oldwolf
40 Cal.
I know that Colt must have issued manuals for each of his revolvers. Is there a website anywhere that has them in jpeg or pdf format? Those would sure be interesting to read.
Original Colt Revolver Manuals
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I picked up a reprint from DGW and hung it on my CAS guncart so people could read it, rather than distracting me with questions while I was loading my C&B for the next stage.
Interesting thing about it, Colt never mentions the use of grease over the ball (the tight fitting ball "hermetically" seals the chamber)and specifically states no patch or wads should be used. Wonder how the modern practice of grease and/or lubed wad got started??
Interesting thing about it, Colt never mentions the use of grease over the ball (the tight fitting ball "hermetically" seals the chamber)and specifically states no patch or wads should be used. Wonder how the modern practice of grease and/or lubed wad got started??
oldwolf
40 Cal.
Bakeoven- -Can you tell me what the manual is called? I didn't find anything on the DGW site.
Bakeoven Bill said:
Probably because safety wasn't as big an issue then as it is now. Personally I believe that bit about only loading five and keeping an empty under the hammer didn't come about until the middle of the 20th century. I never heard of it until I started reading about it in gun rags in the 60's. ALl the old timers when I was young said let the hammer down between cartridges.
"ALL the old timers when I was young said let the hammer down between cartridges."
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That's just as important if not more so with a cap & ball pistol if your not going to shoot it right away.
The hammer stop is designed to stop the hammer right above or on the nipple so if a cap is in the way the hammer will be sitting directly on it.
The slightest blow on the hammer can fire the chamber. :shocked2:
Yes, Colt and Remington put safety pins and notches in the back of the cylinder so that the hammer nose could sit on or in these but in my opinion it's a better idea to leave one chamber empty and uncapped and put the hammer down on it.
Folks might notice that these safety pins do not exist on some of the replica guns and I have a Remington that doesn't allow the nose of the hammer to enter the safety notch so beware. :hmm:
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That's just as important if not more so with a cap & ball pistol if your not going to shoot it right away.
The hammer stop is designed to stop the hammer right above or on the nipple so if a cap is in the way the hammer will be sitting directly on it.
The slightest blow on the hammer can fire the chamber. :shocked2:
Yes, Colt and Remington put safety pins and notches in the back of the cylinder so that the hammer nose could sit on or in these but in my opinion it's a better idea to leave one chamber empty and uncapped and put the hammer down on it.
Folks might notice that these safety pins do not exist on some of the replica guns and I have a Remington that doesn't allow the nose of the hammer to enter the safety notch so beware. :hmm:
Poor Private
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The Remy that I have has the notches and they work fine, if your just carrying it from the l;oading table to the firing line other wise I agree leave #6 empty for the hammer. My colt 1860 navy pocket has the pins. But it's tuff to leave an empty when you only have 5 to begin with. :grin:
oldwolf said:
They're referred to as "Trade Labels". Basically the printed material that went into the box the firearm came in. I did a quick look in the DGW web site and they have a bunch of them under the "miscellaeneous" category. Saw some others (like Manton) that I thought would be interesting as well. Tad bit pricey though.
oldwolf
40 Cal.
Thanks Bill.
If you take your time you can read the copy on on this Colt trade copy. :grin:
If you take your time you can read the copy on on this Colt trade copy. :grin:
FSCGunslinger
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Got a larger copy? :grin:
oldwolf
40 Cal.
Nope...that is the image over at DGW.
What is interesting is Colt did not suggest the use of a wad OP nor the use of lube over ball.
Now, why is that? :hmm:
Also, he suggested using cold water for cleaning too,
What is interesting is Colt did not suggest the use of a wad OP nor the use of lube over ball.
Now, why is that? :hmm:
Also, he suggested using cold water for cleaning too,
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Because chainfires do not originate at the front of the cylender, but at the rear. A properly sized and ring shaved ball will sea the cylender.
I have seen tests done where they loaded a cylender and then poured powder over the face of the loaded chambers and lit it. No chainfire occurred.
Colt's first prototype exploded from chainfire and the cure was a redesign of the rear of the cylender with slight recessing of the nipples and partitions to protect caps from the recoil shield.
I never saw op wads used until the marketing surge of the '90s. That practice is extremely recient.
Grease over the cylenders goes back to the Civil War centenial and the start of modern replicas. Elmer Keith was most resopnsible for that practice. It is said that some of the old timers told him to do it as a joke when he was a kid and he ran with it when he became a writer. A 5'3" wisecracker probably gets a lot of bum steers from old timers!
Cold water does not make fouling get hard like hot water does. On top of that, they did not have hot water running out of a tap back then.
I have seen tests done where they loaded a cylender and then poured powder over the face of the loaded chambers and lit it. No chainfire occurred.
