Pros and cons on using a loading stand for BP cylinders.

[BADUNAME30]

Anyone usin a loading stand for thier BP revolvers?
Care to share your thots as to why you do or do not use 'em ?
If they do tend to be a plus, care to share what make and where ya go it ?

Mmm..after previewin my post. I should be more clear and explain that i'm not referin to the wooden gizmo that holds the gun while loadin it.
I'm referin to the gizmo that holds only the cylinder.
Allthough, we may as well include both here huh?
Share pics of each also if ya got 'em.

 

[Mike OTDP]

I don't use one. MLAIC (the international governing body for black powder shooting competition) doesn't allow them, no sense getting used to something I can't use at Worlds.

 

[junkman_01]

I use one ALL the time now. I have mostly Colt pattern revolvers and shoot wheel weight RBs. A few years ago I had to overhaul my ASM 1860 Colt because the arbor had become loose due to the increased force on the loading lever due to the harder RBs. The one I use is no longer being made, but there are a few other really good ones on the market.

 

[Vermonter]

Be careful to not scratch the cylinder wall with the piece that pushes down the bullet. That's the only disadvantage I can think of. They're a lot faster and easier to be safe IMHO.

Anybody know of some good ones? I have an RAI that has too short of a handle and the piece that pushes down the bullet is steel. I'd love to find one with a longer handle and a brass piece so that it won't scratch the cyclinder walls. I'd even pay the extra bucks for one that does indexing to make it easier to get thing lined up, now that would be cool!

 

[junkman_01]

The plunger on the gun is also steel, so your warning is really meaningless.

I also have the RAI cylinder press, and I made some mods to it to make it more 'user friendly'.

 

[arcticap]

The Discontinued Triple P Loader

I use the Triple P Loader that was available on THR in 2009 by pre-ordering it from 6Gun4Fun, but it's no longer made.
I usually load 2 Remington cylinders at a time, and this loader makes loading them a lot of fun, and much faster and easier. The chambers are also easier to access for loading powder, wads, grease etc...by simply rotating the cylinder plate out from under the ram.
It's so helpful that I can't imagine not using it.

Among its features are:

1. A rammer with toggle linkage to make ramming easier.

2. An adjustable threaded ram with brass tip to control the depth of ramming.

3. An indexed rotating cylinder plate with different pins and wells to accommodate seating different size cylinders.

4. Optional wad cutting attachments for cutting wads & over-powder cards.

5. There's a rubber disk fitted flush within the base located under the cylinder plate to provide a cushioned backing for when using the wad cutting attachment to not damage the sharpened edge.

6. It's relatively small and portable which makes toting it to the range very convenient.

 

[mic214]

I use the "Tower of Power" loading stand from BigLube.com for my Pietta New Army's and it works great!

It is fully adjustable for different pistols and calibers and has interchangeable arbors. The rammer is made of brass.

It makes loading the .457 balls that I am using a snap and shaves a nice lead ring. I paid around $80.00 for mine a couple of months ago. Now they are made of stainless steel and go for about $90.00......

 

[[email protected]]

I have to use one, it's the one from "Powder Inc" works GREAT!!!

 

[J-Bar]

I use Ruger Old Armies and Uberti 1851 London Navies in cowboy action competition. I have never used a loading stand with either type of revolver. I hold the gun on the table with my left hand, charge and ram the ball with my right hand, lube over the ball, cap the nipples at the loading table. Quick and easy, less equipment to carry.

If one is using very hard cast balls, something other than pure lead, a loading stand might be advisable. But I use only lead balls these days. A loading stand provides no advantage for me.

 

[BADUNAME30]

Thank you all for your replies.

What i've learned from them is that i see they are not neccessarily neccessary. And, as J-bar says.. "less equipment to carry "
I can see maybe havin one if you have mulitple cylinders to load up for a shoot. But otherwise, usin the gun's own ramrod is more than sufficient.
Again, thank you all for your replies.
How 'bout wooden cradles,( "gizmo" as i called it earlier tho to hold the gun while loadin it ?
Anyone usin them ?
Home grown ?
Storebot ?

