Popped my BP cherry

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Truth be told, every time I return from the range I look like this:

Image


As it so happens, I shot both BP and smokeless today. I still look like that.

I am lucky I have buds who know stuff about black powder.

Since it was my first time, y'all'll have to be understanding about all kinds of things.

First, there's this ritual called "loading." With cartridges, this is fairly straight forward: slip in the cartridge, close the bolt, or close the loading gate, or click closed the cylinder, or click in the magazine, and you're good to go. But with BP, I think "ritual" fits.

I have to make a loading stand for my revolver. One of my buds made one. It's wood, has a hinge so it folds up to slip in a range bag, has keen felt lining, has enough room in custom grooves to load a .36, which is what I brought, or a .44, which is what my bud had. Has a dimple carved into its base for the hand grip to fit in, felt lined. Pretty keen. Without such a device, it would have been more difficult to perform the ritual. Now, I'd prepared, of course, so had the BP, the BP loading measure, balls, Crisco, that sort of thing. But that custom wood loading jig was pretty the cool.

So, with wonderful instructions from two buds, got the charge correct and loaded up six cylinders, then stuffed them with Crisco. Something about chain fire. It sounded bad, so I sought to avoid it. I was successful. My buds showed me how to squeeze the caps just a tad twixt me fingers so the caps stayed on the nipples. BBP (before black powder) "nipple caps" meant something different to me. (Don't ask). But now I know the correct meaning and use of the term.

Had to wipe my hands of Crisco a few times, but at a certain moment, I fired my first round. I burst out in a glorious and joyful guffaw--so all the folks looked over at me to see whether I'd shot myself or what not. Nah. After all that discussing, ritual performance, ramming home each ball, Crisco wiping, and more discussion, I experienced this "whoosh" so very unlike smokeless powder that I just had to let the laugh explode out of my mouth. Luckily, folks are quite tolerant of old farts having fun, so that was cool.

As it turns out, this revolver, a 1971 Tavi .36 Navy Italian revolver that I bought used, has a worn hammer. I had no idea. I thought the marks (I'm being kind here, as those of you familiar with BP will see) were designed that way. I checked it out, of course, and saw that, well, they're shaped like the nipples, so, of course it should be that way. I thought wrong.

It resulted in a couple mis fires. Eventually I put more caps on and got all six cylinders to fire. I must say, BP is hella fun. The revolver is accurate. But, man! Putting the rear sight on the hammer is weird to me. Unfamiliar, maybe is better.

Once I found out from my buds that the hammer was "worn," again, I think, I'm being polite about it, I hauled out one of my old Turks. I'm going to shoot the postal match with it, and I've not shot it for a couple years. If you're going to shoot a match, it's best to check out the rifle.

But here is a pic of the hammer of the .36 Tavi:

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Apparently it is worn. So I have some web addresses from my buds where I might be able to get a hammer, or a rebuild kit, or what not.

Any of you BP folks know a better fix? I'm thinkin' all's I have to do is to file that bad boy down. But I'll ask and see what's what.

But, man, a range trip is always fun. Public ranges are weird, especially up here. I always thank my lucky stars I get home alive, what with the .50's going off, the morons letting loose a clip of full auto, and, this time, a kid who had a double barrel shot gun, Chinese copy, with two shells loaded in but with the hammers cocked, and flipped the gun closed. Of course both barrels fired, and he ended up with a bloody hand. Hope there is no permanent damage.

I'm no longer a BP virgin. That old Turk will be nice in the postal. I'll use Turk surplus just for kicks and giggles.

Whee!

CDFingers
Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandana
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eyed Jack

Re: Popped my BP cherry

4
The funny dimple on the hammer is from too much dry firing. Fitting a new hammer on a single action is non trivial as the lockup timing is all actuated by cams on the hammer.

I'd be inclined to pull the hammer and (while taking care not to over heat the rest of it) zap a little blob of mig or tig weld on the hammer face and file it back to shape.

The other thing to try, which is probably worth doing anyway, is to replace the nipples. Nipples only come in a couple of different thread sizes and are universal parts (not even brand specific). Easier to change out than the hammer and may be enough to close the gap from the other side.

Re: Popped my BP cherry

5
FS, I appreciate the admonition against taking it apart. I used to have a VW van, and when something would go wrong, I'd whip out my Idiot's Book and have at it.

It does not show in the pic, but there is a slit, about 2mm wide, beneath the bollixed up hammer face. I suspect it is there to allow some kind of repair to the hammer face. This is a 1971 Tavi, and back then, it may very well have been a time when folks designed in a way to mitigate against 1K dry fires in this old dude.

I have a few web addresses where I can pursue potential repair parts, so that is my first step. After that, I will don my jeweler's loupe and check out that slot.

I'm still high from the shooting range, despite a trip to the super market and looming pesto cooking. It's about 100 today in my neck of the woods. The wood are dried up, bright and deep, and I have degrees to go before I sleep.

I still love cleaning the old Turk.

CDFingers
Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandana
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eyed Jack

Re: Popped my BP cherry

6
Oh, I think you're well up to the task of tearing the thing down. I meant that a replacement hammer will have slightly different cam surfaces where it engages the hand and the bolt and the trigger, so some or all of those other parts might need to be adjusted in their function. Plain old teardown and re-assembly of the existing parts, NBD. That's why I suggested weld-up rather than new hammer. Please let me know if I'm not being clear here.

The groove on the hammer may be for a replacement, but may also just be a feature meant to help clear fired caps before they fall in to the works.

Re: Popped my BP cherry

7
I can take anything apart. It's the putting back together so it works like it should that gives me hives.

I'm going to research about parts, kits, what not and so on, then I'll assess.

The metal on the hammer seems really soft. But what do I know? I had a Turk there. It could eat up this revolver and crap out a pile of roofing nails.

CDFingers
Crazy cat peekin' through a lace bandana
like a one-eyed Cheshire, like a diamond-eyed Jack

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