Introduction
I started a YouTube channel related to this blog. My handle is Mark Target, and the channel name is youtube.com/@blackpowderyard. This post is the video archive. There is a page and post archive in another post, check the “Archive” link on the “Welcome to my Blog” page and on other pages on my blog.
Apr, May, Jun, 2025
“The Quick & the Cheap Part 1, Pietta 1861 Navy Gallery Load”
I load my Pietta 1861 Navy with 5-gr of Pyrodex P and recovered, .375″ round balls; no grease, no filler.
“Percussion Cap Misfire Fix Attempt: Polish Internals of Pietta 1861 Navy“
Another attempt to solve cap misfires. I polish trigger, hammer, bolt, hand & spring, and associated screws of my Pietta 1861 Navy.
“Percussion Cap Failures Continue, Hammers, & Main Springs”
In a continuing effort to stop percussion cap failures, I compare the hammer action of my other revolvers to my Pietta 1861 Navy.
“Percussion Cap Misfires Continue Pietta 1861 Navy; Next Fix”
I show my next attempt to stop percussion cap misfires in my Pietta 1861 Navy.
“Percussion Cap Misfire Fix? Main Spring Mod Pietta 1861 Navy”
After I replaced the main spring I had percussion cap failures, so I put a washer between the spring and the grip frame to see if that solved the problem.
“Update: Lowering Pietta 1861 Navy Rear Sight”
I show the most recent target after lowering Pietta 1861 Navy rear sight and discuss how I will continue.
“Gallery Black Powder Loading Pietta 1861 36 Cal Navy”
I swage and load .375″ round balls and load them into the bottom of my Navy chambers without fillers.
“Lowering Pietta 1861 Navy Sights”
I widen and lower the sight slot on the hammer of my Pietta 1861 Navy.
“Percussion Revolver Sights”
I discuss percussion revolver sights with a shoutout to Blackie Thomas’s Percussion Revolver Series YouTube Video: “Master Class Sights”.
“Timing Problem? Pietta Colt 1861 Navy”
I discuss possible timing problem in my Pietta Colt 1861 Navy and its effects on shooting.
“Installing Main Spring in Pietta 1861 Colt Navy”
I install a main spring in my Pietta 1861 Colt Navy.
“Buck Mark UDX Non-Shooting Review”
I show my Buck Mark and discuss.
“Pietta Colt 1861 Navy Parts from Dixie Gun Works”
I show some parts from Dixie Gun Works I ordered for my Pietta 1861 Navy.
“Greasing Walker Cylinder & Flattening Conical Bases”
I show how I flatten the recovered conical bases and grease my Walker cylinder.
Jan, Feb, Mar, 2025
“200-gr Swaged Conicals, Flattening Bases”
I treat the recovered 200 grain RN conicals differently than before. I flatten the bases with a file. Also, I am using more grease than I did in the previous videos.
“My Gallery Shooting in General”
I discuss the why and how of my gallery shooting. I talk about the effects fillers and wads had on my shooting. I compare some of my gallery shooting results with Sam Fadalas’ Black Powder Loading Manual. I shout out to two of Old Rangers videos regarding his experience with wads.
“Gallery Shooting Recovered, Swaged RN Conicals”
A follow up video after shooting new 200-gr RNs with my Walker. Accuracy shooting the recovered, swaged conicals was degraded somewhat.
“Gun Rust Prevention in My Safe & Contents”
I display my gun safe and weapons, also showing my rust prevention scheme.
“Swaging Recovered 200-gr RN Conicals & Loading Walker”
I’m loading the Walker with recovered, re-swaged 200-gr RN conicals and 10-gr of Pyrodex P.
“Gallery Shooting Walker @ 9 Yd. 200-gr Conical”
This shooting video comes after a long form 3 1/2 minute video “Swaging & Loading Cowboy Conicals for My Walker” where I swaged 200-gr 44 Cal conicals and loaded the Walker using 10-gr of Pyrodex P.
“Swaging & Loading Cowboy Conicals for My Walker”
I swage and load my Walker with a 200 grain cowboy conical, .450″ diameter, on top of 10 grains of Pyrodex P, preparatory to a shooting session at 9 yards.
“Gallery Shooting the Ruger Old Army”
Short form video shooting the ROA at five yards. Load: 5-gr Triple-7, .455″ Conical 137-gr, Crisco, 5 yards, Group Size: 1 1/4″
“Gallery Loading & Swaging for the ROA”
Long form version of swaging and loading for my ROA. Powder load is 5-gr of Triple-7 with a recovered, swaged RB, and Crisco on top.
