I've handled and shot a decent number of single action, and a few double action, revolvers that use a loading gate and plunger to load/unload. I've found most of them to be well balanced and a pleasure to shoot, and I don't really mind the time it takes to reload them. But the other day at the range, as I was reloading, it struck me. Why is the loading gate on the right side of the revolver? Modern DA revolvers swing out to the left for reloading, why don't SA revolvers? Thoughts on why they were, and still are, made with the gate on the right side of the frame?
Loading Gates on the Right... Why?
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belus
Member
I thought this question came up a couple weeks ago, but perhaps its deja vu.
I believe the answer is related to calvary holding the reins and pistol in the left hand while manipulating bullets with the right.
Someone else may be able to give you more detail.
I believe the answer is related to calvary holding the reins and pistol in the left hand while manipulating bullets with the right.
Someone else may be able to give you more detail.
76shuvlinoff
Member
Works for me....
Since I'm a lefty I think it's juuuust right. I can thumb it open, unload and load with the gun in position in my shootin hand. The same goes for the loading gates on my levers. Fortunately for me I had to grow up in a right handed world so I'm not critically handicapped when using my right hand to stuff cartridges into tight loading ports.
Since I'm a lefty I think it's juuuust right. I can thumb it open, unload and load with the gun in position in my shootin hand. The same goes for the loading gates on my levers. Fortunately for me I had to grow up in a right handed world so I'm not critically handicapped when using my right hand to stuff cartridges into tight loading ports.
shotgunjoel
Member
Yep, plus you should be more precise with your right hand to fumble with individual cartridges. Think about it, leave the gross motor skills to your left hand, and the fine motor skills to your right hand.
Yep, it also works the same for the DA's, swing the cylinder out and hold with left hand while cartridges are handled with the right. As with about everything, they were designed for right handed users.
Quote from 76shuvlinoff:
"Since I'm a lefty I think it's juuuust right. I can thumb it open, unload and load with the gun in position in my shootin hand. The same goes for the loading gates on my levers. Fortunately for me I had to grow up in a right handed world so I'm not critically handicapped when using my right hand to stuff cartridges into tight loading ports."
Samuel Colt was left-handed too.
The right arm is considered the sword arm in the cavalry; with the revolver used in the left hand. The DA revolver, in contrast, was not designed as a cavalry weapon.
"Since I'm a lefty I think it's juuuust right. I can thumb it open, unload and load with the gun in position in my shootin hand. The same goes for the loading gates on my levers. Fortunately for me I had to grow up in a right handed world so I'm not critically handicapped when using my right hand to stuff cartridges into tight loading ports."
Samuel Colt was left-handed too.
The right arm is considered the sword arm in the cavalry; with the revolver used in the left hand. The DA revolver, in contrast, was not designed as a cavalry weapon.
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KJS
Member
Having never fired a single action I'd never even given that issue any thought.
Feels perfectly natural to me as a right-handed guy to load a double action with my left hand. It doesn't take much in the way of fine motor skills to drop a cartridge in a hole. I doubt I could load a DA any faster if the cylinder swung out to the right. Just seems natural to have a gun held in your dominant hand (right for 90% of the world) and load with your left otherwise one would have to swap from their shooting hand (right) to their left hand while they reload with their right and then swap the grip back to their right hand for further shooting.
I guess either side could work. After all, some nations drive on the "wrong" side of the road and most of the world outside the US drives a stick, meaning they have to shift with their left hand which seems really awkward to me though it seems to work for many millions.
Feels perfectly natural to me as a right-handed guy to load a double action with my left hand. It doesn't take much in the way of fine motor skills to drop a cartridge in a hole. I doubt I could load a DA any faster if the cylinder swung out to the right. Just seems natural to have a gun held in your dominant hand (right for 90% of the world) and load with your left otherwise one would have to swap from their shooting hand (right) to their left hand while they reload with their right and then swap the grip back to their right hand for further shooting.
I guess either side could work. After all, some nations drive on the "wrong" side of the road and most of the world outside the US drives a stick, meaning they have to shift with their left hand which seems really awkward to me though it seems to work for many millions.
ljnowell
Member
Its supposed to be so that when you shift the gun to you left hand (palm) you can open the gate and use your dominant (assuming right hand) to insert and handle the live rounds.
SharpsDressedMan
member
I'm going out on a limb here, but I heard Sam Colt was left handed.................really,...I did hear that.............
unspellable
Member
The story about Colt being left handed is apocryphal. The loading gate on the right goes back to cap and ball revolvers where the cutout for putting caps on the nipples is on the right side. Cavalry, when the reloaded a cap and ball revolver in the heat of battle at all, generally did so by swapping cylinders, probably already capped.
Since reloading chambers is usually not an operation done in that much of a hurry it always seemed natural to me a right hander to swap hands and load with the right with a SA.
