Army NCOs and officers, cavalrymen and dragoons, especially in the cavalry regiments regiments from Texas, were issued 44 caliber revolvers for the added knock down power and range whereas naval officers were issued 36 caliber pistols for limited personal protection.

A brass frame revolver is supposed to "shoot loose" (cylinder gets out of time with the barrel) especially those revolvers with a 44 caliber, 25-30 grain load. However, I have a reproduction of the Colt 44 cal. Navy brass frame revolver (.451" ball) and it shoots fine after being shot at least 200 times. A 44 cal. revolver with a 25 grain load is has a trajectory like a rainbow and will drop three feet in 50 yards. I use the 100 yard rifle range when I shoot my Walker Colt 44 with a 40 grain load and have little or no bullet drop in 100 yards.

The next black powder pistol I purchase will be a Dance & Brothers 44 cal. (.451" round ball) steel frame revolver made by Pietta. The Dance & Brothers revolver does not have backstops behind the cylinder. I hope that feature will allow the caps to be blown off when the pistol is fired. Did you ever wonder why shooters raise the pistol vertically after firing? It is not recoil. It is so the spent cap will fall off! That is where the term "throwing lead" came from.

The Dance & Brothers revolver will be complimentary to my Houston Depot NCO infantry living history uniform because the Dance & Brothers 44 cal. revolvers were made at Columbus Texas, 60 miles west of Houston. Eagle Lake, Alleyton and Columbus in Colorado County Texas was the railhead was located in 1861 and is where at least eight Confederate cavalry and infantry regiments were raised and in training.