also the big center pinion on the Colt holds a lot of red grease so tjhe Colt will come apart when heavily fouled where the Remington is a real bear sometimes. another thing is that I have been doing some bright nickel plating at home (it is pretty easy)... Sooo the Colt clones.... except for grips and any part that is color cased hardened I finished it in bright nickel including the chambers. In fact in the pocket model I actually did the bore when I did the barrel... that may or may not work out but people are bright nickel electroplating piston rings and they hold up. The guns really clean up easily now.

[@DJ-dt4kz]

Love my colts , Love my Remys too. The colt feel and point so nice BUT design is definitely more persnickety. My Remys never get cap jams, sights are better fer my old eye and velocity in side by side same charge crono tests the Remy wins hands down, I'd be willing to assert the cylinder gap is the culprit for the colts lost power. Good video ,hate the title 😆

[@samuelforvour7942]

I have an asm 51 and had to modify a spring from track of the wolf, some springs will work with just alittle mod from pietta.

[@ValMartinIreland]

The ASM seems to have a very strong hardened frame and base pin assembly.

[@theskincartridge1234]

good job, finally someone said something bad about them. the cylinder movement on firing also causes so many cap jams, it is always forward when fired and moves backward at almost the same speed as the bullet. the combination of the blast from the powder and the cylinder movement pushes the hammer back far enough to throw caps off the nipples. Remingtons are not as prone to cap jams, or to broken bolt springs like you said. There is a fix that can be done but it is expensive, the cheap fix is a heavy hammer spring. good job on this...

[@flmason]

Would you say the '58 Remingtons are significantly less prone to cap sucking and spring breakage in real lie and usage conditions?

[@shannonbradshaw9085]

Good information and thank you! If I was into selling old guns I'd be into the Colts because they were so popular in history and that is what people today want and look for. If I was in that time of black powder pistols I'd choose the Remington every time. You demonstrated it but didn't mention it. The colt as you demonstrated you remove the wedge, the barrel, then cylinder. The Remington you drop the loading lever, pull that T forward ( it is pretty much captured to stay in and not fall out) and the cylinder can be removed. You could carry extra loaded cylinders and do quick change outs increasing the fire power over Colt dramatically making it a much superior weapon. That and I like the looks of the Remington much better also. Thank you!

[@oubliette862]

how do u get that cylinder pin out of that short barrel Remington?? doesn't the load lever catch get in the way??

[@Frenchbroadcatman.]

I just got a 51 navy a couple of weeks ago and I have shot it over 100 times so far and my cylinder is not loose it was my understanding that the spring was intentionally made that way so that if the cylinder jammed you could pull it off the frame to unjam it

[@davidschaadt5929]

Now you struck a nerve I'm going to dig out my Colt ,and Remington and look them over .Great video .And I subscribed .

[@uncletom1971]

Your Pietta wasn't blued? Or you brushed it to get that old look?

[@catman4644]

"Colt percussion revolvers suck"???????? SOMEBODY GIT'a ROPE!!!!! Couple of years late to the party but jokes aside, thanks for this info I have learned a lot.

[@patgwin7869]

...so by this logic, the brass framed 58's pose less of an issue than do the brass framed colts. Correct?

[@SouthFlaRon1958]

howdy...ive got a 1851 44 Pietta that I havent fired yet just played around with it taking it apart and putting back with no issues. But this one time checking to see if everuthing was working the way it should didnt...On half cock the cylinder doesnt spin Only if I Manually hold the Trigger will it spin freely...When I cock it thru , all 6 Chambers every thing works fine only half cock doesnt work...Any solutions...THX Ronnie

[@elimcgraw4066]

Very good insight. I know the wire type bolt springs are more resilient than the authentic flat ones, but I didn't know all that about the rounded bolt could cause the springs to break in the first place

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

its not the only reason but it is one of the factors to be sure

[@soylentgreen7074]

The design flaw in the Remington is it fouls much quicker than the colt. You should show a video on that. Fire both until they start catching and fouling up. A .44 Remington army vs an 1860. Both of the same maker(uberti since they’re higher quality).

