Need Original First Hand Accounts Of Cylinder Swapping In Cap And Ball Revolver

Just to add something to this, I agree that this was most likely very rare at least early on. I will say that if you have experience actually firing and using these revolvers you will know that changing cylinders is pretty easy to do with a Remington, but not so easily done with a colt. I will say having spare cylinders is something that makes shooting cap and ball more enjoyable for me.

Even with the Remington, doing this on horseback would be very difficult and I always wondered about the caps falling off while carrying them. The best solution would be multiple revolvers as we see in photographic evidence. I also have never seen any evidence of cylinders being issued separately, not to discount that cylinders could be salvaged from other discarded revolvers.

I would say that a Remington is really the only practical revolver where the cylinder can be changed out on the run. This could have been something that occurred more frequently late war or post war before cartridge revolvers.

As I stated in my post above, occasional individuals may have purchased spare cylinders and had them fitted. That it was possible is illustrated by the photograph of the expensive, cased, engraved set of Remington revolvers in Phil Spangenber's article. But, the OP's question was about spare cylinders being purchased and issued to troopers by the Army during the Civil War. That didn't happen. Period. Exclamation point! If it did happen it would be documented in Executive Document 99 as the contractor's charged the Army for the spare fitted cylinders with lots of guns. One would also see it in the specifications of the Ordnance Office's contracts with the vendors.

Beyond that, it is one thing to play with a spare cylinder on the bench on a firing range. That is easily done with a fitted cylinder. It is another thing to load up and cap a spare cylinder and carry it for days bouncing around on horseback in some sort of pouch with the percussion caps partially exposed. Has anyone ever seen an Army contract for a cylinder pouch, or an example of a pouch provided under an Army contract? Carrying a loaded, capped, spare cylinder is like carrying a hand grenade with the pin pulled, and is egregiously stupid. If you safed the cylinder by not capping it, the powder would leak out through the nipples as you bounced along on horseback and you would still have to cap it to use it. That would be faster than loading powder and ball and capping, but it is not a quick reload.

Regards,
Don Dixon
 
Don Dixon has stated it as it is.

We might fantasize that some some Union trooper decided to sit his horse bareback and facing backward, so that he had his back to the enemy as his horse galloped into battle, and that trooper shot over his should using a mirror to aim his shots, like a Wild West Show trick shooter....but that would be a fantasy, wouldn't it?
 
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Just to add something to this, I agree that this was most likely very rare at least early on. I will say that if you have experience actually firing and using these revolvers you will know that changing cylinders is pretty easy to do with a Remington, but not so easily done with a colt. I will say having spare cylinders is something that makes shooting cap and ball more enjoyable for me.

Even with the Remington, doing this on horseback would be very difficult and I always wondered about the caps falling off while carrying them. The best solution would be multiple revolvers as we see in photographic evidence. I also have never seen any evidence of cylinders being issued separately, not to discount that cylinders could be salvaged from other discarded revolvers.

I would say that a Remington is really the only practical revolver where the cylinder can be changed out on the run. This could have been something that occurred more frequently late war or post war before cartridge revolvers.
Agree, I wouldn't say it was common, but would seem to imply it never was done would seem equally misleading

Always find the comments like swapping out on the run or a capped cylinder would be hand grenade curious, as haven't seen it claimed either was done. As one who also shot black powder revolvers, I could certainly swap to a loaded cylinder and then cap it faster then loading a unloaded cylinder and then capping it, see no reason they couldn't also, or wouldn't have realized it as well.

Changing a cylinder at rest on a horse or dismounted wouldn't have been difficult. Having the fastest horses would allow one to get away to where they could have done so at rest. As well as mounted troops certainly can fight ambushes and rear guard actions dismounted.
 
Agree, I wouldn't say it was common, but would seem to imply it never was done would seem equally misleading

Always find the comments like swapping out on the run or a capped cylinder would be hand grenade curious, as haven't seen it claimed either was done. As one who also shot black powder revolvers, I could certainly swap to a loaded cylinder and then cap it faster then loading a unloaded cylinder and then capping it, see no reason they couldn't also, or wouldn't have realized it as well.

Changing a cylinder at rest on a horse or dismounted wouldn't have been difficult. Having the fastest horses would allow one to get away to where they could have done so at rest. As well as mounted troops certainly can fight ambushes and rear guard actions dismounted.
Archie:

Lots of us wear eyeglasses. Some use one pair for far vision, and reading glasses for up close vision. We could carry a single pair of frames and two sets of lenses, and "switch them out" as we walk along. But why would we ever do that in place of carrying two sets of eyeglasses?

