Discussion Some Very Basic Pistol Questions

[MikeyB]

So what was Brandy Station like? Was it a bunch of guys sitting on horseback 100 yards away exchanging carbine blows? Or was Brandy Station primarily a mass melee of hand to hand saber combat?

 

[Claude Bauer]

Hey everyone. Few questions.
1) What was the most popular pistol used in the armies? Or was it really an assortment?
2) How long does it take the average soldier to fully reload a six shot?
3) What is the max distance of a shot? And at what distance can you reliably aim your shot?

Years ago, I got a pair of .36 Colt cap and ball pistols to use for the Frontier Cartridge class in Cowboy Action Shooting, which is a live ammo target shooting competition. I used them for one competition and went back to my two Colt single action .38 brass cartridge revolvers.

The cap and ball pistols took a long time to load between stages--they had to let me fire first, then I'd start reloading right away while everybody else went, and by the time they were all done and reloaded, I be finished with my cleaning and reloading. And there were lots of misfires, spent percussion caps getting jammed in the cylinder, fouled barrels, etc.--issues you don't get using brass cartridges and modern gunpowder.

The pistol targets were only 7-10 yards away and the rules stated that black powder competitors had to shoot single-handed, like they did during the Civil War. You'd be surprised how difficult it is shoot 10 rounds at a big round metal target only 7-10 yards away with one hand and hit it consistently, especially at a rapid pace. Plus the black powder creates a lot of smoke, which can make it difficult to see what you're doing.

Cowboy Action Shooting is a humbling experience for anyone who thinks hitting a target with a pistol is easy, even at close range. It puts a whole new perspective on the pistol shooting you see on TV shows and in the movies, like Clint Eastwood on a galloping horse dropping a guy 50 yards away, who's also on horseback and riding away from him at full speed. Right. Or in the movie The Patriot, where Tarelton, also on horseback, drops someone from about 25 yards with a smoothbore flintlock pistol no less, firing single-handed. Dream on.

(Also, you typically don't load all 6 rounds, especially if you're riding a horse. It's much safer to keep the hammer resting on an empty chamber. That's why in CAS, you shoot 10 rounds at each stage instead of 12. I don't know how widespread the practice was in the Civil War, but it's a sensible safety precaution, so it's possible some of them followed it.)

 

[johan_steele]

So what was Brandy Station like? Was it a bunch of guys sitting on horseback 100 yards away exchanging carbine blows? Or was Brandy Station primarily a mass melee of hand to hand saber combat?

It was a swirling chaotic fight with multiple phases. It was the battle where it could be said the US Cav came of age in the ACW. It was a close run thing for JEB Stuart who got caught with his trousers down. It's a testament to his skill as a battlefield commander that he was able to turn things around. There are a couple good works written about that battle. I'm more familiar with the western theatre.

Carbine, Sabre and pistol were all used liberally in that fight.

 

[johan_steele]

By the later part of the war cavalry with firearms where usually defeated by men with sabers...

Minty and Hampton both favored the Sabre proving in the right hands a Cav force using the Sabre was quite effective.

 

[BillO]

It was a swirling chaotic fight with multiple phases. It was the battle where it could be said the US Cav came of age in the ACW. It was a close run thing for JEB Stuart who got caught with his trousers down. It's a testament to his skill as a battlefield commander that he was able to turn things around. There are a couple good works written about that battle. I'm more familiar with the western theatre.

Carbine, Sabre and pistol were all used liberally in that fight.

There was also infantry support and artillery present. It was a hell of a fight.

 

[Pollaco]

You got to remember these revolvers were being loaded with already made up paper cartridges back then . Alot faster than the old one step at a time, powder first, then a ball, then candle wax or grease etc. But how did they do it while wearing gauntlets or gloves?

 

[Don Dixon]

As to reloading, sometimes it was possible to quickly reload by swapping cylinders like on the 1858 Remington. Not as easy with others.

Neither Remington nor Colt supplied spare cylinders with their pistols. Buying one separately would have required fitting by a gunsmith. Carrying a loaded, capped, cylinder separately from the pistol is dumber than the rocks in my driveway, because you have just created a hand grenade. One would only see it in a movie written by someone who hasn't a clue. Its a farbyism. If you wanted more shots, you carried more pistols.