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

i have spoken of that in past videos especially in the spiller and burr it will foul very quick the new model army rem has cut out on both sides of the barrel that shows the threads this to help fouling escape and not bind the cyl as quickly

[@hercules1073]

The Remington will fire all day long non stop simply by adding a drop of moose milk or anything else that dissolves bp salts including water to the cylinder pin periodically while shooting. You will start to feel drag and know when a drop is needed. As far as Uberti being better quality... that's no longer the case. I've been buying, collecting and shooting replica arms for 32 years and the recent Pietta guns I bought in 2019 and 2020 are so far superior that it's apparent from afar. I even bought a 2021 Uberti 1858 to compare to my older Uberti's and the 4 1858's I bought in 19 and 20. The Pietta guns have a mirror bright finish that's actually blue while the Uberti's are black and not nearly as highly polished. The rifling in the Pietta's look like a mirror! scoping the bores show an internal finish as if though you were looking at a nice S&W bore! the Uberti is the same old rough finish as usual with tool marks all in the lands. The new pietta's are 1:16 inch twist as compared to the 1:30" of my old Pietta's. the Uberti is of course 1:18" as with my older Uberti's so either gun will perform well with any projectile you can get in the cylinder. The Uberti's do have perfect cylinder to bore alignment, but not consistent chamberings, but that problem exists in all, but the competition models of either company to save on tooling bits. I love the feel of the Uberti actions, and the design differences in the hammer, and slightly smaller frames and grips though. I certainly do wish the Uberti's were of the same quality as the Pietta's, but since Alessandro, took over Pietta the quality has just gotten better and better... Still being an Uberti fanboy especially my cartridge model Uberti's... and loving the feel of their new model armies... I do certainly wish they were of the same quality...ultimately they are not.

[@soylentgreen7074]

@@hercules1073 we can agree to disagree. Every uberti I’ve had has been far better quality than any pietta. I have pietta’s and uberti’s from 1998 to present. Pietta’s are getting better but their nipple size is still off and i get way more misfires and caps falling off with them. The actions are rougher(my 2019 made pietta dance was atrocious). My pietta lemat was rough and had to be worked over by a smith. My pietta griswold had a loose dovetail where the loading lever attaches after using, that had to be fixed. My pietta spiller and burr wouldn’t fire the nipples were too short i had to buy after market ones just so the hammer could hit them. I do like pietta’s grip finishes better than uberti though. Uberti has the ugly orange grips. I have noticed, after i fix all the issues with the pietta’s that shouldn’t be there in the first place, they seem to be more accurate with round balls but uberti takes the cake with conicals(on modern made guns, haven’t tested with older ones). Only issues with uberti’s I’ve had is a 2014 1860 army i have would lock up if i used a safety notch on the cylinder and a 2021 made 3rd model dragoon the loading lever dovetail was loose. I do appreciate that pietta makes some models uberti doesn’t and I’ve bought them. But when you compare the models they both make head to head uberti’s are better quality and more faithful to the originals so much that you can put some original parts on uberti’s and uberti parts in originals. Can’t do that with pietta. Pietta’s Remington is closer in dimensions slightly vs uberti though. But some guns pietta takes the lazy way out. Their 1861 is wrong in barrel length and they use an 1851 frame for the dance when it was actually a dragoon size frame slightly smaller. And i can get multiple cylinders out of a colt style gun before having to spray anything on it or disassemble to clean vs a Remington pattern. I had a pietta Remington and a cimarron imported uberti. Kept the Cimarron and got rid of the pietta. Like I said we can agree to disagree.

[@soylentgreen7074]

@@hercules1073 i have been lucky to not have any timing issues or bore size issue with either.

[@soylentgreen7074]

Also i forgot to add my pietta Lemat was missing the main spring screw when i got it. I’ve ordered 2 and neither fit. I believe it was threaded wrong but they shipped the gun anyway. Luckily it can function fine without it so not a big issue but again more more factory pietta issues. They all need some work to be good from the factory. All my piettas have had factory issues and like i said 2 ubertis. Did. The piettas more significant in nature.