 

[BADUNAME30]

I have to use one, it's the one from "Powder Inc" works GREAT!!!

Now that's curious [email protected]. I've never before seen a C&B revolver without a ram rod

 

[unknwn]

I bought my "Powder Inc." style of press on eBay for $58.00 delivered.
It came through a little crude, but with some de-burring with a couple of different profile files, all is well.
Mine were supplied with stubby brass arbor(s) for the cylinder arbor stud, and no spring like the one in the previous photo.
I have a "worry" about putting a bend or break to the ROA base pin through extended use, and since there are no more of these parts available I thought that this is good insurance.
I also really like an ASM '51 open top that my Dad left me, and this press should help to extend the frame life over the stresses imparted to the arbor/frame threaded joint by using the onboard ram.
I'm going to drop off the pieces of my press to my gunsmith. He said that I could get it blued for about $10.00, which seems well worth the effort.
I think I might also spin out a brass collar to seat the cylinder base on while pressing loads into the chambers. I think they were once supplied like this but have been "cheaped up" a bit to help compete against the other offerings out there.

 

[junkman_01]

Now that's curious [email protected]. I've never before seen a C&B revolver without a ram rod

I guess you haven't been around much...

 

[sltm1]

I cobbled this one together out of some scrap metal....after I stole the idea LOL. Works great.

 

[wittzo]

Wheelweight lead is too hard for BP revolvers. I use them only with my patched roundballs or in smoothbore guns, since the patch is engaging the rifling. The only thing that is a disadvantage is there's less expansion, but I shoot at targets, so it doesn't matter. There's a slight weight difference, but everyone develops their own target load, so there's no standard load.
I use a Powder Inc. press, but I mostly use it when I'm loading conicals. When I'm loading with roundballs, I use the rammer because I don't feel like dragging the press out.

 

[BADUNAME30]

I guess you haven't been around much...

Ahh..no junkman,. To the world of BP pistolas i must say that i am indeed quite new.
I have looked at and admired many of them at gunshows and movies and such over the years but never gave thot to or noticed how they load.
To be honest. There was a time in my shootin' and smithin' life that i thot they were barbaric. Now? They are absolute works of art
So now that you've piqued my curiosity. Jist did a feller go about loadin them ones without an on board loading lever

 

[BADUNAME30]

I cobbled this one together out of some scrap metal....after I stole the idea LOL. Works great.

Don't laught at yerself sltm!, i love it !!!!

 

[BADUNAME30]

I have a "worry" about putting a bend or break to the ROA base pin through extended use, and since there are no more of these parts available I thought that this is good insurance.

Wow, i dint need to hear that unknwn. Not after how i jist bent my ROA base pin :banghead:

 

[BADUNAME30]

Wheelweight lead is too hard for BP revolvers. I use them only with my patched roundballs or in smoothbore guns, since the patch is engaging the rifling. The only thing that is a disadvantage is there's less expansion, but I shoot at targets, so it doesn't matter. There's a slight weight difference, but everyone develops their own target load, so there's no standard load.
I use a Powder Inc. press, but I mostly use it when I'm loading conicals. When I'm loading with roundballs, I use the rammer because I don't feel like dragging the press out.

Wittzo, i never plan on usin anythig but pure lead in my ROA.
Are your conicals pure or wheel weight.
I ask this because i just bot a LEE conical mold for the ROA and plan on castin pure lead in it.
Is there a concern loadin pure lead conicals in the ROA ?

 

[junkman_01]

Wheelweight lead is too hard for BP revolvers. I use them only with my patched roundballs or in smoothbore guns, since the patch is engaging the rifling. The only thing that is a disadvantage is there's less expansion, but I shoot at targets, so it doesn't matter. There's a slight weight difference, but everyone develops their own target load, so there's no standard load.
I use a Powder Inc. press, but I mostly use it when I'm loading conicals. When I'm loading with roundballs, I use the rammer because I don't feel like dragging the press out.

