Field/Farm Use of Cap & Ball Revolver

[JRL1164]

Does anyone carry or use their revolver around the farm/ranch? I typically carry an unmentionable through out my farm and ranch work. Normally to deter predators from livestock and other animals and other various dispatch situations. I've been thinking of carrying my 1851 for this purpose with paper cartridges but have a scenario I'm not sure how to proceed.

Obviously with an unmentionable, should the need arise to fire, the weapon it can be cleared and safe for cleaning. (I clean everything after shooting.) With my 1851 I was thinking of loading five for a safe carry but it maybe several weeks before I shoot all five chambers. What say you in the instances of shooting one or two chambers and what next for proper gun cleaning?

Remove the caps from the remaining chambers and disassemble and clean as required (Cleaning around the unspent chambers.)? Dispatch the remaining rounds (seems wasteful to me) and clean? Leave the gun fouled until the remainder are fired (I cringe at this)? Other suggestions?

How was this done back in the day when this was all that was available, though I suspect EDC was different then as we know it now. Safety being the upmost importance in these scenarios.

 

[M. De Land]

Does anyone carry or use their revolver around the farm/ranch? I typically carry an unmentionable through out my farm and ranch work. Normally to deter predators from livestock and other animals and other various dispatch situations. I've been thinking of carrying my 1851 for this purpose with paper cartridges but have a scenario I'm not sure how to proceed.

Obviously with an unmentionable, should the need arise to fire, the weapon it can be cleared and safe for cleaning. (I clean everything after shooting.) With my 1851 I was thinking of loading five for a safe carry but it maybe several weeks before I shoot all five chambers. What say you in the instances of shooting one or two chambers and what next for proper gun cleaning?

Remove the caps from the remaining chambers and disassemble and clean as required (Cleaning around the unspent chambers.)? Dispatch the remaining rounds (seems wasteful to me) and clean? Leave the gun fouled until the remainder are fired (I cringe at this)? Other suggestions?

How was this done back in the day when this was all that was available, though I suspect EDC was different then as we know it now. Safety being the upmost importance in these scenarios.

I'm like you, if I shoot it I have to clean it or it will not let me rest. Black powder kept dry is not very corrosive but black powder fouling is so it cannot be left in a fouled condition especially where humid.

 

[cynthialee]

yes
when I feel the need to have a firearm while working around the garden and chicken coop I will strap on my 1851 .44 revolver

mainly it will be when I have a coyote sniffing around, or the other half is out of town and someone is being suspicious in the neighborhood
I am very particular about my loading ritual (for lack of a better term).

If I fire a chamber, I just blast off the remaining rounds on a target. I am a little hesitant to do a partial clean of things. Need my pistol to be clean, well loaded and well oiled.

I load all 6 as the little in between pins do their job.

Now my .36 Sheriff doesn't have the pins, so I only load 5

 

[andy52]

I do carry a .45LC with two birdshot in the lead and follow up with four 256 gr lead SWC.

 

[45D]

How about neutralizing the fired chamber/chambers with oil? Then you can clean after the rest are fired.

Mike

 

[Daveboone]

Interesting topic...I have a newly acquired 1860 Colt (Pietta), that will see some woods/property wandering with me. What about BP substitutes ? Is it ok to use Buckhorn in percussion revolvers? Would it buy you a few days or more used instead of BP? I understand it is about the most carefree of the substitues (pyrodex, triple 7 , etc). I myself would never wait even to the next day with Pyrodex or T7.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Even though I am a serious lover and user of everything muzzle loading (including C&B), I recognize they are obsolete firearms. For serious work, when I had my farm and, today where I live, I use modern guns. Newer style guns were developed to be better and more reliable than the old stuff. I use the old guns because I love them, not because I need them.

 

[45D]

Well the nice thing about open-top's is you can "clean" the barrel assy as normal, if you pack the frame with Mobil1 you can wipe down the frame and not worry about the inside (especially if you have an action shield). Neutralize the fired chamber / chambers and you've got a clean revolver.

