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Shooting & Reloading - Mausers, Big Bores and others >> Handguns
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Huvius
.416 member


Reged: 04/11/07
Posts: 3556
Loc: Colorado
1872 Open Top
      #235167 - 05/09/13 02:11 PM

I always thought the "Open Top" Colts were nice.
This is a Cimarron (Uberti) model in .45LC.
A lot of fun but it sure fouls up fast with real black powder. Especially if the wedge is pushed in more than is needed.



--------------------
He who lives in the past is doomed to enjoy it.

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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26994
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: 1872 Open Top [Re: Huvius]
      #235194 - 06/09/13 12:40 AM

Using SPG or Lyman's Black Powder Gold lube helps with the fouling. Too - 60:40, Beeswax/Vaseline also does a good job as a BP lube. ALOX does not mix with BP fouling at all.
Apparently it works with some of the phony powders.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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Al333
.333 member


Reged: 24/02/13
Posts: 287
Loc: B.C. Canada
Re: 1872 Open Top [Re: DarylS]
      #235196 - 06/09/13 02:13 AM

I just acquired a pair of Uberti open tops in 45 colt. Shot 50 rounds through them. 30 grs Goex fffg a mixture of beeswax and Vaseline for lube. No problem, hardly any fouling, easy cleanup. The crane is too short there is a fairly simple fix explained on the internet. I found it by searching "tuning 1871 72 Colt open tops". I don't remember how many rounds I fired in each gun as I was just checking them out. Hope this helps. Al

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Huvius
.416 member


Reged: 04/11/07
Posts: 3556
Loc: Colorado
Re: 1872 Open Top [Re: Al333]
      #235200 - 06/09/13 04:30 AM

I was using the 60/40 beeswax vaseline recipe.
Once I loosened the wedge (tapping it outward with the keeper screw in) it shot well and cleaned up easily.
Had some dis-assembly practice right off since the screw for the loading gate was backed out a bit and blocked the cartridge rim, stopping the cylinder so the only way to fix it was to remove the barrel and cylinder.

--------------------
He who lives in the past is doomed to enjoy it.

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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26994
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: 1872 Open Top [Re: Huvius]
      #235238 - 07/09/13 01:23 AM

Much depends on the bullet and the grease groove or grooves. Modern designs have very small grease grooves as smokeless powder residue needs no 'softeners', while BP fouling does. Grease grooves, if designed for black powder loadings of old, are usually similar to the old BP bullet designs, with deep and square grooves to hold lots of lube.
Stiffness of the lube on any particular day will also have an effect in how well it is working. What works up here in 50% humidity and 70 degree temps, might be a good lube for 100 degree or 40 degree weather - it might be too soft or too hard.
The fouling of black powder adds another demand on a bullet's lubrication needs.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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tinker
.416 member


Reged: 12/03/05
Posts: 4835
Loc: Nevada
Re: 1872 Open Top [Re: DarylS]
      #235260 - 07/09/13 07:55 AM

I agree these open top revolvers look and handle great!

Please show details of the cartridge-specific features of this revolver, including gate.



Cheers
Tinker

--------------------
--Self-Appointed Colonel, DRSS--



"It IS a dangerous game, and so named for a reason, and you can't play from the keyboard. " --Some Old Texan...

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DarylS
.700 member


Reged: 10/08/05
Posts: 26994
Loc: Beautiful British Columbia, Ca...
Re: 1872 Open Top [Re: tinker]
      #235285 - 08/09/13 01:23 AM

Buffaloarms.com has the gates and conversions for a lot of different makes and calibres of cap and ball revolvers even for the cute little .32's.

As well, there are a few companies making these revolvers directly in CF calibres and I assume Huvius's revolver happens to be one of those.

--------------------
Daryl


"a gun without hammers is like a Spaniel without ears" King George V

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Huvius
.416 member


Reged: 04/11/07
Posts: 3556
Loc: Colorado
Re: 1872 Open Top [Re: DarylS]
      #235329 - 09/09/13 12:11 AM

The bullets I used had a blue lube and the grooves were pretty thin.
I loaded with Trailboss too but for the BP loads, I put in a cookie under the bullet. Ended up using a .45ACP case for a dipper which iirc was right about 27gr of 3F. I didn't want anything too powerful since my 12y/o son was to be trying a bigger handgun for the first time. I thought it felt and shot just right and probably is close to the cowboy action loads.

Yes, my gun is manufactured as a cartridge gun and the 1872 was the first purpose built cartridge handgun which Colt made.
It falls between the Mason Richards cartridge conversions of Navy and Army cap and ball revolvers and the Single Action Army.

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He who lives in the past is doomed to enjoy it.

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2152hq
.300 member


Reged: 20/05/12
Posts: 126
Loc: USA
Re: 1872 Open Top [Re: Huvius]
      #235748 - 18/09/13 12:42 PM

I've got one in 44 Special. Bought it used, but looked never fired. Someone did however try to remove the wedge unprofessionally and left a ding in finish of the bbl.
I really like it. Never shot BP in it, just my usual light smokeless loads w/Bullseye. Very accurate in spite of the sights!
Mine has the brass backstrap & trigger guard,,1851 Navy size. I think they offer (offered) the larger 1860 Army size steel guard with some calibers.

(I had another that I bought at the same time as the 44special but that one was in .44 Colt. Full nickel plate and unfired. I sold that one. The '44 Colt' caliber these Cimmaron/Uberti repros are made in is different from the original 44 Colt caliber the old 1872 Open Tops were manufactured in. IIRC this 'new' 44 Colt is just a new name for the 44 Russian caliber. Sounds more Westerny..)


I did do a bit of tuning on it after I got it. The firing pin was ice pick sharp and pierced at least half of the primers on the first batch of rounds fired. Shortened it just a touch and rounded the tip.
I replaced the factory bolt & trigger spring. A wire spring unit from Brownells worked wonders for the action. The original was very heavy and actually making the bolt drop prematurely mimicking a third hammer 'click',,the open-top has only two.
Fixed the heavy gate spring and protruding screw and the sharp angled steps on the ejector rod tube that made the rod hang up when trying to use it.

Never used the 'safety' built into the hammer. There for import purposes. I just leave it alone and in the 'disappeared' position.

It doesn't do anything more that a common SAA Colt/Ruger will do. Just like the looks that's all.

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Dphariss
.300 member


Reged: 18/04/06
Posts: 130
Loc: Montana
Re: 1872 Open Top [Re: 2152hq]
      #238986 - 09/12/13 04:01 AM

Must be very careful with light loads of Bullseye and most other pistol powders.
S&W, I have on excellent authority, has a room full of blown revolvers. Most are 357s blown with a 38 special full wadcutter charge of Bullseye in a 357 Mag case with a SWC bullet, too much air space. Few revolvers will survive 50 rounds of this.
Their own testing has shown that even a full case of bullseye will not blow the cylinder, just bulge it.
A friend blew a late prod. 1st gen SAA in 45 with 6.5 gr of Red Dot just by switching from a 250 to a 200 gr lead bullet. Nope 13 gr will not blow a SAA cylinder. He was talking to a senior employee at S&W about it saying he had probably put in 13 gr of powder. He was told this would not damage the cylinder. Testing the now top strapless revolver (remotely) with a different cylinder confirmed this. He said he knew something was a little "off" since he had a couple of squib loads before it blew. Meaning the powder was not igniting properly. But he was not attentive enough.

Loading cast bullets with IRM powders in rifle cases will do the same thing. Blows barrel and perhaps the action to fragments. 4831 in 7mm mags, 3031 in BPCRs that will shoot 50K psi with no problem. Blow up and fragment like grenades.

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