Revolver Reloading On The Field.

[Dispatch]

I am a Confederate artillerist. I have an issue I have been trying to figure out a solution to, maybe someone can help me with. It deals with reloading a revolver in the field without the use of a powder flask. In the field while working around and on the cannon, I can not carry my haversack onto the battlefield and keep it with me, thus leaving me with only one full load in my revolver to fire once and no more, having no powder to reload it. I thought of having a rig made to carry a small powder flash on my pistol belt but after further consideration, I concluded that would not be a good idea after all. I carry either a Pietta Colt Paterson or a Pietta Le Mat revolver. My rig consists of a two piece buckle brown russet belt, cap pouch and cartridge box with an open top holster. I thought about maybe prepaired cartridges but have never seen this in Blanks for a revolver, before. I am also trying to keep it Period Correct. I thought it would be rather difficult trying to reload a revolver with pre made loads in the field, unlike a rifled musket. If you have any suggestions, ideas or know of someone who makes period pre made loads for a revolver, please let me know.

 

[rafterob]

Blank cartridges made with nitrated (self consuming)cigarrette paper would be the way to go. I would dip the tips in melted lube so they hold well in the cylinders.

 

[poordevil]

Get one of those Cableas $100.00 C&B pistols and have 2!
:thumbsup:

 

[jim gray]

How about a spare cylinder?

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Blank cartridges made with nitrated (self consuming)cigarrette paper would be the way to go. I would dip the tips in melted lube so they hold well in the cylinders.

And something made out of leather, like a tool pouch to hold the blanks in. Or a cigarette tin? Just keep the caps separate from the blanks!

Dave

 

[Poor Private]

They make a revolver pistol pouch, it's about the size of a cigaret package. I myself am a civ war reenactor. I do both arty and infantry. I belong to the 2nd Kent. and 17th S.C.. While doing arty I usually carry a Remington with a spare cylinder pouch. When I carry a colt usually thats when I toss a few cig paper made reloads, a small tin of of caps and a small tin of reload Cream of wheat reloads. Most of the time though I don't get the time to reload the Colt so I either die, or run like a mad dog to the rear. It depends on the scenerio of the battle on which gun I carry. I even sneak in a small derriger for last second defense.
Usually you can pick up a cylinder pouch, and the pistol pouch for about 15 bucks each new. But you may be able to snag one from a fellow reenactor for less.

 

[Dispatch]

There is no way possible. I'm not even sure how to remove the cylinder on the Le Mat at home with the proper tools. The Colt Paterson looks to be just as difficult. These pistols are brand new, never fired. Having a powder flask is most likely the easiest and the real Period Correct way they did it during the CivilWar. As Doug Kidd from BorderStates LeatherWorks stated, "a flask is a hand grenade on your hip waiting to go off. Make prepared rounds for your pistol and carry them in your cartridge box". I've carried these pistols countless times at many events unloaded for display only. It's irritating when your entire gun crew is firing pistols (after we use up all the cannon powder), simulating being overrun and your standing there with an empty weapon. I will keep researching the web to see what else I can do. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Coot]

Since you want to load blanks for reenactment purposes, what can or could be done is not as important as what is allowed to be done - ie the units, events and locations generally have very specific rules re what is allowed. Are loaded flasks or combustible cartridges even allowed? You also mention others in your unit firing away while you have to stand by empty - what are they doing to reload?

 

[Dispatch]

Since you want to load blanks for reenactment purposes, what can or could be done is not as important as what is allowed to be done - ie the units, events and locations generally have very specific rules re what is allowed. Are loaded flasks or combustible cartridges even allowed? You also mention others in your unit firing away while you have to stand by empty - what are they doing to reload?

Most events we attend are private events and not national parks, so we are 'usually' allowed to fire pistols as long as we have exhausted all the cannon powder in the caisson. Even if we were not allowed, I'd still like to have some in reserve for those events that do allow it. As far as my crew, lets just say they must have had a huge sale on 1858 Remington Army pistols a few years ago, I must have missed out on :idunno: .

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

There is no way possible. I'm not even sure how to remove the cylinder on the Le Mat at home with the proper tools. The Colt Paterson looks to be just as difficult. These pistols are brand new, never fired. Having a powder flask is most likely the easiest and the real Period Correct way they did it during the CivilWar. As Doug Kidd from BorderStates LeatherWorks stated, "a flask is a hand grenade on your hip waiting to go off. Make prepared rounds for your pistol and carry them in your cartridge box". I've carried these pistols countless times at many events unloaded for display only. It's irritating when your entire gun crew is firing pistols (after we use up all the cannon powder), simulating being overrun and your standing there with an empty weapon. I will keep researching the web to see what else I can do. Thanks for the feedback.

I wouldn't try firing these pistols unless and until you know how to properly clean them. Can anyone else on your gun crew be of some sort of help? What do they do with their '58s? Seems likely that they'd be the best folks to ask. Or am I not getting something?

