Howdy y'all!
I'm new to both the Dark Arts and this forum. I'll be honest as eggs in April, I was intimidated at first, but after reading some of these lovely threads and seeing how you guy's seem to treat newcomers, I have absolutely no worry at all. I always heard the BP community was a kind, intelligent, welcoming, eccentric bunch. I really didn't believe it.
Until now!
I have a few questions that I'm hoping might be able to answered here. I've been shooting the "smokeyless" variety of gunz for years upon years, since I was a tot really, but this is new territory. So here's it is. Just last night, after lots and lots of studying, reading, late nights, think sessions in the water closet, and combing through different CAS and BP forums, I purchased my first smoke machine; a Uberti 1860 Army in .44, steel frame, fluted cylinder, 8'' barrel, the works. I first thought about getting the 51 Navy but.. the 1860, to me, is like a Hemi Cuda. You are inexplicably drawn to it. You want to feel it, touch it, sit in it, and like most smoke poles and pocket cannons, you want to hear it roar. I can't tell you guy's how excited I am to finally get the thing! I've bought just about everything save a damn gun range to use in it, on it, under it, around it, and with it so I can welcome it to it's new home.
Traditions powder flask, powder measure w/ funnel, TC snail capper, cleaning kits, 2 tubes of the famed butterer of many bores, Slix-Shot Nipples and a wrench to boot, solvents, oils, cleaners, fluids, liquids, powders, you name it. 400 Remington #10's caps, beeswax, mutton tallow, nipple pick, WD-40, Ol Griz Path Lube, Hoppes #9 pistol cleaning kit (the orange one that looks like a salt shaker with a pointed top) anti-sieze whatchamacallits, a 16 oz. can of pure, high-octane triple distilled moose milk on it's way (with all it's 11 herbs and spices, I'm sure!), and a few other bits and bobs that I can't recall right now. I'm even thinking of getting a holster for when I go camping in the summer (Although, I'm worried about carry laws. Seems ta me that us Cal-I-Fornians don't know how to have fun. We get away with it when we can though!)
So I guess what I have'ta ask is, what are your tips for the newbies? What kinds of not-so-commonplace things have you guy's stuffed into your carts and range bags after needing them and not having them? Tips, tricks, do's, don'ts? Thoughts on wearing a holster in the woods and the possibility of being bothered about it? Any warnings about new out of the box Uberti's? Over powder wads or packing the last length of cylinder (above yer bawl) with goo?
To be completely honest, I'm a bit worried about some of the things I've heard about new out of the box guns and their possible sighting or fit-and-finish problems, as I've yet to be on this earth long enough to learn some appreciable metalworking skills.
I've thought long and hard about the differences between the Holy Black and the subs from hell, and I've decided on a strict diet of Pyrodex Pellets for my new gun, as I've heard it's the best thing to use, the easiest to clean, and you can leave your guns dirty for months on end without a speck of rust. (Just kidding, yuck) Goex FFFG is tha thing fer me!
I know that post was lengthy and I'm sorry if it was too much to read, but any information is greatly appreciated.
Respectfully, and may your guns never rust, your caps never jam, and your powder never grow damp!