“Gallery Swaging & Loading for the ROA”
I swage .455″ conicals derived from recovered round balls. Then I load them into my Ruger Old Army cylinder with 5-gr of Pyrodex P.
“Chronograph & Lighting Fixture Table”
A short form video showing my chronograph and lighting fixture table, with bullet deflector shield.
“Gallery Shooting w/the Walker”
A short form video shooting the load I produced after a short form video (#17) of me loading the Walker cylinder.
“Gallery Load for Walker”
In this video I demonstrate how I load my Walker cylinder for gallery shooting.
“Test #4 Gallery Shooting w/Gun Clamp & Grease”
The addition of grease had two effects: a steadily increasing velocity over six shots, from 158 to 375 fps, and a correspondingly larger standard deviation than the previous three tests. I will clean and delead the bore and use then grease for all shooting going forward. Hopefully, the high low spread and standard deviation numbers will be lower after the leading is removed.
“Grease Added to 1858 Army Chambers”
Before I continue to Test #4 I added grease (Crisco) to the chambers on top of the .451″ swaged RB, which are pressed to the bottom of the chambers on top of 5-gr of Pyrodex P. I am trying to get the velocities up to an acceptable level to avoid barrel stuck bullets.
“Test #3 Gallery Shooting w/Gun Clamp”
Test #3 of the series of four. A steady drop in velocity from the 1st test to the 3rd. Another test with the same parameters would likely result in blocked shots. Next test will include grease to see if there is an increase in velocity.
“Test #2 Gallery Shooting w/Gun Clamp”
Test #2 of the series of four. A slight increase of group size (1/4″) and an increase in high/low spread and standard deviation.
“Test #1 Gallery Shooting w/Gun Clamp”
I begin a test of four gallery shooting sessions. Load for all four tests are a new, swaged .451″ RB over a 5-gn. load of Pyrodex P shot from my gun clamp at five yards. No grease or fillers are used in the first three. The fourth test will have the addition of Crisco in the chambers. The test series will be started with a clean, deleaded barrel, with a bore swipe before each subsequent tests. Using a bore laser marked target, I will document changes in group size and velocity.
“Gun Clamp & Bore Laser”
I show the operation of my gun clamp. After installing my 1858 Army into the clamp I use a bore laser to mark the target.
“Gallery Shooting w/My Gun Clamp”
Shooting a gallery load from my gun clamp.
“Target Stand, Target Holder, & Bullet Traps”
I demonstrate my target holder, stand, and bullet traps.
“Percussion Cap Removal from Cap Making Fixture”
I demonstrate how I remove percussion caps from my 121 count matrix.
“Making Percussion Caps in Bulk”
I demonstrate how I load percussion caps using my 121 count matrix.
“Swaging .451 Round Balls & Loading ’58 Army Cylinder”
This time I am swaging new .451″ round balls instead of recovered ones I have been using. I load them over 5 grains of Pyrodex P into my 1858 Army cylinder.
“Gallery Load 5-gn Pyrodex P for 1858 Army”
Here I shoot a gallery load of 5-gr Pyrodex P with a swaged, recovered round ball at 5 yards. I am trying to reduce failures, such as barrel-stuck shots and low hitting bouncers. This attempt was with recovered balls that had been fired only a few times. In an upcoming video I will swage new 451″ round balls and shoot using a 5 grain load of Pyrodex P.
“Gallery Load in 1858 Army Cylinder”
A video short where I show an 1858 Army cylinder loaded with a gallery load.
“Swaging Recovered Round Balls”
The process of swaging recovered round balls is demonstrated. I also talk about some of the problems and failures that have started to show up in my testing, and the possible reasons and solutions.
“Gallery Load 2 1/2-gn Triple-Seven FFF for 1858 Army”
I shoot 5 consecutive cylinders of 6 shots each with a gallery load: 2 1/2-gn Triple-Seven FFF, .440″ round ball. One of the shots stuck in the barrel, and two bouncers also occurred. In this case, I allowed too much leading in the barrel.
“Gallery Load 5-gn Triple-Seven FFF for 1858 Army”
I shoot 5 consecutive cylinders of 6 shots each with a gallery load: 5-gn Triple-Seven FFF, .438″ conical. Two of the shots are stuck in the barrel, which hasn’t happened for quite some time. I believe I have reused some of the conicals past their useful life, contributing to reduced accuracy, poor numbers, bouncers, and barrel stucks.
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