1858 Speed Shooting video

[SPQR70AD]

Apologies in advance but here’s an example of an early speedloader. (and very nice revolver work from Hamilton Bowen…)
View attachment 103549

that is a gorgeous pistol

 

[Bad Karma]

I thought that Joe would eventually leave office, then retire. Since his son the 'artist' won't be running for office anywhere, that would leave the State 'Bidenless" for the first time in decades. Why a state electorate wants to sign over the whole state to one family is beyond me. (Think Mass. & Kennedys.) Then, I thought, uh oh, Jill Biden could run for Senate~! But she's kind of up there in age so that probably won't happen. Anyway, Joe is a One Term President either way.

huh…

 

[Bad Karma]

That was a lot of lead to push through a barrel in a short period. I'd love to see what his target looked like . I 'd also love to know whether he had, through trial and experimentation, came up with a specific ball diameter, powder selection and charge and lube for each cylinder to account for the heat and barrel expansion, and then used the pre-charged cylinders in a specific order? and if he figured out the safe/reliable limit for how many cylinders he could go through at that speed ?

Its a great demonstration of what is possible and one can imagine how effective that approach would be to dissuade an oncoming attack. One or two six-shot salvos would be increasingly worrisome, but after a defender started firing that third cylinder, attackers would have to be deadly serious to keep coming. As noted above, multiple pistols was probably a more likely scenario 150 years ago than one pistol and four matched extra cylinders, but for a person travelling alone, the lattter solution is certainly more portable.

I would guess he’d use the same load in every chamber. No real need to complicate things. WRT accuracy, I’ll guess minute of silhouette at 15 yards. People often forget that the point of shooting is hitting…

 

[TNGhost]

Interesting, very interesting!! Can't help but wonder, how would that go on horseback??

Actually it is pretty amazing what a really well trained rider can do on horseback. The soldiers that fought the Indian wars out west were well practiced at reloading their cartridge revolvers on horseback and replacing a cylinder does not really require any more manual dexterity.

 

[45D]

Yes but they used cartridges not loose powder and ball.

Mike

 

[toot]

I thought this short video was interesting. Dropping empty cylinders in the dirt did make me cringe. Has anyone in the forum tried this with their 1858 and several cylinders?

he did not drop them in the dirt, it was grass all around him. and what was he supposed to do, hold onto them after shooting them? jmho.

 

[toot]

I like that the REMY, functioned all of the firing with out a HICCUP!!.

 

[toot]

I think it is something that a lot of us have thought about doing but never have gotten around doing. KUDDOS to him!!

 

[KSDryPowder]

Thanks for the video. I am new to black powder and trying to absorb all the information and knowledge that I can find. So far I am enjoying all of the aspects of using my 1858 new army and 1851 navy revolvers. I have a Thompson Centerline 50 caliber Hawken that I started with. Just my two cents worth and a thanks to the muzzle loading forum.

 

[45D]

KSDryPowder, learning "how to's" by watching videos that show "improper " handling will get you a "beauty ring" on your cylinder in a hurry!!
Learn the proper techniques ( such as what the 1/2 cock notch is for) and then refine those and you'll not "bugger up" your revolver.

Mike

 

[Grenadier1758]

@KSDryPowder, Much better to watch Mike Beliveau's Duelist's Den videos.

duelist1954 - YouTube

 

[Red Owl]

In the book, "We rode with Quantrill," it was noted that Frank James found a Navy revolver that was busted up but saved the cylinder- so using a spare cylinder was done but personally, I don't think it was that common.

 

[fireman1]

I can't help but be concerned carrying loaded capped cylinder not in the revolver frame. Drop one just right and shoot yourself in the face and yeah the dropping the empties is cringeworthy but if I were in a circumstance requiring burning that much powder it would the least of my worries.

Once that ball clears the cylinder, it would lose a tremendous amount of velocity. There would be no danger. Much like brass cased ammo in a house fire. Loud and it will get your attention but almost zero risk.

 

[TNGhost]

Another good thing to notice about the video.

He fires SIX shots out of each cylinder.

 

[TrapperDude]

Once that ball clears the cylinder, it would lose a tremendous amount of velocity. There would be no danger. Much like brass cased ammo in a house fire. Loud and it will get your attention but almost zero risk.

There's a series of black powder revolver articles I read by a guy who intentionally caused chain fires as a means of determining what truly caused them. In so doing, he made a pretty compelling determination about what really caused them and how to prevent them.

What he further said, as he discussed the results of a chain fire, was that a ball leaving the cylinder doesn't develop much velocity. It's only its progress down the barrel in front of expanding gasses which generates the velocity. Therefore, you are correct that there would be little risk of serious injury from a dropped capped cylinder detonating one or more chambers.

 

[TrapperDude]

He would have been smoother (= faster) if he would load and unload the cylinders on the right side rather than the "wrong" side! Not to mention put it on half cock!!

Mike

I find that putting the revolver to half-cock slows the process because the hand still extends into the cylinder notches. By pulling the hammer back just a bit, the hand, fully retracted, doesn't get in the way of removing and replacing fhe cylinder. Finding that right spot is pretty quick and easy to do adter you've done it a few times.

 

[Whughett]

Watching that and another thread here on speed changing out a cylinder I’d wage an experienced hand could go quicker than reloading a single action like the Colt Army back in the day.

 

[TrapperDude]

Watching that and another thread here on speed changing out a cylinder I’d wage an experienced hand could go quicker than reloading a single action like the Colt Army back in the day.

I'd say you're right about that. Changing a whole cylinder would be faster than ejecting six cases and then reloading each chamber.

 

[ryoung14]

When these revolvers were first introduced, cylinders were probably scarce. They were, of course, issued with one but spares were in the realm of battle field pick-ups. They hadn't been around too long at the time of the Civil War, so folks probably made do with the cylinder the revolver came with.

If they found a good cylinder in a broken gun, it could've been saved for later fitting to a good gun the finder owned...if the finder lived that long. But with the War going on, thinking that far ahead was probably folly.

Spare cylinders probably became more common 20 or so years down the line; about the time cartridge revolvers were beginning to appear. Smiths knew more about fitting them, more were available, the wartime emergency was over, and shooters had a reasonable expectation of getting some use out of them.

 

[45D]

I find that putting the revolver to half-cock slows the process because the hand still extends into the cylinder notches. By pulling the hammer back just a bit, the hand, fully retracted, doesn't get in the way of removing and replacing fhe cylinder. Finding that right spot is pretty quick and easy to do adter you've done it a few times.

Well, that won't happen if you roll the cylinder as install/remove. It also helps to have a " massaged " hand as well. You can be fast AND keep you cylinder from nasty scratches, you just gotta practice.