 

[45D]

Even though I am a serious lover and user of everything muzzle loading (including C&B), I recognize they are obsolete firearms. For serious work, when I had my farm and, today where I live, I use modern guns. Newer style guns were developed to be better and more reliable than the old stuff. I use the old guns because I love them, not because I need them.

They're only "obsolete" if you leave them as factory. All mine are as modern and reliable as any higher end S.A. you can buy today. I've never owned a semi auto handgun.

Mike

 

[JRL1164]

Interesting topic...I have a newly acquired 1860 Colt (Pietta), that will see some woods/property wandering with me. What about BP substitutes ? Is it ok to use Buckhorn in percussion revolvers? Would it buy you a few days or more used instead of BP? I understand it is about the most carefree of the substitues (pyrodex, triple 7 , etc). I myself would never wait even to the next day with Pyrodex or T7.

That I'm not sure of. I don't have any Buckhorn to experiment with. I've been pretty blessed to have always found black powder when needed whether Goex, Swiss or even KIK. I have some Pyrodex RS I've had for years that I use to use for another unmentionable until jumping the fence.

I also have an 1860 that I really enjoy and was considering using but have found the .36 is cheaper to shoot. Though I suspect I will alternate their use for this purpose.

 

[JRL1164]

They're only "obsolete" if you leave them as factory. All mine are as modern and reliable as any higher end S.A. you can buy today. I've never owned a semi auto handgun.

Mike

I can relate, for Farm and Ranch use I don't have an issue using black powder. If I head to town I change out to something modern. After changing the nipples to Slixshot my revolvers have been very reliable and I'm meticulous on my loading procedure and cartridge rolling.

 

[TrapperDude]

They're only "obsolete" if you leave them as factory. All mine are as modern and reliable as any higher end S.A. you can buy today. I've never owned a semi auto handgun.

Mike

Out of the box (with the exception of adding Slixprings nipples), I've found my revolvers to be pretty reliable if I do my part properly loading and capping them.

I still wouldn't look at them as a preferred alternative to something truly modern, though. It's one thing to load a revolver at the bench and fire it right away. It's entirely something else to load a weapon and carry it in the rain and humidity for days at a time and then fire it.

Yes, our ancestors did that, but they used what technology had to offer at the time. Modern weapons are much better for loading and carrying in harsh conditions for extended periods.

My black powder weapon use is for fun and also becoming better versed in a viable alternative should a modern weapon be unavailable. It's why I do my shooting with 30gr loads in my revolvers and a 40gr load in my flintlock pistol. Those are the loads I would use if I were in a fight or putting food on the table.

 

[45D]

Out of the box (with the exception of adding Slixprings nipples), I've found my revolvers to be pretty reliable if I do my part properly loading and capping them.

I still wouldn't look at them as a preferred alternative to something truly modern, though. It's one thing to load a revolver at the bench and fire it right away. It's entirely something else to load a weapon and carry it in the rain and humidity for days at a time and then fire it.

Yes, our ancestors did that, but they used what technology had to offer at the time. Modern weapons are much better for loading and carrying in harsh conditions for extended periods.

My black powder weapon use is for fun and also becoming better versed in a viable alternative should a modern weapon be unavailable. It's why I do my shooting with 30gr loads in my revolvers and a 40gr load in my flintlock pistol. Those are the loads I would use if I were in a fight or putting food on the table.

Yes, I would agree for the most part. But, I mentioned that "Mine" are as modern as . . . "Mine" are "unmentionables" because of the ammo they shoot but outside of that, they are still as modern as any modern made S.A. . . . more specifically Ruger/ Freedom Arms ( more FA because FA uses a flat main spring unlike the "slow" Ruger coil).
So, the only difference in a cap gun version and the unmentionable version is that you're using caps, powder and ball instead of metallic cartridges. With a cap post and action shield you basically have the equivalent of a cap & ball version of a Freedom Arms!!

Mike

 

[appalichian hunter]

In a heated situation say over run by a herd of chipmunks I would and do carry a un-mentionable 1911 and 2 spare mags for a total of 24 available rounds, much faster to re-load. Just saying.