The cap and ball pistols took a long time to load between stages.

The pistol targets were only 7-10 yards away and the rules stated that black powder competitors had to shoot single-handed, like they did during the Civil War. You'd be surprised how difficult it is shoot 10 rounds at a big round metal target only 7-10 yards away with one hand and hit it consistently, especially at a rapid pace....Cowboy Action Shooting is a humbling experience for anyone who thinks hitting a target with a pistol is easy, even at close range.

(Also, you typically don't load all 6 rounds, especially if you're riding a horse. It's much safer to keep the hammer resting on an empty chamber...I don't know how widespread the practice was in the Civil War, but it's a sensible safety precaution, so it's possible some of them followed it.)

With loose powder, lubricated wads, and ball, I can load and cap in two to three minutes, while taking my time. Pre-made cartridges, like they used in the Civil War, are much faster. They didn't smear grease on the chambers in the war. That's a farbyism.

The expectation was that a Remington or Colt's revolver would be accurate to 75 yards in the hands of a trained soldier. You held for your target's crotch at 25 yards, his center of mass at 50, and his head at 75, giving minute of man accuracy. I will be pretty well centered in your chest with very shot I fire one handed at 50 yards, for a score somewhere in the 80s on the NRA/N-SSA 50 yard pistol target. I've fired a number of 98s and 99s on the NRA/N-SSA 25 yard target. As Wyatt Earp observed, "Fast is good. Accuracy is final."

Colt's revolvers have a safety pin between chambers, and Remingtons have a safety notch. After loading and capping, you rest the hammer on the pin or in the notch. When you cock the pistol the cylinder rotates to the next chamber. So, you carry the weapon with all six chambers loaded and the pistol on safe. For some reason Colt didn't use a safety notch when they designed the Model 1873 revolver.

Having said this, I grant that most of the italian reproduction revolvers sold here are cr*p, and require tuning before they shoot well. The original revolvers are a much different matter.

Regards,
Don Dixon

 

[Claude Bauer]

Neither Remington nor Colt supplied spare cylinders with their pistols. Buying one separately would have required fitting by a gunsmith. Carrying a loaded, capped, cylinder separately from the pistol is dumber than the rocks in my driveway, because you have just created a hand grenade. One would only see it in a movie written by someone who hasn't a clue. Its a farbyism. If you wanted more shots, you carried more pistols.



With loose powder, lubricated wads, and ball, I can load and cap in two to three minutes, while taking my time. Pre-made cartridges, like they used in the Civil War, are much faster. They didn't smear grease on the chambers in the war. That's a farbyism.

The expectation was that a Remington or Colt's revolver would be accurate to 75 yards in the hands of a trained soldier. You held for your target's crotch at 25 yards, his center of mass at 50, and his head at 75, giving minute of man accuracy. I will be pretty well centered in your chest with very shot I fire one handed at 50 yards, for a score somewhere in the 80s on the NRA/N-SSA 50 yard pistol target. I've fired a number of 98s and 99s on the NRA/N-SSA 25 yard target. As Wyatt Earp observed, "Fast is good. Accuracy is final."

Colt's revolvers have a safety pin between chambers, and Remingtons have a safety notch. After loading and capping, you rest the hammer on the pin or in the notch. When you cock the pistol the cylinder rotates to the next chamber. So, you carry the weapon with all six chambers loaded and the pistol on safe. For some reason Colt didn't use a safety notch when they designed the Model 1873 revolver.

Having said this, I grant that most of the italian reproduction revolvers sold here are cr*p, and require tuning before they shoot well. The original revolvers are a much different matter.

Regards,
Don Dixon

We've clearly had very different experiences with cap and ball pistols and different types of shooting competitions. Regardless, I doubt anything either of us has done would hold much weight in the heat of a real Civil War battle. In CAS, the emphasis is on speed, hence "action shooting," so it's not an ideal environment for cap and ball pistols unlike the N-SSA. Very few CAS competitors use them, at least when I was competing, for the reasons stated. Accurate to 50-75 yards? Maybe in the hands of an expert marksman like you with years of practice, but how many of those carrying pistols in the 19th Century military were expert marksmen? Where did you find the assertion that trained soldiers were expected to be accurate at 75 yards shooting a revolver single-handed?

