loading all 6 Chambers

[MosinRob]

I heard on a 6 shot revolver you should only ever load 5 and leave one empty. Any truth to that?

 

[Dave Marsh]

My personal preference is if I am shooting targets at the range I load all six. If I am carrying it around hunting I only load 5 and the chamber under the hammer is empty. I do this for modern six guns as well. Just my opinion.

Dave

 

[MSW]

there's a lawyer joke the punchline of which is "it depends..."

this is a similar case. all of my modern CR revolvers have transfer bars and floating firing pins, so i don't feel concerned about carrying all six chambers loaded in them. when i carry my Ruget Old Army, the hammer goes into one of the slots cut into the cylinder, so that system is safe to use all six. other systems use a pin which protrudes from the back of the cylinder, and a slot cut into the hammer keeps the cylinder from rotating, but i'm not so confident about this. some older CR revolvers (single action army, etc) were carried with one chamber empty, and the hammer on that chamber, so that if the weapon were dropped, the firing pin could not set off the cartridge.

one guy's free opinion- - and worth every penny

 

[Robert Egler]

I shoot a Remington New Army, and there are safety notches for the hammer to rest in between the chambers. I load 6 and carry the gun with the hammer in a safety notch. I wouldn't carry it with the hammer down on a capped and loaded chamber.

 

IMHO, if you do any amount of shooting with C&B pistols or traditional centerfire guns, you should always load them with five, regardless of what you're shooting or circumstances. It's simply a good habit to be in and loading different guns different ways at different times is inviting trouble. I have cap `n ball guns, traditional cartridge guns and modern New Model Rugers, numbering over a couple dozen, and I treat them all the same. I do A LOT of shooting with traditional cartridge guns. I've put 1000rds through my Old Model Single Six in just the last week. I've shot them to the point that reloading takes under 20secs and loading five rounds is very natural. While anything else feels very unnatural.

 

[cynthialee]

My current pistol has very good pins, so I load it all the way. The pistol before this one had worn down pins and could easily slip off them, so that pistol only got loaded 5 chambers. Over the years I have bassed my answer to that question on how reliable those pins are.

If the pins are good then go ahead and load it up, but if there is any worry they have been worn down and it could slip then I would suggest that you only load 5.

 

[Dphar]

I heard on a 6 shot revolver you should only ever load 5 and leave one empty. Any truth to that?

Leaving a chamber empty applies to ALL SA revolvers or any revolver with no transfer bar safety system like the new model Rugers etc.
On the range its of little import. But if carried even in a holster there is a risk that the hammer will be bumped and/or the cyl will rotate to put the chamber under the hammer. Anything striking the hammer or perhaps the gun being dropped on the hammer will fire the round.
This is not limited to revolvers only. I was 12 feet away in a Cafe when a friend's father-in-law dropped a 38 special old school Remington look alike derringer from his pocket as he sat at a table. The bullet passed out of the pocket holster enroute to the ceiling, had someone been walking by it would likely have hit them based on where the gun fell and the hole in the ceiling. Place was packed and it got REALLY quite for about 5-10 seconds. Part of the holster was laying be between me and the gun on the floor, I sat there doing a mental check for "leaks" for a few seconds.
Stirrups falling on the hammer while saddling horses was a cause of accidents in the past.

The old 10-12 lock bolt notch Manhatten Arms revolvers were actually superior to Colt in this. Since they required the hammer to be drawn back to or near 1/2 cock in order to allow cly rotation. But Manhatten patented this IIRC and SFAIK no other maker ever used it.

Dan

 

[Dphar]

My current pistol has very good pins, so I load it all the way. The pistol before this one had worn down pins and could easily slip off them, so that pistol only got loaded 5 chambers. Over the years I have bassed my answer to that question on how reliable those pins are.

If the pins are good then go ahead and load it up, but if there is any worry they have been worn down and it could slip then I would suggest that you only load 5.

Every C&B revolver I ever carried would jump the pins (I used a Remington type). There is no "good" pin. If the hammer is bumped or pushed back even 1/16" the cyl will likely move and eventually end up with a cap under the hammer. Repros or the Second Gen Colts all the same. One go around with a 2nd Gen Navy convinced me that pins are just for show unless in a full flap holster. Tying down the hammer may help too. But the potential consequences are severe if there is an AD.
The only one that never did was a full flute army I carried for a year or two. Like the Manhatten it required a lot of movement to pull the lock bolt back into the frame far enough to clear the flute.

Dan

 

[cynthialee]

I will defer to the wisdom of a man who has been at it longer than I have been.

When it is on my hip I think I will just go with 5 from now on. But when it is stashed away I think all 6 will be loaded. In my stash spot it isn't going to advance the cylender or get banged.

