Were percussion single shots carried capped?

[shorthair]

Those guys weren't as safety conscious as we are today

Remember that Flintlock Muskets were primed from the cartridge, at half cock, and then loaded. If the cock slipped off half cock on a worn lock or something gave out, oh well , say goodbye to some of your fingers or a hand. I get the chills just thinking about having my hand over the muzzle, ramming a cartridge down the pipe on a primed and half cocked musket. Then again I'm not facing a Battalion of Redcoats either.

Carrying a pistol capped on half cock or with the hammer down on a cap was the least of those guys concerns. Also, they didn't load up until combat was expected, even if the day prior or hours prior.......or even when the troop lines were forming up just like Infantryman with rifles or muskets. No one was riding or walking around for extended periods with loaded weapons.

It would have been situationally dependent. If you were in Indian Country and ambushes or bushwacks were possible, you'd have loaded and capped pistols. If you were a Cavalryman in the Mexican War, where it was pretty well known when a Mexican Division was located somewhere, you'd load when battle was joined.

The nipple cover, or cone cap, or whatever it was called that was on a chain hanging off the Enfield rifle also covered the percussion cap, so it was safer to carry with the hammer on a capped nipple. So maybe something like that was sometimes used.

Agree risking a few fingers would be a lot better than having some Redcoat or other hostile doing something far more permanent to me.

 

[russellshaffer]

Drilling a hole in a regular cap tin works. I read about it on this forum and tried it. It's a good idea.

 

[Stantheman86]

Drilling a hole in a regular cap tin works. I read about it on this forum and tried it. It's a good idea.

I love this idea

 

[Tradbow]

I have a small leather pad tied to my Renegade that stays between the hammer and the cap. It falls to the side when I cock the hammer. I did the same on my pistol when I had it.
This is on percussion single shot pistols and rifles. I have never had a revolver.

 

[Stantheman86]

I have several muzzle loading long guns that do not have a half cock on the tumblers. so carried with the hammer on the cap or at full cock, just pull the trigger.

I noticed that quite a few original Target rifles didn't have a half cock. I would think because you just capped at full cock then fired

I sometimes do this with my repro military rifles and muskets, if I'm pointed downrange I'll just full cock it and cap it. Then aim and fire

 

[pwbsmokey]

as for a six shot revolver, with only 5 chambers loaded, why did they make them with six chambers? I think that it is a modern thing for safety. back in the day you needed all the shots that you could get. jmho.

Maybe if they made them with five chambers you would only load four

 

[Relic shooter]

I've always carried my single shot percussion rifles safely capped in my 70 years of hunting by having the hammer down on a thick pad of leather or neoprene on a cord attached to the trigger guard as shown in this photo of my Danish 70 cal Jaeger.
A short piece of copper or brass tubing that fits over base of the nipple that extends just over length of the nipple is another safety option I've used, it also attached to a cord by soldering a wire loop to the tube.
Padding or protecting surface of the cap has proven itself by surviving more than & few falls in my over 65+ years of mountain hunting. This method has also prevented almost certain damage to the lock's tumbler or sear had the lock been impacted while on the half-cock notch.
relic shooter

 

[Vtmountaindeerhunter]

For me the best thing is carrying with cap on and hammer down. I have lost caps on half cock and only realized when trying to shoot the rabbit or squirrel etc after carrying and walking. And yes I do believe that fff or equivalent will sneak out of the cone (nipple) . I would assume any mountain man frontiers man would have carried ready for action

 

[nick_1]

I like the leather idea. i had a flap of leather on my home made holster for my cap and ball revolvers in the 70s that I did that with.

 

[nick_1]

I don't however have any problem with pinched caps and half cock.

 

[Tenmile]

P

as for a six shot revolver, with only 5 chambers loaded, why did they make them with six chambers? I think that it is a modern thing for safety. back in the day you needed all the shots that you could get. jmho.

That’s why they put safety pins on them. I guess they were easily broken so not many originals still have them. You would load six chambers and drop the hammer on a pin to lock it until it was cocked. I can’t think they would leave one chamber empty for safety reasons when one more shot could mean life or death.

 

[toot]

you maybe right.

 

[toot]

I noticed that quite a few original Target rifles didn't have a half cock. I would think because you just capped at full cock then fired

I sometimes do this with my repro military rifles and muskets, if I'm pointed downrange I'll just full cock it and cap it. Then aim and fire

yes one of mine is a dainty 32 cal. with no half cock, and has a very heavy octagon barrel. and yes a target rifle even in that small bore.

 

[Tenmile]

I noticed that quite a few original Target rifles didn't have a half cock. I would think because you just capped at full cock then fired

I sometimes do this with my repro military rifles and muskets, if I'm pointed downrange I'll just full cock it and cap it. Then aim and fire

I have two original target rifles with no half cock. One can be cocked and then set the triggers. The other has to have the triggers set before it will hold in the cocked position. You dasn’t prime till you’re ready to fire for sure. Both these are .36 cal and are excellent rifles.

 

[nick_1]

the problem with a leather tab under the hammer on a pistol holster is that you then must cock the hammer while drawing the pistol which will eventually result in an AD.

 

[Howard Pippin]

I have a small leather pad tied to my Renegade that stays between the hammer and the cap. It falls to the side when I cock the hammer. I did the same on my pistol when I had it.
This is on percussion single shot pistols and rifles. I have never had a revolver.

I too use that small leather between the hammer and the cap on my percussions, and I'm lucky that where I hunt there is no heavy brush that could pull the hammer back on me, because, if the hammer comes back, I have a BB on the fish line holding the patch, and the patch would fall off and the falling hammer would ignite the cap. The good thing is where I do hunt it leastways allows me to hunt with a cap on the gun fairly safely and I know that it Will be there when I do cock the rifle.
Squint

 

[FishDFly]

October Country carries a nipple and cap over so a rifle or single shot pistol can be safely carried with a cap on the nipple. Comes with an o-ring so it is water resistant as well.

 

[GR50036]

A good holster or scabbard would have afforded a lot of protection for a capped pistol. Not only allowed you to carry your gun around but offered protection from the elements and protected the hammer. Not sure on percussion single shots but I've also noticed that the mainsprings on original revolvers , are A LOT stronger than my repros. My original colt's mainspring is probably more than twice as strong as any repro i have. Makes it hard to move the hammer unless you mean to. Combine that with a good holster or scabbard that would cover the hammer, and you only have to worry when you draw and re-holster.

 

[senseisugarbear]

My rifle is set up like the one Relic Shooter has pictured in #47. carries ready for action. As far as my Rem 58 I load 6 and lower the hammer in between 2 caps,,,,I have heard of the Old Timers loading 5 , and rolling up a 10 dollar bill to stuff into the Empty chamber , they called it Buryin' money. for Their funeral if 5 didn't get the job done...Be Safe>>Wally

 

[poinlaw]

Don’t remember where I got it but about 25 years ago I bought a machined brass nipple cover with an O ring inside and a hole for a leather thong through the top. The O ring keeps it from falling off and keeps water out as well. Lower the hammer on the cover and just give it a quick tug on the thong after you cock the hammer and it falls to the side and you’re good to go. One of the more simple and efficient tools I’ve seen.