[@jeffreyarnold2929]

Your videos never disappoint. Very interesting and informative.

[@jimbelle3087]

Thank you Blackie that's good info good to know. Do you have a video on how to fit a new Bolt for an open-top Colt.? I'm having a hard time finding a video on how to properly do the timing on a open top Colt style revolver. Is it still done the same way as an 1873 model?

[@boomstick4054]

I always thought there should be a spring added to most revolvers around the.cylinder pin to help push the cylinder forward and absorb some of the recoil, along with the necessary machined groove in the receiver to accommodate/position the spring. A strong spring, but at rest, so it doesn’t affect the action.

[@chrisabraham8793]

The only problem i found with open top Colts was that the spent cap would sometimes fall into the trigger unit space in front of the hammer and lock up the cocking for the next shot. have to tip the gun upside down o clear or use some tweezers, with a Remington top strap.

[@1911bg]

My Uberti 1851 cyl does not move back like that.

[@markastrella]

Is it possible to fan a Colt Walker? If not, can it be modified to fan?

[@markfrench2980]

How do you properly measure the cylinder gap, and what would the tolerance be? I have a 1851 Navy, and a 1861 Whitney. Thanks for giving us all such good information.

[@rwl8150]

A cheap way is to buy a set of automotive feeler gauges. It will get you as close to reality without the expense of other methods.

[@markfrench2980]

@@rwl8150 I have feeler gages. I should have just asked what is a normal size cylinder gap,and what is too much of a gap. The gap on my Whitney is about .008 and there is nothing I know of to make it smaller. I'd like the gap to be about .004 The Whitney has a solid frame, and does not have a wedge like the Colt Navy does.

[@The411]

The Remington is a better gun. Cylinder removal etc. But man, the 1860 army is pure art.

[@robertglenn8759]

Blackie I have a problem! My new firing Pietta 1858 44.cal Remington When the gun goes from full cock moving forward to fire the bolt disengages from the cylinder and because of that there is movement of the cylinder Can you tell me what you believe is wrong? None of my other guns do that, Thank you Bob from Florida

[@georgewood9482]

The most important thing I'd say is ensuring the bolt is properly radiused, smooth and burr free. The cylinder notches are also radiused in the direction of recoil to allow the bolt to cam down. It's the same deal on the Rem. Without this free play in the cylinder it would bind with fouling quickly. If I compare my original Colt and Remington revolvers, the free play in the cylinders is similar. I'll measure them with some feeler gauges to see exactly how much movement there is when I can. The Remington is much easier to get to the bolt/trigger spring when you need to though, better design there for sure

[@caseysr.sectionhiker8372]

I've got Remmies & Colts (brass). The Colts point better & feel better to the hand but both foul & jam caps. Your tip in a prior video about notching the Rem cylinder pins should fix the fouling others have mentioned as will a tune & clean-up of both models' cap jams. BTW #10 caps & a gentle pinch with rattail pliers help my pistols while they're waiting (years now) for the gunsmithing I mentioned.

[@Blueskies-h3e]

For a first black powder gun should I get the Remington design or the Colt 1860 Army design ???

[@gaslyktan]

The Colt will need much more babysitting, in my opinion; while a Remington will stand on its own legs from square one.

[@wayneeck9805]

Always enjoy your videos, always very clear and easily understood! Thanks!

[@Bill23799]

Thank's Blackie. I thought you were going to talk about Colt's being Cap Suckahs. This was a very informative video. Can you tell me where I can find #10 Remington Percussion Caps for my Pietta Remington New Army revolver? When covid hit they disappeared.

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

i look at midsouth shooters supply when i am needing caps

[@Bill23799]

Thanks for the referral. Like everyone else they show all pistol caps out of stock. I imagine you stocked up many years ago. I bought one of those gizmos so I can stamp out my own caps out of aluminum cans. I like to keep that as a last resort. None of my local guys ever see them like they used to. Any other suggestions would be helpful.@@BLACKIETHOMAS

[@joepalermo3836]

So what black powder revolver do you recommend ?

