Loading Stand

Colt did manufacturer a revolver (Baby Dragoon) that had no provisions for reloading. You had to remove the barrel and use the arbor as the loading ram. After about 15,000 Baby dragoons were produced it was superseded by the Model 1849 with it's rammer.

I've seen wedges beaten in to submission with hammers and punches, and I have seen loading levers and their pins bent, broken and stripped. This is a operator problem, not a revolver problem. If your wearing out the wedge or loading lever you may need to adjust your technique.
 
Why not make your own ??

kflach
I have made my own, for my Old Armies and Pietta's. It's not really that hard if you have any woodcrafter tools and skills. It's basically an upside down "T" share and padded with sections of shower shoe foam soles. The wooden sections are the same and fit the foam pieces per each model. I choose to load in the frame.


Be Safe !!!
 
I shoot MLAIC competition, & their rules state that revolvers must be loaded with the cylinder in frame. Too bad, really, but I choose to practice under the same conditions as I have to compete.....so I have my wooden stand to hold the revolver while I load it. I made the stand myself (& it shows!), but it also fits my single shot BP pistols, too.
 
We are coming at this question from two different positions.

The difference here is between CAS shooters running and gunning and plinkers and/or target shooters.

Fingers and I will shoot anywhere from 25 to 30 shots from each pistol on a match day. For this amount of shooting, the Colt copies tend to run longer and cleaner than the Remingtons. They are easily loaded either hand held or with a wooden loading stand. The cylinder loader is not a necessity for this type of shooting. The Remingtons tend to foul out quicker due to design and the cylinders need to be "wiped down" after ever couple of stages. If you're gonna take them out to wipe them then why not use a cylinder loading stand?
 
I strongly believe I need to know how to load without a stand, but I also know that I'll spend time shooting at a range with a table available.

I ended up ordering a cylinder stand from Traditions, the people that imported my Remmy. It was less than $20 so I expect it's not the best quality in the world, but it should do to start with.

It seems to me that if I use the stand I'll be able to get a feel for how tightly to pack the cylinder (and make sure there is no space between the ball, the Wonder Wad, and the powder). In other words, I can eliminate any unsteady hand movements from the equation, kind of a building block approach.

I want to make fire and have fun, but I want to do it safely and properly, and that means paying close attention to what I do!
 
Since I don't use the spout on the flask to measure powder, using a little funnel helps the powder go into the chamber. I like to use a powder funnel when loading rifles too. :)
 
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Since I don't use the spout on the flask, using a little funnel helps the powder go into the chamber. I like to use a powder funnel when loading rifles too.

I use this for pistols and rifles both. TC still makes them but they're not solid brass anymore.


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I ended up ordering a cylinder stand from Traditions, the people that imported my Remmy. It was less than $20 so I expect it's not the best quality in the world, but it should do to start with.

Is it the hinged wooden one that folds flat? I bought one of those when I got my first pistol.

It works OK, but the hinges are woefully undersized and the screws pull out almost immediately. I just got some heavy-gauge angle braces and braced both sides of the 'upright' - used four of them. It doesn't fold now, but it's totally solid.
 
Articap said:
Since I don't use the spout on the flask, using a little funnel helps the powder go into the chamber.

Me too. Actually the best thing I've found for my revolver is one of the WSM cartridge cases with the head cut off. The bodies are quite wide & give an ample hole to pour the powder into, while the neck/shoulder are contoured enough to get good access to the chambers at the same time. The ones I shortened are 7mm WSM & they work great in my .36 caliber Remington.

Funnel2.jpg
 
No, I ordered the one that looks like a cheap version of the Triple P loader: http://www.traditionsfirearms.com/eshop/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=A1309


I like the idea of using the cartridge case as a funnel. I've thought about funnels - they look like they might come in very handy on some of these windy Texas days. However I figured that could be a later purchase. The cartridge case method looks like it may actually be better because it aligns with the gun better and doesn't have quite as wide of a mouth that would get in the way.
 
MY opinion on these stands is not popular

Would I ram home a fresh magazine for my 1911A1 while having the gun pointed muzzle up, as I put my arms or my head over it?

Certainly not. Then why would I feel its good to do this with a BP revolver? Loaded or unloaded, capped or uncapped, the idea of having the muzzle pointed vaguely at my head goes against everything I've been taught. The relative position of your head to the muzzle would be the same position as standing at the firing line while somebody at the next lane over was standing in front of you.

