Loading and capping spare cylinders?

[Legionnaire]

For those of you who have spare cylinders, how do you treat them? I've read the many warning against capping a cylinder not installed in the frame, but I still have questions. If you use a BP revolver for home defense, do you keep one or more spare cylinders loaded? If you keep them loaded, do you cap them? And if you cap them, how do you store them to minimize the risk of having a chamber go off when the cylinder isn't mounted in the frame?

I was at the range today with my Pietta 1858 Remington. First BP revolver I've owned with a spare cylinder. I loaded both cylinders with powder, wad, and ball before going to the range, but only capped each cylinder after mounting it immediately prior to firing. For the last pair, I capped the spare before putting it in the gun (treating it very carefully) just to get an idea of time savings between last shot on the first cylinder and first shot on the second cylinder. No problems, but it made me feel a bit uneasy. But it made me wonder how others handle spare cylinders ... especially if you keep them for serious work.

 

[mykeal]

I don't keep a bp revolver for home defense, so I can't really speak to the specifics, but in general I never cap a charged cylinder if it's not mounted in the frame AND the gun is on the firing line. If I were to use a bp revolver for home defense it would not be a single revolver with spare cylinders, it would be multiple revolvers.

The NMLRA requires that caplocks and revolvers not be capped until they are on the firing line.

 

[Legionnaire]

I never cap a charged cylinder if it's not mounted in the frame AND the gun is on the firing line.

That makes total sense to me. I don't keep a BP revolver for home defense, either. But I'm reflecting on some recent threads regarding how long a cap and ball revolver can sit loaded and still be fired, and the thread on sealing caps with wax. The powder in an uncapped cylinder will over time absorb moisture through the open nipples, so if I were going to keep a loaded BP revolver, I'd load five and cap them. That's really what led me to the question about spare cylinders; the real options seem to be either (1) don't load the cylinder at all until you're ready to shoot it; or (2) load and cap it for longer term storage ... unless there is another way to temporarily "cap" the nipples with something other than percussion caps that will serve the purpose of sealing out moisture.

Once again, I have no intention of storing my spare cylinder loaded in any fashion, although I'm likely to load it with powder and ball the night before going to the range. Maybe my underlying curiosity is really with why one should have a spare cylinder at all?

 

[col.lemat]

I dont have a spare cylinder. I do load but do not cap until a need to shoot. Once it is caped it is a loaded weapon and to risky to leave out in the open. If it is loaded it is supposed to be properly secured(locked up). So buy the time you get it unlocked you could have had it capped.

 

[arcticap]

When the cylinder is loaded beforehand off the frame, it's easy enough to store store it in a plastic bag or sealed container to keep the moisture out.
RMC was selling a revolver nipple cover in the shape of a ring to seal them but its not listed anymore.
Perhaps spent or deactivated plastic ring caps would work for sealing uncapped loaded cylinders.

 

[Malamute]

Not everywhere "requires" you to keep a loaded gun "secured".

The part of your question that specified "for serious use" is the deciding part. If it's your primary protection/field gun, you have to make the decision as to what you are comfortable or capable of dealing with. I know my answer, but it may not be the next guys answer.

 

[Jaymo]

Not normally. Since all of my BP shooting is slow fire to the extreme, capping time is inconsequential.

 

[Tinpan58]

I cap on the line at the range, I keep a couple of loaded and caped cylinders at home, when I go to work I remove the caped cylinder from the gun replace it with a unloaded cylinder and put it in a box lined with cotton or a leather cylinder holder and put it in a place away from the gun. I use a wooden stick to remove the caps and discard them before transporting the cylinders to the range, I go to the range once or twice a month never had a problem with misfires and do nothing special to seal the chambers. I only cap with the cylinder on the frame!

 

[mykeal]

The part of your question that specified "for serious use" is the deciding part.

???
Where was that?

 

[Malamute]

Last sentence of the OP.


Fortunately, I don't need my percusion pistols for serious use, other than the hoards of Rampaging Rabbits in my yard once in a while.

