Traditions Black Powder Revolver - Manual

2. The term ‘black powder’ does not refer to any powder black in color.
Modern smokeless powders are also black in color and should never be
used in a cap & ball revolver.
Danger: Use of smokeless powder in any cap & ball revolver
will result in excessively high pressures and can cause serious
damage to the revolver and possibly bodily injury to the shooter
and bystanders.
3. Always be sure that the propellant you select is commercially
manufactured black powder or Pyrodex ® for use in muzzleloaders
offered for sale by a reputable dealer. TAKE NO CHANCES!
4. Pyrodex ® is intended to be used on the same volume basis as black
powder.
5. Store propellants according to the manufacturer’s instructions listed on
each container. Local fire regulations should also be followed. Store
securely and safely out of reach of children.
Caution: Never smoke while loading, shooting or handling
propellants. Always follow the manufacturer's safety precautions
as listed on the propellants’ container.
Projectiles
• Round Ball:
a. The recommended projectile to assure greatest accuracy and consis-
tency from your revolver is a round ball (cast or swaged) of pure
lead.
b. See Recommended Revolver Loads (below) for the suitable ball diameter
for a specific caliber and revolver style.
• Conical Bullets:
a. Conical bullets were originally used to provide greater knock-down
power.
b. Inherently, conical bullets are not as accurate as round balls primarily
because during loading they become canted and therefore enter the
bore at an angle.
Note: Do not exceed the maximum charges or change powder
granulation as noted in the Recommended Revolvers Loads chart. The proper
charge for a cap & ball revolver is an efficient load, providing consistent
ignition, velocity.
Note:
Do NOT patch balls (or bullets), as is customary with muzzleloading
rifles. Shooting patches are never used with revolvers.
Recommended Revolver Loads
Revolver Projectile Propellant (grains/granulation)
caliber/make round ball conical 3f black powder or Pyrodex ® P
diameter min. max.
.31 Remington
.315” Round 7/3f 12/3f
.315” Conical 6/3f 11/3f
.36 Colt
.380” Round 16/3f 25/3f
.380” Conical 12/3f 15/3f
.44 Colt
.454” Round 22/3f 30/3f
.44 Remington
.44 Starr .454” Conical 19/3f 25/3f
.44 Colt
.454” Round 25/3f 40/3f
Walker and
Dragoons .454” Conical 20/3f 35/3f
One Year Limited Warranty
Traditions warrants this product to be free of defects in material or
craftsmanship for one year from the date of purchase and will repair or
replace, at its option, without charge, our product which is returned at
the owner’s expense to Traditions. Please enclose a full explanation of
the specific problem with the returned item.
Traditions will not be responsible for damage to the finished gun or
to any of its parts, as a result of careless handling, improper loading,
corrosion, neglect, misuse, alteration or damage to parts. Incidental or
consequential damages and those caused by improper packaging for
shipping, are not covered by this warranty. Damage to metal or wood is
not covered due to the inability of Traditions to control its use and
storage conditions.
This warranty will remain in force unless any of the following is
determined by the Traditions Customer Service Department:
1. Use of any propellant other than black powder or Pyrodex
® .
2. Use of any propellant charges in excess of those recommended in
these Traditions shooting instructions.
3. Modification of component parts from their original configuration
as they were shipped from the factory.
Introduction
1. This manual contains instructions, cautions and dangers for the safe use
of cap & ball firearms. It is important that you read, understand and be
willing to always follow them completely.
2. When properly handled, a cap & ball revolver is safe and enjoyable to
use, if you follow a few basic rules.
3. There is no way to build a cap & ball revolver to absolve the user of the
need to use good judgement.
4. Your cap & ball revolver should always be treated with the respect due
any firearm in addition to specific cautions and dangers outlined in this
manual.
Note: If after reading the instructions, cautions and dangers contained in this
manual, you are not willing to accept the responsibilities involved in shooting a
blackpowder revolver, return the revolver to your dealer before firing or contact
Traditions, P. O. Box 776, Old Saybrook, CT 06475, Tel. 860-388-4656.
Important Safety Precautions
1. Always wear shatterproof glasses and appropriate ear protection.
2. Use black powder or Pyrodex
® only.
3. Never fire a revolver unless the projectile is firmly seated against the
powder charge.
4. Do not exceed recommended maximum powder charges.
5. Never lean over or point muzzle toward yourself or anyone else.
6. Treat a misfire or failure to fire as though the revolver can fire at any
moment.
7. Handle your revolver with all the respect due any firearm.
8. Be sure all bystanders are behind you when firing. Flames and cap bits
sometime exit to the side of the gun.
9. Never smoke or be near ignition source while loading, shooting or
handling black powder or Pyrodex ® .
10. Always leave one chamber unloaded. This is called the “safety
chamber”. Rest the hammer on the capless nipple of this empty chamber
when the other chambers are loaded and awaiting to be fired.
11. Always be sure to seal the loaded chambers with Traditions Wonder Lube
1000 or Revolver Wonder Wads to prevent “chain-fires” (the simultaneous
ignition of more than one chamber).
12. When aiming a blackpowder revolver, never place ‘free’ hand in front of
cylinder. Possible injury could result in the event of a “chain-fire”.
13. If a cylinder with a loaded chamber must be removed, be sure all caps
(unfired and fired) have been removed from the nipples.
