Terrible accuracy

[kernriverarcher]

I just picked up a brass frame Pietta 1851 Navy .44 and I’ve gone shooting with it a few times now. I have noticed I cannot be accurate with this thing for my life. First time I went shooting I was using 15 grains of triple seven with another 15 grains of cornmeal on top with a round ball( .454) and bore butter. Was shooting this at pretty long range so I just assumed that’s why I was not accurate. Second time I got some Goex and was using about 20 grains with 20 grains of cornmeal on top and that helped the ball sat a little closer to barrel and I was shooting at a target around 10-15 yards and could not get a group going for my life... any suggestions on adjusting my loads or anything with this thing? Or just more practice? Because I can shoot other guns accurately so I don’t believe it is me haha.

Thanks 

[Dave Shooter]

Maybe check the barrel cylinder alignment?  I have the opposite experience with a brass '51 .44.  Accuracy is excellent, way better than a gun that cheap has any right to be.

[Fingers McGee]

Try 25 grains and a lubed wad between powder & ball.  You'll likely be surprised.

[Hawg]

Try 25 grains and a lubed wad between powder & ball.  You'll likely be surprised.

I don't think I'd want to put 25 grains in a brass frame. I all but ruined a brass .36 Remington with 25 grain loads.

[G Dog]

Maybe check the barrel cylinder alignment? 

Chamber/barrel misalignment seems a very likely reason for the problem.  Is there a 'crescent' at the cylinder end of the bore? Does a .44 jag clear the gap or does it snag on the cylinder face?

The Pietta .36 Griswold I shoot is remarkably accurate.  I've been using 15 grains of T7 too (the rough equivalent of 17.25 grains black). 

Did Mr. Kernriver get this gun new or is it one of the many brass beaters that are out there?

[kernriverarcher]

Maybe check the barrel cylinder alignment? 

Chamber/barrel misalignment seems a very likely reason for the problem.  Is there a 'crescent' at the cylinder end of the bore? Does a .44 jag clear the gap or does it snag on the cylinder face?

The Pietta .36 Griswold I shoot is remarkably accurate.  I've been using 15 grains of T7 too (the rough equivalent of 17.25 grains black). 

Did Mr. Kernriver get this gun new or is it one of the many brass beaters that are out there?

Got the gun off of emf-company.com brand new. And excuse my ignorance but I’ll try my best to look up these terms (jag and crescent). I’ve been cleaning and oiling it after every use and I’ve heard of this stretching that can happen with brass frames so I’m trying to keep the loads light. When I get back in town I will upload a picture of the cylinder end of the barrel to see if you can spot this crescent you speak up. If it is misaligned, is it an easy fix? Because it is insanely inaccurate.... to my inexperienced eye the timing of the gun seems good and it looks like the cylinder matches up with the barrel nicely. I always check for a gap(stretching) between the barrel and the cylinder after each time I shoot. Thanks for all of your input and thank you guys for any help you give me in the future.

[kernriverarcher]

Okay just did some research on timing vs alignment and now I know what you mean by the crescent thing. I will inspect it when I get home and post a pic for your guys’ analysis as well.

[Hawg]

It's not stretching you have to look for, it's battering. The cylinder ratchet starts to imprint in the recoil shield or in the case of a Colt in the recoil ring. If it gets bad enough it can pull the arbor out of the frame. On the left is a new frame. On the right is a battered one. Notice the flat spots in the raised ring.



This is how it starts out with a Remington where there is no raised ring.

[ssb73q]

Try 25 grains and a lubed wad between powder & ball.  You'll likely be surprised.

+1

[kernriverarcher]

Ahhh I see Hawg. Thanks for the detailed pics man. Still out of town so I will upload pics of mine as well as compare on my own when I’m back.

And since it’s a .44 maybe the 25 grains of Goex isn’t too much? I will try this with a wad if the gun is mechanically sound and let you guys know.

You guys are the best.

[ssb73q]

Hi kernriverarcher, to test the potential accuracy of a handgun you need to do it from a rest. The brass framed replica C&B revolvers have an advantage over the steel framed. The out of the box brass framed revolver is inherently slicker operating than a steel framed revolver. Forget the cornmeal until the revolver is limited in accuracy without cornmeal to 1.5" @25yds. Every replica C&B revolver I have ever owned will shoot groups much better than me from a rest.

Hawg, great photos, thanks.

Regards,
Richard

[kernriverarcher]

Roger that ssb. Will use a rest next time. And I will start using wads rather than cornmeal. Seems like a quicker reload method anyway. Thanks again you guys.

[kernriverarcher]

Howdy y'all! Finally back home and was able to inspect the gun and take pictures for you guys. I really dont see any imprinting on the frame at all, nor do I see anything off with the bore or the barrel that would suggest misalignment. Then again, I dont know diddly squat  . Here are the pics and I would love to hear what you guys all think. Maybe i just need to break the gun in a bit more? I did just order a steel frame version of the same gun (so excited) so i can increase the loads to 25 grains without worrying about stretching like the guy above said. Might just give this one to my girlfriend or something. But i would still like to get it somewhat accurate for her as she gets real excited when she hears the "Ding" of the steel being hit.

Here are the pics:

p.s. I realize on the second picture it may appear that there is some imprinting but i have looked quite closely and i think that is just the shadow and the oil (plus dirtiness). at the top by the hammer there is a crescent shaped marking but no imprinting(cant feel it with finger) if that makes sense at all.

[Hawg]

All that looks good. Find a piece of dowel or something that just fits in the bore, a push fit wouldn't be bad. If it stops when it gets to the cylinder the chambers are misaligned.

[kernriverarcher]

All that looks good. Find a piece of dowel or something that just fits in the bore, a push fit wouldn't be bad. If it stops when it gets to the cylinder the chambers are misaligned.

Will do. Hopefully they sell something like that at my local shop. They have most items for black powder guns.