Been casting and shooting both the J&D and the Colt bullet since the molds first came out. I was one of the beta testers when Mark was still finalizing the J&D design. I still have the 3-D printed test bullet. IMHO, these are the best thing to happen in the C&B revolver community in over 20 years. I've been forming and shooting combustible paper cartridges for 40 years but with round ball because up till now no historically-correct conical mold has been available. My rounds are finally as correct to issue cartridges as possible. I have about 150 or so Richmond bullets cast up but haven't had time to try them out or work up a correct cartridge for them. Looking forward to these videos.
+Blackie Thomas Outstanding project! Best wishes, looking forward to your results. FYI, Original Colt and Remington C&B revolvers had gain-twist rifling with final rotation rate of about 1-in-18-to-20-inch roughly, in the last 1/3 of the barrel. First 2/3'rd of barrel was about 1-in-40-inch roughly. Newest-made Pietta replica revolvers have a steady 1-in-30-inch twist for 31/36/44 caliber. Newest-made Uberti replica 36/44 revolvers have a steady twist of 1-in-19 inch close to original Colt, Remington, Whitney, etc. Uberti 31 cal replica revolvers have a 1-in-32" twist, much slower than Colt original 31's. Older 36/44 Uberti revolvers had a slow 1-in-32" twist (Older Uberti Walker & Dragoon an incredibly slow 1-in-56" twist!). The original-style 36/44 conicals fired from a newer-made Uberti 36/44 will behave pretty much as from an original Colt, Remington as far as accuracy and wood/gelatin penetration. Original-style conicals fired from a 1-in-30-or-32" twist will tumble faster and penetrate wood/gelatin much less than the same bullet at the same velocity fired from a 1-in-19-inch twist due to the slower twist rate allowing the bullet to go unstable quicker upon impact with wood/gelatin. Also, original C&B revolvers did not shear off lead from ball or conicals due to cylinder chambers being slightly tapered at the mouth for roughly 3/8"-to-1/2" in order to swage the projectile into the chamber. Modern replicas have straight cylinder bore chambers and will shear lead from a properly oversize ball or conical being loaded.
Hey Blackie, I have no clue every time I get on the market for black powder, the wagon wheel through youtube rolls on around to you well while the others are reviews of the gun, yours seem more technical, proper diet, proper technique ALL of the videos are good .36 shooting hit target proper loading demonstrated yours are more of the WHY and HOW target was hit. forcing cones, driving bands not only what they do but why they do it, different types, ammo wise may be good or bad
The bullets will actually be swaged when you load them in the cylinder which will give them a slightly smaller diameter. A better test would be to slug a chamber by loading a bullet into a chamber and pushing it back out, then once it is slugged to the chamber try dropping it into the bore.
Super video Blackie! Thank you. Kind of new to the pistol world. So my question is does the Colt .36 Navy pistol shoot just 1 type of bullet? I was not sure if it shoots just the Colt bullet or is there .36 caliber “ball” type bullet, similar in configuration to a musket ball? Thank you sir.
Blackie this is great. Been hoping for you to continue the series. So far my very unscientific tests have normal ball with an accuracy advantage. Are test packages of say 20 in each configuration going to be available? I'd like to see how they preform in my guns. I have had different results before. Are you going to also use different powder loads? The reason for that question is I have one that loves 30 grains, but lower performance drops, the other shoots well no matter the load. I already have a mold I purchased for another gun in another much larger caliber that give poor performance. I want to avoid spending a lot of money for a mold to sit in a drawer again. I would like to reiterate again that you are responsible for my addiction to black powder pistols. Because of this I'll be relying on you for the information on the accuracy capabilities of these bullets. lol.. So I will be waiting by my computer for my ammo fix. lol Thanks for all the work involved my friend. ;)
i would contact mark and ask about a sample..i am not sure if he does that..but if you ask around i am pretty sure someone will provide you with a few..
This 'Richmond' Conical. I have been wondering what its history/origin was. What I mean is,- I have all of the Authentic Colt Blackpowder Series with period equiptment etc. I got the Pedersoli steel .44 mold and it casts this type of elongated ball. It perfoms v e r y well! My little Liege derringer really likes it.
