How does a cap and ball revolver "show empty"?

1
OK, I'll be taking the new Pietta 1860 Army BP revolver to the public outdoor range this weekend.

When the range officer gives the command to "remove magazines and leave actions open," what state should I leave the revolver in?

Is anything short of removing the cylinder going to work?
"To initiate a war of aggression...is the supreme international crime" - Nuremberg prosecutor Robert Jackson, 1946

Re: How does a cap and ball revolver "show empty"?

6
On my 1858 at times I have removed the cylinder to "show empty". (Easier to do on an 1858 than on an 1860.)

Other times I put it on half cock.

On an 1860 you could pull the wedge and yank the barrel off. :)

It's best to ask the RO what they prefer.
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"Nothing exists except atoms and empty space. Everything else is just opinion." -Democritus 
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Come check out my custom 1911 grips and other wooden items at my Etsy store.

Re: How does a cap and ball revolver "show empty"?

7
I had a lot of fun shooting this today.

The RO was fine with leaving it at half cocked at cease fires.

I brought both loose Pyrodex with a measure, and Pyrodex tablets. It was extremely windy at the range, so I found it a lot easier to deal with the tablets. They worked flawlessly.

The part I found most difficult was fumbling with the percussion caps (I was using Remington #10s). I might try using one of those inline capping tools shaped like a pen. Any of you have experience with them?

I also found the action (cocking the hammer, rotating the cylinder) started to get labored and gummed up after about 25 shots. Is this normal black powder grit mixing with factory grease? (I didn't clean it out of the box, I just used the technique of "cleaning" the barrel and cylinder by shooting off 6 caps before I loaded it.)
"To initiate a war of aggression...is the supreme international crime" - Nuremberg prosecutor Robert Jackson, 1946

Re: How does a cap and ball revolver "show empty"?

8
larrymod wrote:I had a lot of fun shooting this today.

The RO was fine with leaving it at half cocked at cease fires.

I brought both loose Pyrodex with a measure, and Pyrodex tablets. It was extremely windy at the range, so I found it a lot easier to deal with the tablets. They worked flawlessly.

The part I found most difficult was fumbling with the percussion caps (I was using Remington #10s). I might try using one of those inline capping tools shaped like a pen. Any of you have experience with them?

I also found the action (cocking the hammer, rotating the cylinder) started to get labored and gummed up after about 25 shots. Is this normal black powder grit mixing with factory grease? (I didn't clean it out of the box, I just used the technique of "cleaning" the barrel and cylinder by shooting off 6 caps before I loaded it.)
They are fun, aren't they?

A capper is a useful thing, doing it with your fingers is a pita (and dangerous according to some people.)

25 shots is about average before they start gumming up. Make sure you are not using any petroleum based lubes - they turn to tar with black powder residue. Bore Butter is what I like.
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"Nothing exists except atoms and empty space. Everything else is just opinion." -Democritus 
-+-+-+-+-
Come check out my custom 1911 grips and other wooden items at my Etsy store.

Re: How does a cap and ball revolver "show empty"?

10
New rule this year at our gun range {AGC Marriottsvile, Baltimore County, Maryland} ---- All muzzleloading firearms, during a ceasefire ---will have the muzzle's pointed upright.
So... I stand the unloaded black powder pistol upright in my loading pistol stand, with an ECI {empty chamber indicator} in one of the chambers {optional}.

I like to use a two prong lobster fork, for prying out stuck caps, from my Ruger Old Army pistol. I use 17 or 20 grains of tripel F {FFF}, Triple Seven Powder; cuz you can use water clean-up; and the load is pretty accurate. I fill the rest of the chamber with Cream of Wheat --- and top it off with 2/3's Butter Criso and 1/3 pure beeswax. To load the chamber's... I use a empty 38 Special shell casing.

Re: How does a cap and ball revolver "show empty"?

11
Erno86 wrote:New rule this year at our gun range {AGC Marriottsvile, Baltimore County, Maryland} ---- All muzzleloading firearms, during a ceasefire ---will have the muzzle's pointed upright.
So... I stand the unloaded black powder pistol upright in my loading pistol stand, with an ECI {empty chamber indicator} in one of the chambers {optional}.

I like to use a two prong lobster fork, for prying out stuck caps, from my Ruger Old Army pistol. I use 17 or 20 grains of tripel F {FFF}, Triple Seven Powder; cuz you can use water clean-up; and the load is pretty accurate. I fill the rest of the chamber with Cream of Wheat --- and top it off with 2/3's Butter Criso and 1/3 pure beeswax. To load the chamber's... I use a empty 38 Special shell casing.
Hmm.... So you're pretty much required to have a pistol loading stand, I guess. I've tried using one, not sure whether I like or need it.

Good ideas about the lobster fork and using a shell casing as a powder measure.
"To initiate a war of aggression...is the supreme international crime" - Nuremberg prosecutor Robert Jackson, 1946

Re: How does a cap and ball revolver "show empty"?

12
I like to make sure that my loading stand is clamped to something secure, so that it does not fall over. You can buy or build a cylinder loading platform. I clamp the the top of the pistol barrel with a small bungee ponytail cord to the pistol stand. A 357 magnum shell casing, will probably work better than the 38 special.

During snow covered days at the pistol range --- the finches come a peck-up the expelled Cream of Wheat grains from the snow cover in front of my pistol.

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