Gun Hub Forums banner

newest toy- 1860 ASM Colt revolver

7K views 7 replies 6 participants last post by  Gunseller 
#1 ·
Well, I got a fun gift given to me a little while back- a partial kit for a Colt 1860 revolver. I knew nothing about BP guns before I got this one, and while I have learned some in the process of building it, there is still plenty more to learn. Here's what I started out with (along with a broken and oversized wood grip) :



And here's where I've gotten with it after about $58 in parts and a good bit of time and effort:



I've yet to fire it, but I was curious to know a couple of things and thought maybe you guys could tell me. I know the brass frame guns are usually looked down on, but are they unsafe to shoot? Also, I have read that some of the ASM guns like this one made in later years had very soft metal. Is there anywhere to get a serial number range to get an approximate date as to when this kit was made? It came out of a milk crate with a stack of other partial kits, so I have no clue. I figure for the price, it's still a great deal either way, but I don't want to shoot something that's going to KB in my hand the first time I light it off.

Any thoughts or suggestions? (aside from those involving both me and the horse I rode in on- please leave the horse out of it) Thanks.
 
See less See more
2
#3 ·
1860 ASM Colt revolver

As for the date, there should be a marking on the gun to help. Somewhere on the frame you should see a box with two letters inside. If you post them here I'll try to look them up.
Brass frame revolvers have the reputation for "shooting loose" after awhile. Brass is a softer metal than what most BP guns are made of. There's no danger of it KABOOMING because it's made out of brass. Confederate guns were made of brass like that and they worked OK. You probably know that the Colt 1860 Army was never actually made with a brass frame.
If you shoot it and want it to last longer you might try light loads. Make sure you fill the volume over the powder charge with inert material, like grits, because when you load BP you can't leave an empty volume in the chamber between ball and powder. Put a dab of Crisco over the ball, or use borebutter.
ASM is the abbreviation for "Armi San Marco." They are no longer in business. Yes, ASM had a reputation for using soft metal, mainly in the internal parts of the gun. I wouldn't worry about it exploding, as I said, but if you used contemporary ASM parts inside that might just mean they will wear faster than they should. Things like springs, and the two little "arms" on the bolt, and the sear, that is. It would be wise to have some replacement parts on hand. Uberti parts, still available, might fit, but will probably need fitting (as any part will most likely in that gun).
 
#4 ·
Tommygunn,
Thanks for the advice. I had to replace the 2-armed bolt spring when I built it, and it did indeed take quite a bit of work to get it to function. It is still occassionally a little sticky when cocking it, but it is MUCH better than when I got it. i think the finger needs a little trimming, but I want to shoot it some first and see if it wears in before filing on it.

I've got some Frontier FFFG powder for it, Remington #11 caps (and new #11 nipples in it), some of the felt wad patches, and some .451 round ball to shoot it with. I was reading on Frontier's site that they say not to use any type of oil or sealer on it, but that seems like it would just be asking for a chain fire. :ek: Anyone use this stuff, and if so, how did you use it? With a felt patch under the ball, or just ball over it unsealed? And one other question that just bothers me; I keep reading about "pinching" the cap over the nipple- am I just being paranoid, or is squeezing the primer with one's fingers over the metal nipple a wise idea or a quick way to avoid giving complete fingerprint sets for the remainder of one's existance? I'll look for a box with two letters and post what they are when I find them. Thanks.
 
#5 ·
1860 ASM Colt revolver: LOADING THE GUN

With cap 'n' ball revolvers, there are two ways to load:
1.) Load measured powder charge.
2.) Load ball and ram down to powder.
3.) Fill remainder of chamber with crisco, borebutter or similar lube.
[center:184culx5]~OR~[/center:184culx5]
1.) Load measured powder charge.
2.) Place a greased felt disc on top of powder and ram down to powder surface.
3.) Load ball and ram down to top of felt wad.
You can purchase the pregreased wads from places that sell black powder supplies, Dixie Gun Works, and other places. The purpose of the grease/greased wads is to keep the fouling soft and to help seal the chambers against chainfire of other cylinders.

Percussion caps come in 2 sizes for revolvers, #10 and #11. IIRC ASM used #11. If they are too loose it is OK to softly pinch them so they will stay on the nipples tightly.
While chainfires are said to happen when sparks enter the front of the chamber, there is considerable evidence that they can happen from the rear, so if the caps fall off easy, that's not good. You will notice each nipple is inside it's own individual recessin the back end of the cylinder. This is true in most revolvers except the Starr revolver, and was done deliberatly to help prevent chainfires from the rear end.

As I recall ASM used .454 caliber balls. .451 will work if they shave off a ring of lead when loading. If they don't do this, recoil may cause them to move forward, and this will cause the cylinder to bind against the barrel upon cocking the gun for the next shot. BUT as I said, if you get that nice ring of lead, then they're OK.
 
#6 ·
A quick point, most guys who are accustomed to modern smokeless powder forget that BP is measured by volumn and NOT by weight. Stick to real BP and not the replacements. 777 is a bit hot and gives higher pressures, you might not want it in a brass frame. As a safety step you might want to put a seal of grease (I use good old Crisco)across the front of the loaded cylinder to prevent chain fire.
I've had a few brass frame pistols and they are fine with lighter loads. Have fun with it but it will likely start loosening up after a while.
BP is very corrosive. Run the barrel & cylinder thru the dishwasher as a simple clean up or use lots of hot soapy water.
Rinse with hot water only.
 
#8 ·
Pvt. Joker that is a nice looking pistol. First let me say I have been shooting BP pistols sense 1968. If the ball shaves lead when you load it forget the crap about putting crisco or something like that over the balls. The only thing it will do is make a mess. Fire one or two shot and look it is gone off the other balls. If the ball shaves a ring it seal nothing else needed. You do need a felt lube wad under the ball. The lube disk lubes the ball as it fires and mixes with the powder fowling to keep it soft and easier to clean. Read how the revolvers were loaded in the 1860s. They did not put anything over the balls. Chain fire do happen around the nipples. I have watched it as I was holding the pistol. You need caps that fit the nipples without pinching the caps. I was using #11 caps on #10 nipples and pinching them so they would stay on. I was out of #10 caps. Only use the correct size caps. About 15 years ago I add up the lead I had fire and came up with around 4 1/2 tons. I have two original 1860 Army revolvers. One was converted by Colt to cartriges the other is stock. Have fun.
Steve
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top