Got a question. I have a colt 51 navy.and a Remington 58. I have been using 375 balls. When I ram them home no lead rings. I ordered. 380 now I have rings. I gonna shoot them next week. Whats you take on what to use. I think I like the 380 seems like the seat tighter that should group better. In my opinion. Whats your take? 375 or 380 ?Thanks for sharing another great video. The best videos I have found on ut. God bless.
Hi Blackie, I enjoy your videos so much. I have a Uberti 36 cal pistol on the way. My question is what is a good load for powder to use? I’ve heard 20 or even 21. I have a powder flask advertised with a 24 grain spout. Is there a good way to convert the 24 grain spout to say 21 grains? I wasn’t sure how much material should be removed. Thank you
I am actually looking for information on what size mold to use for my 36 caliber colt. I prefer round balls because the bullet takes to much space in which I can put powder. You video was interesting but no help.
Cartridges were issued already lubed from many manufacturers during the war. Ordnance manuals stated a mixture of beeswax and mutton tallow. Some ratios were 8:1 and 9:1. The mutton tallow was preferred for it's long shelf life since it takes a long time to go rancid. The cartridge body was linen rag paper nitrated in a solution of potassium nitrate. Just the bullet end of the cartridge was dipped in the melted lube up to the paper. The rounds were then package in 6-round containers of wood and/or chipboard. All the soldier had to do was insert the round into each chamber, cap, and fire. The amount of lubrication already on the bullet was deemed sufficiant.
very true. but i have also read before the battle was to begin some would run wet patches lubes with grease up the bore to keep fouling soft..and in keith's book sixguns it recounts a officer blowing down the barrel to keek the fouling soft.. ikeep my bullet lubed and my bore lubed before hunting or shooting .i have found it keeps the fouling from going hard in the right conditions and spoiling accuracy
My 3 year-old Uberti 1851 has a little bit bigger muzzle diameter than your 1861 Pietta. When I drop the Colt Cartridge Works bullet into the muzzle it goes down about 1 millimeter deeper than yours. However, when I drop the bullet into the breach it goes way down - it wouln't take much pressure to press it into the barrel. My shooting results were quite different from shooting round balls. My 1851 is dialed-in for .454 round balls & shoots them ~ 2" right of point-of-aim in 2" groups. The one time I tested the Colt bullets they shot about 8" high & right (2 o'clock) but did group pretty well with about 3" groups. Aiming at ~ 7 o'clock It will hit target center in a group though. Duke Frazier had much better results using the same Uberti 1851. Just goes to show you that these guns are not produced in a consistent manner. I might have better luck with the Confederate bullet version which would give good contact with the rifling. At $62.00 per mold it will be a while before I try it though. I'm looking forward to your test results.
@@BLACKIETHOMAS I'll have the patience of a saint. lol Thanks in advance for all the hard work you put into organizing, editing, posting. Hell of a job my friend. Shadilay
What the heck have you there, a 8'' New Model Navy? I fire the elongated balls from the Colt molds out of my Authentic Colts. They perform v e r y well! Better than round balls in penetration and mass effect. I make layered pine board targets. G r e a t for penetration path, force of impact (mass effect), shard/splinter/ ball deformity and retrieval.
What about the loading lever rod. Mine has a more or less flat surface (Little bit concave) that would be in contact with the tip of that style of bullet. In other words it might crush the tip during loading. Do you recommend replacing it with one that is more cone shaped inside?
Mine is flat as well i will try it this way first..and then i may mod it to see how it effects results..but i like that you are thinking that far ahead..thanks for the comment..safe journeys
The Uberti's are a lot better about having the correct recess profile to the loading ram then the Pietta's. But it's not an issue if you're handy with a Dremel.
The Colt bullet will not work very well in my Pietta 1851 because of the rammer shaped for a ball and the window is a bit small. So I shoot my Uberti 1861 Colt and don't worry.
Do you recommend anything for dry firing practice of a percussion revolver. Are there snap cap like things to put over the nipples or should you take them out of the cylinder and dry fire practice ?
since cap jams will keep the hammer from hitting the nipples..look around craft stores for the thin rubber peel and stick dots often used in mirrors to protect..one of those stuck to the inside of the hammer curve should serve your job..or at least thats my best guess
[Question] Sir, my wife loves scented candles. I noticed that the wax she is buying is a Soy Wax, and it feels so oily. Depending on the type of wax in the candle the melting point varies greatly. www.lonestarcandlesupply.com/candle-making/candle-wax/soy-wax and www.candlescience.com/learning/wax-guide . I am sure there are a lot more links. - Anyway, would a soy wax like GW416, Melt Point: 130° F - 135° F, work as a lube for bullets used? There are even Soy Wax blends which have a melting point as high as 142℉ and probably even higher. Soy Wax is cheap, easy to use, and smells good, lol.