 

[Don Dixon]

Where did you find the assertion that trained soldiers were expected to be accurate at 75 yards shooting a revolver single-handed?

From page 58 of the 1864 edition, reprinted from 1861, of BG Philip St. George Cooke's Cavalry Tactics: or, Regulations for the Instruction, Formations, and Movements by the Cavalry of the Army and Volunteers of the United States. Cooke, by the way, was J.E.B. Stuart's father-in-law.

"TARGET PRACTICE. 74. —The target is six feet high and two feet wide ; a black stripe three inches wide is painted at the centre, from top to bottom; and two feet and a half from the top a white square of three inches is painted on the black. When practicable a man is placed behind a ball-proof obstacle, within reach by a wand, of the target; with this he points out the position of each hit, immediately after it is made; so that the person firing can see from his place. When each has finished his shots, his hits are marked, measured, and noted, as well as the misses. The squad first fires at twenty yards, each man fires to the front, rear, right, and left; one shot each a day. The firing is next at thirty yards, and is carried regularly by the decimal increase up to one hundred yards. An officer is always present at target firing."

All firing training, see pages 56-7, was one handed. Firing with two hands was not trained by anyone until Jeff Cooper, et al, developed the modern technique of the pistol following World War II. If you look at WWII training films, firing with the pistol is with one hand. Films of FBI training show the same.

The manuals on mounted shooting instruction and qualification tests during the later Indian wars are also interesting.

Most Civil War soldiers were not properly trained with any of their weapons. And, most westerners after the war couldn't shoot either. Many of the gunfighters, weren't noted as being particularly good shots; Wild Bill being the notable exception. They were noted, however, as being "cool" men who were prepared to take the time to align their sights and kill their man. "Combat" shooting is highly overrated. In many cases, the shooter simply misses faster.

Regards,
Don Dixon

 

[Claude Bauer]

From page 58 of the 1864 edition, reprinted from 1861, of BG Philip St. George Cooke's Cavalry Tactics: or, Regulations for the Instruction, Formations, and Movements by the Cavalry of the Army and Volunteers of the United States. Cooke, by the way, was J.E.B. Stuart's father-in-law.

"TARGET PRACTICE. 74. —The target is six feet high and two feet wide ; a black stripe three inches wide is painted at the centre, from top to bottom; and two feet and a half from the top a white square of three inches is painted on the black. When practicable a man is placed behind a ball-proof obstacle, within reach by a wand, of the target; with this he points out the position of each hit, immediately after it is made; so that the person firing can see from his place. When each has finished his shots, his hits are marked, measured, and noted, as well as the misses. The squad first fires at twenty yards, each man fires to the front, rear, right, and left; one shot each a day. The firing is next at thirty yards, and is carried regularly by the decimal increase up to one hundred yards. An officer is always present at target firing."

All firing training, see pages 56-7, was one handed. Firing with two hands was not trained by anyone until Jeff Cooper, et al, developed the modern technique of the pistol following World War II. If you look at WWII training films, firing with the pistol is with one hand. Films of FBI training show the same.

The manuals on mounted shooting instruction and qualification tests during the later Indian wars are also interesting.

Most Civil War soldiers were not properly trained with any of their weapons. And, most westerners after the war couldn't shoot either. Many of the gunfighters, weren't noted as being particularly good shots; Wild Bill being the notable exception. They were noted, however, as being "cool" men who were prepared to take the time to align their sights and kill their man. "Combat" shooting is highly overrated. In many cases, the shooter simply misses faster.

Regards,
Don Dixon

Right--I'm aware of the two handed shooting being a more modern practice--that's why if you shoot cap and ball in CAS you have to do it single-handed, because that's the way they did back in the day. Also, thanks for the reference from the manual--that's very interesting, but it says they were target practicing at those distances, not that they were all proficient at at those distances or had to be qualified at those ranges to be in the service.

In any event, I don't think we're answering the fella's questions--I'm going to make an attempt below, Don please feel free to correct or elaborate--you are are more experienced and knowledgeable in this area. I'm not an expert and can only speak from my somewhat limited personal experience and reading on the subject.

• How long does it take the average soldier to fully reload a six shot?

