[MJN77]

Actually, I have read extensively about Mosby's rangers in the ACW. There are more than a few accounts of reloading revolvers in combat. Even in the Mexican war, I have read about Texas rangers reloading their revolvers in a fight. In one account, "Jack" Hay's men reloaded their Walkers and Patersons on the run, on horseback, after emptying them into an overwhelming group of Mexican lancers that surprised them near Izucar de Matamoros. After reloading, the rangers then turned, charged the lancers and emptied them again, before repeating the scene a few more times. So it was done. Probably more often than you or I will ever know.

The idea of shooting a C&B revolver more than 6 shots was never a consideration to the designers until after cartridges were developed. They were basically shot dry, holstered, and a different weapon was used.

Then why did companies bother to manufacture packaged, combustable cartridges at all? If you didn't have to reload in a hurry, wouldn't loose powder and ball be good enough? At the battle of Walker creek, in June 1844, the first time Texas rangers used the Paterson revolver in a large engagement, "Jack" Hays, as well as other participants of the fight, wrote of reloading those Patersons during that encounter with Comanches. The fight lasted for over an hour, and "tumbled over two miles". In the Mexican war (1846-1848), the very first war that revolvers were used in, there are accounts of Texas rangers having to reload under fire. I gave one example above. Others are, Monterey, San Juan Teotihuacan, and Zacualtipan, not to mention countless fights with Mexican guerrillas. That's probably why combustable revolver cartridges have been around since at least the late 1840s or early 1850s. You are right, that it was easier to just pull another loaded revolver in a fight. That's what the Missouri guerrillas/bushwhackers did during the ACW. But, regular cavalrymen, and average civilians, either weren't allowed by regulations, or couldn't afford to buy six, or eight revolvers like Quantrill, or "Bloody" Bill Anderson carried. Hence, the pre packaged, paper/skin/foil cartridges.

There were no powder bushings on the cylinders to stop fouling because, geeze, who needs to shoot it more than 6 times in a row?

So, lubrication was not really needed if you were only going to shoot it 6 times anyway. Going 30 rounds in a row for a CAS match is an application that was never imagined.

How long do you think Mexican war, or Civil war battles lasted? Do you think that after the rangers, or cavalry emptied their guns, they just went home? What about battles in wars, and fights with indians that lasted for hours? Did everyone empty their guns in the first few seconds and then scream insults at each other? Bushings don't matter much, as long as the cylinder axle pin is greased, or even oiled. Ever wonder why the axle pin on a Colt C&B revolver had those grooves cut in it? Now you know. And, they could always give the cylinder face a wipe when needed. These guns were weapons, not wall hangers. They were meant to be used in long drawn out battles. Battles don't just last five or ten minutes.

I seriously doubt, that in any of the above mentioned fights, that any of the participants, took the time to put a wad under, or a nice little dab of grease on top of the balls. Nowadays, BP shooting is a game, a hobby, a sport. Everything revolves around safety. Use grease over the balls, only load five in your six shooter. This is the way a lot of modern folks learn about BP shooting. The most dangerous thing most of us will ever shoot at are steel targets. Our lives will probably never depend on a C&B revolver. In the 1840s-50s-60s-70s, things were altogether different. Their C&B revolvers, often literally, meant life or death. So, as I said before, I will do as I have learned from the oldtimers, the folks that had to fire their guns at other flesh and blood human beings that were shooting back, through their first hand writings and other sources, not from "gun experts" that have been "cowboy shootin" at steel or paper targets for 30 years. You all will do as you wish. I never understood why some folks get so worked up about other people's opinions/way of doing things. Anyway, this has gotten way off subject, so I'm done.