'58 Remington usage question

Wouldn't the revolvers be a might pricey for the average soldier? Seems like most would stick with issued arms, plus battlefield salvage?
 
Wouldn't the revolvers be a might pricey for the average soldier? Seems like most would stick with issued arms, plus battlefield salvage?
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Infantry were issued sidearms at the very beginning of the war but what weren't sent home were discarded. An infantryman isn't going to carry one single pound more than he has to. Many of them even tossed their bayonets. Like Model12 said cavalry and officers were the only ones that carried revolvers. Extra pistols were battlefield pickups.
 
I remember reading somewhere how a British officer noted with displeasure that civil war cavalry was not using proper cavalry tactics and could be better called revolver cavalry.

Don't remember where it was, though.
 
Now that would be fun to watch, someone with six to eight revolvers all with lanyards hooked to their belt:D
 
I would like to see someone doing a quick change of a Remington M1858 cylinder on horseback, with the bullets flying.
 
I don't think it would be that bad as long as you set the empty cylinder down before you grabbed the loaded one.
 
I don't ride horses but cant they control them selves for a few seconds, or do they immediately flip out once you release the reins? Thought that knob on the saddle was a place to put the reins when you need to use your hands.
 
Hold up, wasn't most of the civil war fought on foot anyways? If your galloping on a horse you're a bigger target and cant aim precisely... Doesn't seem right.
 
No. When's the last time you saw a 60 Colt with a lanyard ring?
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Well actually, my original '58 Remington has an interesting cutout on the bottom of the stocks (nicely repaired sometime later) that most likely was for a lanyard that went around the frame.

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=539932&highlight=remington

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Yes most of the war was fought on foot but the cavalry was the only unit to use revolvers besides officers and artillery jmar. Also I've only rode a horse a few times, but I can tell you when the horse is trotting and you let go off the reins and horn, good luck staying on. Then on top of that try swapping cylinders! You also need a hammer thong on your holster, don't ask me how I figured that one out!
 
Yeah Spacecoast but that's a homemade one of job that obviously a later owner didn't care for. Nice gun BTW.
 
Sorry I'm late to this conversation. At the beginning of the war calvary was very effective with light fast attacks. They would fire their one or two pistols then withdraw. Regroup the ranks, put fired pistols in saddle bags and grab fresh loaded pistols, then attack again.
The problem with spare cylinders was the fact that the bear grease or whatever they were using would melt in the heat and result in all chambers going off. That usually resulted in a useless pistol. I grew up doing reenactments of the war for Southern independence. You would be amazed how many places a true calvaryman could stick a pistol and be able to retrieve it during battle. Most military issued saddles didn't have horns.
 
The problem with spare cylinders was the fact that the bear grease or whatever they were using would melt in the heat and result in all chambers going off
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Actually chain firing wasn't an issue. Revolvers during the war were very predominately loaded with paper cartridges and conical bullets. Over ball lube wasn't used.
 
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