Colt's first prototype exploded from chainfire and the cure was a redesign of the rear of the cylender with slight recessing of the nipples and partitions to protect caps from the recoil shield.
I never saw op wads used until the marketing surge of the '90s. That practice is extremely recient.
Grease over the cylenders goes back to the Civil War centenial and the start of modern replicas. Elmer Keith was most resopnsible for that practice. It is said that some of the old timers told him to do it as a joke when he was a kid and he ran with it when he became a writer. A 5'3" wisecracker probably gets a lot of bum steers from old timers!
Cold water does not make fouling get hard like hot water does. On top of that, they did not have hot water running out of a tap back then.
ghost said:
I've got one that'll chain fire every time unless you put lube over the balls or a wad under them. With the lube or wad you can load all six and only cap one and it won't chain fire but leave off the lube and it will.
Russ T Frizzen
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Try a bigger ball--or maybe you've got a chamber that is way out of round?
Russ T Frizzen said:
Maybe but it sure shoots good to have out of round chambers and they'd all have to be out of round. The recommended ball was .451 when it was new but .454's do the same thing. I just use wads or lube the balls and no problem. I do that now anyway. Just that when I got the thing I was 12 and didn't know diddly about bp. :yakyak:
oldwolf
40 Cal.
What kind of a revolver are you talking about Rebel?
A little something for anyone who has a hard time reading this. I left out the part about taking the gun apart and using foil cartridges because we all know how to take these things apart and I am pretty sure Colt no longer makes foil cartridges
First explode a cap on each nipple to clear them from oil or dust, then draw back the hammer to the half-cock, which allows the cylinder to be rotated, a charge of powder is then placed in one of the chambers, keeping the barrel up, and a ball with the pointed end upwards, without wadding or patch, is put into the mouth of the chamber, turned under the rammer, and forced down with the lever below the surface of the cylinder, so that it cannot hinder its rotation (care should be used in ramming down the ball not to shake out the powder from the chamber, thereby reducing the charge). This is repeated until all the chambers are loaded. Percussion-caps are then placed on the nipples on the right of the lock-frame, when, by drawing back the hammer to the full cock, the arm is in condition for a discharge by pulling the trigger; a repetition of the same motion produces the like results and six shots without reloading.
N.B. -It will be safe to use all the powder the chambers will hold, when loading with the flask, leaving room for the ball, whether the powder charge is strong or weak. Fine grain powder is the best. Soft lead must be used for the balls. Thy cylinder is not to be taken off when loaded. The hammer, when at full cock, forms the sight by which aim is taken. To carry the arm safely when loaded, let the hammer on one of the pins between each nipple, on the end of the cylinder.
The arm should be thoroughly cleaned and oiled after firing, particularly the base-pin on which the cylinder turns.
Directions for cleaning
Set the lock at half-cock, drive out the key that holds the barrel and cylinder to the lock-frame, then draw off the barrel and cylinder, by bringing down the lever and forcing the rammer on the portion between the chambers. Take out the nipples, wash the cylinder and barrel in warm water, dry and oil them thoroughly. oil freely the base-pin on which the cylinder revolves.
First explode a cap on each nipple to clear them from oil or dust, then draw back the hammer to the half-cock, which allows the cylinder to be rotated, a charge of powder is then placed in one of the chambers, keeping the barrel up, and a ball with the pointed end upwards, without wadding or patch, is put into the mouth of the chamber, turned under the rammer, and forced down with the lever below the surface of the cylinder, so that it cannot hinder its rotation (care should be used in ramming down the ball not to shake out the powder from the chamber, thereby reducing the charge). This is repeated until all the chambers are loaded. Percussion-caps are then placed on the nipples on the right of the lock-frame, when, by drawing back the hammer to the full cock, the arm is in condition for a discharge by pulling the trigger; a repetition of the same motion produces the like results and six shots without reloading.
N.B. -It will be safe to use all the powder the chambers will hold, when loading with the flask, leaving room for the ball, whether the powder charge is strong or weak. Fine grain powder is the best. Soft lead must be used for the balls. Thy cylinder is not to be taken off when loaded. The hammer, when at full cock, forms the sight by which aim is taken. To carry the arm safely when loaded, let the hammer on one of the pins between each nipple, on the end of the cylinder.
The arm should be thoroughly cleaned and oiled after firing, particularly the base-pin on which the cylinder turns.
Directions for cleaning
Set the lock at half-cock, drive out the key that holds the barrel and cylinder to the lock-frame, then draw off the barrel and cylinder, by bringing down the lever and forcing the rammer on the portion between the chambers. Take out the nipples, wash the cylinder and barrel in warm water, dry and oil them thoroughly. oil freely the base-pin on which the cylinder revolves.
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