It would depend on whether you're talking about combat conditions or sitting at a table in camp, or if you're using pre-made paper cartridges or loading with loose powder, caps and ball. Certainly it would be faster with pre-made cartridges than going through the process of loading each chamber manually. Don says he can reload manually in 2-3 minutes, I'm assuming at a loading table, obviously not in combat conditions. Took me a little longer, but he wants to know how long it took a soldier in the 1860s. It's commonly said that a good soldier back then could fire 3 rounds a minute with a standard muzzle loading rifle, but we know in combat, that wasn't always the case. What would be the effective rate of fire then for a pistol, for one loaded manually in combat conditions, and then for a pistol using pre-made cartridges under the same circumstances?

• What is the max distance of a shot?

The effective range of a weapon is the range at which it will have a specific type of effect on a particular target. It is distinct from the weapon's absolute maximum range, which is the furthest it can throw a projectile in accordance with the laws of physics. Don do you know the maximum range for Civil War pistols?

• And at what distance can you reliably aim your shot?

A google search reveals that a Colt Army Model 1860 has a effective range of 50–75 yards--is that accurate, Don? The bullet may be able to travel farther, but that's the effective range from the perspective of the shooter. And that would be in the hands of a skilled shooter. However, the manual Don provided above says they were training up to 100 yards.

 

[Don Dixon]

How long does it take the average soldier to fully reload six shots?

Factory made cartridges were often made up with the powder and shot in an envelope of skin [think of the material used today to make skin condoms]. Using manufactured cartridges, an experienced soldier could reload and cap quite quickly [two minutes say], if he had a hard surface, like the ground, on which to rest the butt of the pistol, since a certain amount of force is required to get the ball into the chamber. On horseback, no. From a practical standpoint, however, one was limited to the six shots in the pistol, with a reload being practical only during a break in the action. Since you've shot CAS, I'll ask the reatorical question of how long it takes to reload a Colt 1873. It's faster than a cap and ball pistol, but still glacial in a gunfight. But, that's why troopers carried sabers, and one of the reasons officers carried swords. Again, if you wanted more shots you carried more guns.

What is the max distance of a shot?

I know that the Remington revolver is accurate at 50 yards/50 meters, since I've fired it at both ranges in competition. Since the manual discussed training to 100 yards, presumably Cooke considered that an effective maximum range. This was an enormous improvement over the smoothbore, single shot pistol which had been the previous standard in the army. The effect of the bullet on target is another matter. The .44 Army load probably falls in the ballistic range of the later .32 Smith and Wesson smokeless cartridge. That seems like a pretty piddly cartridge today, but Teddy Roosevelt armed the NYPD with revolvers using it when he was police commissioner, and he was a very knowledgeable shooter. European police used .32 ACP pistols for years, and the 9mm Kurz (.380 ACP) was considered quite adequate for both police and military use until after WWII. One shouldn't be to focussed on killing power. In combat, wounding a man generally discourages him from further action, and it sucks up enemy resources because they have to take care of him. If all we were looking at was range and killing power, we wouldn't be equipping our military with M-16 variants and the 5.56mm cartridge; anti-gun propaganda to the contrary.

And at what distance can you reliably aim your shot?

A trained shot can aim to the maximum effective range of the weapon. Since the days of the trapdoor Springfield, military rifle competition has been conducted at 600 and 1,000 yards with iron sights. When I was still an active competitor, I regularly shot in the high 190s at both ranges on the NRA's bullseye targets. That would put almost every shot fired in a target the size of your head.

 

[Rhea Cole]

At the end of WWII John Keagan reports that the British Army conducted trials of all kinds of weapons. Pistols were fired by veteran infantry officers. At any range beyond a few paces, the circular error was of the barn door variety. In my personal experience, competency with a pistol is a very perishable item. When I shot on a regular schedule, I could hit anything I aimed at. Even a short span of time without regular practice saw a steady degradation of my clusters.

The only way my instructor said he could simulate combat conditions was to have a vicious dog chase us around the block & have us escape up several flights of steps & then see how accurate our pistol fire was. Thankfully, we never made the test, but it isn't hard to imagine what the effect would be. The rule of thumb is that anybody who doesn't practice regularly with a pistol is a hazard to themselves & others. Add to that the adrenaline rush & stress of a threat environment & accurate shooting with a pistol will be problematical. Under combat conditions, even highly trained pistol shots spray rounds all over the place. That knowledge is a factor in all tactical planning.

