I got a black powder pistol for a present. It came with the pistol, some round lead balls, and a metal powder flask. No instructions on how to load it. How much black powder and how do you measure it? What sequence is it done? I know the powder first but then the ball or some kind of wad and then the ball? How much force on the handle when seating the ball? Does it get pushed all the way to the powder? What type caps and when do you put them on? Its a 44cal.
Thanks for any help. Plenty of rifle info every where but I can not find much about pistols.

I'm not sure what kind of pistol you have, so I'll just tell you how I load my Colt 1860 .44 replica.

1) Measure out 35gr. of Black Powder or equivilant (I use Triple 7) in a powder measure. (35gr. is not a set-in-stone number. That's just what I use in mine. Play around with loadings to find out what works best in your's.)

2) Pour BP from powder measure into cylinder hole.

3) At this point, you can opt to put a wad (such as Ox Yoke Wonder Wads) over the powder. Compress the wad tightly against the powder using the rammer.

NOTE: If you do not use wads, then you will have to put a grease, such as vaseline, crisco, or TC Bore Butter over the ball later. If you go this route, just seat the ball directly over the powder charge, and put a generous amount of grease over each ball in the cylinder. This will help prevent chainfires, which is when a spark will 'jump' to the next cylinder hole and touch off that charge. Not a good thing. The wads will also prevent this, but will do so in a faster, cleaner, easier manner. I highly recommend the wads.

4) Place a ball (likely a size .451 or .454 ball for .44 revolvers) over the cylinder hole. Rotate the ball under the rammer, and ram it down. You only have to press down enough to firmly seat the ball against the powder.

Repeat steps 1-4 for every other hole in the cylinder.

NOTE: If you did not use wads, then at this time, put some grease over each ball. Put enough that it will seal off the charge from possible sparks.

5) Place a percussion cap (My 1860 .44 uses size #10 caps) on each nipple.

6) The gun is now ready to fire.

I have an 1858 remmington .44 revolver and it is a blast to shoot. You have to make sure that the ball is seated directly on top of the powder and that no air gap exists between the powder and the ball. I shoot about 20-22 grains of FFFG pyrodex out of mine and it is not enough powder to seat the ball directly on top of the powder. So what I do is after I put in the powder, I put cornmeal on top of it. Then, take the round ball (I use .454 round balls) and put it on top of the cylinder. Then, move it directly into the six o'clock position of the gun. Then, take the lever that is under the barrel and use it to ram the ball on top of the charge. You should also feel the ball pushing down the powder.  There should be a ring of lead shaved off of the ball. This means that you have a tight fit with the ball in the cylinder. This is how you load each cylinder. (You  may not need to use any filler  between the powder and the ball depending on how much powder you use). Then, put grease on top each cylinder to help prevent chainfires. And finally, place percussion caps on each of the nipples located in the back of each cylinder. Most people use #11 percussion caps.

Thanks for the info. Guess I will give it a try one weekend soon.

Here's another twist for ya' Pilgram, try it indoors!
As a kick one time i went downstairs at my club and since noone else was shooting i turned off the fans.  I wanted to simulate a bar room shoot-out.
I set a silhouette target at five yards and blasted away.
It was a lot louder than i had imagined and by the third shot i could barely see the target through the clouds of billowing (concealing) smoke.
That was with a Remington .44 replica with only me shooting, consider if two or three people were shooting-you'd be lucky to hit/see anything.  Best make the first one count.

RB out

Big Plus 1 On the Ox Yoke felt wads . No more Crisco to melt in the sun .

Quoted: I have an 1858 remmington .44 revolver and it is a blast to shoot. You have to make sure that the ball is seated directly on top of the powder and that no air gap exists between the powder and the ball. I shoot about 20-22 grains of FFFG pyrodex out of mine and it is not enough powder to seat the ball directly on top of the powder. So what I do is after I put in the powder, I put cornmeal on top of it. Then, take the round ball (I use .454 round balls) and put it on top of the cylinder. Then, move it directly into the six o'clock position of the gun. Then, take the lever that is under the barrel and use it to ram the ball on top of the charge. You should also feel the ball pushing down the powder.  There should be a ring of lead shaved off of the ball. This means that you have a tight fit with the ball in the cylinder. This is how you load each cylinder. (You  may not need to use any filler  between the powder and the ball depending on how much powder you use). Then, put grease on top each cylinder to help prevent chainfires. And finally, place percussion caps on each of the nipples located in the back of each cylinder. Most people use #11 percussion caps.

Yep, the blue corn meal is hotter than the yellow though.

i've alway used bore butter on my 1860 army replicas.  i hate the mess and am thinking of switching to wads.  another interesting thing that i found out is that ruger copied the 1860 colt army grip frame grip when they made the blackhawk.  so, for the last six years or so i have been shooting an 1860 colt replica with a set of hogue mono grips(orignally for the blackhawk) on it.  i get some strange looks from people at the range, but it is damn comfortable to shoot.

Quoted: I got a black powder pistol for a present. It came with the pistol, some round lead balls, and a metal powder flask. No instructions on how to load it. How much black powder and how do you measure it? What sequence is it done? I know the powder first but then the ball or some kind of wad and then the ball? How much force on the handle when seating the ball? Does it get pushed all the way to the powder? What type caps and when do you put them on? Its a 44cal. Thanks for any help. Plenty of rifle info every where but I can not find much about pistols.

Ummmmmmmmm, a pistol is a single shot OR an automatic (semi or full).
He never said it was a revolver. He may be shooting a single shot, wich is loaded with a patched ball useing a ram rod.

1 Loosely, any weapon designed to be fired by one hand. In this sense revolvers are included. 2 A firearm designed to be fired by one hand, the bore of which is integral with or permanently aligned with the chamber. Both single shot and magazine pistols are in use. In this more precise sense revolvers are not included.

I will take the first definition you can have the second one.

I can hear Clint now. "are you going to pull them revolvers or whistle Dixie". Just not the same.

Quoted: 1 Loosely, any weapon designed to be fired by one hand. In this sense revolvers are included. 2 A firearm designed to be fired by one hand, the bore of which is integral with or permanently aligned with the chamber. Both single shot and magazine pistols are in use. In this more precise sense revolvers are not included. I will take the first definition you can have the second one. I can hear Clint now. "are you going to pull them revolvers or whistle Dixie". Just not the same.

Yes BUT, every one of these persons ASSUMED you had a revolver. In my line of work you must assume NOTHING.

Thanks to everyone that contributed something useful.