1860 army spare cylinder

[ras_oscar]

When I bought my Ruger .45 convertable it came with 2 cylinders. One for 45ACP one for 45LC. The cylinders had the last 4 of the serial number engraved on the face of the cylinder(at the forcing cone end). I take this to mean the cylinders are factory fitted to each frame and not interchangable.

I am in the early stages of research for a 1860 Army 44 black powder reproduction and am considering a spare cylinder. Should I only consider cylinders purchased with the revolver, or are the clearances on black powder replicas somehow not as important as on modern firearms? Looking at Pietta and Ubertu, if it makes a difference.

 

[Threeband]

I don't think a "spare cylinder" serves any practical purpose on a cap and ball revolver.


It does NOT offer any practical fast reload, in spite of Hollywood's fantasies.


If you want a fast reload, use the New York method.

If you need a fast reload, get a real gun.

I don't see any reason to get a second cylinder. It would be dangerous to have a loaded, capped cylinder separate from the revolver, anyway. What's the point?

Make a loading stand and use the loading lever.

http://www.mdshooters.com/showpost.php?p=1798061&postcount=2

http://www.mdshooters.com/showpost.php?p=1799068&postcount=11

It would be extremely foolish to cap a cylinder that is off of the revolver but you can safely carry one that is NOT capped. Whether it saves you time and you value that is a personal preference. I won't order one separately but I was definitely not going to turn away a free one.

Loading stands

Don't waste your money on the Cabela's stand it is questionable.

Don't cap your loaded cylinder until it is placed in the pistol where it should be. Never rest the hammer on a capped cylinder either.

Loaded cylinder separate from the gun = Hand Grenade.

Think!

If you drop a capped cylinder, the whole damn thing could go off.

What purpose does it serve to carry a loaded cylinder? Don't tell me "rapid reload". That's mostly a Hollywood fantasy, and particularly impractical with Colts. With practice and good gear, you can reload a cap and ball gun in about one minute anyway.

If you need to carry a handgun for any practical reason, get something modern.

It would not hand grenade. It would be like shooting one round from a 1/4" barrel. You can still wait to put the caps on after it in the gun.

Jeez.



No, the cylinder would not turn into shrapnel.

But all six chambers could go off, pointed up, which would be a bad thing.


Now tell me, what advantage do you see to carrying a separate, loaded but uncapped cylinder?

You still have to load that cylinder, so big whoop. And in the time you're knocking out the wedge, juggling three, no four separate pieces of your revolver, and reassembling with a loaded but uncapped cylinder, I can ram six paper cartridges in my one cylinder, without loosening the wedge.

If you want a fast reload, use the New York method.

If you need a fast reload, get a real gun.

My free second cylinder is a novelty, that is all. At best it will be loaded with some bird shot and uncapped, most likely it will just be sitting at home.

As said by Threeband the time savings is debatable.

If you really want faster reloads get some small plastic screw/snap top tubes and measure out a few dozen charges to carry with you or try rolling paper cartridges.
You can find tubes on ebay.

Paper cartridges won't be faster. That's why nobody uses them. You just have to get your system down.
I know a guy who can reload his cap and ball revolver almost as fast as you could a loading-gate type cartridge gun.

Look at this thread:
http://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=146458&highlight=loading+tubes

Particularly, see this post:
http://www.mdshooters.com/showpost.php?p=2921481&postcount=60

Get about 100 of these little tubes: View attachment 120784


You put a measured charge of 3fg in each tube, and take them to the range in a case box/ammo box.

The guy I refer to who loads so fast uses these or similar tubes. He sets everything out on the bench where he can reach it.



View attachment 120785 View attachment 120786

Revolver in loading stand.
Grab tube, pop top with thumb, charge chamber, drop tube in lid of case box.
Repeat for six chambers--- time, about 8 seconds.
Drop a ball in each chamber --- time - maybe 5 seconds.
Seat balls --- time maybe 4 seconds.
He used crisco/beeswax for lube. Had it in a little tub, like a musket cap tin. Used a little hors d'oerve type cheese knife to smear lube in a huge mess all over the face of the cylinder. He lubed and sealed in about 2 seconds that way.

With practice you can cap the nipples in maybe ten seconds or less.



You can easily reload in under 1 minute with a little practice and organization.
I'm estimating about 30 seconds for this guy I used to shoot with, but he was fast, and better organised than I. Those pop-top tubes he used are much better than the rubbery tubes I describes in that thread I told you to read.


You can try paper cartridges someday for fun, but I'll bet you can reload .38 Special on a single-station press just as fast.

 

[ras_oscar]

ok ok ok I surrender. Just a thought. (It looked really cool in Hell on Wheels though!!!)

What's the " New York method"?

 

[safecracker]

It's all about personal preference and what you like.

The little bayonet on my Glock served no practical purpose whatsoever.....but it sure LOOKS cool!

 

[AntiGun]

ok ok ok I surrender. Just a thought. (It looked really cool in Hell on Wheels though!!!)

What's the " New York method"?

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/New_York_reload



http://bellcharteroakholsters.com/pancakes.html

 

[ken792]

ok ok ok I surrender. Just a thought. (It looked really cool in Hell on Wheels though!!!)

What's the " New York method"?

Probably done because the real/authentic method of reloading is too slow for TV audiences used to fast paced gunfights with modern weaponry or the plot and because movie armorers can guarantee that the cylinder is one that they loaded safely.

In a lot of the older westerns, they actually used cartridge conversion cylinders because the crimp blanks were safer than simply loading blackpowder with a wad into a cap and ball cylinder. You can see that here in the scene in Pale Rider when Clint Eastwood's character reloads his Remingtons by switching cylinders.

 

[Blacksmith101]

When it comes to BP. Josie Wales is the best example of the New York method I can think of.

 

[ras_oscar]

Got it. In guess that's why a lot of civil war photos show soldiers with multiple revolvers tucked in there waistband.

 

[Threeband]

ok ok ok I surrender. Just a thought. (It looked really cool in Hell on Wheels though!!!)

What's the " New York method"?

1.

new york reload

Pulling a second gun instead of reloading.

Antwan pulled a new york reload when his .45 jammed, and capped LaShonda with his nina.

by theoriginalrecon March 23, 2007

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=new york reload&defid=2323084

That's the reason to carry two (or more) sixguns. It's not for "duel wielding", but to switch to a fresh gun when the first one is empty. Texas Rangers were known to hang four or more Colts from their saddles, in addition to two on their belts.

Reloading with a fresh cylinder is pure Hollywood nonsense.


If the second cylinder is "free" (TANSTAAFL), that's one thing, but I can't see the sense in paying extra for such a useless accessory.