In the 1980's my cousin was police officer who began his career as an MP. A group of three bank robbers he & his sergeant were looking for ambushed them from, of all places, my business partner's driveway. They killed his sergeant with the first volley, but my cousin killed two & wounded the other in the shoot out that followed. He had been on a pistol range regularly for over a decade. The criminals had only watched gun play on TV, as he related the action.

As to how long it took to reload, one of the most gruesome things I ever saw involved the accidental discharge of a blank charge of a Walker Colt during a reload. He had put on the caps & was cycling the cylinder to make sure that the caps were all securely seated. The consensus of those close by was that the hammer slipped while being released from half cock or something like that. Anyways, at point blank range, the blast from the muzzle took a coffee cup sized divot out of his thigh. He quite selflessly sent me a photo taken in the emergency room so that I could use it in my safety lectures... it is way too grim to post here. Even a pistol loaded with blanks is a very dangerous weapon.

A distant relation, Jesse James, had the right idea about shooting a pistol. He never shot anybody who was not either disarmed or helpless. These days, I don't even carry my Navy Colt during Signal Corps programs, the dang thing gives me a back ache. With the flap buttoned down, it is the perfect place to hide a cellphone.

 

[Booner]

............
A distant relation, Jesse James, had the right idea about shooting a pistol. He never shot anybody who was not either disarmed or helpless. These days, I don't even carry my Navy Colt during Signal Corps programs, the dang thing gives me a back ache. With the flap buttoned down, it is the perfect place to hide a cellphone.

I'm also distantly related to the James family. The James family and mine share a common ancestor in Virginia in the 1740's, so the James and I are 3rd or 4th cousins, x times removed. Perhaps that's why my major interest in the CW revolves around the war in Missouri which of course means the guerrilla aspect of the fighting that predominated here. And by the way, Frank James said that it was Jesse who shot Col. Johnson at Centrailia, so Jesse didn't always follow his own advise.

It would seem that the most preferred arm of the guerrillas was the .36 caliber Colt Navy revolver. Perhaps they had a preference for how that particular pistol felt in the hand, how it balanced, or perhaps it's mild recoil allowed for better accuracy verses a pistol of a higher caliber. It's not to say that they wouldn't use another type of revolver; there's a picture of George Maddox with at least 2 Remington. 44 caliber revolvers on is belt, out of a total of 4 revolvers on his person, showing in the picture, and the pistols were by no means photo props.

The guerrillas preferred to get up and personal with their fighting, and it was not uncommon for a guerrilla to carry four or more revolvers on their person. It seems that the longer a person was a guerilla, the more pistols he carried into battle. When Jesse James joined the guerrillas in 1864, he was given two revolvers, so there were plenty of revolvers to give them to new recruits. In 1864 at Glasgow, MO., six guerrillas were killed in one engagement and a total of 30 revolvers were found in their possession. It was so much easier and faster to grab another revolver and stay in the fight than try a reload, (and I agree that the idea of switching a cylinder out as a reload is a Hollywood idea). And as they were often outnumbered in their engagements, the revolver was the best fit for their style of fighting, which was to ride in fast and hard, deliver the maximum amount of firepower, and then break off if they didn't disperse their enemy first. They did use carbines and shotguns on occasion, but a stand off engagement wasn't their style. They relied on mobility and firepower, and the quality of their horses as far as speed and stamina was often remarked upon.

Thomas Coleman (Cole) Younger (who was related to the James boys through a marriage of a cousin), once shot and killed an enemy at 70 yards. Cole walked the distance off after the fighting was done, and other members of his band of guerrillas remarked about Cole's marksmanship and the distance involved. It was not unusual for the guerrillas to practice their marksmanship from horseback, not only for their benefit, but to accustom their horses to the noise. Cole's shot was the exception to the normal distance that most of the fighting took place. It was often remarked that most of the victims of a guerrilla engagement were shot in the head. I've never read anything regarding if the head was the target the guerrillas preferred shooting at, but since the guerrilla war here in MO. was not the type of war where quarter was asked or given by either side, I'm assuming head shots were how the wounded and prisoners were dispatched.

