Revolver loading

[gbeauvin]

Hey guys - I have a question!

I've loaded my revolver (Pietta Remington NMA replica) using the built-in loading lever, and I've used a cheap loading stand (which has been living in the back of a box since soon after purchase since the handle bent).

I really don't like loading my gun using the built-in lever since I have a hard time keeping the muzzle pointed where I want it (downrange). I could spend some dough on a better loading stand, but I'd rather spend that money on other stuff (like powder, lead balls, flints, caps, etc). Has anyone ever just used a short dowel and a mallet for seating the balls in their revolver cylinder?

thanks,
GB

 

[rodwha]

Without the nipples being capped there shouldn't be much concern.

 

[hawkeye2]

A dowel and mallet will work just fine but you ought to have something like a 3" or so square piece of wood with a dowel in the center that you can drop the cylinder over so that you don't flip the cylinder over when you drive the ball in.

 

[Larry Akers]

I think if I were to load my pistol this way I'd make the "dowel" of brass, concave the end to fit the ball then turn a short neck so you end up with a shoulder to act as a stop against the face of the cylinder. This would ensure all balls are seated to the same depth and, if care is taken in turning the shoulder, exactly even with the mouth of the chamber.

 

[AZbpBurner]

What size balls are you loading? If .454" or larger, you may want to try smaller balls. I've cast .454" for over a dozen years for ROA and a Dragoon & they seat hard in my Pietta & Uberti Colts & Remingtons. I got one of those Tradidions benchtop loaders & bent the handle, too. Fixed it with a hardened shank cut from an on-sale Harbor Freight screwdriver & haven't had any issues since then, although, by using excessive force, I'll wager the pivot pin would fail next.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

Yes, I'd say if you bent the loading lever on the Remington, there's something wrong with the bullet size, or perhaps the chamber size?

LD

 

[Calum]

'morning,

I load my LeMat with the cylinder out, using a short starter, but the Remingtons and Colts I use the built in lever. Never had a loading stand, just seems like more junk to carry, and I carry more than enough.

The reason I do the LeMat differently is because the lever is inherently weaker, being mounted offset rather than inline with the barrel. And with nine chambers in the cylinder, it's considerably faster to remove it, charge them all, load them all and reinstall...

Calum

 

[rodwha]

It was his loading stand that bent.

 

[nhmoose]

I have a hard time keeping the muzzle pointed where I want it (downrange).
thanks,
GB

Ain't NEVER seen one loaded side ways Son.

Sorry if your range is that bad safety wise.

 

[gbeauvin]

Thanks, guys. I was planning to either re-use the base of my loader or rig something up to hold the cylinder in place on a block of wood.

I believe my balls are .451, but I'll doublecheck once I find my bag-o-revolver-supplies. I have bent the loading lever (actually stretched the hole in it) but I attribute that to a combination of not-quite-pure-lead balls (I thought they were pure) and a plunger that didn't align quite right, and would sometimes hang up on the cylinder face just a smidge. A new lever and new balls solved that problem. I'm still paranoid though .

The range does have a "muzzles downrange" rule, though noone has ever given me a hard time loading my BP revolver, I just don't feel like I can control the muzzle very well and that makes me nervous.

thanks,
GB

 

[rodwha]

No need to be nervous until it's loaded AND capped.

Maybe you should talk to the RO about this.

 

[smoothshooter]

Your balls are too large.

 

[rodwha]

Can't get any smaller than 0.451".

I use 0.457" in my Pietta NMA, though it's been reamed to 0.449".

 

[Zonie]

Although it would seem to be a strange thing for a grown man to do, this topic got me to wondering how much pressure would be needed to press a lead ball into the chamber of a Cap & Ball pistol.

I couldn't find a good formula for shearing off the outside of an object so I settled on the formula for punching an object out of a plate. (I'm sure just shearing off some material would take far less pressure than punching out an object like a round disk so take my answers to be on the high side. High side or not, the percentages in the amount of force needed to do the job will be very close to the real world.)

The formula for punching something like a washer out of a steel plate is Diameter X Thickness X 85.
That gives the number of tons to punch a hole in a mild steel plate.

If the plate was brass, the formula is Diameter X Thickness X 65 = Tons of force needed.

These two factors, the 80 and 65 have a relationship that corresponds with the materials tensile strength.
Based on that correlation I find the factor for lead to be 3.25. (Remember, shearing off the outside of an object needs less pressure than the punching out formula predicts).

OK. So how much "thickness" is there when you press a larger round ball into the cylinder?
The "thickness" is the length of the cylindrical surface after the ball is pressed in place.

That answer is pretty easy to calculate if you know the diameter of the ball and the diameter of the chamber.
It equals √ ball²-chamber². (the square root of the diameter of the ball squared, minus the diameter of the chamber squared).

If the chamber for your .44 measures .446" and the ball is .451" the length of the flat area on the sheared ball will be .067" long.
For a .454" ball in a .446" chamber the length is .084"
For a .457" ball in a .446" chamber the length is .100.

So, to figure the amount of pressure needed to press the ball into the hole, if I use the washer formula I have, Dia X Length X 3.25/2000 to get pounds of force.

The .451 ball would need 194 pounds.
The .454 ball would need 243 pounds.
The .457 ball would need 289 pounds.

If the projectile was a bullet with a land length of .250" (1/4") the force would be 724 pounds.

Using the 194 pound figure for the .451 ball as a baseline, the .454 diameter ball requires a force 125% greater and the .457 diameter ball requires a force 149% greater.
The bullet with its .250 long cylindrical diameter would require a force that is 373% greater.
(That's why I recommend using a loading stand if you want to load bullets into your C&B chamber.)

OK. I think I'll go take an aspirin. For some reason I have a headache. :grin:

 

[FishDFly]

rodwha speaks from what he does not have knowledge of.

Loading stands are "REQUIRED" at NMLRA shoots and 99% of muzzle loading ranges, purpose is to keep the muzzle up while loading. A pistol is to be kept "benched" while loading, not pointed down range.

Come to Brady and learn range rules, you have been invited to learn to be safe.

 

[rodwha]

Except that nowhere does he state he is loading in any sort of competition but does mention not feeling comfortable.

It may be required where you shoot, but without a cap it cannot be detonated short of open flames, which if you are doing such around that, well...

 

[rodwha]

"rodwha speaks from what he does not have knowledge of."

And you speak from left field about irrelevant issues, among other things.

 

[azmntman]

hehehe op:

 

[Twisted_1in66]

Can't get any smaller than 0.451".

I use 0.457" in my Pietta NMA, though it's been reamed to 0.449".

Long ago and far away (1970 to be exact) I worked in the Forest Service and a fellow I worked with had a reproduction Remington .44 cal. pistol. He used to buy 44 cal. buckshot by the bag and it worked just great. Left a small ring of lead around the top of the chamber when he loaded it.

Do they still offer 44 cal. buckshot?

Twisted_1in66 :thumbsup:
Dan

 

[rodwha]

Still waiting for how this relates to competition shooting, which is what he ALWAYS brings up. As though there isn't any other reason to own or shoot BP arms...

Maybe the rest of us are just foolish idiots needing his guidance and expertise, which, according to his responses, would seem to be the case. Maybe his invitations are for us all who load more than his target loads.