CIVIL WAR question..Ballard .44 rimfire single shot

[Jim McDougall]

CC, thanks so much for the tip! Im not sure if Ive got Flayderman, but should have it. Its quoted so much its a must have. I got most my information from an article in an American Society of Arms Collectors bulletin which was pretty thorough. For me though, Flaydermans research has always been final word, nobody ever knew stuff like him! Sure miss him.

Thanks for the insight on octagon barrels, I was thinking that such a feature would not be restricted so arbitrarily. In times of war as when these were made, I would think 'mix and match' would be common.

[CutlassCollector]

Rogers and Spencer .44 Percussion Revolver.

The US government ordered 5000 of them near the end of the war but only 1500 were delivered before the end of the conflict - I guess that still counts as a Civil War gun.

Unclip the bar from under the muzzle and the rammer can be used to load each chamber on the gun. Pull the assembly further out and the cylinder can be dropped out as the upper bar forms the axle about which it rotates. A spare fully loaded cylinder can than be dropped in for a fast reload.
Of course it was the end of the percussion era so these innovations did not last long before cartridge revolvers took over.

[Jim McDougall]

Totally amazing piece CC! I never even heard of these. It seems there were quite a few individual designs vying for contracts, and as seen here and with the Ballard and others, many contracts were far from completed.
I think that is what is exciting about firearms of this period during and after the war.

Bannerman was a mysterious and incredible entity, it seems he had his hands in all manner of surplus, stockpiling literally tons of weapons after the war and it seems in many other areas even foreign. I think he was impetus for the basic pursuits of arms collecting in the early part of the century.
Would have loved to see his island and castle in the middle of the Hudson River back in the day!

[urbanspaceman]

I am certain the final showdown in the movie "The Outlaw Josie Wales" features a replaceable cylinder winning the day... yes?
It was a definite boon with percussion arms and it would have been equally useful on cartridge revolvers surely?
Today, of course, swing out cylinders allow the use of speed loaders.

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by urbanspaceman

I am certain the final showdown in the movie "The Outlaw Josie Wales" features a replaceable cylinder winning the day... yes?
It was a definite boon with percussion arms and it would have been equally useful on cartridge revolvers surely?
Today, of course, swing out cylinders allow the use of speed loaders.

Thats weird Keith! We were just talking about 'speed loaders' and were trying to remember which Eastwood movie that was seen in!

[Edster]

Sorry guys, Eastwood used a Remington in Pale Rider. Here's an AI search:

In the movie Pale Rider (1985), Clint Eastwood's character, "Preacher," uses a Remington 1858 New Army revolver. The gun is notably featured in the film, with its interchangeable cylinders being demonstrated by Eastwood. It is a .44 caliber pistol, originally a cap-and-ball percussion model, but modified for the film to fire metallic cartridges.

Best,
Ed

[urbanspaceman]

"I am certain the final showdown in the movie "The Outlaw Josie Wales" features a replaceable cylinder winning the day... yes?"
Yes, and it was a Remington; I didn't mention a manufacturer, only that the feature was a rapidly replaced cylinder - which was the essence of the issue.
I didn't suggest it was such a simple replacement exercise as the Rogers and Spencer, I just remember it being the effort that won the day, because I looked at my Remington at the time and didn't see how it could have been achieved, so put it down to Hollywood fabrication.
I also suggested that I saw no reason why it could not have been used equally effectively on the approaching cartridge cylinders; does anyone know why not?