 

[Legionnaire]

Nice pic, Malamute. I'd say that constitutes "serious work!" From the sound of most discussions, it seems like BP revolvers are mostly kept for the range. I wonder how many get used for anything else? Your pic gives me reassurance!

arcticap, "duh" moment for me when you suggested sealing a loaded but uncapped cylinder in a zip-loc bag. Of course there are other ways than capping to keep moisture out; should have thought of that.

Interesting to see in the poll that at least a few keep loaded and capped cylinders. Any of you care to weigh in with why and how? You'll not take any criticism from me; I'm just interested.

 

[Noz]

With properly fitting caps and properly sized balls, a charged and capped cap and ball revolver should be as secure as a loaded cartridge revolver. Many instances of finding capped revolvers that had been in storage for many years firing on the first drop of the hammer.
I have had instances where I had prepared (by charging five chambers/gun) for a December shoot that was called on account of weather. The Jan shoot was also canceled and for the Feb Shoot I capped and fired with no hesitation.
This is in Missouri where we invented humidity.

 

[arcticap]

On the Remington revolver, I wonder if the protruding hand can come into contact with the capped nipple when a loaded cylinder is being inserted?
Also, I wonder if there's any way to slide the Remington's cylinder pin, or to insert the barrel and barrel wedge of a Colt without putting one's hand in front of the capped & loaded cylinder?
I've seen enough videos of folks grasping and holding their revolvers in front of the capped & loaded cylinder while easing the hammer down with their thumb to make me cringe. Sometimes it's done so briefly that I'm not sure that folks even realize that they're doing it. And the hammer is often in line with a loaded chamber. This would seem to subject the hand to burns if there was an accidental discharge or injury of if there was a chainfire.

 

[hja4941]

For safety reasons I would never keep a loaded spare cylinder. If I needed a gun for serious work I would have a modern gun. IF they were not available I would keep a spare loaded and capped revolver. Changing cylinders under the stress of a gunfight would be very difficult.

Dropping a loaded and capped cylinder could be fatal.

 

[YumaKid]

I don't keep loaded spare cylinders around the house; mostly because my Remington's are for FUN and RELAXATION; not for protection. Protection is the job of the two S&W's.

On the other hand, if someday the Socialists get thier way and we lose our cartridge weapons; yes, I will keep spare cylinders loaded. And they will be safely stored; just as the speedloaders for the Smith's (HKS 29's for the .44; Safariland Comp III's for the .357). If Mr psycho-druggie-banger comes entering my house with some 15-rd spray-and-pray wonder-nine; I will have at least one (in reality, there are two each) reload available.

If anybody had ever looked closely at the HKS loaders, they'd realize that there isn't anything really "protecting" the caps on the six rounds in the speedloader.
And the difference is?

 

[Malamute]

The primers are at least recessed a little with the HKS loaders, and the rim of the loader gives some protection. I've dropped HKS loaders many times without incident. There isnt much protecting a cap on a capped cyinder out of the gun.

I don't have any spare cylinders, so it isnt an issue to me, but if a percussion gun was all I had for protection, I'd probably keep a spare cylinder loaded, and just be carefull with it. Carried in a belt pouch, like a speedloader carrier, they should be reasonably safe.

 

[Legionnaire]

On the Remington revolver, I wonder if the protruding hand can come into contact with the capped nipple when a loaded cylinder is being inserted?

I didn't cap the spare cylinder to check, but I popped the unloaded cylinder and reinstalled it. It doesn't appear that the hand projects far enough to come into contact with a cap. Next test will be to put one cap on an empty cylinder and see if I can make it contact the protruding hand.

 

[junkman_01]

A hand spring is way too weak to 'accidentally' set off a cap.

 

[YumaKid]

Malamute, I'd say the rim of an HKS provides minimal protection at best. Still wouldn't want to drop one in a hip pocket with a ring full of keys
Obviously a full load of .44 brass wouldn't fit very well in one's hip pocket with or without keys; but just wait, some nimrod will do so, probably add a few 10-penny nails and an 'assisted opening' folding knife.
HCI will come storming in with flaming rhetoric about not just guns maiming and killing people on there own without human interaction, but also the "bullets" themselves!!! The levying of extreme taxes on speedloader use will become the first post-approval amendment to Obamacare; with exhorbitant penalties for un-taxed use.