[@ralphwatten2426]

I have a 51 Colt and have never broken any springs. I don't fire if every day. Wild Bill Hickock probably used his a lot so he must have had a pocket full of springs.

[@marblemarble7113]

Colt's have a very elegant design but overall they just dont have the extra practicality and ease that im looking for, maybe in the future tho

[@ValMartinIreland]

1) When all the Colts are fired, the hammer is down and the hand is out of contact with the cylinder ratchet cog. The recoiling cylinder cannot impact against it. 2) The cylinder stop design is exactly the same on a Remington as it is on the Colt in the later model Colts. The slot is cut with a woodruff cutter. Slots on earlier Colts were elongated to allow for movement. 3) The biggest problem with the Colts was that the whole gun relied on a 1/4 inch thread less than 3/8 inch long. There was no top strap and the bottom strap was split. Excessive cylinder gap could be repaired by a gun smith.

[@ArgoPower]

It means that the remington 1858 is much much better then?

[@akswrkzvyuu7jhd]

Very interesting. Now, Blackie, how much do you think the Colt cylinder movement during recoil contributes to the "cap sucking" problem that Mike Beliveau has mentioned several times?

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

it plays a part i did a whole video on my thoughts a few yrs ago ..but another big factor is the weak main springs allowing the hammer to be set back upon firing..this allows the cap to be forced into the hammer and the cap gets stuck to the hammer

[@kevinbietry7527]

I preferer a Colt or Remington any caliber percussion gun over a rimfire revolver. Same reliability but more power.

[@bigislander72]

Just broke the trigger and bolt spring on my new .44 after less than 100 rounds. Now I'm convinced to order several replacement as backup.

[@job38four10]

Where do you get the round bolt spring?

[@mattrockman1028]

hey i think last week i watched your other video about the brass framed ones having the problem of the teeth cutting into the back. The video is a few years old... so is it happening on the steel frames too?

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

it can but much slower..

[@DocLaw172]

First video I have seen of yours where the video and sound does not seem to be in sync.

[@wonder-bred]

Waitin for him to woop out some kung foo like those import shows i watched on sundays at grandmas when i was a kid.

[@alanbrackett4230]

How hard is it to get that base pin clean on that Remington sheriff model since you can't remove it?

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

not too bad i can clean most of it in the closed position then push it in to clean the front of the pin thus far no problems

[@grizzlytabaccy]

I hate the wedge on my 1849 pocket I cant keep it tight It slides out way too easy I'm afraid I'm gonna shoot it and the barrels gonna become a projectile

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

order a new wedge that my cure the problem in the mean time you can bend the wedge a tiny bit lock one end into a vice tight..then tap the other end sideways with a hammer so a tiny curve happens this will add a bit more friction top to bottom as well as the usual side to side i have had to do this with other colts in the past

[@karsonbranham3900]

I hear you but why is it that on a head to head test, the colts had greater muzzle velocity than that of the Remingtons? Cap N ball did a test of 4 original pistols and the colt was quite a bit ahead of the pack on muzzle velocity over all the others.

[@DJ-dt4kz]

Nope

[@Yosemite-George-61]

It's true about the marks on the brass frame... my .36 Griswold has over 1000 rounds shot, plenty of marks but it never broke anything. I do shoot comp. loads of 15g and take appart every time. The "cylinder dance" is annoying...

[@TheKickassK]

If I don't take apart my navy every 3 months and oil it it starts to seize up. Also I see a bunch of white crystally residue coming out of the cylinders a couple weeks after I use it even though I thoroughly clean it after use.