Greetings from Ireland. Awesome, I'm looking forward to this series. I love the way you go into such detail, you're a good teacher.
thank you..glad you enjoy the channel
I love the way you go into details like you do Blackie. Always good info in your videos. Thank you.
Been casting and shooting both the J&D and the Colt bullet since the molds first came out. I was one of the beta testers when Mark was still finalizing the J&D design. I still have the 3-D printed test bullet. IMHO, these are the best thing to happen in the C&B revolver community in over 20 years. I've been forming and shooting combustible paper cartridges for 40 years but with round ball because up till now no historically-correct conical mold has been available. My rounds are finally as correct to issue cartridges as possible. I have about 150 or so Richmond bullets cast up but haven't had time to try them out or work up a correct cartridge for them. Looking forward to these videos.
thank you for your comment..and glad to have you on board..safe journeys
+Blackie Thomas Outstanding project! Best wishes, looking forward to your results. FYI, Original Colt and Remington C&B revolvers had gain-twist rifling with final rotation rate of about 1-in-18-to-20-inch roughly, in the last 1/3 of the barrel. First 2/3'rd of barrel was about 1-in-40-inch roughly. Newest-made Pietta replica revolvers have a steady 1-in-30-inch twist for 31/36/44 caliber. Newest-made Uberti replica 36/44 revolvers have a steady twist of 1-in-19 inch close to original Colt, Remington, Whitney, etc. Uberti 31 cal replica revolvers have a 1-in-32" twist, much slower than Colt original 31's. Older 36/44 Uberti revolvers had a slow 1-in-32" twist (Older Uberti Walker & Dragoon an incredibly slow 1-in-56" twist!).
The original-style 36/44 conicals fired from a newer-made Uberti 36/44 will behave pretty much as from an original Colt, Remington as far as accuracy and wood/gelatin penetration. Original-style conicals fired from a 1-in-30-or-32" twist will tumble faster and penetrate wood/gelatin much less than the same bullet at the same velocity fired from a 1-in-19-inch twist due to the slower twist rate allowing the bullet to go unstable quicker upon impact with wood/gelatin.
Also, original C&B revolvers did not shear off lead from ball or conicals due to cylinder chambers being slightly tapered at the mouth for roughly 3/8"-to-1/2" in order to swage the projectile into the chamber. Modern replicas have straight cylinder bore chambers and will shear lead from a properly oversize ball or conical being loaded.
I really like the way that custom finish turned out on that pistol! Great black powder information.
I saw a new Blackie video and clicked super fast
Good work
Hey Blackie, I have no clue every time I get on the market for black powder, the wagon wheel through youtube rolls on around to you well while the others are reviews of the gun, yours seem more technical, proper diet, proper technique ALL of the videos are good .36 shooting hit target proper loading demonstrated yours are more of the WHY and HOW target was hit. forcing cones, driving bands not only what they do but why they do it, different types, ammo wise may be good or bad
Smart advice. Thanks.
The bullets will actually be swaged when you load them in the cylinder which will give them a slightly smaller diameter. A better test would be to slug a chamber by loading a bullet into a chamber and pushing it back out, then once it is slugged to the chamber try dropping it into the bore.
Thanks Blackie, i have been meaning to get me one of these molds.
Thank You very much for this video, as always I learned a lot !
Nice can't wait for the shoot em up bang test lol take care brother
Super video Blackie! Thank you. Kind of new to the pistol world. So my question is does the Colt .36 Navy pistol shoot just 1 type of bullet? I was not sure if it shoots just the Colt bullet or is there .36 caliber “ball” type bullet, similar in configuration to a musket ball? Thank you sir.
Blackie this is great. Been hoping for you to continue the series. So far my very unscientific tests have normal ball with an accuracy advantage. Are test packages of say 20 in each configuration going to be available? I'd like to see how they preform in my guns. I have had different results before. Are you going to also use different powder loads? The reason for that question is I have one that loves 30 grains, but lower performance drops, the other shoots well no matter the load. I already have a mold I purchased for another gun in another much larger caliber that give poor performance. I want to avoid spending a lot of money for a mold to sit in a drawer again.
I would like to reiterate again that you are responsible for my addiction to black powder pistols. Because of this I'll be relying on you for the information on the accuracy capabilities of these bullets. lol.. So I will be waiting by my computer for my ammo fix. lol Thanks for all the work involved my friend. ;)
i would contact mark and ask about a sample..i am not sure if he does that..but if you ask around i am pretty sure someone will provide you with a few..
Will they fit in a pietta 1858 .36? Without some modifications.
This 'Richmond' Conical. I have been wondering what its history/origin was. What I mean is,- I have all of the Authentic Colt Blackpowder Series with period equiptment etc. I got the Pedersoli steel .44 mold and it casts this type of elongated ball. It perfoms v e r y well! My little Liege derringer really likes it.
Blackie how come you guns have no blueing left on them. Almost looks like a phosphate finish.
Got a question. I have a colt 51 navy.and a Remington 58. I have been using 375 balls. When I ram them home no lead rings. I ordered. 380 now I have rings. I gonna shoot them next week. Whats you take on what to use. I think I like the 380 seems like the seat tighter that should group better. In my opinion. Whats your take? 375 or 380 ?Thanks for sharing another great video. The best videos I have found on ut. God bless.
Looking forward to seeing the results from chronograph testing. Did you get a new truck? Congrats if you did.
actually its a old friends truck..we were out on his 1000+ acres scouting for a woodscraft camp site
Hi Blackie, I enjoy your videos so much. I have a Uberti 36 cal pistol on the way. My question is what is a good load for powder to use? I’ve heard 20 or even 21. I have a powder flask advertised with a 24 grain spout. Is there a good way to convert the 24 grain spout to say 21 grains? I wasn’t sure how much material should be removed. Thank you
I purchased one of Mrk's 44 J&D moulds, but won't be able to try it for several more weeks.
Hey blackie I have not been on my lodge bench in a while if I remember right you can shoot a .38 in your.36 black powder?
Blackie, where can I get a pot like the one you used? Hard to find stuff these days. Great series
if your asking for melting lead go look up lee precision ..they make molds and lead melters
Is there any reason one could not make a wadcutter type bullet for these? It would seem to help with terminal effectiveness.
I would be interested in modefiying my window on my 1860 Colt Army 44 cal. Do you have a video on that.
I am actually looking for information on what size mold to use for my 36 caliber colt. I prefer round balls because the bullet takes to much space in which I can put powder. You video was interesting but no help.
.375 or .380 roundball molds lee makes both of them and they are good quality
Did they grease the cylinder chambers back in the civil war?
yes usually with lard or some other natural lube
Cartridges were issued already lubed from many manufacturers during the war. Ordnance manuals stated a mixture of beeswax and mutton tallow. Some ratios were 8:1 and 9:1. The mutton tallow was preferred for it's long shelf life since it takes a long time to go rancid. The cartridge body was linen rag paper nitrated in a solution of potassium nitrate. Just the bullet end of the cartridge was dipped in the melted lube up to the paper. The rounds were then package in 6-round containers of wood and/or chipboard. All the soldier had to do was insert the round into each chamber, cap, and fire. The amount of lubrication already on the bullet was deemed sufficiant.
Blackie, a blend of beeswax and mutton tallow was used.
very true. but i have also read before the battle was to begin some would run wet patches lubes with grease up the bore to keep fouling soft..and in keith's book sixguns it recounts a officer blowing down the barrel to keek the fouling soft.. ikeep my bullet lubed and my bore lubed before hunting or shooting .i have found it keeps the fouling from going hard in the right conditions and spoiling accuracy
So, 8,or 9:1 of tallow to beeswax?
My 3 year-old Uberti 1851 has a little bit bigger muzzle diameter than your 1861 Pietta. When I drop the Colt Cartridge Works bullet into the muzzle it goes down about 1 millimeter deeper than yours. However, when I drop the bullet into the breach it goes way down - it wouln't take much pressure to press it into the barrel.
My shooting results were quite different from shooting round balls. My 1851 is dialed-in for .454 round balls & shoots them ~ 2" right of point-of-aim in 2" groups. The one time I tested the Colt bullets they shot about 8" high & right (2 o'clock) but did group pretty well with about 3" groups. Aiming at ~ 7 o'clock It will hit target center in a group though.