 

[thomas aagaard]

It was often remarked that most of the victims of a guerrilla engagement were shot in the head. I've never read anything regarding if the head was the target the guerrillas preferred shooting at, but since the guerrilla war here in MO. was not the type of war where quarter was asked or given by either side, I'm assuming head shots were how the wounded and prisoners were dispatched.

Another simple explanation is that since this is fighting in open order where the men take cover. Then way fewer hits are to the rest of the body, because of the cover. So the % of hits that are headshots logically go up.

But execution of wounded and/or captured enemies might also help explain it.

 

[Claude Bauer]

I'm also distantly related to the James family. The James family and mine share a common ancestor in Virginia in the 1740's, so the James and I are 3rd or 4th cousins, x times removed. Perhaps that's why my major interest in the CW revolves around the war in Missouri which of course means the guerrilla aspect of the fighting that predominated here. And by the way, Frank James said that it was Jesse who shot Col. Johnson at Centrailia, so Jesse didn't always follow his own advise.

It would seem that the most preferred arm of the guerrillas was the .36 caliber Colt Navy revolver. Perhaps they had a preference for how that particular pistol felt in the hand, how it balanced, or perhaps it's mild recoil allowed for better accuracy verses a pistol of a higher caliber. It's not to say that they wouldn't use another type of revolver; there's a picture of George Maddox with at least 2 Remington. 44 caliber revolvers on is belt, out of a total of 4 revolvers on his person, showing in the picture, and the pistols were by no means photo props.

The guerrillas preferred to get up and personal with their fighting, and it was not uncommon for a guerrilla to carry four or more revolvers on their person. It seems that the longer a person was a guerilla, the more pistols he carried into battle. When Jesse James joined the guerrillas in 1864, he was given two revolvers, so there were plenty of revolvers to give them to new recruits. In 1864 at Glasgow, MO., six guerrillas were killed in one engagement and a total of 30 revolvers were found in their possession. It was so much easier and faster to grab another revolver and stay in the fight than try a reload, (and I agree that the idea of switching a cylinder out as a reload is a Hollywood idea). And as they were often outnumbered in their engagements, the revolver was the best fit for their style of fighting, which was to ride in fast and hard, deliver the maximum amount of firepower, and then break off if they didn't disperse their enemy first. They did use carbines and shotguns on occasion, but a stand off engagement wasn't their style. They relied on mobility and firepower, and the quality of their horses as far as speed and stamina was often remarked upon.

Thomas Coleman (Cole) Younger (who was related to the James boys through a marriage of a cousin), once shot and killed an enemy at 70 yards. Cole walked the distance off after the fighting was done, and other members of his band of guerrillas remarked about Cole's marksmanship and the distance involved. It was not unusual for the guerrillas to practice their marksmanship from horseback, not only for their benefit, but to accustom their horses to the noise. Cole's shot was the exception to the normal distance that most of the fighting took place. It was often remarked that most of the victims of a guerrilla engagement were shot in the head. I've never read anything regarding if the head was the target the guerrillas preferred shooting at, but since the guerrilla war here in MO. was not the type of war where quarter was asked or given by either side, I'm assuming head shots were how the wounded and prisoners were dispatched.

One of the best scenes in Ride with the Devil, the movie about Civil War-era guerrilla fighters, is where they're fighting from inside a house--caught unawares, they scramble to reload their pistols during the fight with dropped bullets rolling on the floor. It demonstrates just how cumbersome it would have been in a frantic combat situation to reload a cap and ball pistol while in the midst of a battle. Understandable they'd have multiple pistols on their person instead. The 70-yard kill had to be a lucky shot--I'm sure he bragged about it, but doubt he could have done it on a regular basis, but anything's possible.

 

[Rhea Cole]

The one advantage that a revolving pistol gave the guerrillas was rapid fire. The disadvantages are short range & lack of lethality.

Shot Up & Left To Die

October 22, 1864, Company D of the 8th Iowa Cavalry engaged guerrillas at Cow Creek, Kansas.
18 year old Trooper William H. Brown found himself in the sights of at least 12 of the banditti.
They opened a shower of pistol shots on him, hitting him sixteen times, literally from head to toe.

