Who Says You Cant Speed Reload With A SA...

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incredible video, thanks o.p. for me, ultra fast speedloading single action revolvers is like doing shots of a truly fine single malt scotch whisky, it’s not what they are really designed to do, and not why i’m drawn to them. that said, here is a useful series of videos done by ruger on using single action revolvers for defense:
 
Seems like a good way to chew up the teeth on the cylinder to me.

Like using a 2lbs mallet to drive thumb tacks. It works if you're practiced and a steady hand, but you'd be better served with a different tool for that purpose.
 
I wouldn't call that a "speed reload"...more like "Less slow than traditional methods".
All that money on another fitted cylinder and custom parts, only to still be in last place to a moonclip or magazine change.
 
My current thinking is that cylinder changes are the way forward for revolver design. I'm not saying it will happen. Let's face it. Nothing has happened in over 100 years other than making the exact same designs in aluminum and stainless, and some non-stressed parts in polymer and small changes in the chamber and cartridge sizes. With the popularity of guns like the LCP, Shield, subcompacts, and single-stacks, the practical limits on revolver capacity do not limit its popularity as much as the difficulty many people will have reloading them. I think most people having received no training whatsoever do not even keep or carry a spare magazine ready for a reload, but people who are willing to receive at least three days of formal training can all expect to perform magazine changes or cylinder reloads. These people, and most people receiving as much as 110 hours of firearms training typical of police academies are going to overwhelmingly prefer magazine changes to reloading a revolver. Two-handed cylinder opening, uncertain completeness of ejection, transferring the gun from one hand to the other, aligning cartridges with the charge-holes, speed-loader release manipulation, closing the cylinder and transferring the gun back to the dominant hand are all very intimidating compared to just maintaining grip while pressing a magazine release, inserting a magazine, and pressing the slide release.

But revolver reloading could be simplified to a cylinder release and inserting a new cylinder. The yoke would be eliminated and the cylinder would "lock" on nothing but detents. A "release" button or slide would clear blocks allowing the detents to fully release the cylinder and capture a new one. There would be no "base pin" and the cylinder would not rotate on an ejector rod. Those "axles" were never ideal for aligning the chamber with the barrel anyway because the chambers are all offset differently from the center of that axis anyway. Instead, the chambers could be aligned on their own center instead of the center of the whole cylinder. Importantly, with the cylinder release activated, cylinders could just be pushed out and a new one pushed in. This is what the man is doing in the video, but he has the extra step of pulling and reinserting a modified base pin. But a full-length base pin is not necessary. The cylinder can rotate on detents that only need to be retracted a millimeter to free it.
 
It’s too bad PPC matches have gone to using self loaders. When I competed a fast reload was essential. The faster the reload the longer time you had for shooting. If you have 25 seconds for 12 shots but take 15 seconds to reload you are losing points to the fellow who takes 5 seconds to reload. Most of us practiced leaving the revolver in the shooting hand and reloading with the offhand. No switching grips or losing time switching hands.

Kevin
 
The shooter shows a clever trick and great individual dexterity. I have read from “experts” that percussion cap horsemen carried extra cylinders to reload quickly that way, but you know, I believe such stories were wishful thinking. I have not only Colt cap and ball, but Remington 1858 pistols, and attempting to change out cylinders in a stressful situation would be just about impossible.

When your pistol ran dry, and you were in close quarters combat, you pulled out your saber and started whacking.

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At the distances the shooter was fanning his gun, something like this would interrupt his attempt to swap cylinders, real fast

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this would be more authentic to the period.

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But revolver reloading could be simplified to a cylinder release and inserting a new cylinder. The yoke would be eliminated and the cylinder would "lock" on nothing but detents. A "release" button or slide would clear blocks allowing the detents to fully release the cylinder and capture a new one. There would be no "base pin" and the cylinder would not rotate on an ejector rod. Those "axles" were never ideal for aligning the chamber with the barrel anyway because the chambers are all offset differently from the center of that axis anyway. Instead, the chambers could be aligned on their own center instead of the center of the whole cylinder. Importantly, with the cylinder release activated, cylinders could just be pushed out and a new one pushed in. This is what the man is doing in the video, but he has the extra step of pulling and reinserting a modified base pin. But a full-length base pin is not necessary. The cylinder can rotate on detents that only need to be retracted a millimeter to free it.

People using revolvers for any type of speed shooting just use moonclips. If you practice a bunch it only takes a small amount more time than doing a magazine change.
 
He's faster than me, thats for sure.



That is mildly painful to watch. I had tried similar using a clear tube full of 6 9mm cartridges with my Blackhawk conversion with the 9mm cylinder for some head to head steel matches I use to shoot. I had split the tube and put a follower in the tube that let me push the rounds out with more authority and into in chamber It was faster than loading loose rounds but not fast than anything else to speak of.



Moonclips rule the round gun reload.
 
That is mildly painful to watch. I had tried similar using a clear tube full of 6 9mm cartridges with my Blackhawk conversion with the 9mm cylinder for some head to head steel matches I use to shoot. I had split the tube and put a follower in the tube that let me push the rounds out with more authority and into in chamber It was faster than loading loose rounds but not fast than anything else to speak of.



Moonclips rule the round gun reload.

Moon clips are super cool.

I was curious as to what a loose round reload actually took.

With an SAA, around 15 seconds:
 
I seem to recall seeing something about using a 1911 magazine for reloading .45 ACP single action revolvers. Not exactly blazing fast but a little less time consuming than handling loose rounds.
 
I use a 1911 for my Italian SAA replica. It is nice having them in a group but realistically, if I can grab 6 from a pouch or pocket it is faster than fiddling with the magazine.

Kevin
 
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Anybody have a citation for using a cap and ball spare cylinder as reload in the 1800s?

I would think that in 1860 a spare cylinder would possibly be the most expensive part of the entire gun.
 
Supposedly, spare cylinders were used in Texas with Paterson revolvers but I can not find a later reference unless you count bogus Eastwood movies. A loaded cylinder, if dropped, can inflict a lot of pain. Most often, when time was important, a second or third revolver was used. In the time it took to switch cylinders in the movie, I could have emptied two or three revolvers.

Kevin
 
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incredible video, thanks o.p. for me, ultra fast speedloading single action revolvers is like doing shots of a truly fine single malt scotch whisky, it’s not what they are really designed to do, and not why i’m drawn to them. that said, here is a useful series of videos done by ruger on using single action revolvers for defense:


Underwhelming...




GR
 
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