BP Cylinder Loading Stand

[grymster2007]

I’ve been thinking about building a cylinder loading stand for my BP revolvers. So far, I’ve modeled up a Pietta ’58 Remington 44 cylinder, made a start on the Pietta 1863 Pocket Remington .31 caliber cylinder and am working on modeling the stand itself. I’ve seen stands from Traditions, Marstar and Triple P. Of those, I like the Triple P best and think the turret a good idea. Are there others out there that I might get ideas from?

 

[mykeal]

There's this guy, originally sold by Powder, Inc. I'm not sure that it's still on the market. It was a predecessor to the Triple P design:

 

[Fingers McGee]

No comment

 

[Raider2000]

That's the one I have mykeal, the only thing I've done was use some felt on the cylinder base to keep marring the cylinder gear to a minimum.

 

[grymster2007]

No comment.

A philosophical objection to loading stands?

 

[6Gun4Fun]

I can refer you to this forum for further details.

http://www.voy.com/60048/

 

[Smokin_Gun]

Here's the lastest...I got mine from 6guns4fun today...
Pictured below the C&B Cylinder Loader is set up for the 1865 Rogers& Spencer .44

I must say that it is really well made and was well thought out, loads several cylinder models, presses muliple caliber boolits. A very good tool right down to the magnetic holders for cylinders pins and arbor, along with the bullet tools for pressing.

Good job Tim.... thank you,

 

[Fingers McGee]

A philosophical objection to loading stands?
__________________
grym

Since you asked. No, I don't have a philosophical objection to them. I just think they are an unnecessary expense and are a hassle to carry around. I feel the same way about multiple cylinders. I have better things to spend my money on.

Now, If I was entered in a precision shooting event where I was weighing my powder charges to the hundreth of a grain, using perfectly round balls with identical weight, loading with the same measured pressure in every chamber, attempting to score as many Xs as humanly possible, I might go to the trouble to use a loading stand like those being talked about.

For CAS, plinking, or informal matches, they're a waste of time and money, IMNSHO. Loading a C&B during a CAS match with the pistol still assembled and using the loading lever to do so after firing a stage does not take more than 2 or 3 minutes. About the time it takes a couple shooters to finish the satge.

With that said, I do have a revolver holder (stand if you must) built on to the side of my gun cart to hold the pistol while loading. Possibles bag hangs below and holds flask, balls, wads, tools, etc. All of it is covered by my umbrella in bad weather.

FM

 

[hillbille]

gotta agree with fingers, while my shooting will never be precision, I shoot black powder because I enjoy the experience, a loading stand just does not fit into my "experience" but to each there own.

 

[grymster2007]

The modeling of my loading stand is coming along pretty well, but it sure looks a lot like the Triple P. I guess maybe that's just a good design. Anyway, maybe I'll post a rendering in a few days. Meanwhile, when I was getting the necessary dimensions off the .44 cylinder, I noticed it was a pretty geometry-rich item so I took some pleasure in modeling it. have a peek.

 

[Smokin_Gun]

I can See where no one could enter and event with one ... but that ain't only what they are meant for.
For me when I carry a Revolver and Smoke pole/10x10ga while hunting I carry what I need to for reloading on the fly.
At the bench this tool doubles my shooting time, as I usually make a full day of it and bring 3 or 4 revolvers. Under a covered Shootin' house with a Standing bar type bench the length of the building...I would use this Loader alot during the coarse of a day. Put alot more lead down range too.
I jus' like it!

 

[Raider2000]

grym:
That 3D rendering of the Remington C&B cylinder is really cool, that is one of the few things that I've yet played with on a PC is rendering 3D objects.

Smokin:
That pretty much sumes up my reasons for having my loader especially for the target loads where the powder loads are pretty light & I'm not much of a filler man.

 

[grymster2007]

I still have work to do and the thing looks a lot like the Triple P, but here's where I am at this point. I modeled the plunger, roughly after a toggle clamp I found on McMaster-Carr (think I'll just buy that when the time comes). The turret is mounted to the stand base with a shoulder bolt and the base has a spring plunger detent that catches conical features in the turret which align each cylinder under the plunger. I probably won't make this thing 'til I retire, but I'm having fun anyway.

 

[mykeal]

Just a suggestion: you might want to rethink the detents in the turntable. It's often useful to be able to make very small rotating movements of the cylinder to help seat the plunger on the ball and avoid marking it with the edge of the plunger. Not so much a matter of whether the plunger is centered on the chamber (which is controlled by the geometry of the loader) but whether the ball is properly centered; it can be resting off center just a bit, enough to produce a 'divot' from the initial push of the plunger.

 

[grymster2007]

you might want to rethink the detents in the turntable

Good point, but the cylinders will still rotate freely about their central axes, providing some degree of alignment adjustment. Only the turret would be locked (well kinda, because the detent requires only 1.25 lb max force to overcome the spring tension). I think I'll leave the detent in, because I can always defeat it with a turn of a screwdriver.

Thanks mykeal!

Any other suggestions from anyone?

 

[arcticap]

Why not have a 2nd station on another side with a powder drop tube and a funnel at the top? It could be made to swing out of the way to not interfere with the operation of the handle. Or enlarge the base to fit it in. It could be made to be easily removable, maybe a swinging arched support for the tube placed in a corner of the base.
Also include an easy way to lower or raise the tube to adjust for different cylinder heights.
I like using funnels so that powder can be "dumped" in faster and easier.
Either way it's a very nice, solid looking loader.
There's 2 cents for you!

 

[grymster2007]

There's 2 cents for you!

That's at least a nickel's worth, bud! I'll ponder that idea for a bit. Thanks.

 

[6Gun4Fun]

To detend or not to detend that is the question

I've found that the detend is very useful for suspending the rotation of the turret in the selected loading position. Any misalignment is easily overcome by rotating the cylinder as opposed to rotating the turret. I've also used ball cutters to machine the ends of the seating jags to just a little bigger than the diameter of the round balls as to prevent any marring of the top.

Arcticat I just sent you a PM.

 

[arcticap]

Thanks 6Gun4Fun!

grymster2007, the loading tube could be "spring loaded" so that it can then be more fully depressed into the chamber being loaded with powder, and then easily released so the cylinder can be rotated to load the next chamber with powder. That way there's a minimum of effort and powder spillage. Maybe 1/2 inch to 1 inch of spring loaded tube travel?
If someone really wanted to get fancy, I guess that they could also set up a powder dispenser to be part of it too, to drop powder right into the funnel.
And the whole assembly could be made to pop on and off with a friction fitted support rod into a hole on the base, secured by a butterfly screw or similar.
Now that's got to be worth 5 cents!

 

[mykeal]

Hydraulics. It needs hydraulics.

And aerodynamics.