The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post

Cap n ball · September 8, 2004, 10:46 AM

Over at http://blackpowderonline.com/June02Txsarm.htm there is an article about this firearm. There is a pretty good description of how it was loaded.

(Excerpt)
"Some glitches, however, plagued the Patterson. Early models had no facilities for charging the cylinder without removing the barrel. An extra loaded cylinder could be carried and placed into action fairly quickly, but changing it on the back of a running horse could be problematic to anyone other than a three handed chap. Reloading the cylinder of a Patterson on a charging or retreating mount was well nigh impossible. Charging a cylinder in the early Patterson required a special tool, which fitted into the barrel wedge slot of the cylinder pin for ramming the ball over the powder in the chamber. During loading the barrel had to be dropped in a pocket or placed on a rock, stump, table, etc. Colt did develop an ingenious flask, which would dispense five powder charges into the cylinder simultaneously from one end and place five balls over the powder from the other end of the flask."

September 8, 2004, 10:46 AM	#4
Cap n ball Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2000 Posts: 247	Over at http://blackpowderonline.com/June02Txsarm.htm there is an article about this firearm. There is a pretty good description of how it was loaded. (Excerpt) "Some glitches, however, plagued the Patterson. Early models had no facilities for charging the cylinder without removing the barrel. An extra loaded cylinder could be carried and placed into action fairly quickly, but changing it on the back of a running horse could be problematic to anyone other than a three handed chap. Reloading the cylinder of a Patterson on a charging or retreating mount was well nigh impossible. Charging a cylinder in the early Patterson required a special tool, which fitted into the barrel wedge slot of the cylinder pin for ramming the ball over the powder in the chamber. During loading the barrel had to be dropped in a pocket or placed on a rock, stump, table, etc. Colt did develop an ingenious flask, which would dispense five powder charges into the cylinder simultaneously from one end and place five balls over the powder from the other end of the flask."