carrying spare cylinders-dangerous ?

"Doc said:

have never read or previous to the Clint Eastwood movie PALE RIDER, seen anything about carrying a spare cylinder. I have read about carrying mulitple pistols, though.

That leads me to think that the carrying of spare cylinders is a product of modern times and cowboy action shooting."



Doc, I have heard they carried spare cylinders- knowing several re-enactors who reseached Civil War battles, it was back in the late-1970's they told me the soldiers carried spare cylinders- it only makes sense. Capped or uncapped, spare cylinders would still make for quicker reloads- the challenge would be, removing the wedge in the heat of battle. If they could get a spare pistol, more power. The battlefield would be littered with firearms afterwards, it would be relatively easy to get a spare battlefield pickup weapon. As we all know, the wedges don't always slip right out on the Colts for cylinder change. I take a small hammer with me to the range, just in case.:rolleyes:
 
CC

If you carry a loaded cylinder (say in a pouch, on its side) wouldn't the powder flow out of the nipple holes as you walk/move about? then you would end up with some powder in your pouch, eating the leather? If the pouch holds the cylinder upright, moisture might get in and dampen the powder in the nipple and may cause a FTF? I always keep my ROA's capped at the range, but the hammer in one of the safe slots between chambers. Carrying an uncapped cylinder would worry me, both for powder coming out & moisture getting in? I would be capping them if I were ever to carry a spare cylinder (which I dont), but thats just my opinion ;)

Like I said before, to drop a loaded capped cylinder on something hard enough, precicely enough to get it to fire would be difficult (but I agree, not unheard of) :D
 
Even if the wedge came out easily on an open top Colt, now you have four parts to juggle- the frame, the barrel, and two cylinders

Even if you simply discard the empty cylinder, that's still more parts than hands. I cannot conceive of even walking normally through a feild and easily swapping out the cylinder on an open-top Colt.
 
Doc, I have heard they carried spare cylinders- knowing several re-enactors who reseached Civil War battles, it was back in the late-1970's they told me the soldiers carried spare cylinders- it only makes sense.
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So, out of curiousity then, why is it, in the photos I have seen of soldiers who are holding, brandishing or otherwise displaying their guns, I do not see any pouches for spare cylinders.

I've been in many, many museums and seen cartridge boxes, cap boxes, and bayonet or sword frogs displayed, but I cannot recall one time since 1963 seeing a spare cylinder carrier.

Gettysburg, Antietam (Sharpsburg), Manassas (Bull Run), Shiloh, Athens, Harpers Ferry, Appomatox, Murphreesboro, etc... and many more. I do not recall seeing one - at all. You would not have a photo of an authentic Civil War era pouch, would you?

Perhaps, they melted away like the brass-framed revolvers? Oh, wait, I saw those. Maybe, the cylinders were made of mush and they melted away, taking their carriers with them? :rolleyes:

The Doc is out now. :cool:
 
Maybe just not very common back then to have inexpensive spare cylinders as it is today.

By the time of the Civil War, most percussion revolvers were fired with commercially made combustible paper cartridges, constructed of a powder envelope (usually paper) glued to the base of a conical bullet...

Combustible cartridge bullets were already pre-greased with beeswax...

The combustible cartridge loading method speeded revolver loading considerably, simplified ammunition management, and became the loading method specified by the U.S. Ordnance Department just prior to the Civil War.[4]...
Combustibles were usually loaded with a special high performance sporting grade black powder, using the minimum charge required for a specified impact level, usually determined by pine penetration tests. The special powder and minimal charge reduced black powder fouling, allowing revolvers to be fired as much as possible before cleaning was necessary. [5][4]...

The [Remington] cylinder swap takes 12 seconds, or even less, depending on practice and skill.
(NOTE - to anyone attempting to duplicate this feat: For safety reasons, the replacement cylinder should not have the primer caps applied until after it is installed in the revolver, in case it is accidentally dropped!)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remington_Model_1858
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Why risk keeping a spare cylinder capped when there's alternative ways to plug the nipples of a loaded cylinder? Just cover the nipples with spent plastic ring caps or short pieces of aquarium tubing that have been plugged up. :rolleyes:
 
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I have 13 extra cylinders for my 4 Pietta Remington revolvers. I learned a long time ago back when I got my first C&B that extra cylinders was a must. I went shooting with some friends and they had cartridge revolvers and I had my Uberti Remington. They shot about 10 times faster than I did because of the reloading time. Unfortunately since the Uberti was an old one that was Metric I was never able to get more cylinders for it.

When I joined SASS I started with two Pietta Remington's and I reloaded my two Remington's after each stage and it took me almost the whole time between turns to reload. So I got the extra cylinders and loaded them the night before. I have enough to shoot a whole match (and if extra are needed I can reload as needed)... I keep them in a Tupperware container so it was air and moisture tight and shooting was a lot more fun. I would shoot, go back to my gun cart, remove the empty cylinder and wipe the gun down and insert a new cylinder and was able to go count or help out as needed... I made some cylinder holders that were very similar to cap pouches and can carry 4 on my belt when I go out walking in the desert... I also carry a tube of grease, caps, powder and balls to reload as needed... I carry the cylinders capped when out walking around and uncapped for matches. As for the powder falling out the nipples, the powder is fairly coarse and unless you are using old nipples with the flash hole burned way out, the amount of powder that would fall out is minimal... Not to mention I store the cylinders with the nipples up (waxed paper on bottom of Tupperware keeps the grease from messing up stuff) so powder cannot fall out anyway...