 

[crockett]

I think you might be confusing the Colt 1873 Peacemaker with the earlier percussion guns. The Peacemaker didn't have much of a system for keeping the hammer between cartridges and resting the firing pin over a cartridge's primer was an accident waiting to happen.
Historically speaking, the percussion or cap and ball revolvers were often used with combustible cartridges which came six to a packet. I have yet to find any historical source about loading five into a cap and ball (percussion) revolver. I have holstered my cap and ball and deliberately tried to push the hammer back by rubbing it against trees, etc and the entire holster moves. I however have a pretty tight fit of the revolver in the holster. I have also, in the past, asked if anyone has any record of an accident (modern or historical) on a cap and ball as far as loading six instead of five. Although a lot of people advocate five insteaed of six to date no one has brought forth any modern or historical events that show loading six caused an accident. In other words, a few folks have spoken of someone shooting themselves in the foot, etc- but the event could have occurred equally whether five or six were loaded- such as a guy shoots a couple of times and puts a cocked gun in his holster that fires.
I am keeping my mind open on this topic. I am all for safety, no one wants to get hurt, but there must be factual evidence. So far I see no harm in loading all six. The only conceivable thing I can think of is a situation with youngsters. They might take cap and ball procedures and carelessly do the same with a cartridge gun, in a situation like that you may want to instill a load five habit.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

I leave one chamber empty, sort of a "belt and suspenders" philosophy perhaps. A well known PA black powder enthusiast died from an accidental discharge, when a percussion hammer pulled back as the gun was pulled through some brush. (He went part way up into his tree stand and pulled the long rifle up after him (another safety mistake as well) That was a rifle, but in an open top holster, just as easy. A friend keep his pistol in a cross draw holster specifically so the hammer can't be pulled back when he walks through brush.

 

[Many Klatch]

In Andy Adams book The Log of a Cowboy ( I think I got that right ). Adams recalls going to a funeral for a young cowboy whose gun went off and killed him when his horse fell on him. This was after the ACW so I assume that he was carrying a cartridge gun but the fact is that his gun was bumped, went off and killed him.

For target practice with my 1858 Remingtons I load 6 while at the range. If I am going to carry one loaded I will take out one nipple and then load the other 5. The hammer will rest on the empty chamber.

Many Klatch

 

[MosinRob]

I appreciate the responses thus far. However at one of the ranges I attend, a old timer told me that if one chamber it's empty the gun cant chain fire. I have no idea why that would matter but I figured I'd ask?

 

[Robert Egler]

Its certainly true that if the hammer falls on the unloaded chamber the gun can't chain fire. :wink: Otherwise I don't see how that would help.

 

I have also, in the past, asked if anyone has any record of an accident (modern or historical) on a cap and ball as far as loading six instead of five. Although a lot of people advocate five instead of six to date no one has brought forth any modern or historical events that show loading six caused an accident.

Ruger withstood several lawsuits due to folks such as yourself who saw no harm in loading six rounds in their (what is now called "Old Model") Blackhawks, only to drop the sixgun and discharge a bullet into their body. It is the sole reason for the New Model's existence. My best friend in the world loads his with six and I pray that he never finds out that I was right and he was wrong. Particularly if one of his boys is present. Some folks are stubborn and have to learn the hard way.

Don't. :nono:

 

[Bear Rider]

It is very difficult to pull the hammer back in a properly-fitted holster with a safety thong on the hammer. I can see it happening on one of the newer holsters that use a strap to hold the revolver in the holster.

 

[Matt85]

I shoot a Remington New Army, and there are safety notches for the hammer to rest in between the chambers. I load 6 and carry the gun with the hammer in a safety notch. I wouldn't carry it with the hammer down on a capped and loaded chamber.

this.

placing the hammer down on a safety notch will garantee the hammer wont hit a cap. i keep my 1858 loaded with the hammer down on a safety notch.

 

[Matt85]

Ruger withstood several lawsuits due to folks such as yourself who saw no harm in loading six rounds in their (what is now called "Old Model") Blackhawks, only to drop the sixgun and discharge a bullet into their body. It is the sole reason for the New Model's existence. My best friend in the world loads his with six and I pray that he never finds out that I was right and he was wrong. Particularly if one of his boys is present. Some folks are stubborn and have to learn the hard way.

Don't. :nono:

what does this have to do with a cap and ball revolver?

the SA cap and ball revolver usually has notches or some other form of holding the hammer off the caps. the Ruger did not have anything hold the hammer from the primers.

 

[Rev_William]

I have a 3screw model... they have a weak half cock most people thought was a safety at the time.

 

[pargent]

Well we can only have a pistol for competion and matches are shot in strings of 5 ,so we only load 5 .Traditionaly cb revolvers were loaded in all chambers , there is a large amount of documentation to back this up. Mosbys journal, Colts loading and cleaning instructions and lots more in military manuals of the day. If you have any gun that does not work as it should , fix it ,if you dont have the mind set or ability to use a revolver properly and safely then get training etc..