copyright William Marion 2008
Black Powder Revolver
The Online Magazine and Resource for Black Powder Revolvers
February 2006 Edition
Why is my Revolver Now Only a Single Shot?
I had an email from a reader who said the cylinder on their 1861 Colt Navy had stopped rotating when the hammer was pulled back. Hopefully they didn’t shooting it any longer, since bad things can happen when you shoot a revolver where the cylinder doesn’t align with the barrel. Most likely the cause of the problem is that a part called the hand and spring has broken. This is the part that contacts the detents on the back of the cylinder and causes it to rotate as the hammer is pulled back. If the spring is broken, then the hammer is not pushed against the cylinder. Breakage of this part is fairly common. If you feel handy, consult the parts diagram for your revolver to disassemble the hammer and trigger mechanism. Several of the retailers listed on the links page such as Dixie Gun Works have replacement parts available. While basically the same, hand and spring assemblies vary for each gun model I’ve seen people try to repair or replace a broken spring, and they haven’t been successful, It’s not that difficult and once you have a replacement spring, it’s easy to install and reassemble your gun. If you need help, see a local gunsmith. They like seeing Black Powder guns every now and then.
I had an email from a reader who said the cylinder on their 1861 Colt Navy had stopped rotating when the hammer was pulled back. Hopefully they didn’t shooting it any longer, since bad things can happen when you shoot a revolver where the cylinder doesn’t align with the barrel. Most likely the cause of the problem is that a part called the hand and spring has broken. This is the part that contacts the detents on the back of the cylinder and causes it to rotate as the hammer is pulled back. If the spring is broken, then the hammer is not pushed against the cylinder. Breakage of this part is fairly common. If you feel handy, consult the parts diagram for your revolver to disassemble the hammer and trigger mechanism. Several of the retailers listed on the links page such as Dixie Gun Works have replacement parts available. While basically the same, hand and spring assemblies vary for each gun model I’ve seen people try to repair or replace a broken spring, and they haven’t been successful, It’s not that difficult and once you have a replacement spring, it’s easy to install and reassemble your gun. If you need help, see a local gunsmith. They like seeing Black Powder guns every now and then.
Why do my Caps keep falling off and jamming in the Trigger?
Most likely you have the wrong sized cap for your revolver. The major manufacturer of percussion caps, CCI, has 4 sizes of caps. If you purchase caps at a store that is not familiar with Black Powder shooting, they may give you what ever they have on the shelf. Caps should fit snugly and not fall off when the cylinder is rotated. Ideally, as you fire each cylinder, the shot cap should either stay on the nipple or fall off as the cylinder rotates. Watch that remains of fired caps don’t jam your hammer or get stuck between the cylinder and frame. The below information is from the CCI website:
Most likely you have the wrong sized cap for your revolver. The major manufacturer of percussion caps, CCI, has 4 sizes of caps. If you purchase caps at a store that is not familiar with Black Powder shooting, they may give you what ever they have on the shelf. Caps should fit snugly and not fall off when the cylinder is rotated. Ideally, as you fire each cylinder, the shot cap should either stay on the nipple or fall off as the cylinder rotates. Watch that remains of fired caps don’t jam your hammer or get stuck between the cylinder and frame. The below information is from the CCI website:
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Mail Bag
In this feature we answer questions submitted by our readers. If you have a question, email it to us
#10
A special percussion cap for revolvers fitted with #10 nipples
#11
General-purpose percussion cap for most rifles and handguns
#11 Magnum
A hotter #11 cap for reliable ignition of replica black powders
U.S. Musket
Classic "winged" cap for Civil War rifles and replicas fitted with musket cap nipples
Hand and Spring
Generally, the spring breaks and the hand is no longer pressed against the cylinder. This will cause the cylinder not to rotate
