How to load a revolver

[Bootsctm]

How do you load a revolver with blanks for reenactments?

[Silas]

You know, some things are best asked of your nco's. I could describe it in text, but in person would be way, way better.

[Bootsctm]

The Nco is about 6 hrs away from where I live.
I guess what I'm asking is what you use for "wadding" to keep the powder in the cylinder? But it has to be something that won't go down the barrel and cause problems
Do u use the wonder wads or ???

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

The use of wads is banned at many events as potential projectiles and dry grass fire starters.

If one uses Period style nitrated paper cartridges for blanks...

Curt

[gambit88]

In my unit we use kix cerial or coco puffs. You should probably spread some bore butter or the like across the front of the cylinders too. Personally I don't and never had a chainfire buy ymmv.

Gambit

[harley_davis]

IMHO, I question the use of kix or coco puffs. I have done extensive testing of such loads and with any cereals that contain sugar, said sugar will turn to glass shards during the heat of ignition. Bore butter becomes a hot grease projectile and very painful to the recipient. Cream of Wheat in bulk, is the better material. Notice, bulk, is the key word. Again, prepacked single servings contain sugar and again, glass shards.

My use of percussion revolvers is during my days portraying Wild Bill Hickok using a brace of 1851 Navy revolvers. In Old West reenacting, the safety test is to fire the weapon at a white paper, distance of 10ft, and the load should leave next to no residue on the paper. The minimum safety zone is 25 feet and this provides a buffer of safety for the participants. True, CW distances are further, and are generally not direct opposing fire, still....... better to lean towards the side of safe. Know that Wonder Wads become a dangerous projectile and I have witnessed them sticking into cardboard at 10-15 ft . Cream of Wheat, when packed in with your revolvers rammer, will stay in the cylinder even on horseback. I used this techinque (learned from Movie Production Safety procedures) during Buffalo Bill Wild West Shows and nary had any issues. Oh, a bit of CofW in the bottom of the holster but packing remained intact. As has been stated in other posts, chain fires usually emminate from the nipples (poor fitting or blown off with too hot powder charge) rather than across the chambers.
Just my 2 pennies worth.
Regards,

[David Meister]

after loading a chamber with powdre use straight cream of wheat and tamp it down on top of the powder. Do one chamber at a time for the best results

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

Correct...

Chain Fires are NUG a cone issue, as the oversize bulelt seals the chamber mouthes.

For reenacting there can be the added dimension of flash travel around the forcing cone, and along the front of the cylinder. Any exposed powder to that flash can be ignited from the front as well.
The grease, florist foam, styrofoam, cereal, Cream-of-wheat, etc., that lads use kinda-sorta NUG (Normally, Usually, Generally) can somewhat protect the powder.

Curt

[RJSamp]

In my unit we use kix cerial or coco puffs. You should probably spread some bore butter or the like across the front of the cylinders too. Personally I don't and never had a chainfire buy ymmv.

Gambit

You've lost me here Bill......your tag line and picture point to your being an artillerist.......are you not in an artillery unit?

[gambit88]

Yes I am artillery. One of our men also rides with the cav and some events we go infantry or dismounted cav/skermishers. So I do carry a revolver.