I have an open-top Colt repro. I remove the cylinder, pour powder and cover with a wad as I go to 'keep my place'. Then I install the cylinder and barrel, and ram home the balls (my revolver has a 'creeping' lever), and lastly I cap. Seems much safer to me than loading in a stand
 
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I don't. I insert the wedge with thumb pressure, and remove it with same. No more 'wear' than working the bolt on a rifle.

After a couple hundred shots in my Colt repro, I can do the same thing now. I used to use a wedge of wood but my thumb is all I use now. The metal seated
 
While I don't personally use one of those stands, I don't see the problem that Chris B does.

Would I ram home a fresh magazine for my 1911A1 while having the gun pointed muzzle up, as I put my arms or my head over it?

Certainly not. Then why would I feel its good to do this with a BP revolver? Loaded or unloaded, capped or uncapped, the idea of having the muzzle pointed vaguely at my head goes against everything I've been taught.

Nor would I place my head and/or arms, or any other body part over the muzzle. Why do you believe that's necessary with a loading stand? It's certainly possible, in fact, quite easy, to load the gun using the stand without placing your head, arms, legs, neck, chest, knees, thighs, feet or rear end in close proximity or over the muzzle.

Then I install the cylinder and barrel, and ram home the balls (my revolver has a 'creeping' lever), and lastly I cap. Seems much safer to me than loading in a stand

I presume you hold the gun in your left hand, muzzle generally upward and downrange, and operate the loading lever with your right hand (I suppose the hands could be switched); this is how I seat the balls also. In my case both elbows are bent for leverage, as opposed to holding the gun at arm's length. I note that it's possible to hold the loading stand further away from my body because I don't have to keep my elbows bent to both provide the force on the lever and to react it. Now, which is 'safer' in that instance?

Like I said, I don't normally use the loading stand, but I fail to see why you consider it less safe than the procedure you and I both use.
 
Neal, I respect your opinions a lot. You're one of the people that usually posts plain common sense. Seems you're making fun a little bit. I hope you know pretty well that my buttocks aren't involved with loading; getting a pistol permit in my city wasn't easy and my Dad taught me gun safety way before the current dummy-butt parked his ugly tail into the mayor's office chair, or before he gerrymandered his first pork barrel

You're not seeing what I'm seeing, and its your perception of the relative positions of the objects involved. To see what I see, imagine your body next to a loading stand ready to load

Now by definition, to be close enough to load the pistol on that stand, you must be at least as close as arm's reach to touch the loading stand, correct? I hope I'm right on that; I've never used a loading stand but I assume you must touch it to use it ;)

That means your head is also about that close unless I forget where the head on a human being goes. In fact, imagining that picture in my head means that the head in question is about 2.5-3.5 feet or so from the business end of a weapon that is either loaded or being loaded, and about 45* from having it point at that head- in other words, rotate the weapon 45* and the eyeballs in that head could be staring down the barrel. "In front of the muzzle" is a very easy and strict mathematics issue to me. To illustrate, If I place my rifle on the loading bench and walk out to a target frame, I am in front of the muzzle. It's irrelevant that the rifle is not specifically zeroed in on me- I am definitely in front of the muzzle, and that's why rifles on the loading bench must be unloaded when the shooters hang targets, at any range I've heard of, just like pistols need to be unloaded in a similar situation, and nobody can approach the bench while targets are being hung- even if you do not intend to shoot in somebody's direction, it could happen- you don't handle the weapon with somebody in front of the muzzle.

Also, the weapon is pointing up when in a loading stand, which is not the direction normally considered "downrange". I realize that some rifles need to be in a stand to load them but I'm not commenting on flintlock rifles and such, or even modern muzzle loaders, that's not the topic

Now turn the mental image I described earlier horizontal. If the revolver (loaded or not, but we are taught they are always loaded while kids, yes?) was pointed downrange, and your head was in front of the muzzle at arm's length but 45* off and 4 feet to the left, we would all scream "unsafe!". But if its a loading stand, the rules change and we accept the same relative positions of our body and head as perfectly fine. I have talked to people about this before, and they try to convince me that somehow, your head is not in front of the muzzle during this procedure. But try asking somebody to stand at arm's length while you aim your pistol at a target downrange, past their head and see if there's any takers even with an empty pistol in your hand