14. Make sure your gun is unloaded before you store it.
15. Store your gun separately from its various shooting components; in
secure locked dry places well away from children.
Verifying Your Gun Is Unloaded
1. With the revolver pointed in a safe direction, place hammer in the half-
cock position.
2. Rotate the cylinder and check that all the nipples are void of percussion
caps. Remove any percussion caps immediately.
3. Take a wooden dowel or cleaning rod and insert one end down the
barrel and into the cylinder. Mark dowel at muzzle. Be sure that the
dowel has entered the chamber in line with the barrel.
4. Remove rod and lay it along outside of barrel, lining up mark at muzzle.
5. The opposite end of the rod should reach the nipple at the back of the
chamber. Rotate cylinder and repeat for the remaining chambers. If the
mark on the dowel does not line up properly, the gun is either loaded
or obstructed and should be cleared before proceeding. This practice
will assure the gun is unloaded.
Preparation Before Loading
Note: Your new revolver should be cleaned prior to loading to remove any
factory oils.
1. Disassembly, based on revolver style:
• ’Colt’-style revolver disassembly:
a. Remove the wedge, located just forward of the cylinder by tapping it
through the slot in the side of the barrel. When new, extra force will
be required to remove the wedge.
Note: The small flat screw above the wedge retains the wedge from falling
out completely. It does not secure the wedge in the slot.
b. Place hammer in half-cock position (first audible ‘click’).
c. Rotate the cylinder, so that the loading lever, when lowered, will hit
the area between two cylinder chambers. This allows you take
advantage of using the leverage of the loading lever to help in the
separation of the barrel from the frame.
d. Separate the barrel from the frame.
Note: When new, parts fit together tightly. Therefore, it may be necessary
to sharply hit the front portion of the cylinder with a wooden or plastic
mallet in order to separate the barrel from the frame. When doing so, hit
both sides of the front of the cylinder in turn. Be certain that the frame will
not fall too far when it separates from the barrel. Over time, from repeated
takedowns and reassemblies, parts will become burnished (broken-in) and
separate and fit together much more easily.
e. Remove the cylinder from the cylinder pin.
f. To reassemble, reverse sequence.
• ’Remington’-style revolver disassembly:
a. Partially lower loading lever. Make certain plunger does not enter a
cylinder chamber.
b. Pull or tap out the T-shaped cylinder pin located under the barrel.
c. Place hammer in half-cock position (first audible ‘click’). Rotate the
cylinder out of the frame.
d. To reassemble, reverse sequence. Note: The cylinder is custom fitted
to your revolver therefore the tolerances are close. With careful mani-
pulation and practice, this process will get easier. Do not force the
cylinder into the frame. Be patient.
• ’Starr’-style revolver disassembly:
a. Loosen round trapped nut located on upper rear of right side of
revolver.
b. Pull out or tap to release.
c. Tilt barrel forward.
d. Remove cylinder by sliding it rearward.
2. Clean the interior of all cylinder chambers using cotton swab dipped in
a cleaning solvent, such as Traditions Wonder Lube 1000 TM Bore
Cleaning Solvent.
3. Place cylinder so that the chambers face down for easy draining.
4. Run a cleaning patch soaked with solvent through the barrel.
5. Run clean, dry swabs and patches into the chambers and through the
barrel, make sure they are clean.
6. During reassembly, LIGHTLY oil all moving parts and grease the
grooves of the cylinder pin.
Note: If shooting is going to commence shortly, take care not to put oil
inside the chambers or nipples.
Propellant
1. Black powder or Pyrodex ® are the only safe propellants to be use in any
cap & ball revolver.
2 3 4
Serial # ____________________________________________________________
Name _________________________________________________________ Age ________
Street ______________________________________________________________________
City ______________________________________ State ________ Zip ______________
Phone # _______________________________ Date of Purchase _____________________
Purchase Price______________________ Store Name _____________________________
Reason for your purchase ❑ Personal Use ❑ Target Shooting ❑ Hunting ❑ Other
Do you hunt with ❑ Cartridge Rifle ❑ Shotgun ❑ Handgun ❑ Bow ❑ Muzzleloader
Where purchased ❑ Specialty Gun Store ❑ General Sporting Goods Store
❑ Hardware Store ❑ Chain Store ❑ Mail Order Catalog
Which factors most influenced your purchase of a Traditions brand firearm?
❑ Previously owned a Traditions product ❑ Magazine Ad ❑ Traditions Catalog
❑ Recommendation of Salesperson ❑ Recommendation of a Friend
❑ Magazine Article ❑ Design ❑ Quality ❑ Value ❑ Other
Which gun/hunting magazines do you read?
1.____________________________________ 2.___________________________________
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muzzleloadings’ largest selection of firearms and accessories.
❑ To receive a Traditions hat and catalog, send $12.00 along
with your warranty registration.
NOTE: Please return this card within 15 days of
purchase in order to validate your limited one year warranty.
Please complete all information above and mail to:
P.O. Box 776 • Old Saybrook, CT 06475-0776
Referencing the label on the end of the
carton, please write in the last 5 digits
located on the right half of the UPC
code into the boxes below.
4 0 5 8 9 Model #
Preferred Customer Warranty Registration Card
✃