Wheel weight alloy works just fine in C&B revolvers. The only disadvantage is that loading them on the gun puts a strain on the loading lever and the arbor of Colt type revolvers. I have been using WW alloy for more than 20 years in ALL my muzzle loading guns with nary a problem. So do not dismiss it out of hand. It is an alternative.

 

[NCWanderer]

I built one about 3 years ago with some greatly appreciated help from sltm1. And like his it works great.
But now I'm thinking of going back to the drawing board and see if I can either redesign mine or build another that will fit in my shooting box. I think some others have tackled this, but I don't know if they succeeded or not.

 

[kBob]

With the recent addition of a Pietta repro Remington'63 pocket .31 to the stable I found myself with no .323 pure lead balls, So I salvaged some single aught "0" buck shot from some 12 gauge rounds. As they appeared harder than pure lead I was concerned about seating them with the ram on the revolver as that is its weak point. So I pulled out the cylinder and loaded on my wooden work bench using a plastic mallet to start the balls enough to cut a ring and to clear the frame and then finished seating them with the ram as I would not have to do the hard work of sizing the balls that way with the ram.

Of course this could have a great deal to do with the lack of accuracy I experienced........ Hard balls with a wacked front end.

I am thinking about taking some scrap lumber and building a stand to mount the gun in when using the loading lever....just the sort of affair you were not interested in....for the .44s of various flavors. FOr that matter I wonder if some sort of wooden nut cracker affair might not work as a dismounted cylinder loader. Sort of a wooden Lyman Tong Tool. Hmmmm......

Long ago and far away I did eventually load a 49 colt .31 using the cylinder pin and only bruised and cut my left hand a few times and DID NOT take the opertunity to reload the borrowed gun after firing those shots.

-kBob

 

[TomADC]

I use this one I made but I just picked up the one from Powder Inc also.

 

[AbitNutz]

I use the D/D Tower of Power. It works great and it uses brass tips so you can't scratch the cylinder.

I made one modification that really helps. So many of these loaders have springs on them to hold the lever up. I went to Sears and they have a myriad of nuts, bolts and springs. I found two springs I put together that turned out to be just about right.

I have no complaints about this unit. I had one problem where the brass sleeve bearing moved. I tried a couple of goofy fixes. D/D would have made it right but I thought it easier for me to do it. I tried some red locktite first...dumb idea. Then I drilled two small holes in the top of steel part of the sleeve, down to the brass bearing, threaded them and put two allen set screws in and some blue locktite. Problem solved.

Despite what folks tell me here I overload my ROA on a routine basis. I have a Classicbalistx cylinder that has deeper chambers and I also have a stock Ruger cylinder that has been deepened by David Clements. I Routinely shoot 210gr BigLube bullets that have been hollow pointed by Eric at Hollow Point Mold Service with 40gr of Triple 7, no wad, no grease, RWS 1075 Plus caps. I also use Slix shot nipples or Treso's but surprisingly enough, I like the Slix shot. It has a hole cross drilled hole in it that is unique to pistol nipples.

I do not recommend this load to anyone. Despite the results I get, that I am very happy with. I take responsibility for what I shoot. I have found that compressing Triple 7 will cause inconsistent results. If you have to squeeze it much the accuracy falls off.

 

[Jaymo]

I've been thinking about making one from a worn out parking brake handle assembly, but just don't feel like going to that much effort.

I can't decide between the Powder Inc, RAI, and Tower of Power.

To tell the truth, I probably have enough square and rectangular steel tubing, steel rod, steel and aluminum barstock and bronze bushings to make a couple of my own.
I even have a forklift sideshift lever that would make for a 2 foot long handle. That should be plenty of leverage.

If I were really ambitious, I would make a combination cylinder loading press, wad cutter, and bullet swaging press.
But, I'm not that ambitious right now.

I must admit, I like the "Erector Set" look of the DD Tower of Power press. I realize it's a bit pricey, but it's a lot less headache than trying to engineer my own. All the R&D has already been done and the bugs have been worked out.
Tower of Power, it is. I read good things about it.