The only "upside" will be that guy who does it will be purifying himself right out of the gene pool. Darwinism can be such a pain!

 

[Pulp]

Couple of points:
1. the odds of dropped charged and capped cylinder actually striking something at just the precise angle to ignite a cap are extremely remote. I'm not saying it couldn't happen, but it's not very likely.
2. someone did a study for the Cowboy Chronicle were they chronographed bullets fired from cylinder only. Velocity was MUCH lower than I expected, can't remember right off, but I'm thinkin' it was around 300 fps.

That said, I still don't want to be struck with a bullet even at 300fps again. It's happened to me twice, but not from a dropped cylinder. Long story, not applicable here.

While I don't cap until the cylinder is in the gun, I wouldn't be afraid to either. Like anything else, a little caution goes a long way.

 

[Malamute]

Malamute, I'd say the rim of an HKS provides minimal protection at best. Still wouldn't want to drop one in a hip pocket with a ring full of keys
Obviously a full load of .44 brass wouldn't fit very well in one's hip pocket with or without keys; but just wait, some nimrod will do so, probably add a few 10-penny nails and an 'assisted opening' folding knife.
HCI will come storming in with flaming rhetoric about not just guns maiming and killing people on there own without human interaction, but also the "bullets" themselves!!! The levying of extreme taxes on speedloader use will become the first post-approval amendment to Obamacare; with exhorbitant penalties for un-taxed use.

The only "upside" will be that guy who does it will be purifying himself right out of the gene pool. Darwinism can be such a pain!

I've carried HKS loaders in pockets, day packs, motorcycle saddlebags, tied into the fringes of buckskin pants, dropped them on all sorts of ground, and never had the slightest problem since first using them in the early 80's. I've literally worn out a dozen or so HKS loaders. I think your post may have exceeded your experience level regarding comment on safe carry of HKS loaders.

 

[Jaymo]

I've carried HKS speedloaders since the early '90s. Mine must all be defective, since I've never had any rounds inadvertently go off.
You would have to have something hit the primer hard enough to set it off, and even then, the rounds aren't going to shoot like they do when confined in a barrel.

I remember reading tests many years ago where pre-series 80 Colt 1911s were dropped on the muzzle from 3 ft with the hammer down on a loaded chamber and they never went off.

When I start carrying one while hunting, it will be loaded/capped, and any spare cylinders I carry will be loaded/capped and carried in leather cylinder pouches on my belt.

 

[YumaKid]

Malamute; I've carried HKS speedloaders for (lemme think) about 25 years or so. NEVER HAVE stuffed either one of the two for my 629 in my pants pocket.... sucker's just too dang bulky when loaded!
I have put an HKS 10 (for one of several S&W K-frame .38/357's) in a pants pocket 2 or 3 times in the past 25+ years, just not alongside my truck keys and a bunch of other stuff. And I have dropped them as well - BTW, the "29" doesn't do so well when dropped onto concrete while loaded with 240 gr JSP magnum rounds. I could probably dig around and find my cracked one and take a picture if you'd like.

Irregardless; my point is that ANY speedloader, magazine, or loose shell has the POTENTIAL to be "unsafe"; just as a loaded/capped percussion revolver cylinder has that potential. How great is that potential? One would have to enumerate the times that an AD has occurred in this manner. My use of the speedloader as an analogy to said loaded/capped cylinder for the purposes of discussion was to point out the level of POTENTIAL. And also to point out that some idiot will undoubtedly figure out how to do so and POTENTIALLY harm himself.

Nevertheless being the "New Guy"; I'll bow to your greater experience on GP.

And Jaymo; I do have and use cylinder pouches; although I found that the '58 Pietta cylinders would fit just as easily, albeit not quite as snugly, in the HKS "10" loader pouches. My wife likes her Comp III's (so do I), so the "10's" and their pouches don't see much use anymore.