Re: [DL] Reloadin'

[Frempath2@netscape.net]

Though some of the information given here is good, I'm going to respectfully disagree with some of the items offered here. There are others on the list that also have experience with these weapons, but here is mine.

Colt & open frame style percussion pistols:
Can not be speed loaded with extra cylinders, period.  The open frame percussion pistols had to be taken apart, that is the barrel has to be removed with a screwdriver, for the cylinder to be changed.  This probably cannot be done in under 60 seconds under the best of conditions.  IMHO Do not allow changing of cylinders in combat with these weapons.

Remington & solid frame style percussion pistols:
Solid frame percussion pistols may have extra cylinders, but is was absolutely not a common occurance.  It is fairly easy to change the cylinders on a remington though and can be done in less than 20 seconds.  As a side note, Remington offered a two part cylinder for its army and navy caliber pistols that used metalic cartridge ammunition.

Smith & Wesson or open frame metalic cartridge style:
Models 1, 1.5, & 2
Cartridge fed, small caliber. To be reloaded they had to be turned over and the barrell tippped away from the trigger.  Faster to reload than a percussion, but not as good as later versions.
Models 3 (Ameican), Russian, Schofield
Very good pistols, a little underpowered when compared to the Peacemaker.  All three ejected the spent cartridges when opened, and with an open cylinder could be reloaded very quickly.  The American and the Russian models took two hands to open, the Scholfield only took one hand to open.  In a protracted engagement the speed of the S&W is not to be underestimated.  The S&W pistols can be fired, reloaded, fired and reloaded in the time it takes a Colt Peacemaker to be fired and reloaded.

Colt Peacemaker & solid frame metalic cartridge style:
Stronger and more powerful than the open frame pistol.  Don't plan on swaping cylinders.  It is not practical to take these pistols apart.  It will be just as fast to eject the spent cartridges one at a time and reload one at a time, and this is not fast when compared to say the S&W models.

In the end, it takes time to reload.  Even with the most advantagous system for reloading a fellow with a percussion muzzle loading rifle will get at least one shot while you are reloading.

As I said, this is my experience using these weapons or their replica.
But for real fun its the gatling or better yet, cannons. :)

Kevin Jameson



Lorgryt <lorgryt.detroll@verizon.net> wrote:

>About the speed-loading cylinders... All Black Powder revolvers and 
>revolving rifles have speed-load cylinders.  Not out of any diliberate 
>action, just the way they are designed.  Most Civil War Officers and all 
>enlisted men that had a revolver carried spare, loaded, cylinders for their 
>revolvers.  One Southern "Share-Cropper" had a box with 12 pre-loaded 
>cylinders and all the reloading goods he carried like a purse.
>
>As for the top-break pistol, there were several... The S&W Schofield, .38, 
>the S&W Russian .44, the Webley series are all good examples of these.  the 
>Russian .44 was remade after the first production run so that it had a 
>Swing-Out cylinder (like modern revolvers).  A Speed-Loader was made for 
>this by about '79 in America, and about '77 in Germany.
>
>As for a design claiming to be a "speed-load Cylinder," yep, about 1879, 
>but steam auto's weren't available until the '90's either... so? You look 
>at the Butterfield run lately?  They are using Steam-Wagons for the 
>express!  My point here is that the whole world is caty-wollered! Don't try 
>to figure history and reality into it too much.  If you do then the 
>Gattling-Pistol has to go RIGHT NOW!  It COULD NEVER work.  Metallurgy in 
>the 1910's couldn't deal with the steals needed to make a gun like 
>that.  Homogenous Steal was a theory in the 1890's, and that is what you 
>need to make the gun strong enough to be usable in that caliber at those 
>kinds of cyclic rates.
>
>Bo
>
>At 05:52 AM 2/22/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>>According to a bok I read, speed load cylinders were not invented until I
>>believe 1879.  Also, from what I was able to tell, the only pistolas in the
>>era that would lend themselves to a quick & easy reload, would have been the
>>smith & wesson (frontier? I would have to heck my book) Because it broke
>>open like a shotgun... You could remove the cylinders on other guns, but it
>>was much more involved, & required the use of two hands.
>>
>>Trav
>
>
>
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>

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