# 1851 Colt Navy .44 **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 26, 2008, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1851-colt-navy-44/478708 "2008-12-26T05:54:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1851-colt-navy-44/478708/1 "2008-12-26T05:54:56Z")
Got one for Christmas! Mine is a replica of the Civil War era sidearm. First time I’ve owned a black powder weapon, though I have fired a couple of muzzle-loaders. I’ve already seen a few Youtube videos showing how to load the weapon. Seems simple enough. Can’t wait to take it out for some target practice. I’m curious about accuracy, effective range, and stopping power. Anyone got any experience or comments on this model? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1851-colt-navy-44/478708/2 "2008-12-26T06:05:43Z")
I’ve got a couple of black powder Remingtons. Fun guns to shoot. I can regularly punch out the 10 ring at 25 yards, and generally hit the black at 50. Sometimes. If I’m steady. They seem to stop paper handily enough. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1851-colt-navy-44/478708/3 "2008-12-26T06:17:53Z")
You’re punching out the 10 ring at 25 yards? With a pistol? Remind me not to piss you off. Or at least never to agree to pistols at dawn with you. I’m good…but not that good. At 50 yards with a pistol, I’d expect to be able to hit a man in the chest…more often than not…but that’s a long way with a pistol by my standards. From the video I’ve seen, the recoil appears to be pretty mild. The gun is nicely balanced, with a heavy barrel. Feels very natural in my hand. Then again, several of my ancestors likely carried similar sidearms into battle. Might be channeling the spirit of Great-Great Grandpa Oak when I hold it…😃 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1851-colt-navy-44/478708/4 "2008-12-26T06:29:48Z")
Mine have target sights and are very comfortable to shoot. I’m no expert with them, by a long shot, but I can generally hit what I’m aiming at. I can also use a sword, so if we meet on the Field of Honor, choose your weapon wisely. I suggest meringue pies at 5 paces. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Sage\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sage_rat/32/399_2.png) [@Sage\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sage_Rat)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1851-colt-navy-44/478708/5 "2008-12-26T07:00:00Z")
Harsh words at high noon. “You blighted mass of clotted mucus!” ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1851-colt-navy-44/478708/6 "2008-12-26T14:07:30Z")
I love lemon meringue pies; I’ll fit you at one pace if those are the weapons. Favorite Southern Joke: Q: Why is my finger like a lemon pie? A: Cause its got meringue on it. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1851-colt-navy-44/478708/7 "2008-12-26T15:45:13Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > . Feels very natural in my hand. They usually do.😉 ---
**Author:** ![EarhornJones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5f9b8f/32.png) [@EarhornJones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EarhornJones)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2008, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1851-colt-navy-44/478708/8 "2008-12-26T20:23:34Z")
I love my '51 Navy replica. I can generally hit the broad side of the barn with it, but that’s really more about my special relationship with pistols than it is about the accuracy of the gun. Despite my lack of skills, I still think it’s my favorite pistol for shooting. I like the “feel” of the balck powder gun much more than I do that of modern hand guns. I can’t vouch for stopping power, but it looks and souds impressive as hell when fired. I’d sure stop if someone shot one at me:). ---
**Author:** ![Jaglavak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85f322/32.png) [@Jaglavak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jaglavak)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/1851-colt-navy-44/478708/9 "2008-12-27T01:48:47Z")
Just a note about percussion cap guns, wear your safety glasses. Several years ago I was spotting for a friend who was shooting this same gun, standing behind and to his right. On the third shot there was a loud thud inside my head and then I couldn’t see out of my left eye. I figured it was a ricochet and I was a dead man. But it turned out I got lightly scalped by a piece of the percussion cap and my vision was blocked by blood. That gun tended to be more of a display piece after that. Also, if you get a misfire you need to stand there with the thing pointed downrange for at least five minutes like it says in the directions. If you shoot again, the misfired round is now lined up with the frame of the gun and it could go off at any time. That will get you a whole lot more than the little scare I had. Besides that it was a sweet shooter with good accuracy, mild recoil, and a righteous muzzle flash.