People overestimate how often percussion revolvers were reloaded...

[Ninering62]

Most people, if they were so motivated, would have just had their cap and ballers converted or bought a conversion

I don't know the exact figure but a new Colt Peacemaker was probably about $1000 in today's dollars

I have a ROA pistol that I use T7fff & 220gr Kaido conicals in. I love that gun & those bullets are fantastic.
I did look into getting the .45LC cylinder for it, they are pretty expensive even for the blued ones, the SS are more. So its not really worth it to me to get one. Its pretty awesome just the way it is.

 

[Artificer]

One has to be aware that MOST UnCivil War Daguerreotypes were taken in commercial Studio's and they usually placed ALL KINDS of superfluous weapons in the hands of troops to make them look more "combat worthy." Sometimes it is almost comical when you consider an Infantryman could barely walk a mile if he had to hump all that "stuff."

Confederate Calvary, particularly early war partisans like Mosby's Rangers, carried two Revolvers on Saddle Holsters and two in their belts, which would normally mean one in a holster and the other stuck in between the belt and the body. IF they could get more, maybe one more behind their back. THEY knew there was no reloading of revolvers in combat. Now they DID empty most of their weapons into an enemy battle line when they could, but then would wheel and gallop off to reload where the action was not as hot or a relatively safe area.

The extra revolvers for Confederate Cavalry in the early stages of the war came from those "donated" from Infantry Soldiers who privately purchased them and found out they were a PITA to carry and not necessary. I've read two or three original quotes where those revolvers were "gathered up" from the Infantry and sometimes whether they liked it or not. Of course, the Federal Army Officers and Cavalry also "donated" many.

For Infantry Officers on both sides, their offensive weapons were the units they commanded. Their swords and revolvers/pistols were seen primarily as defensive only, though their swords were often used as "visual aids" to direct movements of their troops and troop firings.

I wore Officer's Gauntlets for years and can testify with them or Cavalry Soldiers' gauntlets, it is extremely difficult to load a revolver even in camp, and even using period combustible cartridges. I never loaded my revolver wearing Gauntlets, as it just was not practical.

Even if you are outside and unless there is a good crosswind blowing, two or three shots from a BP revolver will make it almost impossible to see anything in front of you, as an Infantry Officer. Cavalry had the advantage of moving quickly through the smoke.

Gus

 

[Gee Dog]

I prefer my cap & ballers to be in percussion, the way Sam Colt and the Lord intended.

 

[Artificer]

We did the same thing in the mid-2000s......I'm sure there's photos of me floating around somewhere in some forgotten data card of me on my deployment with 2 12 gauge shotguns slung across my back, my body armor, with a SAW in one hand pointed upward with a cigarette in my mouth. If someone in 100 years finds these they'll just think I look like a knob and say the same things we're saying here "these guys just wanted to look like bada**es "

It's been just a couple months over half a century since I first got liberty and went into town and saw one of the old Military Photographic Studios. I laughed when I saw the linked belts of ammo over each shoulder in a Marine's picture in the shop window were BLANK rounds. I passed by that shop many times, but never went inside.

However, a decade later found me doing UnCivil War reenacting as a Confederate Marine. At the only Battle of Kernstown event I attended, I was VERY surprised one Sutler had a complete repro photography WAGON complete with wooden tubs and other paraphernalia to take period Daguerreotypes. His prices were extremely reasonable, so I had him take one of me in my Confederate Marine Uniform. Now the quality of the Daguerreotypes taken in those Field Conditions were not and could not be quite as good as one from a period studio, so it came out a bit dark, but still very good.

I've had that Daguerreotype on my mantle ever since and I've had some fun with it. I've told visitors it was my ancestor. Can't believe how many folks have said things like they could or could not see any family resemblance. Some folks even didn't believe it was me when I eventually told them. LOL

Gus

 

[Stantheman86]

It's been just a couple months over half a century since I first got liberty and went into town and saw one of the old Military Photographic Studios. I laughed when I saw the linked belts of ammo over each shoulder in a Marine's picture in the shop window were BLANK rounds. I passed by that shop many times, but never went inside.

However, a decade later found me doing UnCivil War reenacting as a Confederate Marine. At the only Battle of Kernstown event I attended, I was VERY surprised one Sutler had a complete repro photography WAGON complete with wooden tubs and other paraphernalia to take period Daguerreotypes. His prices were extremely reasonable, so I had him take one of me in my Confederate Marine Uniform. Now the quality of the Daguerreotypes taken in those Field Conditions were not and could not be quite as good as one from a period studio, so it came out a bit dark, but still very good.

