Question About the Safe Chamber in Cap n’ Ball Revolver

[Dalion]

I am getting ready to shoot my first match in Frontiersman category and as I practice and adjust my equipment I am having a occasional problem loading my designated safe chamber.  I have taken off the cone for that chamber but I still end up throwing a powder load in that chamber once in a while.  I would love to find a way to plug that chamber so I didn't load by accident or have to clean it. What do you all do to keep from loading the wrong chamber? 

[rickk]

I never worried about it, but I guess you could goop some red paint in the cylinder with a Q-tip.

[quigleysharps4570]

I never worried about it

Ditto.

[rbertalotto]

Why not put a painted red ball in the cylinder?

[Lucky R. K.]

I have marked one chamber on all my C & B pistols with a small steel stamp and installed a different color nipple in that chamber.  I shoot Tresso nipples which are a bronze color but I put a black colored nipple in the chamber I do not want to load.

I shoot both Ruger Old Armies and Pietta 1858 Remingtons and pull the cylinders from the gun to load them.  When I look down at the cylinder I can easily see the small stamped mark on the side of the chamber and the different colored nipple.  Even after you have shot a few stages you can still see the difference.  It also makes capping much easier.  I just look for the stamp and nipple and start capping on the next chamber and do it five times.

I hope this makes some sense.

Lucky 

[Cemetery]

With my Old Army's, I've noticed that after the first stage, the empty chamber get's sorta sooty, so I know which chamber not to dump a load of powder into.

I also use Tesso nipples, so after the first stage, the clean nipple stays clean, and it is on the chamber I don't load or cap.

[Pettifogger]

You don't ever want to plug the empty chamber for a variety of reasons.  For example, what are you going to do if the stage calls for loading one round on the clock (a C&B shooter will CHARGE that chamber, but cap on the clock)?  More importantly how are you going to show that chamber as CLEAR at the unloading table.  Like a previous post I stamp one chamber and put in a different colored nipple.  Move that one under the rammer and drop it into that chamber.  Then start adding balls and going around until you have loaded five. 

[hellgate]

I put a dot of fingernail polish on either side of the nipple cutout and a larger dot on the cylinder about 1/4" from the end of the chamber (first clean off all oil). That way it is easy for the loading table RO to see which nipple is uncapped and I can see which chamber not to pour in powder or cap. The fingernail polish resists removal from water based solvents and is easily changed or removed with acetone or fingernail polish remover. I use either red dots or white dots but hey, dayglo works too.

[Fingers McGee]

I never worried about it,

+1.  I do not leave the same chamber empty all the time.  I charge whatever five chambers come up when charging, then make sure the uncharged one is under the hammer.  When it comes time to cap, I cap one, skip one, cap four, bring hammer to full cock, then lower the hammer onthe uncapped/empty chamber.  Saves all that hassle with missing nipples, buying nail polish or paint, etc, etc.

[Pettifogger]

+1.  I do not leave the same chamber empty all the time.  I charge whatever five chambers come up when charging, then make sure the uncharged one is under the hammer.  When it comes time to cap, I cap one, skip one, cap four, bring hammer to full cock, then lower the hammer onthe uncapped/empty chamber.  Saves all that hassle with missing nipples, buying nail polish or paint, etc, etc.

Yeah, but then you have to clean all six chambers.   

[Dalion]

Thank you all.  I guess I might be overly concerned about a minor issue.  I will test out some of the solutions suggested and practice a little more, paying closer attention to a loading sequence that will minimize the problem.  Thanks again.

Dan

[Pettifogger]

Thank you all.  I guess I might be overly concerned about a minor issue.  I will test out some of the solutions suggested and practice a little more, paying closer attention to a loading sequence that will minimize the problem.  Thanks again.

Dan

That's the bottom line, practice your loading sequence and try not to vary.  At some point in your C&B career you WILL go to the line and forget to cap.  You WILL go to the line with caps but have forgot to charge the chambers.  You WILL seat a ball on a chamber with no powder.  Not a question of if, but when.  It's all part of the learning experience.

[hellgate]

The way I pick which chamber to designate as the open one is by determining which is the least accurate. When I get a new (or used) gun I take it to the range with a 6 bull target. I temporarily mark a chamber as #6 and from sandbags at about 10 yards I shoot 3 shots each from each chamber into each coresponding bull i.e. chamber #1 into bull #1, chamber #2 into bull #2 etc. for 3 cylinders full. That is, I shoot one shot into each bull for 6 rounds and repeat two more times loading all 6 chambers. Whichever chamber shoots the most off or largest group becomes my open chamber therafter. Sometimes there is  a dramatic difference in how a certain chamber prints so I don't want to use it if possible. It gets the fingernail polish as the "open" (unused) chamber.

[Fingers McGee]

Yeah, but then you have to clean all six chambers.   

Yeah, like you don't.   

[Fingers McGee]

That's the bottom line, practice your loading sequence and try not to vary.  At some point in your C&B career you WILL go to the line and forget to cap.  You WILL go to the line with caps but have forgot to charge the chambers.  You WILL seat a ball on a chamber with no powder.  Not a question of if, but when.  It's all part of the learning experience.

+1, and don't ask us how we know 

[Lefty Dude]

You will only load all six one time, as I did. The RO timer was gracious enough to let me cap and shoot the sixth chamber, then holster and proceed shooting the stage.

[Slowhand Bob]

Just push one of the bright orange ear sponges in the chamber you need empty.  It takes less time to clear it than it does to suggest it.  Pretty much the same fer the nipple, leave it out but handy, takes only seconds to replace it.  NOW, for the bestest solution of all, buy you-own-sellfins a nice new brace of Uberti Colt '62 models and you aint got the sixth chamber to worry with.  With some luck we just might also have a small frame .36 Remington Police Model  five shooter available soon??   With all of this said, I havent loaded a sixth one on the clock in years.

[Noz]

+1.  I do not leave the same chamber empty all the time.  I charge whatever five chambers come up when charging, then make sure the uncharged one is under the hammer.  When it comes time to cap, I cap one, skip one, cap four, bring hammer to full cock, then lower the hammer onthe uncapped/empty chamber.  Saves all that hassle with missing nipples, buying nail polish or paint, etc, etc.

And he taught me to do the same!

[Cemetery]

That's the bottom line, practice your loading sequence and try not to vary.  At some point in your C&B career you WILL go to the line and forget to cap.  You WILL go to the line with caps but have forgot to charge the chambers.  You WILL seat a ball on a chamber with no powder.  Not a question of if, but when.  It's all part of the learning experience.

Truth.

[Lucky R. K.]

The truth is that you are going to screw up at some point.  Everybody does.

The best advice I can offer is to develop a loading sequence that you are comfortable with and NEVER vary from it. 

All of us have a routine we use and some have been suggested to you here as the way to go.  Try all of them out and then decide which one you like best.  When you decide stay with it.  Always consentrate when you are loading and do not let someone distract you with conversation or what ever.  You will still mess up now and then but hopefully, not as often.

Lucky