Ball entered right temple & emerged under the right eye.
Ball entered right eye & lodged in the vicinity of parotid gland.
Ball entered left side of neck & lodged near esophagus.
Lift thigh above knee--ball lodged.
Behind left trochanter major three balls, all remain.
Ball entered & emerged at left axilla.
Ball entered two inches to the left of, & above the umbilicus & lodged near the spine.
Ball was removed from the forehead over the right superciliary ridge.
Right ankle below the malleolus joint, ball removed.
Flesh wound over crest of left ilium.
Through right great & second toes.
Ball entered the right shoulder & lodged near the scapula.
Flesh wound of finger of right hand.
Two flesh wounds of calf of right leg; one of left.
Right arm, fracture of radius.
Scratch on foot & buttock; lodged.
​

He was left for dead at the site of the skirmish & found five days later by a visitor who threw him over a horse & took him to Fort Scott Kansas, where he received medical attention. He had been without food or water the entire time.

For the remainder of his life Brown suffered from his wounds. He had difficulty walking & his mind was reported as impaired. His recovery was remarkable given all of the hazards he faced. While his is wounds were bad enough, he also survived shock, hemorrhage, infection, gangrene, tetanus, lead poisoning & exposure to the elements.

Sources: January, 1964 CIVIL WAR TIMES ILLUSTRATED/ PP 391 Iowa Valor/ Official Records.

​

 

[DixieRifles]

Using manufactured cartridges, an experienced soldier could reload and cap quite quickly [two minutes say], if he had a hard surface, like the ground, on which to rest the butt of the pistol, since a certain amount of force is required to get the ball into the chamber. On horseback, no.

I would NEVER sit the butt of my pistol on a hard surface to load. It really isn't that hard to compress the ball into the chamber. I built my own loading stands which actually supported the pistol above the grip and around the frame. The only reason for using a stand was to have a 3rd hand. My stand had divots to place the balls and a tray for caps. Everything there to load it.
I don't even place the Brass butt of my replica .50cal Hawken Rifle on the ground because I don't want it scratched and scarred up. I always rest it on a sand bag or the toe of my boot. But it takes no force to hold a revolver in one hand and ram the round with the other.

For Christmas, I bought a .50caliber dueling pistol. This pistol presented a difficult problem as it has a nice carved walnut grip, which I'm trying to keep from damaging it. So I designed a hand loader that helped me grip the gun and this loader with my left hand and start the ball down the barrel.

Loading Tool. Left hand grips the barrel and the extension rods of the Loader.
The Loader is slide down on top of barrel. Use Right hand to strike the plunger and seat the ball.
My point:> You can easily ram a .50 caliber ball without bracing the pistol on a rock.

Loading my .44 caliber Ruger with a flask and my cast round ball.
(Yes, my powder charge was lower than it should have been.)
Final step is applying grease around each ball.

 

[Don Dixon]

I would NEVER sit the butt of my pistol on a hard surface to load. It really isn't that hard to compress the ball into the chamber. I built my own loading stands which actually supported the pistol above the grip and around the frame. The only reason for using a stand was to have a 3rd hand. My stand had divots to place the balls and a tray for caps. Everything there to load it. I don't even place the Brass butt of my replica .50cal Hawken Rifle on the ground because I don't want it scratched and scarred up. I always rest it on a sand bag or the toe of my boot. But it takes no force to hold a revolver in one hand and ram the round with the other.

I believe we've been talking about a combat reload? It helps to have something to rest the butt of the revolver on when you're ramming a ball which is tight enough [i.e., shaves a ring of lead] to prevent a chain fire.

And yes, I use a stand when I load for competition. I haven't done too many combat reloads with a cap and ball revolver.

And no, they didn't smear grease on the top of the chambers in the war. If the Confederates loaded loose powder and ball, they used greased felt or leather wads between the powder and the ball. If my gg grandfather with the 8th Illinois Cavalry had greased his chambers in northern Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania in July and August, the organic greases available at the time would have melted into his holster before he rode a hundred yards down the road.

 

[DixieRifles]

which is tight enough [i.e., shaves a ring of lead] to prevent a chain fire.

And yes, I use a stand when I load for competition. I haven't done too many combat reloads with a cap and ball revolver.

I don't use combat reloads either.
If you look closely at the photo of my .44 Ruger in my previous post, you can see a ring of lead on the lip of the loaded bore.