 

[maillemaker]

If I was going to carry a percussion revolver, I'd carry hammer down on an empty cylinder. If I had occasion to fire one chamber, I'd fire them all, and then clean and re-load. Otherwise, it would stay loaded forever.

That said, the only reason I'd resort to carrying a percussion revolver is if I was a felon and could not carry a modern firearm. In my opinion, if you are in a position to really need to carry a firearm throughout your daily business then you should be carrying a modern firearm.

 

[smoothshooter]

Does anyone carry or use their revolver around the farm/ranch? I typically carry an unmentionable through out my farm and ranch work. Normally to deter predators from livestock and other animals and other various dispatch situations. I've been thinking of carrying my 1851 for this purpose with paper cartridges but have a scenario I'm not sure how to proceed.

Take the cylinder out and clean out the fired chamber(s) with a patch. Barrel too. Wipe off any fouling on the frame and inside the hammer slot. I prefer to clean with 70% isopropyl alcohol. Wipe a little around the rear of the cylinder as needed.
Reassemble. Or reload fired chambers.
I can usually get by without cleaning at all for a couple of days before any precursors of imminent corrosion show up, and I live in a high humidity area in the midwest.
Remember, these guns were meant to be used, they are not high-priced, and if you get a little pitting over time, that’s the price of playing the game. They are not irreplaceable, and neither are the individual spare parts.


Obviously with an unmentionable, should the need arise to fire, the weapon it can be cleared and safe for cleaning. (I clean everything after shooting.) With my 1851 I was thinking of loading five for a safe carry but it maybe several weeks before I shoot all five chambers. What say you in the instances of shooting one or two chambers and what next for proper gun cleaning?

Remove the caps from the remaining chambers and disassemble and clean as required (Cleaning around the unspent chambers.)? Dispatch the remaining rounds (seems wasteful to me) and clean? Leave the gun fouled until the remainder are fired (I cringe at this)? Other suggestions?

How was this done back in the day when this was all that was available, though I suspect EDC was different then as we know it now. Safety being the upmost importance in these scenarios.

 

[M. De Land]

How about neutralizing the fired chamber/chambers with oil? Then you can clean after the rest are fired.

Mike

I would never trust oil to stop BP fouling from corroding steel, not even stainless.

 

[TrapperDude]

If I was going to carry a percussion revolver, I'd carry hammer down on an empty cylinder. If I had occasion to fire one chamber, I'd fire them all, and then clean and re-load. Otherwise, it would stay loaded forever.

I'm pretty comfortable resting the hammer between chambers with my percussion revolvers and would carry either of them that way if I had to. I practice resting the hammer between the chambers when I fire live at the range. That's just me, though.

That said, the only reason I'd resort to carrying a percussion revolver is if I was a felon and could not carry a modern firearm. In my opinion, if you are in a position to really need to carry a firearm throughout your daily business then you should be carrying a modern firearm.

I look at worst-case scenarios, such as really protracted ammo shortages or a few years into TEOTWAWKI as the situations where BP weapons may be necessary. It might be the lowest probability of occurrence that either of those scenarios arises, but I try to be ready for either in any case.

 

[new2bp]

If I were to be carrying in the field, I'd carry my CZ75. If I actually thought I'd really need to use a gun, I'd carry one of my ARs or my FAL ... and bring a few buddies totin' theirs.

BP and muzzle loaders are fun. But they haven't been the best tool for the job since the late 1800s.

That said, I may be going afield during ML deer/hog season here soon, and knowing how long it takes me to load at the range I will be carrying my 1858 as a backup - but only because that is the only legal option I have.

 

[45D]

I would never trust oil to stop BP fouling from corroding steel, not even stainless.

Well, I'm not 100% sure but if it's saturated with oil I don't believe it could absorb water but maybe so. My cleaning regiment was with wet patches followed with dry followed with oily . . . couldn't be too hard to clean a chamber or two but whatever . . .that was 20 yrs ago . . .

Mike