Dave

 

[Dispatch]

There is no way possible. I'm not even sure how to remove the cylinder on the Le Mat at home with the proper tools. The Colt Paterson looks to be just as difficult. These pistols are brand new, never fired. Having a powder flask is most likely the easiest and the real Period Correct way they did it during the CivilWar. As Doug Kidd from BorderStates LeatherWorks stated, "a flask is a hand grenade on your hip waiting to go off. Make prepared rounds for your pistol and carry them in your cartridge box". I've carried these pistols countless times at many events unloaded for display only. It's irritating when your entire gun crew is firing pistols (after we use up all the cannon powder), simulating being overrun and your standing there with an empty weapon. I will keep researching the web to see what else I can do. Thanks for the feedback.

I wouldn't try firing these pistols unless and until you know how to properly clean them. Can anyone else on your gun crew be of some sort of help? What do they do with their '58s? Seems likely that they'd be the best folks to ask. Or am I not getting something?

Dave

Been there, they have no clue. I was exaggerting a bit. I know how to take them apart to clean, its just that it entails considerable time to do. They have it easy, cylinder swaps are a breeze. The rest of the Remington is simple. I had one years ago, I decided to go with something different. I got it alright.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

O-K,

Just going by what you wrote! I would have a couple of '58s or a couple of '60 Armys, or three or four!

Dave

 

[Dispatch]

O-K,

Just going by what you wrote! I would have a couple of '58s or a couple of '60 Armys, or three or four!

Dave

Who am I.... The Outlaw Josey Wales??? "You Gonna Pull Those Pistols, Or Whistle Dixie!!?? " :wink:
Good idea though. You can never have too many black powder pistols!

 

[pargent]

A cavalry troopers cartridge pouch would be correct for any CW persona that carried apistol or revolver.

 

[Dispatch]

A cavalry troopers cartridge pouch would be correct for any CW persona that carried apistol or revolver.

I got that covered. My top quality leather accoutrements all come from BorderStates Leather Works. Best I could find in all my years in the hobby. :thumbsup:

 

[1sgtscot]

I am a cavalry civil war reenactor and have done this many times (even on horseback). I usually use remmingtons with extra cylinders but have used and reloaded both a colt and LaMat on horseback. Using Cigarette papers or hair curling papers you can make a cartridge around a dowel rod. You can use just Black Powder, or add Cream of Wheat, Just be sure to put the BP side in first. I would load from the flask first, then use the cartridge in the field. You can even make yourself a cartridge pack out of cardboard holding 6 cartridges and 7 caps. This is period correct and was offered by many companies.

Sgt Scott

 

[Dispatch]

I am a cavalry civil war reenactor and have done this many times (even on horseback). I usually use remmingtons with extra cylinders but have used and reloaded both a colt and LaMat on horseback. Using Cigarette papers or hair curling papers you can make a cartridge around a dowel rod. You can use just Black Powder, or add Cream of Wheat, Just be sure to put the BP side in first. I would load from the flask first, then use the cartridge in the field. You can even make yourself a cartridge pack out of cardboard holding 6 cartridges and 7 caps. This is period correct and was offered by many companies.

Sgt Scott

How difficult and time consuming is it to actually 'swap' a Le Mat cylinder in the field by hand? Does anyone know what spare Le Mat cylinders from Pietta cost? If it wasn't so risky, I'd carry a small flask. I'm sure they did do it this way for real, other than paper premades, it was all they had to carry extra powder in. :hmm:

 

[1sgtscot]

If you have the cavalry version of the LaMat, changing the cylinder is not bad. Somewhere between the Remmington and the Colt. I would not do it however. The LaMat is just too big and not very period correct (only 2000 originals in the field). I recommend the Remmington first, especially if you want to reload fast as we do in the cav. If you want to be period correct do some research and discover which revolver the group you depict actually was issued or carried. If you want to reload the LaMat in the field, the paper cartridges work very well and there is a lot of room on that pistol to do this. I have used a large childs pencil as my dowel, but you could purchase one from a craft store. Roll the cig papers around this and seal. Fold one end over or twist and tie with thread. Pour powder load in, then and seal. I have added Cream of Wheat, but the BP should work. Union troopers were issued with cartridge packs, wood block drilled to hold 6 shots along with 6-7 caps in the pack. I believe some may have also used the flask, but that can be very troubling on the field (grenade waiting for ignition). I make cardboard boxes small enough to hold 6 shots and hold them in a leather cartridge box (issued to the cav). I don't believe many artillary folks would have been issued pistols, but if they were and union, they would have also had a pistol belt and cartridge box on the belt. I can actually load this way faster than with the flask. Good luck!

 

[Stewswanson]

I use a Rem.58 for "woods walk" shooting and reload after the first 6 targets. Last year I used the flask but this year I am using small glass vials that I put my pre-measured powder in.
Stew

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

Pre-measured is always safer! :thumbsup: .

I wish that the club that my son and I belong to would let us use our revolvers for some of the shots.

Dave