Loading a cylinder off the gun

With all that being known danger areas, what are your thoughts on pre capping the loaded cylinder before putting a cylinder loaded off the gun back on the gun?
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Hell no. If I had an inkling someone did this where I was shooting, one of us would never shoot there again.
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Not a very helpful answer sir. I asked a respectful question and I take your answer to be threatening and uncalled for.

Granted I asked for your thoughts and I guess I got them. But I don't find them very useful.

If you caught me capping my loaded cylinder off the gun you would either leave forever or you would see to it I would not be able to return again. Not helpful at all.

But thanks anyway.
 
Threatening? Dem' Feels is running strong tonight.

I'll make it simpler.

If it was on my range, you would leave and not be invited back.

If it was your range, I would leave and not come back.

If it was a public range, I'd have a word with the management and let them settle it.

I had a couple of chain fires in my early days and one of those side-shooters knocked a piece of bark off the elm I was standing by. Convinced me that a capped cylinder is not the harmless thing it has been represented to be here.
 
Noelf2

Well two went off when I squeezed the trigger. One went down the barrel, and
one went from the cylinder right along beside the barrel. I was afraid to look
thru the spotting scope as this was in a state championship shoot. When I
finally got enough nerve to look what did I see was two little 36 caliber holes
looking back at me from INSIDE the "10" ring!!! :rolleyes:
 
The biggest danger of a loaded and capped cylinder is dropping in and going off which could injure or kill yourself or bystanders.

I thought about it once, but when the above thought came to me, and I decided I want to live to be an old curmudgeon.

Don't do it.

I guess if a feller was doing all his shooting while laying belly down on the ground during combat, it could be done- at least they couldn't be dropped.

Keep loaded and uncapped cylinders covered, sheathed or in the shooting bag at all times! A stray spark can be just as dangerous!
 
To each his own.... but it seems ball-baby safety nazi's come up with some really dumb range rules without even thinking of the alternative.

Now I'm not saying a capped cylinder is fool proof...but a loaded cylinder without its caps on can be very dangerous if you or (anyone else) is shooting in the area or if you are near any campfire or warming barrel at the range.

I see people loading 3 or 4 cylinders and then they just set them on the bench and go to fireing there revolvers. The open nipples are just funnels waiting for a spark.

Course these are the same guys that leave there powder jug open and on the bench too...sure makes a lot of smoke when the entire box of pyrodex pellets catches a spark :D:D

For a good shooting trip to the woods, a nice leather cylinder pouch with a lid is all you need to carry em the way they were intended...loaded and capped!

For the range.....1 cylinder (the one in your gun) is all you need to have fun (a lot of fun!!) and keep everyone safe and happy.

Pretty sure a cylinder is plenty of "barrel" to be toxic if you dropped it and it fired into skin and bone:(

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Pretty sure a cylinder is plenty of "barrel" to be toxic if you dropped it and it fired into skin and bone
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It certainly can be! A walker cylinder loaded with 20 grains BP and a ball on the powder leaves plenty of bore to send the ball flying. My point is that 35 grains of BP behind a flush loaded ball is less dangerous that a cylinder with 15 grains of BP with a ball seated on the powder leaving a half inch or more of cylinder as a bore. Sounds like a job for Mythbusters. ;)

Can anyone tell me how to be safe / A.R. while loading a Howell's cylinder into the frame??? Are they allowed on some folks ranges? Seems to me to be the EXACT SAME safety issue....:rolleyes:
 
I heard stories of people unscrewing the barrels of .45 Colt peacemakers so they could be easily concealed, shooting straight from the cylinder. Allegedly, the .45 Colt was good for about 400 fps out of the cylinder, but that's with a tightly crimped bullet and a little bit of freebore ahead of the bullet.
 
Y'all can argue it as long as you like. IMNSHO, capping a percussion cylinder off the gun is a safety violation no matter where you are shooting. I know of no private or public range (not including your own backyard) that would allow it. None of the BP shooting disciplines allow it to my knowledge. I'm with Sarge on this issue.

Threatening? Dem' Feels is running strong tonight.

I'll make it simpler.

If it was on my range, you would leave and not be invited back.

If it was your range, I would leave and not come back.

