Carrying Extra Cylinders

[Cpl. Ashencheeks]

I have two extra cylinders and belt pouches for my Colt style .44 and I never really gave it much thought, but I was wondering which side to have upward while carrying them on my belt.

I do not have them capped if loaded and will not cap them until they are installed on the revolver, but I do have revolver nipple seals that I use now. Previously I would just carry them with no sealing upon the nipples at all.

I think that I carried them nipple side down previously, but now that I think about I probably should carry them nipple side up, with the chamber mouths facing down.

Cylinder pouch snap covers do not completely cover the cylinders so there are some open areas that the leather pouches do not cover.

 

[Treestalker]

It's better to be possibly shot in the leg than in the head or upper torso. I would feel better carrying the cylinders nipples up, and have done so in the past. I have been shot with a .38 special RNL through the knee from the outside thigh downwards under the kneecap. Not fun but Much better there than any place above :shocked2: I'm sure others will disagree, but that's their call. Thanks for the post! George.

 

[M. De Land]

Why not build a holster that orientates the loaded cylinders on their sides with a metal plate or thick piece of leather on the nipple end.

 

[cynthialee]

Extra cylinders are a hazard if they are capped.
In a pistol the caps are fairly safe from impacts that are not from the hammer.
When you go to switch out cylinders, if the caps are on, there is a danger zone you are walking through. If you drop the cylinder or smack it against something hard accidently....yeah boom.

Uncapped cylinders have some potential issues. If it is wet out...wet powder. If somehow fire makes it to the nipple port, say from shooting...boom
Also if you use a fine grain powder and larger fireport nipples, one can loose powder perhaps.

Spare cylinders would be great for a shoot out at high noon, granted. But at the range, I prefer safety over speed.

 

[Cpl. Ashencheeks]

I never carry them capped and never have, but I do use revolver seals which is a rubber ring that covers each nipple on the cylinder.

My main worry used to be a possible flying ember floating into an open nipple. So I used to carry them nipple down with chambers up. Now that I use the revolver ring seals, I think I should carry them chambers down.

As I said I do not cap them until they are put on the revolver.

I know better, I have always known better.

If capped, one boneheaded butter finger drop while changing out a cylinder and potential game-over for someone or something.

 

[Cpl. Ashencheeks]

I bought these many years ago when I first got into blackpowder and they were part of gimmicky sales trends, which when I was younger was more prone to such sales tactics.

Most often if in field or forest, I just carried a single revolver and not the extra cylinders, so they have not been used too much.

I did find this article on carrying extra cylinders.
http://homeplace-artsstuff.blogspot.com/2011/01/swapping-cylinders-in-cap-and-ball.html

It does afford a little extra convenience, but as stated in the article there are some drawbacks to it, particularly with the Colt style models.

I have also made fully self contained paper cartridges, but for the most part I find these to be a PITA to make and if using combustible paper, it messes up the revolver too quickly.

I would rather have a couple of extra cylinders, and then go to just twisting open a pre-measured paper cartridge broken into the cylinders on the revolver, put the paper in my pocket, then place a lubed wad and ball over the top. A bit like those new fancy pellets Hodgdon makes, but I get to use real black powder instead.

It makes for cleaner shooting sessions this way. Less time measuring powder charges also.

 

[pargent]

:hmm: :hmm: :rotf:
:nono: BOOKBURNERS

 

[MSW]

I have on occasion carried a spare cylinder for my ROA. the pouch is a very thick leather arrangement which covers the whole thing completely (think the holster for the WW2 Luger). I carried the spare nipples up, if for no other reason than it was easier to get out of the pouch.

Like the blogger I could, with practice, swap out the cylinders in about fifteen seconds, from bang #6 to bang #1. On further reflection, however, I decided that if the problem wasn't solved in the first six shots, whatever wanted to do me a mischief was probably going to close the gap and settle the issue in that time anyway, so I quit carrying the extra weight.

Ah, heck ... probably an academic exercise anyway ...

 

[Cpl. Ashencheeks]

I am not exactly sure what you mean by the use of the emoticons, but if you are talking about the burning of nitrated cartridge paper, I prefer not to go through the hassle of souping cigarette or onion skin paper in a solution of potassium nitrate. I still have quite abit of this stuff left which I made some 25 years ago.

I really don't like using paper cartridges with the exception of busting open a pre-measured powder charge into the chamber and not even use the paper in the charge at all. These would just be pre-measured charges in regular cigarette paper without a dip in nitrated soup.