Duke Frazier had much better results using the same Uberti 1851. Just goes to show you that these guns are not produced in a consistent manner. I might have better luck with the Confederate bullet version which would give good contact with the rifling. At $62.00 per mold it will be a while before I try it though. I'm looking forward to your test results.
Correction, I meant .375 round ball.
I know you have had a busy summer but are the pistol videos coming soon? Before I buy a mold I will need to see what performance their capable of.
yes they are just hang on a bit longer..been waiting till it can shoot with out having to wipe sweat out of my eyes..
@@BLACKIETHOMAS I'll have the patience of a saint. lol Thanks in advance for all the hard work you put into organizing, editing, posting. Hell of a job my friend. Shadilay
What the heck have you there, a 8'' New Model Navy?
I fire the elongated balls from the Colt molds out of my Authentic Colts. They perform v e r y well! Better than round balls in penetration and mass effect.
I make layered pine board targets. G r e a t for penetration path, force of impact (mass effect), shard/splinter/ ball deformity and retrieval.
yep 8 inch 1861 pietta navy
That s wonderful! What a great score you made there. Perhaps, if you re interested, you can get ahold of a breech stock for it.
Hey do you know if you can use 000 buckshot in a 36 percussion gun I think they are very close in diameter anyways what’s your take
Is the Richmond design the same as the J&D? if not,could you post what the J&D looks like?
i will be casting some for testing soon..and will do so on video..stay tuned...safe journeys
Thank You, Sir !! H.
What about the loading lever rod. Mine has a more or less flat surface (Little bit concave) that would be in contact with the tip of that style of bullet. In other words it might crush the tip during loading. Do you recommend replacing it with one that is more cone shaped inside?
Mine is flat as well i will try it this way first..and then i may mod it to see how it effects results..but i like that you are thinking that far ahead..thanks for the comment..safe journeys
The Uberti's are a lot better about having the correct recess profile to the loading ram then the Pietta's. But it's not an issue if you're handy with a Dremel.
Can a cap and ball revolver be loaded with shot for small game hunting?
Blackie, did you (or will you) modify the rammer so that it fits the bullet batter and does not flatten the nose?
i will shoot it first and see if it does a lot of damage to the loading of the bullets..if i think it is i will mod the rammer
Sounds reasonable to me. ;)
The Colt bullet will not work very well in my Pietta 1851 because of the rammer shaped for a ball and the window is a bit small. So I shoot my Uberti 1861 Colt and don't worry.
Do you recommend anything for dry firing practice of a percussion revolver. Are there snap cap like things to put over the nipples or should you take them out of the cylinder and dry fire practice ?
since cap jams will keep the hammer from hitting the nipples..look around craft stores for the thin rubber peel and stick dots often used in mirrors to protect..one of those stuck to the inside of the hammer curve should serve your job..or at least thats my best guess
Anyone ever tell you that you look like you could be Ted Nugent's brother?? Great vids, new subscriber here!
no but thank you..i have rocked to his music many times
Where do you buy your 36.cal balls at?
i have molds but i will also buy from midwayusa from time to time
Cool thanks
[Question] Sir, my wife loves scented candles. I noticed that the wax she is buying is a Soy Wax, and it feels so oily. Depending on the type of wax in the candle the melting point varies greatly. www.lonestarcandlesupply.com/candle-making/candle-wax/soy-wax and www.candlescience.com/learning/wax-guide . I am sure there are a lot more links. - Anyway, would a soy wax like GW416, Melt Point: 130° F - 135° F, work as a lube for bullets used? There are even Soy Wax blends which have a melting point as high as 142℉ and probably even higher. Soy Wax is cheap, easy to use, and smells good, lol.
i have used a soy wax inside my paper ctgs to add lube when fired..i would think such a melting point would make a good lube
@@BLACKIETHOMAS I was hoping you would think it was worth a try. :) Thanks!
Congrats on the new truck? Lol
i was with a close old friend..it was his truck we were scouting for a perminant woodscraft camp site on his 1000+ acres along the river
Blackie, you was born at least a 150 years too late...!!!
yes..but i would have missed the 80's rock and roll..and game of thrones...LOL
LOL
Have you ever use the powder pellets in a paper load? I’m looking to try this in my Remington 1858
Richmond bullets are nothing more than a wad cutter there to fat