When I load, I do not point the muzzle vaguely downrange or up. The revolver is pointed downrange, and I seat the balls with the stocks socked into my hip, left hand holding the revolver in my fist with my knuckles on the bench, which makes it sure that the thing is not pointing up or down. Hammer is half-cock. Caps are no where near. The only thing I load off the frame is the powder and wads. When the balls are seated, the revolver is re-assembled and I hold the revolver in my left hand, muzzle downrange, and I cap with my right. I should use a capper or a stick but honestly I feel lucky; #10 CCI caps fit so well I don't have to jam or force them on, and they don't slip off. The revolver was on half cock already or in one of the half positions between caps, hammer down if I want to put something away or wipe off excess grease if I'm greasing the cylinders, or maybe my hands if I think there might be powder on them

I allude to this in my previous pos, and this is the whole crux of it to me:

This is no different to me than taking the weapon when the range is hot, and stepping back 6 feet from the firing line with people to the right and left of you still up at the firing line. If the range master saw that, there would be quite a commotion I'd bet

Now, the only person getting shot in my worst case loading scenario is the loader, so as long as I don't do it, well, no biggie for me except for some bad dreams and therapist bills, and maybe some dry cleaning. I told you my take wasn't popular ;) I see no difference between loading my M1911A1 on a loading stand and loading a BP revolver in one- both guns put my body in front of the muzzle, no question. My torso is higher elevation than the muzzle, so is my head. Therefore, I am literally in front of the muzzle. Many people use these and I bet there's few accidents; it seems BP guys take a lot of care with what they are doing which is always exemplary. But food for thought- your body's in front of that muzzle. The weapon does not need to be pointed between your eyes or at your center mass for you to be in front of it
 
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I gotta go with Mykeal on this one

Unlike Mykeal I do like to use a stand.

But I am in agreement with him about safety in keeping the muzzle clear.

When I have the pistol on the stand, the only thing I have to worry about is making sure I never get anything in line with the muzzle. This is easy to keep track of because the muzzle is always pointing in the same direction.

If I have the pistol in my hand and become even the least bit distracted I might lose track of the direction the pistol is pointing. Someone says something and you accidentally look in their direction. Now where is the muzzle? If you are not watching it, you don't know.

I do admit that I have no clue about the rules, practices and procedures that are in place in CAS events and such, but I can imagine how strict they must be. I would venture to say that even at these carefully supervised events it sometimes happens that a muzzle momentarily goes in the wrong direction.

One might ask how it is possible to permit one's self to become distracted with a loaded weapon. I would say that anyone who says they have never experienced it is fooling himself.

I don't like shooting around people for just this reason. I guess that is kindof eccentric. Oh well.

Tnx,
 
Maybe this bird's eye view illustrates my point better. I see no difference in the relative positions of the human head and muzzle of the weapon when using a loading stand, or commencing fire in the manner shown below. In both cases, it is a weak argument to say "There's no body part in front of the muzzle" in my opinion

stand.jpg
 
If I have the pistol in my hand and become even the least bit distracted I might lose track of the direction the pistol is pointing. Someone says something and you accidentally look in their direction. Now where is the muzzle? If you are not watching it, you don't know.

this is a great point, and I hate it when folks chat at the firing line. Put down the gun, step back and gossip. My club has a rule about talking at the line for this reason specifically.

Also great point about always knowing where the barrel is pointed when using a stand
 
Yup!

I have a tendency to be verbose and probably post more times than most folks are interested in reading, but I will make this comment.

The last time I shot in a supervised event was in 1994. This was fam fire in the Navy with some of the new sailors. Since then I have shot BP less than seriously and not consistently, but only twice was there another person present. The first time was just after I retired and went with my uncle (the one who thumped me on the head so much) to shoot his one and only black powder rifle. The other was just two weeks ago. I was trying a new place to go shooting and the property owner was with me. He is familiar enough with shooting that he remained quiet until I got the last round in the cylinder off. Then he asked questions, made comments, and just basically shot the breeze. He would be welcome to come with me any time. (My uncle died about ten years back.)

I have not had the opportunity to do club shooting and perhaps I would change my opinion if I were to do so.


Tnx,
 
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