1851 NAVY revolver.... .36 or .44 caliber, which to get?

I'm going to get an 1851 navy revolver, trying to decide on which caliber. Any suggestions?

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IIRC, 36 is more historically accurate and is for sure more pleasant to shoot.....but, around here 44 accessories are much easier to find. YMMV.

.36 is historically correct.
The .36 will be slightly heavier(thicker cylinder/barrel) which makes recoil a non-issue. Recoil with any caliber cap&ball is pretty wimpy anyway.
.36 allows more bullets per pound of lead(if you cast your own). .36 allows more shots per pound of powder. = more economical to shoot.
Personally I feel the Colt Navy .36 is THE best balanced and quickly pointable of all handguns. Wild Bill Hickok used them!

Accuracy is wash. Both shoot the same.
Cap usage is the same.

.44 only advantage is it hits harder.

Anything you need can be ordered on-line or mail order.

If you want a '51, go with .36 cal. If you feel the need for a .44 get the '60 Army.

.36 it will be. I do prefer to stay historically correct.

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Get both. .44 ball will be easier to find, but .36 is much more readily available than when I started on this. A used .44 will be cheaper too.

If you have big fingers, the .44 will be easier to load.

Well, maybe it will be the .44 after all. That's all bass pro has unless you spend $500.

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Dude. I am disappoint.

Check w/ Dixie Gun Works and about eleventybillion civ war re-enactor supply vendors. They'll ALL be selling a Navy six.

Cabela's has the brass framed ones on sale for under $200. As long as you don't plan to do a cartridge conversion they're fine. Most folks don't shoot them nearly as much as they think they will. After a couple of messy cylinders worth of shooting I'm done. I do shoot the Ruger Old Army and Remington 1858 more as they're easier to load. Cabela's has the 1858s on sale too (or did anyways).

I had the .44 1851 once, and I hated it. I didn't have the balance that the .36 had. Personally I would order an 1860 which I have now. I think that the Pietta 1860 is one of the best guns you can get for the money. Here it is with the first of two 3rd place Bronze medals that it has won in blackpowder competitions.

late to the party but a 51 navy should always be a .36 and a 60 army always a 44......

And thats whay mine are, except I got one of the 51 navy 1872 conversions in 38spc just because its so fun to shoot.

Well, I got the .44. I shot it and I like it. I am already shopping around for one in .36. Been a while since I've shot blackpowder, and it reminded me how fun it is. I am thinking about getting a flintlock rifle also. Wish I coulda got the .36, but bass pro didn't offer it at the right price, and I had gift cards that I needed to use. Thanks for all the input guys. You will probably be seeing more of me in the blackpowder forum....

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My Navy .36 is the 1861 model - same lines to it as the bigger 1860 army .44

Look into making up your own paper cartridges with cigarette papers too - they're MUCH faster to reload with AND you can weigh the powder charges out at home in comfort rather than at the range in the cold/snow/wind/rain, etc.

Dixie had their Flint Jager rifle on sale right now for about 300 bucks off retail. your not going to be able to touch a more authentic proper flint rifle for less than double that cost.

For my BP charges, I use 223 brass, load them at home, put little rubber type caps on them & good to go. At the range I load the cylinder, put a lube wad in , the ball ram it , cap the nipple & shoot.

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