I just want to clarify what you mean. When you say "everyone" are you referring to shooters or to pistols now being supplied with spare cylinders by manufacturers? In a period of just over a year now I have bought four Colt Ubertis, an 1849 Pocket Model, 1862 Police Model, and a Whitneyville and First Model Dragoon. None came with spare cylinders but maybe they have started that since. If I ever carry those Dragoons through the woods on an outing I don't want a spare cylinder. That way I have an excuse to carry both. As far as Hollywood and swapping spare cylinders, what comes to mind for me are scenes from the Young Riders. Correct or not if it had been made in the 50s or 60s they would have been carrying Colt Model 1873s.
I have to rethink the spare cylinder idea
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I beg to differ, as I posted on page one of this thread evidence of just that:
https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/...k-the-spare-cylinder-idea.185929/post-2713559
It is fact they were not general issue in the military for a couple reasons, the first being handguns were only generally issued to cavalry and officers, both equipped with sabers that never need be reloaded. Cavalry had the doctrine of using their revolvers to close to saber range, and they could carry extra pistols because they were mounted and didn't have to carry them afoot, they usually carried a carbine or shotgun as well. The doctrine was to close to the point where you could use the sword. With officers it was sort of the same, they weren't fighting at range, they were directing when at range, and their sidearm was a symbol of authority and to be used when things got close, and they also had the sword. Most troops, infantry, artillery etc., were not issued handguns so they had no need for extra cylinders either.
Civilian law enforcement Wells Fargo employees etc. did have a use for them and it is documented that they did avail themselves of extra cylinders. Remington specifically advertised the sale of extra cylinders. Also, as cartridges were invented and came into use, many continued carrying their 1858s, but with a cartridge conversion cylinder and a spare C&B in case cartridges were not available.
I mean every one of mine has one because I aquired another one for them.
Was easy to think of and do,I aint that smart.
So I figure if I thought of it so did someone else.
Their brains were actually smarter than ours.
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Maybe, maybe not. People have tended to become smarter than the previous generations. Until recently apparently…
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For the sake of your children, kill the internet.
We are much dumber than they were of that I have no doubt.
We produce college graduates who cannot define a woman and believe a man can menstrate.
Me too !
At the average gun fighting range of 5 - 15' a difference of a couple of inches is probably not a huge factor.
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Surprising how many misses there are at those ranges. Fine motor control goes all to hell…
Yep….. but I wonder why a recent study I saw showed in police shooting engagements averaged 3 meters or so, with 6 out 10 shots missing the intended target (less than 35% hitting) .
Personally, I would want every bit of accuracy I could squeeze out of a firearm in a real life or death situation gunfight once adrenaline, nerves and all that excitement kicks in, none of which improve accuracy. ‘Probably not a factor’ doesn’t get a passing grade with me.
This lacks any citation. Flip is I have seen the pictures of people aka no military carrying multiple revolvers, one as I recall had 6.
Ok, full stop, there is also a logic bust. If a civilian of any type needed more than 6 shots, does anyone think they would carry a spare cylinder to swap out amidst a shooting situati9on? Really. Ooops, I dropped the Base Pin in the water trough and dear oh me.
And by default, if you got a conversion cylinder you would have a spare C&B cylinder. But would you CARRY it? Hmmm.
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Yeah, I haven't a clue how well I'd do when hot lead is buzzing by my ears, might freeze up for all I know. I was able to keep my wits and get the gun shooting in a bear charge though so that might be some indication. I don't think anyone knows what they will do until they actually experience the situation and that's where training takes over.
I know I've had my brains turn to applesauce in timed fire events when a windage sight change was required !
Nazgul58
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Dexterado
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I saw Clint Eastwood do it in a movie once, so it must be true.
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Loosing fine motor skills in high stress situations happens. You'd be surprised or perhaps not, how quickly your 1 MOA on the range goes away in combat. Been there, done that in Viet-Nam. Same as being a cop in a gun fight. Been there too. One of the reasons you're always? hearing on the news.', ' During the gun battle between police and the bank robbers, 300 rounds were expended. No one was injured.' Or some such. Been there too as a cop.
And not to mention bad shooting habits and perhaps not so accurate revolvers thrown in. I remember reading a magazine article when CAS first started, (sorry don't have the actual reference) of a gunfight in a bar, where the shooters were about 10-feet apart, (one version was they stood still and emptied, and another version reported they started at about 7 feet but each took a step back every time they recocked their revolver to fire again, thus extending the range) both unloaded their revolvers in an environment already a bit hazy from tobacco smoke, and when the shooting stopped, both had emptied their handguns, and neither had been hit.
The writer apparently did an analysis of how neither had been "hit", and thought perhaps both men were "punching" toward their targets. Apparently when quick shooting a custom of the day was to move the shooting arm forward similar to a short jαb to the stomach of your adversary, and then snap the trigger. One can see the technique by watching Richard Boone in Have Gun ; Will Travel TV Western show where he went to the trouble to find accurate shooting fast draw demonstrators to learn how to properly shoot. He wanted to do it right. The problem with this is although it works, it requires a LOT of training, which many "gunfighters" may not have done.
The key to the technique is training the shooting hand to always have the wrist in the same position, and to hold that position solid before and during firing. What the article hypothesized was that both men in the fight IF they used that style, probably didn't have a solid wrist position. Without that, the barrel's weight when one "punches" forward causes the muzzle to dip very low, and when fired, the round tends to impact near the adversary's feet. The recoil causes the revolver to jump "upwards" in a fraction of a second later, and the shooter doesn't realize the mistake. The conclusion was that there could very well have been 10 - 12 rounds fired and nothing but the floor boards in the saloon were struck. The addition of the black powder smoke from both guns didn't help either to see the other after about two rounds fired, each.
For what it's worth, eh?
LD
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