I also have two of the .45 conversion cylinders and when I go out desert walking I can carry one of the conversion cylinders in a cylinder pouch ready to swap out... Sure beats wearing two guns weight wise...
 
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I've got two small kids, at home. My daughter (8), loves to help me cap my cylinders, but won't touch the guns, otherwise. My son (3), isn't afraid of anything except loud noises. I'm betting he'll be looking for them as soon as he thinks of it. For this reason, I don't keep any cartridge pistols. I do keep an unloaded 1858, in a drawer. I also have a urine specimen cup, with a loaded and capped cyl..
It doesn't take but seconds, to open the cup and change out the cyl., especially with Cap'n C's cylinder dumping method.
 
I don't keep any cartridge pistols. I do keep an unloaded 1858, in a drawer. I also have a urine specimen cup, with a loaded and capped cyl..
It doesn't take but seconds, to open the cup and change out the cyl., especially with Cap'n C's cylinder dumping method.
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How long is it practical to keep that cylinder loaded. Does it cause any corrosion in the cylinder?
 
Okay, I'll join in here. I have done quite a bit of reading on the subject and I agree that the idea of carrying a spare cylinder is largely a modern day thing. I read one book, "I Rode with Quantrill" (SIC??) in which Frank James found a busted up revolver (When he was in the "War") and he kept it. Whether he loaded it or just kept it- I don't know.
Where were the spare cylinders carried? Where are the sales records that Colt and Remington sold extra cylinders? I don't think it was a common practice.
A lot of the Confederate Cavalry loaded up with lots of extra revolvers. The Yankee Cavalry probably would have done the same but Army regulations must have prevented it.
That special powder- TELL ME MORE!!! I have not read about that before. I'm working from memory here but I think the charge in the combustible cartridges was about 17 grains which isn't maximum but the small charge was used in order to be able to fit the cartridge into the chamber- a larger charge made the cartridge too long to load- at least in some revolvers like the Colt Navy. The clean burning aspect is interesting as well as fouling build up is a problem with the combustible cartridges.
 
I admit I don't know spit about this subject,

but that won't keep me from shootin off at the mouth on it!:D

So, out of curiosity then, why is it, in the photos I have seen of soldiers who are holding, brandishing or otherwise displaying their guns
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Were I posing for a picture in "them days" I would want every firearm I could find in view on my person just for the coolness factor. Posing with a number of arms poking out all over from your belt to your boots looks more intimidating than one or two pistols on your hip and some non-descript cylinder pouches on your belt.

When we would ride fence, my granddad would carry his 4-10 shells in an old "poke" or tobacco pouch looped over his belt. I have a picture of him wearing the pouch but holding no gun, and if you didn't know what he carried in it, you could only guess at what he used it for by looking at the picture. Also, from just looking at the picture how could you possibly assume that he never used a 4-10 just because you don't see him holding one?

You do realize this entire thread comes off as mere conjecture and speculation, because non of us were actually there and have no first-hand accounts. It's still a whole lot of fun, though!
 
How long is it practical to keep that cylinder loaded.
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As long as no moisture can get to it as long as you want to.

Does it cause any corrosion in the cylinder?
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Not as long as no moisture gets to it.

I found an original 58 Remington in a barn once. All six chambers were loaded and capped. The outside of the gun was rough but the inside of the chambers was like new.
 
No carryin' spare cylinders ain't any more dangerous than shootin' Black Powder Guns ... it's a part of it. Stay alert take yer time .... be safe & have fun.
 
As long as no moisture can get to it as long as you want to.
Not as long as no moisture gets to it.

I found an original 58 Remington in a barn once. All six chambers were loaded and capped. The outside of the gun was rough but the inside of the chambers was like new.
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I'm guessing you didn't try to fire it.

Thanks, by the way. That is the info I was looking for.
 
Wood screw and vice grips. Had to get it freed up for some of them but it wasn't frozen very badly.
 
I took a hunter safety class years ago, and the instructor related an incident during the firearms safety part of the class:

According to the story, two teenagers were out plinking with a .22LR/.22WMR revolver with interchangeable cylinders. One of them had the "other" cylinder, loaded, in his shirt pocket. While negotiating a barb-wire fence the cylinder fell from his pocket, landed on a rock, and one of the cartridges fired, striking him in the head and killing him. His friend, who didn't see it actually happen, and was vague in his explanation, was charged with a crime - some sort of manslaughter, or something. The authorities thought that he accidentally shot his friend and was covering it up.

It was only when a forensics examiner was examining the pistol for proper functioning that he noticed a chip on the edge of the cylinder. Further testing revealed that the dropped cylinder, if it hit just right, WOULD actually fire, and with lethal velocity. The charges were dismissed, of course.........but his friend was still dead.
 
"How long is it practical to keep that cylinder loaded."

If you have proper fitting caps and a good over-sized ball they are virtually, if not, airtight. A little while back someone on here or the high road said he found an old loaded 1858 while cleaning a barn and that it fired all five shots with original powder, ball and caps.
 
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