[@Fuzzybeanerizer]

Geez, the gap on that Colt-style in the video looks HUGE. I would mill or file some metal off the lower "foot" of the barrel, where it contacts the frame. I'd get that gap down to about .006" and forget about any problems resulting from the cylinder recoiling. I've never noticed any binding due to heat expansion... that sounds crazy. Some thought went into the comments about the cylinder kicking the hand and bolt around, I'll grant that much, but #1 basically your gun needs tuning, #2 I can't imagine the small bolt and its skinny screw/pin holding a bucking Walker cylinder forward without getting beat up very quickly, and #3 I think most broken hand springs are due to caps falling into the mechanism. Or just due to bad quality springs. Actually I've hardness tested some very beautiful Italian percussion revolvers and even the critical parts like cylinders are right off the soft end of the Rockwell "C" scale. There is no reason to imagine that the springs are any better quality than the cylinders are.

[@jasonwright285]

The wedge is also worth mentioning here. That dang wedge.

[@cliffordnewby6092]

Very interesting fact. You just explained a few things and I'm not a rookie that shed a ton of light on a problem. Still love my colts.

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

Glad you enjoyed it! i love them as well i own 1 remington sheriff and a spiller and burr the rest are colts and i have had over 100 in my long yrs of shooting..still love the look feel and design..but i got to admit they do have a few weak points

[@ElmerJFudd-oi9kj]

Brilliant help mate, thanks a million.

[@livefreeordie9041]

Based on your video and the seller I go through, I just made a purchase of a new hand spring & trigger spring from my favorite seller for my Pietta .44 Navy Colt to have on hand just in case so I don't have to wait around for them to come to me in the mail later after it happens. Thank you!

[@donnyboon2896]

Yes, information I didn't know! In the near future I'm getting into black powder. I've always liked Remington more. If I recall the history correctly, there were more Remingtons in that era. Thank you for the heads-up.

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

colt had bigger numbers but thats cause colt was making them longer the remington was well liked by the troops

[@jimihendrix4376]

Well i guess we had better buy Remington, lol. Actually the Remington is my choice because the top strap design just makes more sense to start with, but this is good information to know!

[@larsbliss2728]

The only thing I despise on colt percussion revolvers is the rear sight, what a scroo up that was. I need to take all mine and finally attach a rear sight to the barrels.

[@Rumblestrip]

Seen this problem in my colts come up. Interesting to see how it was delt with in other guns like the Remingtons, and the later iterations of colt. With cartridges, it slams the other way. Hasnt been fixed yet. Lol I wish Remingtons delt with fowling better...i really do.

[@erics320]

I don't disagree with most points you mention. But you have to keep in mind what those revolvers were designed for. Military use, and that means it is carried around a lot more then its shot with. They were never meant to end up in the hands of sport shooters who take it to the range every week to do 50 shots and are expected to last for 10-20 years doing that. I have an original colt 1860 army that still is pretty tight on cilinder play and its a great shooter. A take it once a month to the range, use reduced loads and do 12 shots each time. With good maintenance and care these guns will last a long long time. Never had any springs break on mine.

[@snappers_antique_firearms]

Wow great video. I never thought of this. But I do love my colts.

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

Me too!

[@ToreDL87]

Yeah the design can be said to be inferior. Looks and shoots great, but not without some quirks. To be honest, thats how I like it :)

[@seantierney3]

well that is not what I was expecting this to be about. it should be noted as well that the trigger and bolt springs are now made from stamped metal and not a tempered spring which causes them to fatigue and break more frequently.

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

very true

[@tomallen6073]

Interesting observation. Thanks

[@genesmolko8113]

I can't imagine the recoil putting that much strain on the hand and bolt springs, it's not like they bear the entire pressure of the recoil. Of course I'm not expert, maybe it does weaken them.

[@RemedyTalon]

Colts just feel so much better in the hand, especially 51'-61'

[@MuskratOutdoors]

Good points, but I have to disagree. You make some good points, but the problem is not as big as you make it out to be. Original guns I own and others I have shot, have no problems and are still accurate after 150 years or more. I do agree that the Remington is a better design, but Colt revolvers do not suck in any way. If they did, they would not be as popular as they were at the time, or today. Over all, a good video. One thing though, your sound is off from the picture. Not sure what would cause that?