Most loading gate revolvers I know of from other parts of the world load on the right. I don't think the designers did so because they felt obligated to follow Colt's lead.
The idea of the cavalry man carrying his revolver in the left hand may have some merit.
Since reloading chambers is usually not an operation done in that much of a hurry it always seemed natural to me a right hander to swap hands and load with the right with a SA.
Most loading gate revolvers I know of from other parts of the world load on the right. I don't think the designers did so because they felt obligated to follow Colt's lead.
The idea of the cavalry man carrying his revolver in the left hand may have some merit.
Lastmohecken
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Well, it does work better for a left hander. I am lefthanded, and I have been shooting singleactions for close to 40 years. I have never seen a righthander that can load a singleaction as fast as a skilled lefthander. However, there very well maybe some, with cowboy action shooting as popular as it is.
But a lefty, can hold the single action in his shooting hand without every really changing the grip. He can index the cilinder with his index finger, while ejecting shells with his right index finger. Then without changing grip, he can thumb shells into the cylinder ports while indexing the cylinder with his index finger of the lefthand, snap the loading gate shut, and he is ready to go. His shooing hand (left in this case) never had to change it grip, during the entire episode.
I can load a singleaction this way, almost as fast as the vast majority of people shooting doubleaction guns, if they do not have speedloaders, and have to load with loose bullets, same as me.
Sometimes, I think Sam Colt must have been left handed. Plus think about this. A lefty with a strong side holster, usually would have had cartridge loops on the right side, which would be more accessible to his right hand, while he still held the gun in his shooting grip, where a righty strong side, would probably have his cartridges on the left side of the belt. Once again it's all backwards, for the righty. Something to think about anyway.
But a lefty, can hold the single action in his shooting hand without every really changing the grip. He can index the cilinder with his index finger, while ejecting shells with his right index finger. Then without changing grip, he can thumb shells into the cylinder ports while indexing the cylinder with his index finger of the lefthand, snap the loading gate shut, and he is ready to go. His shooing hand (left in this case) never had to change it grip, during the entire episode.
I can load a singleaction this way, almost as fast as the vast majority of people shooting doubleaction guns, if they do not have speedloaders, and have to load with loose bullets, same as me.
Sometimes, I think Sam Colt must have been left handed. Plus think about this. A lefty with a strong side holster, usually would have had cartridge loops on the right side, which would be more accessible to his right hand, while he still held the gun in his shooting grip, where a righty strong side, would probably have his cartridges on the left side of the belt. Once again it's all backwards, for the righty. Something to think about anyway.
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Eightball
Member
Sam Colt was lefthanded, even way back when he designed his cap-n-ball revolvers, and it made it easier to put the percussion cap on the nipple with his off-hand. Since that side of the recoil plate was already partially cut, it made sense to cut into that side of it for cartridge conversions. On a side-gate system, Colt was still left handed, so the system stuck, even though it's been a bother to right-handed folk since. Even so, single-actions with the loading gate on the LEFT side of the recoil plate (for right-handed shooters) never sell well, because "that's not how COLT did it" 
The swing-out cylinder, as popularized by S&W, was designed by right-handed people (more than likely). While some left-handed folk can manipulate/reload a S&W faster than most right-handed folk if they're dexterous, it's easier, by and large, for a right-handed person to manipulate.
The swing-out cylinder, as popularized by S&W, was designed by right-handed people (more than likely). While some left-handed folk can manipulate/reload a S&W faster than most right-handed folk if they're dexterous, it's easier, by and large, for a right-handed person to manipulate.
The answer is simply that percussion revolvers had the capping cutout on the right because it is easier for a right handed person (the majority) to handle caps with the right hand. When the guns were converted to cartridge, the loading gate was put into that cutout; when cartridge guns were made from scratch, it remained on the right.
Sam Colt's "handedness" had no influence on the SAA, he was dead when it was developed.
Jim
Sam Colt's "handedness" had no influence on the SAA, he was dead when it was developed.
Jim
johnnylaw53
Member
You know I never even thought about it soon I will retire and maybe then I can spend time thinking about these kind of things. It does make sense those that mention as you load your rounds you use your right hand since it does take more of a fine motor skill and since most people are right handed I guess it work well for most. If Mr. Colt was left handed wasn't he also a marketing man and would design the weapon to fit most of his buying base?
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be safe
madcratebuilder
Member
+1
Goes back to 1836 and the first Colt Paterson revolver.
Only in Hollywood movies. If you examine Colt records you well find very few extra cylinders where sold. Generally they were part of a cased set and are very rare to find today. Back in the day, if a man felt he needed more then the 5/6 rounds a Colt revolver provided he just carried a second, or third revolver.
