Traditions Black Powder Revolver - Manual (Page 2)

Loading and Shooting a Cap & Ball Revolver
Caution: Always keep the barrel pointed in a safe direction.
Always wear suitable eye and ear protection when loading and
shooting any gun.
1. Check to be sure that your revolver is unloaded (as described earlier).
2. Set the hammer at half-cock position and verify that revolver cannot be
fired (the hammer cannot be moved) when trigger is pulled or the
hammer is pushed.
3. With gun POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION, place a No. 10 or 11
percussion cap on the nipple of each unloaded chamber.
a. Turn the cylinder so that a nipple aligns with the cut-out on the
right side of the frame. Angle muzzle downward.
b. It may be necessary to pinch the cap out of round to assure a snug
fit on the nipple. Nipples and caps vary slightly in diameter.
Advice: Use of a capper to place the cap onto the nipple is advised.
Percussion caps are sensitive to pressure and can explode under
extreme finger pressure.
4. Fully cock the hammer and pull the trigger to fire the cap to dry out
the base of the chamber and nipple. Repeat this procedure for all
nipples to insure that each chamber is thoroughly dry.
5. Check to be sure no UNFIRED caps have been inadvertently left on the
nipples. If so, fire them.
6. Place hammer at half-cock position.
7. Rotate cylinder and remove all spent caps.
8. Hold the muzzle upward. Be sure no part of the body is in front of the
revolver. Using a revolver powder measure, pour a measured charge
into a chamber. See loading chart. Rotate cylinder. Repeat procedure for
the other chambers. Never pour powder directly from flask or manu-
facturers container into chambers.
Caution: Normally only five chambers of a six-shot gun are loaded.
The gun is used and carried with the hammer resting on the
uncapped nipple of the unloaded chamber. To do so will reduce
the possibility of accidental firing .
9. Place a properly sized ball or bullet onto the opening of the chamber.
The ball or conical bullet should be slightly oversized so it will not enter
the chamber without pressure.
Note: If cast balls are being used, place sprue (flat surface) upward.
10. Rotate cylinder to place ball directly under loading lever plunger.
11. Using the loading lever, and apply moderate pressure to seat ball into
the chamber and firmly on top of the powder.
a. A thin ring of lead will be shaved off the ball at the opening of the
chamber. This occurrence illustrates that the ball is properly fitted to the
chamber and will not move off the powder during the firing of the
other chambers.
b. Be sure ball or conical bullet is firmly seated against powder. No air
space should exist between ball and powder.
Danger: Firing a revolver with the ball or conical bullet off the
powder may cause serious damage to the firearm and possibly
injury to the shooter or bystanders.
12. Repeat this loading procedure for additional chambers deliberately
leaving one empty to serve as a safety chamber.
13. Once a projectile has been seated in each of the chambers, fill the
remaining portion of each loaded chamber with Traditions Wonder
Lube 1000 or a Revolver Wonder Wad. The lube should be flush with
the top of the opening of each chamber. The lube or Wonder Wad
lubricates the bore of the barrel and keeps the blackpowder fouling soft
to allow more shots between cleanings and easier cleaning at the end of
a shooting session. It is also acceptable to put a Wonder Wad after the
powder and before the ball.
Caution: Wonder Lube 1000 and Wonder Wads seal each
chamber to reduce the possibility of a “chain fire”; when a spark
from the fired chamber crosses over the front of the cylinder and
causes other chambers to fire at the same time. When aiming a
revolver, never place “free hand” in front of the cylinder. Possible
bodily injury could result in the event of a “chain fire” (multiple
chamber ignition). Use new wads each time.
14. With gun POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION and hammer in half-cock
position, place a #10 or #11 percussion cap on the nipple of each loaded
chamber. The gun is NOW LOADED!
Note: It may be necessary to pinch the cap walls out of round to get a snug
fit. Caps and nipples can vary in size.
15. Pull hammer to full cock position. You are READY TO FIRE!
16. Be sure of your target, what’s beyond it and the back stop before you
fire.
