People overestimate how often percussion revolvers were reloaded...

[Stantheman86]

Have ever been in an enclosed structure when a pistol was fired or fired multiple times?

Yes, it's certainly pucker factor inducing

 

[Whitworth]

Have ever been in an enclosed structure when a pistol was fired or fired multiple times?

Huh , I can't hear you

 

[Stantheman86]

Bowie knives were still carried by civilians.

Military officers still used swords.

Up until the 1890's the manual of arms for the Navy still dictated the revolver to be used in the left hand and the Saber or Cutlass was the primary weapon for ship boarding

 

[sheriff john]

From what I've read, the "high noon/Marshal Dillon" scenarios are mostly fabricated by dime novel writers and western movie producers. Scores got settled, but lots were ambushes, shot in the back, with shotguns a preferred method of armament when trouble was expected.

Reloading even a cap&ball revolver atop a horse has to be difficult. Quite a few "western heroes" were created by pulp writers, not historians. Read court records for sworn testimony as I did for fun on occasion - kinda fun and eye-opening at times.

 

[Eutycus]

Most Old West shootouts were basically ambushes.Whack the guy and run away, no time to reload.

 

[jefair1]

I agree 100% , when I carry, whatever it is , it's either with just the rounds in the cylinder or the mag. I rarely carry a reload.

I mean what is going on that I'm gonna fire more than 5, 7 , 10 rounds, etc and then need to reload ? Either I'm dead, they're dead, they ran, or I ran at that point.

If this were 1867 I'd probably have my little .31 pocket with the 5 shots I loaded into it 2 years prior , walking around going about my day. Or if I were wearing something like a 51 Navy I'd probably still just have 6 rounds in it for shooting coyotes or as a defensive piece. I highly doubt Wild Bill carried any nitrate cartridges on him to reload, he probably never once fired all 12 rounds out of his .36 Navies.

According to several bios of Wild Bill, he emptied his revolvers every day either as a shooting demo or pulled the loads. He then cleaned the guns and loaded them. That way he always had fresh loads.

 

[Rifleman1776]

There's a reason serious gunslingers carried a pair of them. Or multiple revolvers.

Very true. I read a lot of history and historical fiction. From the late 1800.s back to the 1600's reference to multiple guns on their belt or sash is common. There was nothing gentlemanly in the way they were used . Each shot was meant to kill.

 

[springfield art]

I can see it more in an actual combat scenario, like Civil War, Indian Wars, etc when sure, you had to re-stuff your six gun to keep shooting , of course it was likely done but probably not very often. The movie Gettysburg which , for it's time tried to be totally correct shows Col. Chamberlain reloading his Colt in between Confederate charges but I don't think he'd be doing that while actively engaged. I have a hard time capping a revolver when I've had too much coffee let alone while getting shot at

But yes it would all depend on the situation.

Remember movie 'Zulu' where the guys hands were shaking so much he could hardly stick a Cartridge into his Webley? That's the reality. Try that DURING COMBAT with loose, or, OK, paper cartridges. Oh, and little copper caps.

 

[springfield art]

Stantheman86, Hardin himself mentions that later in his life, after being released from a long, brutal prison term, he had to practice constantly in order to preserve some of the speed he had as a young man. Credible witnesses attested to Hardins' speed and skill with a sixgun. After Hardins' death in El Paso, his landlady was interviewed and she described how she heard the clicking of his pistols--he was using the 1877 Colt double actions at that time(1895)--as he practiced daily with empty guns. She also apparently witnessed some of it as she said he would pull both pistols, "spring around" and begin pulling the triggers. I believe at that time he also had a custom leather vest made with pockets deep and wide enough for the 1877's.
But back to the original points, Hardin spent most of his career with percussion pistols and was in plenty of scrapes, many times carrying only one gun. I never heard of him mentioning a reload in the middle of it.

Interesting. I've read the springs in those DA Colts were prone to breakage! Hope he had spares!

 

[springfield art]

Isn't John Hardin the guy who spent 3 hours per day practicing his draw ? He probably shot a lot too but being a gunslinger it made sense that he was an avid target shooter, or shot at trees , or whatever he did.

