How to Load a Cap & Ball Black Powder Revolver

More of This Article • Intro; Colt Replica; Disassembly • Components; Powder Charge; Ball • Ramming the ball; Grease to Prevent Chain Fire; Capping

Related Resources • Modern Muzzleloader Cleaning • Modern vs. Traditional • Muzzleloader/Black Powder Info

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The loaded and capped chamber.

This shows the hammer safely resting on an UNCAPPED nipple, with the loaded chamber next in line for firing. Cocking the hammer will cause the cylinder to rotate, bringing the capped nipple in line with the hammer. Always carry these Colt replicas with the hammer resting on an uncapped nipple. Even if you load all six chambers, cap only five of them and rest the hammer on the uncapped nipple.

This is a fully loaded black powder revolver made on the Remington design, which is far superior to the Colt. Besides being stronger due to the top strap and the steel frame, it also provides safety notches for the hammer to rest in, making it safe to carry with all nipples capped.

This shows a safety notch between two capped nipples.

The Remington fully cocked and ready to fire. If the trigger is pulled, the hammer will fall on the cap and fire the chamber in line with the barrel.

This shows the hammer resting safely in one of the notches cut into the cylinder. Simply cocking the hammer will make the gun ready to fire, but in the meantime it's absolutely safe and dropping it will not cause the gun to fire, nor can the cylinder rotate while the hammer is in this position.

I hope this helps any of you who may have a black powder revolver, or are considering purchasing one. I have gotten a lot of enjoyment out of mine over the years, and have even taken a whitetail buck with my Remington replica, which is a carbine with a shoulder stock and 18" barrel. It's a fun little popper, and though I prefer to hunt with something that packs a bit more wallop, it did the job for me very well on that occasion.

Dad has used his black powder revolver to finish off a buck more than once, and it's a power of peace to know we have more than one shot at hand when we're hunting in the same woods with black bears that outweigh us by a considerable margin.

Russ Chastain

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