If it was a public range, I'd have a word with the management and let them settle it.
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And, you're awfully thin skinned to view his comments as threatening Rigmarol
 
Fingers what do you think about conversion cylinders like R&D? Same issue, or how is that different? Nobody seems to want to comment on that.
 
Fingers what do you think about conversion cylinders like R&D? Same issue, or how is that different? Nobody seems to want to comment on that.
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I think there is the same possibility of a round going off if a loaded cylinder hit the ground just right; however, in CAS competition, the cylinder is only loaded & placed in the revolver at the loading table reducing the possibility of an accidental discharge greatly. You couldn't carry a preloaded R&D cylinder under any other circumstances. I've got a 6 shot .32 cylinder for my '49 Pocket Model and would not load it unless I was at a loading bench or table if I was using it for competition or plinking..
 
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Fingers what do you think about conversion cylinders like R&D? Same issue, or how is that different? Nobody seems to want to comment on that.


I think there is the same possibility of a round going off if a loaded cylinder hit the ground just right; however, in CAS competition, the cylinder is only loaded & placed in the revolver at the loading table reducing the possibility of an accidental discharge greatly. You couldn't carry a preloaded R&D cylinder under any other circumstances.
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I agree. Loading at the table reduces the risk. But loading that R&D at the table is about the same risk as capping a charged cylinder, off the gun, at the table. Either could be dropped before they're on the gun. With cap and ball, you have a choice. With an R&D cylinder, you don't. So, it's best to be safest when conditions allow for it. Otherwise, just don't drop the flipping cylinder! ;)
 
Pretty sure a cylinder is plenty of "barrel" to be toxic if you dropped it and it fired into skin and bone
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I've had chain fires over water and the only one that had any force was the one that went down the barrel. The rest just went a few yards and plopped into the water like a gently tossed rock. I'm sure they would hurt and would probably break the skin but I honestly don't think one would be lethal or break bones. I don't carry extra cylinders anyway so is a moot point for me.
 
Fingers, I respect you and I say this with respect; I asked a simple question seeking thoughts on something I've wondered about and the quoted response was offered in a manner that I took as hostile. It implied (or rather I took it as meaning) If I were at his range and did this (which I never once said I did) he would be sure I would never do it again. That implies actions other than advice or words of wisdom. That is how I took it to mean. Actions up to and possibly including putting me on my butt.

The person quoted came back and clearified and although I still saw it as a bit extreme for a question asking about thoughts on the matter, I cooled down and took it in with more patience and acceptance. I moved on and so did the thread.

If an apology on my part will make things better you and the quoted poster have my sincere apology with my regrets for my "thin skinned" response to what I took as a hostile unhelpful post to a simple curiosity question.

If both of you can be persuaded to accept my apology I'd like to put this behind us and move on.
 
No apology necessary Rigmarol. Sometimes a tongue in cheek smiley should preface comments. I've been on the receiving end myself for something that I intended in the best spirit that was viewed askance.
 
No apology necessary Rigmarol. Sometimes a tongue in cheek smiley should preface comments. I've been on the receiving end myself for something that I intended in the best spirit that was viewed askance.
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Thank you sir, you are a true Gentleman.
 
I've been on the receiving end myself for something that I intended in the best spirit that was viewed askance.
__________
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I think we all have. Written words don't always come across like we intend them to.
 
Most of the folks who come up with this idea have read about Civil War cavalrymen carrying spare capped cylinders for a quick reload. But those guys were young, reckless, and very liable to die or be maimed in battle at any time. A ball coming out of a dropped cylinder would only be one of many balls and bullets flying about; under those circumstances, safety was not a very big consideration.

But today, on a range, no one is shooting back, and there is no need to get the gun reloaded ahead of a whistling saber. Safety comes first. And we in the community do care what others do, partly because we don't want to lose you or see you injured, and partly because every accident with guns serves the interests of those who want to disarm us (yes, even percussion guns have been targeted by the anti-gun forces for confiscation and destruction.)

Jim
 
Agree with James K. It's one thing to load the cylinder and quite another thing to cap it.

I don't think that a ball fired from a cap cylinder is anything to be trifled with. Historically at least one member of Berdan's Sharp Shooters lost a digit when his Colt Root Revolving Rifle had a chainfire. The barrel serves to impart the spin in the ball. At short distance, a ball fired from a cylinder alone has sufficient energy to harm or kill.
 
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