How do you 'reload' your C&B during a stage?

J.J. Ferrett · August 02, 2006, 04:08:41 PM

This thing has been buggin me a little.

If a stage calls for a pistol reload, I load up all chambers with powder, wad and ball; and then cap 5/6 on the loading table.
When I get to the stage and its time for pistols, I draw, half cock and then cap the remaining nip. I can then pull the hammer to full cock and am ready to shoot.
This is fine for a 'single reload' stage, and thats all that I have encountered thus far.
What do you lot do?
How do you handle a 'multiple reload' when you need more than one 'extra' shot?
Is it allowable to 'stage' a cylinder downrange? If so, should it be capped or not?

Capt. Augustus · August 02, 2006, 04:28:04 PM

You can stage an uncapped pistol or cylinder loaded with powder and ball and cap on the clock.

hellgate · August 02, 2006, 09:08:42 PM

JJ,
You just discovered a perfect excuse to buy another C&B!!! What is recommended is to stage a charged but uncapped additional revolver down range at the position at which the "reload" is to take place. I have only seen one shot reloads and 5 or 6 shot reloads in the pistol. You have the one shot reload down pat (charge all 6 chambers, cap 5, draw, cap the 6th and shoot the gun dry). Even if a reload calls for loading the 6th after the first 5 shots are fired, it is recommended that you explain to the RO that you will be capping ("loading") the 6th round before firing the gun. Explain that it is for safety purposes that you cover the open nipple before firing so as to prevent a chain fire. ROs generally defer to the cap&baller as knowing what is safest. I they ever give you flack (I've never had flack over it) just inform them what you are gonna do anyway, take the "P" and then after shooting the stage, take it up with the Match Director who will eliminate the "P". I've never been hasseled over it and neither will you. The staging of a charged gun is just one more reason I always take at least 3 guns to a shoot and usually 4. There are rarely reloads requiring more than two C&Bs anymore but if so they usually don't have you shooting the rifle or shotgun as much. Often I just lay the reload gun on a hay bale, barrel, table, etc and put my capper in a bullet loop (357 size) or my pouch so it is handy. You can actually out load a suppository shooter by merely capping whereas they must shuck out the empties first before inserting the suppositories.

BTW I signed up to be on your Posse for the Albany annual. Hopefully they'll arrange it.

Cuts Crooked · August 02, 2006, 10:49:15 PM

I only happen to have one spare cylinder for my Remmies. But I have used it and simply done a cylinder swap and cap on the clock once. It worked, donno if it wuz the best solution, but it wuz the only option I had at that match.

Joe4d · August 03, 2006, 05:08:41 AM

Ok similar but not quite question, what if I am using a 58 remington and R&D cylinder ? Starting cap and ball reload one with the cap the sixth method discussed but going to a cylinder swap with an R&D .45 colt cylinder for a 2-6 round reload, I know It would bump me to a different class but not really concerned as I will be shooting modern any way.

Dick Dastardly · August 03, 2006, 07:39:01 AM

Since the only "extra" cylinders I have for my ROAs are Kirst Konverters, I'd stage one or more of them where the "reload" had to take place, and take the call for changing from C&B to cartridge. Otherwise, I'd simply have to shoot my RVs and do the reload like the moderns.

I hate it when script writers write up a stage so that it's both GF unfriendly and C&B unfriendly. I usually try to make my position known in a positive way and most such stages go away after a few shoots.

DD-DLoS

Bristow Kid · August 03, 2006, 04:37:30 PM

Is the staging of uncapped revolvers and/or cylindars legal in NCOWS & GAF as well as SASS?

Cuts Crooked · August 03, 2006, 10:44:01 PM

Quote from: Bristow Kid on August 03, 2006, 04:37:30 PM
Is the staging of uncapped revolvers and/or cylindars legal in NCOWS & GAF as well as SASS?

Donno about GAF but I'm sure it is in NCOWS. Never encountered a stage that would require in NCOWS though.

J.J. Ferrett · August 04, 2006, 02:31:12 PM

These comments lead me to another question /scenario.

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Scenario

I am signed up for a match as 'Frontier Cartridge'

There is a 'multiple reload stage'.

I have two Remmie's with me, 2 Konversion Cyls and 1 percussion.

I load and cap the percussion at the loading table (only 5/6)
I load both Konversions with cartridges.
I stage one of the Konversions in my belt mounted cylinder holder (yeah.. like Clint).

Beep

I shoot off the percussion, put it back in my left holster.
Draw the (R) which has the first Konversion cyl. Shoot all 5.
Drop lever, pull pin, drop out Cyl 1, reach down slip Cyl 1 into the spare holder, pull out Cyl 2.
Load Cyl 2 into the frame. Shoot all 5. Reholster, and done.

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Is there anything 'wrong' with swapping out a fired cylinder for a loaded one?? or should I actually have to 'load' all the cartridges on the clock??

Cuts Crooked · August 04, 2006, 03:09:01 PM

I don't think you can have a fully loaded cylinder, that is not in your gun, on your person when you start a stage. That is why you have to do a cylinder swap and cap on the clock when a multi round reload is called for in frontiersman. I have never heard of anyone doing it the way you describe, but I suspect the same reasoning would apply, if dropped there is the possibility of an AD if the cap/fring pin hit a hard object.

I ain't no expert though! Any other opinions on this one?

Sacramento Johnson · August 05, 2006, 07:47:37 PM

Howdy!

There's not much C&B around here, so can't comment on your original question from experience. My suggestion would be to buy another C&B cylinder for each pistol if your club was in the habit of multiple reloads; those cylinders don't seem to be too expensive, or, as another pard suggested, to buy any additional C&B pistol; have the cylinder loaded with as many rounds as needed, and then cap them on the clock.

As for shooting Frontier Cartridge with a C&B with a conversion cylinder, would one be allowed to load up the orginal C&B cylinder with however many reload rounds one needed, then switch out the cylinders on the clock and cap the C&B cylinder on the clock? (Conversion cylinders ARE expensive.)
Seems to me there's no competitive advantage when doing that, as one is going (via a cumbersome manuver, namely a cylinder swap) to a format that is less reliable (caps don't always work/can fall off etc). I can't imagine the FC shooters would boot one out of the class for this.