But I think the important point is that a loaded replacement cylinder would not be picked up from a shooting bench where it was safely kept near at hand - a loose loaded cylinder would have to be carried somehow by the user, through all weathers including driving rain and likely on a bouncing horse before it could be used.

Neither side had any official cylinder carrying rig made for issuance to soldiers to carry separate percussion cylinders.

Sometimes leather is reworked or modified for a new purpose - but if is, it would show the shape of a cylinder if so used - and I have never heard of anyone knowing of any artifact that shows the shape of a percussion cylinder carried in it.

I think this question of how could a person carry such a cylinder is a key point. Would a user bet his life on a bounced around, perhaps wet powder cylinder? A cylinder in place at least has a full holster flap covering it.

I think we all agree that there is no official military drill or command that includes removal of spent cylinder and replacement of preloaded cylinder. Every aspect of arms handling and use had detailed rules and commands - none for cylinder switching.

But even if we are talking about casual, now and then use of spare loaded cylinders, there should be some remaining PHYSICAL proof of this practice, meaning some sort of pouch, sheath, carrying device shaped to a cylinder - but there are none that I have ever heard of.

I would be fun to ride to reenactment battle with a bowie knife clenched in my teeth, or with lit cannon fuses tied into my beard (like Blackbeard the Pirate), but I would put cylinder switching in a similar category.
 
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Does anyone know if an actual museum pistol cartridge box exists from the war that has the pegs to hold two cylinders (like the reproductions are)?
 
Archie:

Lots of us wear eyeglasses. Some use one pair for far vision, and reading glasses for up close vision. We could carry a single pair of frames and two sets of lenses, and "switch them out" as we walk along. But why would we ever do that in place of carrying two sets of eyeglasses?

But I think the important point is that a loaded replacement cylinder would not be picked up from a shooting bench where it was safely kept near at hand - a loose loaded cylinder would have to be carried somehow by the user, through all weathers including driving rain and likely on a bouncing horse before it could be used.

Neither side had any official cylinder carrying rig made for issuance to soldiers to carry separate percussion cylinders.

Sometimes leather is reworked or modified for a new purpose - but if is, it would show the shape of a cylinder if so used - and I have never heard of anyone knowing of any artifact that shows the shape of a percussion cylinder carried in it.

I think this question of how could a person carry such a cylinder is a key point. Would a user bet his life on a bounced around, perhaps wet powder cylinder? A cylinder in place at least has a full holster flap covering it.

I think we all agree that there is no official military drill or command that includes removal of spent cylinder and replacement of preloaded cylinder. Every aspect of arms handling and use had detailed rules and commands - none for cylinder switching.

But even if we are talking about casual, now and then use of spare loaded cylinders, there should be some remaining PHYSICAL proof of this practice, meaning some sort of pouch, sheath, carrying device shaped to a cylinder - but there are none that I have ever heard of.

I would be fun to ride to reenactment battle with a bowie knife clenched in my teeth, or with lit cannon fuses tied into my beard (like Blackbeard the Pirate), but I would put cylinder switching in a similar category.
Actually would be rather easy to carry and access in a deep guerrilla pocket

And I indeed have prescription sunglasses and it would also rather be folly to not use them when the need arises. Just because they are situational doesn't mean one doesnt carry them. Same with a pocketknife, pliers, and a lighter, most farmers will carry them, even if they don't use them everyday.......
 
Actually would be rather easy to carry and access in a deep guerrilla pocket

And I indeed have prescription sunglasses and it would also rather be folly to not use them when the need arises. Just because they are situational doesn't mean one doesnt carry them. Same with a pocketknife, pliers, and a lighter, most farmers will carry them, even if they don't use them everyday.......

Yes, a user could easily drop a loaded cylinder down into a large coat pocket, and so tangled up with twists of tobacco, a pocket knife, a sack of corn meal, and then after dropping in that cylinder, top it all off with a pound slab of bacon, oozing oil as it aged in the heat, and dripping cloudy liquid down onto that cylinder. It would be an easy carry and the bacon grease would add some lubrication, but only a man with no other options choose loose loaded cylinders over additional loaded revolvers.

At least a deep pocket would be better than that famous quote's statement that the guerillas tied the cylinders onto their saddles.

