Revolver loading sequence?

I have been shooting cap and ball revolvers for several months now and I have a question regarding the loading sequence. I like to load each chamber individually. I place the powder charge, wad and ball then rotate it under the plunger and drive it home. I find that this way I know that the chamber is loaded and I can view at a glance it’s status if I become distracted. Every article or manual that I have read references charging all six chambers first and then the wad and then the ball. Is there a rationale to this? Is there something unsafe about the way I do it? Of course I do not place the percussion caps on the nipples until the cylinder is fully loaded and I am ready to shoot. Thank you.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

I have been shooting cap and ball revolvers for several months now and I have a question regarding the loading sequence. I like to load each chamber individually. I place the powder charge, wad and ball then rotate it under the plunger and drive it home. I find that this way I know that the chamber is loaded and I can view at a glance it’s status if I become distracted. Every article or manual that I have read references charging all six chambers first and then the wad and then the ball. Is there a rationale to this? Is there something unsafe about the way I do it? Of course I do not place the percussion caps on the nipples until the cylinder is fully loaded and I am ready to shoot. Thank you.

IMHO you are doing it the RIGHT WAY (just like me) and every other way of doing it is the wrong way! Not to brag, but I win competitions doing it the way WE do it (you and I)! I even go one step further, and recommend that you do the same: I deliberately leave the loading lever in the down position so that the cylinder can't rotate at all during the loading process. By this I mean to say as I pour powder into the next chamber of the cylinder, I never have to worry about spilling any powder. I also use a custom loading stand that holds the revolver, wonder-wads, and balls (pre-counted, of course). This results in more uniform results, a lower sdv, and tighter groups! And the old adage saying of "Powder-Patch, then Ball, or I don't fire it at all" is employed for both the rifle AND the revolver! Less to get distracted over, especially if shooting in a league setting or a public range where comments can be heard or questions can be asked of a black powder shooter while he/she is reloading.

Doing it the "other" way lets a single gust of wind blow powder out of the individual chambers, or leads to spillage ensuring a poorer result.

Keep doing it the way WE do it and you'll be fine!

Dave

 

I even go one step further, and recommend that you do the same: I deliberately leave the loading lever in the down position so that the cylinder can't rotate at all during the loading process.

I do that also. It just seemed safe to me. Thanks for the input.

 

[R.M.]

I do all 6 for each step, and have never had a problem. I think you need to develop your way of doing things, then you can go on the internet and tell everybody your way is the only way. :surrender:
To each their own I say.

 

[FishDFly]

I was taught the way you do it, but only to do it for five (5) not six (6) chambers, as this is a requirement in sanctioned matches.

RDE

 

[nightwolf1974]

i take the cylinder out of the pistol,
i cap the nipples,
measure out the 3F and pour the amount in each chamber 1 by 1,
i take the wad and start it in each chamber,
i take a unsharpened pencil and seat each wad on top of the powder,
put the cylinder back into the pistol,
place the ball into the starter,
then press it in,
then repeat this 5 more times,
then double check each chamber,
then you're ready to rock!

 

[Zonie]

I also load each chamber fully and then go to the next one.

I usually only load 5 rounds before capping and then shooting but I see nothing wrong with loading 6 IF (and only if) the gun is at the firing line and is going to be shot immediately.

As I say, if the gun is going to be holstered after loading I was always trained to keep the hammer on an empty chamber.

I guess the 5 round loading stems from my training with revolvers and my target shooting way back when I was competing with those modern ready made cartridge guns.
We would shoot two strings of 5 rounds in those matches.

 

but I see nothing wrong with loading 6 IF (and only if) the gun is at the firing line and is going to be shot immediately.

Absolutely!

 

[59sharps]

I hope you are just kidding about caping before loading!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[59sharps]

yep me too!

 

[madcratebuilder]

i take the cylinder out of the pistol,
i cap the nipples,
measure out the 3F and pour the amount in each chamber 1 by 1,
i take the wad and start it in each chamber,
i take a unsharpened pencil and seat each wad on top of the powder,
put the cylinder back into the pistol,
place the ball into the starter,
then press it in,
then repeat this 5 more times,
then double check each chamber,
then you're ready to rock!

You load a capped cylinder? Brave man.


I load individually chambers, normally all six of them.

 

[crockett]

I do it the same as the others,one chamber at a time- powder, wad, and ball. I don't think it is a good idea to have exposed black powder so the faster you put a wad over the charge, and then the ball- the better.
I wouldn't cap the nipples first. In some instances you need to compress the load and that may push a cap slightly off a nipple- that might leave enough gap for a chain firings, etc.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Your welcome :thumbsup: . One more thing I forgot to mention...Our league also has the five rounds in the cylinder rule, with the gun pointed muzzle-up at half-cock as you leave the loading table and approach the firing line. Capping is ONLY done on a "HOT" line. When we have a full relay there's ten handguns firing on the line.

Dave

 

[Mike Brooks]

I have to be different I guess....I powder five then ball five then grease five.

 

[mykeal]

I had to stop and think about it - it's so automatic I couldn't remember.

I charge and load each chamber one at a time. Uncapped, of course. I lay out my flask, measure, 5 wads (or 6 depending on the circumstance), 5 (or6) balls and then proceed to work my way down the line: flask, measure, charge, wad, ball, rotate and ram, then repeat. If I'm loading 5 I load one, skip one, then load four. I absolutely will not acknowledge or answer any questions or comments between starting and finishing a chamber, but I will between chambers.

We also require capping at the firing line only, but carry between the loading line and the firing line is done with the hammer down on an empty chamber or a between chamber pin/notch. We don't trust the half cock position. If you don't have a gun with the between chamber pin/notch, you cannot load 6. This rule, as most are, was developed by a committee, so it's perhaps a bit more stringent than needs be, but we've all learned to live with it.

 

[JayDee Flohr]

I powder five then ball five then grease five.

You are not alone. Same here.

 

[TFoley]

i take the cylinder out of the pistol,
i cap the nipples,
measure out the 3F and pour the amount in each chamber 1 by 1,
i take the wad and start it in each chamber,
i take a unsharpened pencil and seat each wad on top of the powder,
put the cylinder back into the pistol,
place the ball into the starter,
then press it in,
then repeat this 5 more times,
then double check each chamber,
then you're ready to rock!

Caps before powder = automatic disqualification from THIS range, and any other range I've ever shot on.

Of course, yours will NEVER ever get dropped, or handled in such a way that the caps can get struck, eh?

tac, staying well away from wherever YOU might be.

 

[Mulebrain]

I have to be different I guess....I powder five then ball five then grease five.

That is the way I do it, and that is the way I like to do it!

I would never cap a cylinder, then charge with powder! I am pretty brave but not that brave!

 

[R.M.]

We had a newbie do that at our range a couple of years ago. When I corrected him, he stated that his thinking was that when he reloads cartridges, he drops powder into a primed case, so that's why he did it that way, plus he was afraid that the powder would dribble out through the nipples.
After I explained things to him, he was happy to change his procedure.

 

Thanks to everyone for the great responses. I am just glad to know that the way I do it is acceptable and safe. I like loading one chamber at a time and will continue to do so.