Why did quick-change cylinders never catch on?

[Old Fuff]

Going back to the mid-1800's to the mid-1970's when fast reloading was an issue, (and mostly it wasn't) most individuals carried one or more extra revolvers. If one went dry they would pull the other(s). Of course they weren't into double-tap shooting, and most of the survivors had the skill and nerve to make the first shots count. Those that did like the idea of continous rapid fire were not slow in adopting Colt's, Browning designed pistols that used box magazines, but even then would carry two rather then one. The concept of today's speed loaders was known in the 1890's but apparently never caught on.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

I have a top break Webley .455 cut for .45 autorim or .45 ACP in moonclips. It has first and second BP proofs with crown over VR Victoria Regina or Queen Victoria of England to 1902. With .45 ACP loaded with .454" lead bullets to .455 Webley BP pressure levels, in moon clips, it's pop open and eject all six, drop in a moon clip of six and close. (Half moon 3 shot revolver clips were a WWI invention IIRC and the full moon 6 shot later.)

In a pinch I could afford to ignore the clip and empty cases, let them fall in the grass, but no way could I ignore a cylinder. With a quick-change cylinder you would want to save the cylinder (I priced getting a replacement cylinder proofed for smokeless powder; revolver cylinders are not cheap) which to my mind would complicate the reload process. You would need to place the empty cylinder back in the pouch ypu retrieved the reload from.

 

[rcmodel]

I once made a belt pouch to carry a Ruger Single-Six .22 Mag cylinder in addition to the .22 RF cylinder I kept in the gun.

It got used once.

It quickly became apparent the extra cylinder hanging off my gun belt was more trouble then it was worth.

As for keeping loaded extra cylinders on a belt and changing them out in a speedy fashion?
Never happen.

Not to mention the excessive cost of fitting and supplying extra cylinders & cranes that would interchange in every gun of that model ever made.

It was proven to be a bad idea in civil war days.

And it would have worked better then with C&B revolvers, then it would work now with cartridge firing revolvers.

I still shudder to think of dropping a loaded & capped Colt percussion cylinder off a horse, and having it land caps down under my horse!!

Clint Eastwood made it look cool in a movie or two.

But in real life it was not such a good idea.

Kinda like gun-fighting with a .44 Magnum!

rc

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I still shudder to think of dropping a loaded & capped Colt percussion cylinder off a horse, and having it land caps down under my horse!!

I wonder how many people learned that lesson the hard way?

 

[md2lgyk]

Loved Pale Rider. Given the time needed to reload a cap and ball revolver, I wonder how many people actually carried extra cylinders like was portrayed in the movie.

 

[Old Fuff]

Given the time needed to reload a cap and ball revolver, I wonder how many people actually carried extra cylinders like was portrayed in the movie.

If you read contemproary reports and newspapers rather then watch Hollywood movies, you won't find any mention of cylinder switching. If it happened at all it was very rare. What they did do is carry more then one loaded revolver - some on their person and more on their horse. You can find lots of Civil War era guerrilla pictures with double holsters, usually worn with revolvers butt forward.

Add to that the fact that many holsters themselves have survived to this day, but not pouches for spare cylinders.

Movies are great for entertainment but not so much for knowledge.

 

[barnbwt]

Considering that many people think even moonclips are too much of a bother to deal with, I can't imagine an entire cylinder being preferable. Any reload suggests you'd be throwing down whatever you just took out. Would you toss your spent 150$ cylinder to the ground as you slam the new one into position? And with cartridge guns, the proposition is impossible since the extractor would have to somehow get under the rims/clips of the new cylinder as it's loaded--you'd have to replace the cylinder/axis/star at the same time!

Going back to the mid-1800's to the mid-1970's when fast reloading was an issue, (and mostly it wasn't) most individuals carried one or more extra revolvers

The "brace of pistols" may have had more to do with working around poorly maintained and unreliable guns and ammo than simple capacity. Having multiple guns of the same type made repairs easier (provided they had interchangeable parts). I'd bet many of the multi-pistol guys had guns in a couple different calibers, simply so they'd be able to use whatever ammo they came across in those days of poor logistics, and often one or more of them were empty since its "feed" was unavailable

TCB

 

[Vern Humphrey]

If you read contemproary reports and newspapers rather then watch Hollywood movies, you won't find any mention of cylinder switching.

The early Patterson Colts had to be disassembled to reload them. They came with extra cylinders. Jack Hayes used them in "Hayes' Big Fight" and routed the Comanche.

 

[WardenWolf]

The "brace of pistols" may have had more to do with working around poorly maintained and unreliable guns and ammo than simple capacity. Having multiple guns of the same type made repairs easier (provided they had interchangeable parts). I'd bet many of the multi-pistol guys had guns in a couple different calibers, simply so they'd be able to use whatever ammo they came across in those days of poor logistics, and often one or more of them were empty since its "feed" was unavailable

TCB

Actually, it was much simpler than that: they often carried lead molds and simply cast their own from raw lead. With a revolver, typically if the first shot fails you just try the next chamber. Faster than drawing a new gun usually. Worst that can happen is the cylinder locking up, from a pure disabling standpoint. Though a chainfire could cause a real disaster.

I was thinking more along the lines of drop the fired cylinder in a dump pouch, actually.

 

[Old Fuff]

The early Patterson Colts had to be disassembled to reload them. They came with extra cylinders. Jack Hayes used them in "Hayes' Big Fight" and routed the Comanche.

They did so only because they didn't have any other choice. Pulling the barrel and cylinder off and switching cylinders was indeed faster then reloading a single-shot pistol 5 times (These Pattersons were 5-shooters, not 6). However the last Patterson made revolvers had an attached bullet rammer for a good reason. Later Colt's, made in Hartford CT. as well as the Walkers made by Whitney had bullet/paper cartridge rammers except for a limited number of pocket models. Long before the Civil War came along off-the-gun cylinder reloading and switching was pretty much a moot point.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

They did so only because they didn't have any other choice. Pulling the barrel and cylinder off and switching cylinders was indeed faster then reloading a single-shot pistol 5 times (These Pattersons were 5-shooters, not 6). However the last Patterson made revolvers had an attached bullet rammer for a good reason. Later Colt's, made in Hartford CT. as well as the Walkers made by Whitney had bullet/paper cartridge rammers except for a limited number of pocket models. Long before the Civil War came along off-the-gun cylinder reloading and switching was pretty much a moot point.

You're absolutely right. The later model Pattersons were beginning to look more like later model Colts with regular triggers and trigger guards (instead of the folding triggers) and under-lever rammers.

The Pattersons that the Texas Rangers got (via the disbanded Texas Navy) weren't that advanced.

 

[Old Fuff]

Another not-so-good way Colt used on some pocket models was to make a cup shaped cut on the end of the cylinder pin. To load you had to remove the barrel and empty cylinder from the frame. Next charge one or all of the chambers with powder. Last, push the ball(s), bullet(s) or paper cartridge(s) into the chamber(s) by holding on to the handle and using the cylinder pin as a "pusher style"rammer.

By now most readers should understand why extra revolvers were so popular in some circles.