You realize these old stories are the equivalent of the "Letters to Penthouse" section in that classic men's magazine where the writer would describe in great detail some sexual escapade. Maybe one of these letter writers really did get shipwrecked on a tropical island inhabited by beautiful nubile young women, and because he was the only man on the island, he really was forced to stand stud for them all, but more likely it was all just an interesting fantasy he indulged in when he thought no one was looking (or listening at the bathroom door).
 
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Yes, a user could easily drop a loaded cylinder down into a large coat pocket, and so tangled up with twists of tobacco, a pocket knife, a sack of corn meal, and then after dropping in that cylinder, top it all off with a pound slab of bacon, oozing oil as it aged in the heat, and dripping cloudy liquid down onto that cylinder. It would be an easy carry and the bacon grease would add some lubrication, but only a man with no other options choose loose loaded cylinders over additional loaded revolvers.

At least a deep pocket would be better than that famous quote's statement that the guerillas tied the cylinders onto their saddles.

You realize these old stories are the equivalent of the "Letters to Penthouse" section in that classic men's magazine where the writer would describe in great detail some sexual escapade. Maybe one of these letter writers really did get shipwrecked on a tropical island inhabited by beautiful nubile young women, and because he was the only man on the island, he really was forced to stand stud for them all, but more likely it was all just an interesting fantasy he indulged in when he thought no one was looking (or listening at the bathroom door).
No I would think imagine not, as both Texas Rangers and Pony express demonstrated it could be done. Don't think people on the frontier would suddenly had amnesia that it indeed could fit situational use.

Don't doubt it would be easier to switch to a different revolver, just as I don't doubt most people would reach a point carrying a couple extra cylinders would be easier then say a 11th or 12th revolver.
 
No I would think imagine not, as both Texas Rangers and Pony express demonstrated it could be done. Don't think people on the frontier would suddenly had amnesia that it indeed could fit situational use.

Don't doubt it would be easier to switch to a different revolver, just as I don't doubt most people would reach a point carrying a couple extra cylinders would be easier then say a 11th or 12th revolver.
Excuse me for a moment while I lock myself in the bathroom to dream about riding with both reins (and a bowie knife) between my teeth, and lit cannon fuses twisted into my beard, smoking and sparking.

That said, of course you are right that someone certainly did this...but I do think most of the stories are of the "I walked uphill five miles to school each day, and walked five miles uphill back from school each day" variety.

My favorite recently learned (learned by me) "can you believe it" story is from an interesting recent biography of Daniel Boone where the authors tell of his escape from the Shawnees after months of captivity in Ohio. Daniel Boone had been adopted by Blackfish to replace a son who had been killed. Boone showed he could work on gunlocks, and did some repairs for the Indians. He managed to hide a lock and piece of barrel, and picked his time to run away. He took this loose lock and barrel with him, and with his hatchet he shaped wood into a stock, fastened the barrel and lock in place, and so created a gun that he used to shoot a deer to provide food for his escape! Now he didn't shape the wood as he ran, but that's pretty good ingenuity and resourcefulness, for sure. I can't shape wood to hold a barrel with a good vise and lots of tools!
 
Excuse me for a moment while I lock myself in the bathroom to dream about riding with both reins (and a bowie knife) between my teeth, and lit cannon fuses twisted into my beard, smoking and sparking.

That said, of course you are right that someone certainly did this...but I do think most of the stories are of the "I walked uphill five miles to school each day, and walked five miles uphill back from school each day" variety.

My favorite recently learned (learned by me) "can you believe it" story is from an interesting recent biography of Daniel Boone where the authors tell of his escape from the Shawnees after months of captivity in Ohio. Daniel Boone had been adopted by Blackfish to replace a son who had been killed. Boone showed he could work on gunlocks, and did some repairs for the Indians. He managed to hide a lock and piece of barrel, and picked his time to run away. He took this loose lock and barrel with him, and with his hatchet he shaped wood into a stock, fastened the barrel and lock in place, and so created a gun that he used to shoot a deer to provide food for his escape! Now he didn't shape the wood as he ran, but that's pretty good ingenuity and resourcefulness, for sure. I can't shape wood to hold a barrel with a good vise and lots of tools!
Your excused, as it has already seemed your dreaming, if think people suddenly forgot what had already been done.

Again swapping cylinders isn't that hard, I've done it many a time.
 
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