Measuring the charges earlier saves some time later.

Best shots in my pistols have always been from just powder, lubed wad, and ball.

 

[M. De Land]

Maybe he's deef and dumb and speaks in sign language! :blah:

 

[Cpl. Ashencheeks]

I forgot to mention just in case anyone tries the nitrated paper cartridge route instead of extra cylinders.

There is a danger of chain fires in cylinders if using these, the paper can catch fire if there is any on top or sticking out from the sides of the projectiles.

This is why I prefer to use a separate paper cartridge charge from the projectile where the ball sits on top of a felt wad.

So it best to use naked balls on top of the charges within the cylinder mouths.

:shake: :blah:

 

[smoothshooter]

I have never considered a faster reload worth the extra weight and bulk of extra cylinders and pouches. The guns themselves are heavy enough. How many times are you going to need a 15 second reload in your life anyway? If 6 won't handle the situation, . . .

As for the real dangers of dropping a capped cylinder and it firing, yes, it is a concern, and a risk I will not take.
In reality, full-powered loads fired out of percussion cylinders without barrels have been chronographed at around 145 fps.

Capable of inflicting serious injury, particularly if an eye is hit? You bet!
Death, not so sure. Anybody know what impact velocity is required for a lead ball to break skin?

 

[cynthialee]

If six shots don't do the job...use the smoke cloud for cover and get the shotgun!
:grin:


Seems you already have a good grasp of things.
If I had Remington's, I might be tempted to get extra cylinders, but my revolvers are all Colts. Just too much hassle. If I want to shoot allot of lead downrange, I'll just load up like Jossy Wales and shoot one gun after the other. The clean up gets epic, but it sure can be fun.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

If six shots don't do the job....

Exactly!

I will use an extra cylinder at the range when teaching newbies. Cuts down the boring time between shot strings. Then after second string, let them load up to shoot again.

 

[smoothshooter]

Besides, if you have extra cylinders that have been loaded and then fired, now you have a MUCH longer cleaning session ahead of you.

I do have an extra cylinder for each of the two revolvers I shoot the most, but for a different reason. During times that I want to keep a loaded percussion revolver around for a while, as soon as I finish cleaning the gun after shooting, I put the extra cylinder that is CLEAN and DRY in the newly cleaned gun, and load it immediately, and put it away in the holster. The cylinder that was just cleaned is very lightly wiped inside with Ballistol and laid up somewhere pretty warm to sit overnight until nearly all the Ballistol has evaporated. Then it goes back in the rotation after the next cleaning.

 

[M. De Land]

That's a thought if both shoot to the same point of aim but some don't.
I have two cylinders for my target 58 Rem Pietta but they shoot to different POA at 25 yards.
I bet that this is not unusual if tested from sand bags by a decent pistol shot.

 

[Robert Egler]

...
In reality, full-powered loads fired out of percussion cylinders without barrels have been chronographed at around 145 fps.

Capable of inflicting serious injury, particularly if an eye is hit? You bet!
Death, not so sure. Anybody know what impact velocity is required for a lead ball to break skin?

Several researchers have found a velocity of about 390 fps is the minimum required for skin penetration, although they were looking a fmj bullets not lead balls. I have a BB gun that I've chronographed at 410 fps, and my son accidentally shot himself with it at (obviously) point blank range, the 4.5mm steel BB penetrated about 1/4 inch.

I have been shot with an airsoft gun (6mm plastic BB) with a stated muzzle velocity (not verified) of 400 fps at almost skin-contact range. It hurt like hell and left a huge bruise but didn't break the skin. I would think that a lead ball moving at 145 fps would be unlikely to break skin, although I still wouldn't want to get hit by it.

 

[AZbpBurner]

I have a bunch of 3 oz. hi density plastic Urine Specimen jars that have a waterproof screw cap. Cylinders fit perfectly. Some hi-density foam at both ends cushions the cylinder. I suppose I could even carry them capped - the HD foam makes that good of a padding.

 

[piguy]

I have a bunch of 3 oz. hi density plastic Urine Specimen jars that have a waterproof screw cap. Cylinders fit perfectly. Some hi-density foam at both ends cushions the cylinder. I suppose I could even carry them capped - the HD foam makes that good of a padding.

I use old pill bottles of the proper size the same way. Having the cylinders capped in them doesn't trouble me at all. Sure is faster than reloading the usual way. :wink:

 

[larryp]

There's an old saying that the fastest reload is a second gun. :thumbsup: