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1858 Remington Cap-N-Ball Loading Specs

The 1858 Remington revolver was a popular black powder handgun used primarily by Union troops during the Civil War. The 1858 Remington was revolutionary in that the cylinder was removable. The advantage of this feature was that if the shooter had extra preloaded cylinders, he could quickly reload the revolver.

Bullet Size
- The Remington 1858 is described as a .44 caliber revolver. However the handgun is really closer to a .45 caliber weapon. The gun can use .451 or .454 caliber balls.
Powder Measures
- The powder necessary to reload the weapon is measured out in a brass powder gauge and should be set to disperse 30 grains of black powder. The grain amount can be increased or decreased as long as there is still room for the ball in the cylinder.
Loading
- The powder is placed in a cylinder, the ball placed on top of it and the press mechanism, located beneath a barrel, then pushes the ball into position. The cylinder is sealed with an application of "bear" grease (muzzle loading grease) over the ball. Place a number 11 primer cap over the nipples, located at the rear of a cylinder, and push them into position with your thumb.

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