I've wondered, what was the cost, adjusted for inflation, of Cartridges back in the day?

 

[springfield art]

Huh , I can't hear you

I judge Western movies on weather or not they're using black powder blanks. Too often they don't, due to lighting and filming issues. Open Range had some authentic indoor shots using BP similated.

 

[Eutycus]

I still wonder how a Cavalryman , especially an officer, could reload and recap while wearing gauntlets. Gunslinger in several movies had to have gloves on too.

 

[Des52]

I agree 100% , when I carry, whatever it is , it's either with just the rounds in the cylinder or the mag. I rarely carry a reload.

I mean what is going on that I'm gonna fire more than 5, 7 , 10 rounds, etc and then need to reload ? Either I'm dead, they're dead, they ran, or I ran at that point.

If this were 1867 I'd probably have my little .31 pocket with the 5 shots I loaded into it 2 years prior , walking around going about my day. Or if I were wearing something like a 51 Navy I'd probably still just have 6 rounds in it for shooting coyotes or as a defensive piece. I highly doubt Wild Bill carried any nitrate cartridges on him to reload, he probably never once fired all 12 rounds out of his .36 Navies.
Wild Bill was reported to of shot his guns and cleaned them every night, so he started out with freshly loaded guns every day. He also had a S&W .32 for when his Navies were unloaded. The man was a pro gunfighter and had to depend on his guns going off every time he pulled the trigger.

 

[Kansas Jake]

Watched an old tv western a couple of days ago. There was a shootout in saloon between the good guys and bad, about seven or eight gunmen total. After about 5-6 rounds each you couldn’t see across the room for the smoke. At least they got that right.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Watched an old tv western a couple of days ago. There was a shootout in saloon between the good guys and bad, about seven or eight gunmen total. After about 5-6 rounds each you couldn’t see across the room for the smoke. At least they got that right.

That's nothing. Those old western 100 shot six shooters are a real hoot to watch.

 

[springfield art]

Just watched Valdez is Coming, 1970 Burt Lancaster Western; pretty good, but lots of my favorite gaffs, a ricochet sound when a bullet is hitting wood. Guess the sound guys & director always wanted to emphasize the shot. Better than most Spanish-filmed movies of the era.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

Just watched Valdez is Coming, 1970 Burt Lancaster Western; pretty good, but lots of my favorite gaffs, a ricochet sound when a bullet is hitting wood. Guess the sound guys & director always wanted to emphasize the shot. Better than most Spanish-filmed movies of the era.

Just a hundred dollars, Senor!

 

[JamesA]

I load my cylinder once on any given outing. I guess I should say I load both cylinders once each on any given outing (to the range). I take two loaded cylinders, minus the caps, whenever I go. I have one of those pistol reloading stands where you can load the whole cylinder more quickly if I want to burn even more BP. It all depends on what you want to do with your firearm and how you do it. I try to be judicious because I cannot find #10 caps. I have about 150 left. I've read where pistols during the Civil War were carried more by those in the cavalry and they usually carried multiple pistols. Back in the days of the Civil War, a lot of the fighting was hand to hand and with fists, rocks, bayonets and swords.

 

[Stantheman86]

I load my cylinder once on any given outing. I guess I should say I load both cylinders once each on any given outing (to the range). I take two loaded cylinders, minus the caps, whenever I go. I have one of those pistol reloading stands where you can load the whole cylinder more quickly if I want to burn even more BP. It all depends on what you want to do with your firearm and how you do it. I try to be judicious because I cannot find #10 caps. I have about 150 left. I've read where pistols during the Civil War were carried more by those in the cavalry and they usually carried multiple pistols. Back in the days of the Civil War, a lot of the fighting was hand to hand and with fists, rocks, bayonets and swords.

I watched Gettysburg last night and there were Cavalrymen and Officers taking 200 yard shots their revolvers while on line with the Infantry guys....I'm like hey why not , might as well get in the fight

 

[Widows Son]

There is an older thread on the forum somewhere about spare pre-loaded cylinders being carried for quick reloads. Interesting reading…

However the same conclusion was arrived at here too… civilians just didn’t get into to the big gun fight situations that are portrayed on our screens. They were rare events.
The old west has always been romanticised and mythologised.