17. FIRE!
18. After firing all loaded chambers, wait one minute to reload. This allows
any remaining sparks or embers to burn out prior to reloading.
19. If a misfire or failure to fire occurs, wait at least one minute with the gun
pointed at the target. After the other chambers have been fired:
a. Place hammer in ‘half-cock’ position.
b. Rotate cylinder and remove cap from nipple of the misfired
chamber. Make certain the gun is always pointed in a safe direction.
c. Push a nipple pick through the hole in the nipple into the main
charge to clear away any possible obstruction.
d. Place a new cap on the nipple and refire that chamber.
e. If the cap ignites but the chamber still does not fire, wait one minute
with gun pointed at target.
Danger: If cylinder with a loaded chamber(s) must be
removed, be sure all unfired and fired caps have been removed
from the nipples. It is possible for a chamber to fire even though
not in the gun. This could cause serious injury to the shooter or
bystanders.
f. Place hammer in half-cock position and remove all caps.
g. Remove cylinder from gun.
h. Use a revolver nipple wrench, remove the nipple of the unfired
chamber.
i. Clean the nipple thoroughly and dry it completely.
j. Push a nipple pick through nipple hole of the cylinder to loosen the
powder at the rear of the chamber.
k. Pour small amount of fresh powder into the nipple hole.
l. Reinsert and tighten nipple.
m. Clear away all loose powder around the outside of the cylinder.
n. Replace cylinder in gun.
o. Place new cap onto nipple.
p. With gun POINTED IN SAFE DIRECTION, pull hammer to
full-cock position. You are now READY TO FIRE!
q. FIRE!
20. If the chamber still does not fire, and after all chambers have been fired,
remove cylinder from the gun. Remove the nipple of the unfired
chamber(s), soak cylinder in hot water to flush out the powder and
push the ball or bullet out from the rear of the chamber (nipple hole
end), using an aluminum, wood or brass rod, definitely not steel.
Cleaning and Maintenance
1. Black powder fouling is extremely corrosive and can rust the barrel and
cylinder in a short time. All black powder guns must be cleaned
thoroughly after the firing session is completed.
2. Completely disassemble the gun.
3. Wipe off the grips.
4. Soak all metal parts in warm water and dish detergent and wipe off the
fouling, or use a brush and black powder solvent, such as bore cleaner
to scrub off the fouling.
5. Rinse all the metal parts in warm water.
6. Dry all parts thoroughly
7. Apply a light rust preventative oil such as Traditions Gun Oil (A1232)
to all metal parts. Lightly oil all moving parts, grease grooves of
cylinder pin and reassemble. Do not apply the oil heavily, as this will
contribute to additional fouling during shooting and require more
cleaning between shots.
Note: Nipple Sizes - Revolvers come in three basic sizes. small frame such
as the the Pocket Remington and Wells Fargo. Medium frame such as the
Colt Army and Navy and Remington Army and large frame such as the
Colt Walker and Dragoons. The small frame models have standard size
nipples however, they require a nipple wrench like that of the medium
frame models yet with a narrower body in order to fit into the smaller
cavity in the cylinder. The medium frame models require a standard
revolver nipple wrench. The larger frame revolvers, with the larger
nipples, require a larger wrench with a wider opening to span the
distance between the flats of the larger nipple. Check with your local
retail dealer for whichever wrench you need.
Caution: Store firearms in a secure dry place with sufficient
ventilation. If stored in a container it should be well ventilated.
Always store firearms and all shooting components well locked
and secured from children.
Important: If you sell, trade or give this revolver to another person,
make sure that you give the new owner a copy of this manual.
Copies are available free from Traditions.
1375 Boston Post Rd.
P. O. Box 776
Old Saybrook, CT 06475-0776
Tel. 860-388-4656 • e-mail [email protected]
www.traditionsmuzzle.com
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P.O. Box 776 • Old Saybrook, CT 06475-0776
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