[@bobscruggs9051]

I own a pair of Colt 1860 Army 44 cal , A Walker 5 lb beast , and a Peittea 36 Cal , and a Ruger Old Army . All the Colts design and little pieces have never been improved upon , then comes the Ruger100 years later a complete new design and a game changer .

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

very true the ruger is the last dragoon..a true modern percussion revolver

[@bobjohnson2089]

The Ruger Old Army is a Spiller and Burr

[@bobjohnson2089]

The Ruger is a modernized Spiller and Burr. Love my ROA and adjustable sights but for sheer aesthetics and feel the Colt is unsurpassed. Targets or hunting both are equal. Blackies lifetime of knowledge on this subject is unsurpassed and inarguable. Thanks so much.

[@wolfswesterns6650]

WOW, never thought I would hear that. Gonna watch this one twice.

[@greywuuf]

I disagree. I agree that there is a problem with the springs and I agree that the bolt does not limit fore / after travel....I disagree with the presumption that the ring contact on the cylinder is insufficient to stop the cylinder ....I think rather the hammer and in some case the hand protrude to far forward and possibly the groove is not deep enough and the "teeth" actually contact before the ring. I dont see how proper cylinder gap and a smooth flat ring ...would be any different than the remington. I would venture that if you chucked the arbor up in a mill you would find the ring of the frame is not "square". I believe that blueprinted and set up correctly you would find no differance I. The remington or colt system .....do however beleive it is easier to bore the arbor pin hole on the reminton frame square with the world than it is to press or thread the large arbor of a colt.

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

i have tried many things..and i am sure there are a ton more to try..

[@AtomHeartMother68]

Valid point.. the rings on colt brass frames can get crushed over time with recoil. I have seen it on steel frames occasionally. On a properly timed and gapped colt the hand should not be jammed tight into the ratchet at full cock and the hammer should just kiss the cone when dropped. Too long a hand and too much over travel on the hammer beats the hell out of the colts over time. Both colt and Remington repros are often poorly timed from the factory. Do they function? Yes, for a while, but then that poor timing shows it's damage. The old joke about these things is that cap and ball repros will turn you into an amateur gunsmith real quick. ;-)

[@aaronschmidt169]

Excellent information as always Blackie

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

Much appreciated

[@jeffrichards5106]

Great information Blackie. I never really liked the Colt designs and always preferred the Remington. Just looking at a Colt, makes me wonder how this thing stays together when you're shooting it. Looks like something that would blow up in your face. Don't know if you're having issues with your camera? your last 2 videos are like Godzilla movies, your lips aren't syncing with what you're saying. 👍

[@russellkeeling4387]

I don't know about your experience with the Colts but mine have been wonderful. The only time anything ever broke on mine was when I loaded it so hot I had to cut half the bullet off to get it behind the barrel. It set the hammer back on half cock and broke the trigger spring when I fired it. I don't want a remington because they are so ugly.

[@carlostrujillo4750]

I favor Remingtons anyway because they are easier to swap out cylinders when carrying extras . much faster than colt.

[@keithcronk7980]

THEY DIDNT SUCK IN THE DAY THAT THEY USED THEM 😂😂😂😂

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

hey i still use them..lol ya just got to be aware of the flaw and do what ya can to make it better

[@keithcronk7980]

@@BLACKIETHOMAS THIS IS TRUE WE JUST TAKE IT TO A MACHINIST 2 HANDLE IT BROTHER LOL

[@wallacejeffery5786]

Excellent review

[@nzef1945]

Very interesting but in my opinion the Colt has many more features that make it the worst percussion revolver ever made! I have seen cylinder arbours bent and put this down to two factors - bend to the left cause by carrying them in a holster whichputs pressure on them and over a period of time actually bends the cylinder arbour. Ever sighted along them and noted a slight bend to the left? Also the firing of them causes the cylinder arbour to stretch and this increases the gap between cylinder and barrel as well as causes it to shoot low. Just food for thought and my conclusions after examining many dozens of percussion Colts.

[@jollyjakelovell4787]

That was a great presentation full of facts and a possible solution. Thanks

[@BLACKIETHOMAS]

Glad it was helpful!