The "Myth" of Cylinder Swapping?

[Stantheman86]

How would you carry extra cylinders in a way to keep them reliably capped? Capping them at the time of swap would negate their advantage. Swapping in a loaded cylinder with caps missing would not make your day.
The weight of four or five extra revolvers would not faze your horse.

They also likely put on all those revolvers prior to an engagement, not like these guys walked around all day with 8 revolvers on them. They most likely kept the guns in saddle bags most of the time.

For guys like us, carrying capped extra cylinders is dangerous because dropping them could be deadly. We can just drop in a loaded cylinder then cap it, because we aren't fighting off a swarm of hostiles at the range or in a field somewhere busting coffee cans

 

[PastorB]

Not making a comment on historical accuracy, but on modern personal observation. Pre-loaded cylinders sound like a wonderful idea on paper, but in actual use, not so much. I have a bunch of cap and ball revolvers, many with a spare cylinder, and I seldom use the extra cylinder. The reason is that after 6 shots, the barrel is so dirty that accuracy is non-existent. I know from many years of shooting, with both Colt and Remington's, that this is the case. My favorite gun, a stock Pietta 1851 Navy in .36, illustrates this best. It shoots a ragged hole at 25 yards for six shots from a rest, load another cylinder and that "group" is suddenly about the size of a ten-gallon hat brim. The third cylinder, you might as well load your balls into a slingshot. Were cylinder swaps done historically? I'm sure it was on rare occasion. I much prefer to reload my guns and run a spit patch through the barrel between cylinders, takes about a minute and a half total, and I get great accuracy.

 

[Old Hawkeye]

It has been documented from historical writings that using spare cylinders did occur. How often & to what extent is debatable. To assume we know with any certainty how, when & to what extent extra cylinders were used or to state with any certainty they were not part of a combatants weaponry is mere conjecture. To assume they would try to change cylinders in close combat situations is ludicrous. To state that they switched cylinders when conditions of a battle allowed is just common sense. To concern oneself with "accuracy" in a close quarter combat situation with a revolver is laughable, as your opponent is most likely just a few feet away & one would be shooting from a galloping horse, not from a sandbagged rest. The idea that a loaded cylinder is somehow a "danger" when participating in mortal combat conveys a total lack of understanding the reality of the situation. Never ceases to amaze me what people can conjure up in they minds about "how it was back then". Any Vet will tell you, if you haven't been there, you don't know Jack S#!+. Just my two cents.

 

[LME]

Some hear mentioned the movies? The movies are a joke. They are far from historically accurate. I try not to clutter my mind with movies. I did watch a Clint Eastwood movie that was supposed to be during the Civil War. He was going to blow up a bridge to keep the enemy from using it. He was carrying several sticks of dynamite to do the job? Ironically Nobel hadn't invented dymamite yet?Old Clint pulled a slick one on us? I have seen weapons that were of the wrong date , clothes that were not period and a host of other errors in movies. Yeah! I know , I am to pickey! I just quit watching them all together!

 

[OhioHawkeye]

This thread is so funny.
But yes, it is documented in 1st person they swapped cylinders from the civil war to the Indian wars. (military) I don't know about civilian.

We reenact Civil war.... my boyfriend usually has 7 to 9 pistols and a carbine on he and his horse. He also carries 2 or 3 loaded cylinders. I have no idea how he mages to swap cylinders while mounted, but he does. I can hardly do it while sitting in a chair.
I'm just a fumble thumb I guess.

 

[OhioHawkeye]

I knew I had a photo of him swapping cylinders in the field.
Thought it was in his union uniform though.
We are in the 7th Indiana/1st Virginia.

 

[Magungo1066]

Its not so much a question of "if they did" as much as "if they could". Colt and Remington were pumping out these revolvers under contract with the government. They didn't provide or supply extra cylinders, except to the quartermaster for repairs or replacements. The officers that carried their revolvers were thought likely not to need them much. As for the calvary, their engagements were often very rapid/quick (if on horseback) and involved shooting your cylinder empty and riding away, or dismounting and using your rifle. Im not saying that there wasn't someone who figured out the idea of swapping cylinders, but for logistical reasons it was likely never really done. These revolvers were considered a step up from a tree branch, and the idea of swapping cylinders in the heat of doesn't really make sense. These guys got almost no training, and we all know how difficult shooting a handgun of any kind is, especially with almost no formal training. Now when I say "tree branch" I am not belittling the effectiveness and fighting ability of these revolvers in trained hands. They can be utterly deadly, but are nearly useless beyond point blank range for someone without experience. Additionally, these soldiers were using pre-made paper cartridges for their handguns and rifles, and loading a revolver in this way is much quicker than the way casual muzzleloaders (like me) load their guns.

 

[Stantheman86]

I don't believe it was widely done.

What did a typical "issued" reload consist of, for a Union Officer? 6 paper cartridges in a wood block , in the cartridge pouch. Even the cartridge pouches weren't always used, they just put the rounds in a pocket or saddle bag.

Like was said , there was no practical way to obtain extra cylinders , and doubtful the Union or Confederate regular Army would have permitted this.

Irregular troops or special Cavalry units could do whatever they wanted but still, they would just carry several pistols and their carbine. I'd be more interested in getting my hands on a breech loading carbine , if I were a Cavalryman, than worrying about extra cylinders for revolvers.