Loyalist Dave
Member
Wow, well folks are forgetting that left-handed-ness was highly discouraged in Colt's time. It was considered sinister, which has a root meaning "on the left" or "from the left" and was considered something that needed to be corrected when a child went to school or at home if there wasn't school. If Colt was indeed left handed in writing, signing his name, and in shooting, he slipped through the cracks. (Musket locks, Rifled musket locks, and sporting gun locks were right handed, with left sided locks being for double guns. You fired right handed with long guns in the military regardless of your pesonal preference. You capped your musket right handed. You even opened your trap door Springfield right handed!) The handgun was expected to be fired left handed by cavalry and officers, the "strong hand" was assumed to be the right, and the saber was used in that hand and worn on the left. (What the military "expects" and what actually happened were often far apart in the 1800's - See Bull Run/First Manassas battles) The reverse flap holster is not nearly as awkward on the right hip with the sword on the left, when drawing the handgun with the left hand, no? Yes, folks fired right handed all the time..., military traditions die hard. So..., the majority, the vast majority, of people in Colt's time were right handed, because of the corrections done in grade school and/or at home, and the military reflected this in its expectations. This is why the caps are loaded on the right, and the loading gate (which first appeared in models not adopted by the military..., no?) are also on the right. The expectation was the buyers were better at using their right hand for ammo or cap manipulation.
LD
LD
w_houle
Member
S/A: Half cock then flip the loading gate with your right hand while placing the cylinder in the left and let that hand advance the cylinder for loading. Extracting cartridges and loading can be done with the right hand.
D/A: Operate cylinder release with right thumb and push out cylinder with the middle and ring fingers of the left hand. The left thumb operates the extractor, then holds the cylinder in place by pinching with it and the middle and ring fingers.
The right hand grabs the speedloader I like mine a 4:00-5:00 position with the opening down.
Just how I like to do it, so YMMV.
D/A: Operate cylinder release with right thumb and push out cylinder with the middle and ring fingers of the left hand. The left thumb operates the extractor, then holds the cylinder in place by pinching with it and the middle and ring fingers.
The right hand grabs the speedloader I like mine a 4:00-5:00 position with the opening down.
Just how I like to do it, so YMMV.
ljnowell
Member
As far as single actions go I will defer to one of the greatest proponents of the single action revolver, Skeeter Skelton:
"Complaints that the single action is slow to load and unload should be scrutinized. Anyone with normal dexterity quickly learns to hold the gun in the palm of the left hand while turning the cylinder with the thumb and fingers of that hand and loading with the right. This is fully as fast as loading a double action." --Shooting times March, 1972. Also found in "Good Friends, Good Guns, Good Whiskey, Selected Works of Skeeter Skelton 1988.
I wont say that anyone is right or wrong, when it comes down to personal opinion and technique, but you sure wouldnt hear me argue with Skeeter on anything to do with revolvers.
"Complaints that the single action is slow to load and unload should be scrutinized. Anyone with normal dexterity quickly learns to hold the gun in the palm of the left hand while turning the cylinder with the thumb and fingers of that hand and loading with the right. This is fully as fast as loading a double action." --Shooting times March, 1972. Also found in "Good Friends, Good Guns, Good Whiskey, Selected Works of Skeeter Skelton 1988.
I wont say that anyone is right or wrong, when it comes down to personal opinion and technique, but you sure wouldnt hear me argue with Skeeter on anything to do with revolvers.
unspellable
Member
Men on horse back did often carry more than one revolver as the fastest way to load in the cap & ball era. As for swapping cylinders, it's a darn sight easier to swap cylinders on a Remington than a Colt while on the back of a moving horse. That might be why Colt didn't sell all that many extra cylinders.
w_houle
Member
I was under the impression that a shrewd trader could trade one Remington for two Colt revolver
SharpsDressedMan
member
Did we agree that Sam Colt was left handed? I'm still confused.
w_houle
Member
No.
.
.
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Okay I don't actually know, just felt ornery
Lastmohecken
Member
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Skeeter was maybe pretty close to correct as far a loading a singleaction, vs loading a doubleaction, as long as loose rounds are involved, but not in the unloading process. I can unload a singleaction, about as fast as anyone I ever seen do it, and I can still unload a doubleaction Smith and Wesson in half the time.
A singleaction is not nessarily slow, but a double action is still faster, if people of equal skill are doing it. Of course a fast singleaction guy will beat a slow double action guy. However, I will say that there is probably not over 2 seconds between them if both are resonably skilled. I have found that most are not unless they practice a lot, or compete in shooting competitions.
BCRider
Member
Given the issues with swapping the cylinders of the 1851 and 1860 Colt percussion pistols I'm surprised that they would not sell a lot of cylinders.... and barrels.... and frames
Can you imagine being at full gallop on a horse while trying to open the wedge and then fumble the frame, cylinder and barrel while depositing the cylinder in an empty pouch and extracting a loaded one and then fumble the parts all back together? I prophesize a lot of dropped parts in such a case.
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