I've had that Daguerreotype on my mantle ever since and I've had some fun with it. I've told visitors it was my ancestor. Can't believe how many folks have said things like they could or could not see any family resemblance. Some folks even didn't believe it was me when I eventually told them. LOL

Gus

I happened to see a pic on Facebook of a Civil War soldier that was a 1000% dead ringer for my coworker, as in I thought he had one of those daguerreotype pics done at at fair it looked so much like him but. It was an actual Civil War soldier. My coworker says he shouldn't have had any relatives here in the 1860s

I believe we all have doppelgangers

Someone sent me a pic of a guy in Vietnam that looks just like me , I use it as my FB profile pic, no one has ever not thought it was me

 

[smoothshooter]

You're 100% right, If soldiers were scavenging around for weapons after a battle, no one is gonna pop out a cylinder and toss the frame and barrel away. They'd just stick the whole functioning revolver in their belt.

I could see someone taking the cylinder and tossing the gun to save weight, especially if the the barrel wobbled around from wear when you shook the assembled gun.
3 or 4 complete pistols weigh a lot.
I do believe the spare cylinder thing is a modern habit.
I have been told by collectors that neither Colt or Remington have had any records showing sales or shipments of cylinders only.

 

[SlidePicker]

I happened to see a pic on Facebook of a Civil War soldier that was a 1000% dead ringer for my coworker, as in I thought he had one of those daguerreotype pics done at at fair it looked so much like him but. It was an actual Civil War soldier. My coworker says he shouldn't have had any relatives here in the 1860s

I believe we all have doppelgangers

Someone sent me a pic of a guy in Vietnam that looks just like me , I use it as my FB profile pic, no one has ever not thought it was me

Sometimes I see a Santa picture and examine it closely to see if it is me!

 

[Ceannt]

My mother's father's mother's father rode in Company A, of the 7th Kansas Cavalry. After the war, he continued to carry an 1851 Colt until his death in 1911. He only loaded 5 cylinders for safety, and never carried all the requisite "stuff" to reload. He was once questioned about it, and he replied "I've only had to use it once since the war, and I only needed one shot."

 

[Old Hawkeye]

My mother's father's mother's father rode in Company A, of the 7th Kansas Cavalry. After the war, he continued to carry an 1851 Colt until his death in 1911. He only loaded 5 cylinders for safety, and never carried all the requisite "stuff" to reload. He was once questioned about it, and he replied "I've only had to use it once since the war, and I only needed one shot."

If I did the math right, that would be your Great, Great, Grandfather.

 

[Bunk]

Sometimes I see a Santa picture and examine it closely to see if it is me!

those old timers had only six shots and not like now with a bucket of bullets in a self loading unmentionable.
No "spray and pray" for those men it was one shot one hit game over.

 

[William Lincoln]

Most gunfights were at close range and usually not fatal--the infections were
the slow kill results.

 

[Bighorserider]

My understanding is that the 2 piece conversion cylinders weren't used with Colts but were with Remingtons.

 

[Bunk]

My understanding is that the 2 piece conversion cylinders weren't used with Colts but were with Remingtons.

that is the way Remingtn got around the S&W Rollin White bored through cylinder patent

 

[Ninering62]

I prefer my cap & ballers to be in percussion, the way Sam Colt and the Lord intended.

Way to jump from Sam Colt to just freakin ridiculous in the space of two- three letter words.

 

[Ceannt]

Yep.
My granddaddie's other grandfather went around armed even better. He was also a Civil War vet, having served in the 20th battery of the Indiana Light Artillery. After he moved to Sumner County Kansas right after the war, he never went to town without carrying an Ohio school double barreled shotgun, with nicely engraved silver furniture. It had a deeply curved rifle buttplate. The story my grandad used to tell, was that his wife once asked "Must you bring that thing with you?"
He laughed, and said "I don't know about 'must', but I know that nobody has ever troubled me when I have it."

 

[Kansas Jake]

Sumner County Kansas wouldn’t have been the tamest place then. A double makes good sense.

 

[Gee Dog]

Way to jump from Sam Colt to just freakin ridiculous in the space of two- three letter words.

I don't get it, dude. That's unintelligible. Are you OK? What does that even mean?