Revolvers are probably the most widely owned type of muzzle loader in the UK. Strictly speaking, of course they are not Muzzle Loaders as they are not loaded from the muzzle of the gun but are loaded directly into each chamber. Anyway, after the handgun ban many former pistol shooters went out and bought a Ruger .22 rifle, an under lever carbine and a black powder revolver. As muzzle loading revolvers are a bit of an acquired taste many of the revolvers are seldom used now, but plenty more are still in regular use, both for plinking and serious competition.
Choosing a Revolver
So, what are the main factors to bear in mind for choosing a revolver? Well, it all comes down to whether you want to shoot competitions or not? If you just want to plink, then buy whatever takes your fancy. Open frame Colts are delightful, Le Mat’s are impressive and English Civil War Pistols are monstrous – all great fun. For competition shooting it’s altogether different, and we really need to digress here and look at the sort of competitions being shot.
Firstly, there are the traditional Muzzle Loaders Association of Great Britain (MLAGB) matches, which all involve shooting 13 shots in 30 minutes, offhand at a round bull target 25 metres away. To shoot these you need a spirit of the original (i.e. non-adjustable or hammer adjustable sights), which really has to be either a Remington or a Rogers and Spencer in .44 calibre.
Secondly there are the precision rapid fire comps shot two handed at stylised “man type” targets from 25 metres down to ten. These are what used to be called PPI and Service Pistol, but are now called the “Bow Street Runner” and “The Cavalry Officer”. There’s also a match called “Historic Revolver” which is much the same format, but involves timed reloads between practices. For these, most people use the Ruger Old army, but for pointability, an adjustable sighted Remington or Rogers and Spencer is a better choice. You can of course shoot these matches with a ‘spirit of the original’, and a well-practiced precision shot with one of these will not be seriously disadvantaged.
Finally, there are the oddball matches shot at meetings like the Phoenix, which involve one or two handed shooting at a variety of speeds, either one or two handed. For these, anything will do, but bear in mind that the Ruger Old Army is quite a weight to shoot single handed.
Replica Revolvers
So, lets look at the guns which are best suited for serious competition.
The Colt Old Army is a massive (some would say massively over-engineered) pistol. It’s a modern interpretation of the old theme, and is nicely engineered, so it’s really easy to strip and clean. The downside is that it doesn’t have great balance, comes with too short a foresight, and has nipples that don’t seem to fit any cap ever encountered (although it is recommended to upgrade the nipples on most cheap pistols). But never mind the cons, buy some “Uncle Mike’s” nipples and for the Cavalry Officer or Bow Street Runner matches it’s as a good a tool as you can get. One other good point is that there’s a massive oversupply of second-hand examples in the UK, so an ad in the back of Target Sports or the MLAGB journal should provide plenty to choose from.
Colt 1851 Navy Carbine
Rogers and Spencer revolvers are made by Pedersoli and Euroarms, and probably some others besides. Both the above mentioned firms produce high quality products, but I think the quality control at Euroarms is less good than Pedersoli. The Euroarms guns are also a little overpriced, whereas Pedersoli have dropped by about 20% since the distributor was changed to Viking Arms. Anyway, the Rogers and Spencer is a fine gun. The one theoretical disadvantage for target shooting is that the rear sight (or groove) is obscured when the hammer falls. In practice this doesn’t seem to matter and accuracy is excellent.
Rogers and Spencer Std Blue Walther Barrel
Finally, the Remington. This is the classic competition gun and comes in .36 and .44. For some reason the .44 is the almost universal choice for target work. Again, Pedersoli and Euroarms make good examples, but the cheaper end of the Euroarms range can be quite badly fitted. The Pedersoli guns normally have really fine triggers right out of the box, whereas the bottom end of the Euroarms range don’t. Make sure that you buy a steel framed one for serious usage, and not the brass frame.
Of course, if you have pots of money or just want something a little special, you could look at Hege who make superb quality Remington replicas at a price to match.
Whichever you choose, at the end of the day it’s all down to personal choice. Remember that some of the cheaper guns can be quite dreadfully fitted, hammers dragging on the frame all the way down and ragged trigger pulls are the order of the day, so buying quality does pay. At the moment Pedersoli offer the best value for money though.
Remington 1858 Old Army
Loading and Shooting
To clear the nipple channels, put a cap on each nipple and discharge them. This is called “capping off”. When people are forward of the firing point the gun must remain untouched and on the bench at all times. “Capping off” is only allowed after the command to “load and fire” is given – and in MLAGB competitions you mustn’t do it during the “make ready” period.
Add a powder charge into one chamber. Traditionally powder flasks have been used, but it’s becoming increasingly common to use phials – and at some meetings it’s now mandatory. This is probably a good thing as it lessens the chance of a powder flask explosion, and phials are available cheaply enough. As to how much and what type of powder to use, well Swiss No 2 is the popular choice among serious pot-hunters, but any medium powder will work well enough. For Swiss number two, anything between about 15 and 22 grains will work well, and for other medium powders go for 18-24 grains. Anything more than this will just give a bigger bang, but shouldn’t do the gun any harm. Stick a wad on top of the powder and ram it home. This is for two reasons – first to make sure there’s no air gap between the powder and the ball, and second to reduce the “jump” between the ball and the barrel when you fire.
The experts all say that reducing the “jump” between chamber and muzzle is essential for accuracy, so who are we to argue. Wads work fine, but they’re expensive, and they come as either plain or lubed. For competitions where you have to reload quickly like in Historic Revolver, they’re a good choice, as they’re quicker and easier than the alternative, which is to use a filler. You can use virtually anything as filler, the real trick is to find one which measures easily from a powder flask. All kinds of things have been used from soap powder to semolina and cous-cous to bulgar wheat. There is, of course, the old favourite, a sheet of toilet paper, so experimentation is called for.
Place a ball on top of the chamber and ram it home. Nothing complicated here. Make sure the ball’s a fairly tight fit and If using a cast ball with a pronounced sprue make sure it’s at the front or back.
Repeat for the other chambers. Now, if you haven’t used a lubricated wad, fill the chamber mouths with grease. This is generally a good idea as it helps prevent barrel leading and damps down any loose grains of powder on the front of the cylinder. In theory it also stops any chance of a flashover where the explosion from one shot can detonate the charges in the other chambers. In MLAGB competitions it’s mandatory, for all others it’s optional. You can use just about anything for a grease, from Vaseline and beeswax and tallow to Trex. The classic choice in the UK is water pump grease, which is lime based and actually feels and smells rather nice, and possesses the significant advantage that it doesn’t melt after the first shot. You can buy special grease guns, or use a lolly stick, or for a light grease, syringes used for artificial insemination of cattle work quite well.
Finally, cap each nipple and shoot.