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Author Topic: Chain-fire in CB revolver?  (Read 3033 times)

Offline Whitedog

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« Reply #30 on: January 04, 2010, 09:47:14 PM »
Yep, it happens around the nipples. Back in 1973, I had an original 1851 Colt Navy that I loaned to a gal to have used in a play once. I loaded all six chambers with powder, wad and grease over them. I thought it'd be better to have all the chambers at the ready because I couldn't be sure if they'd index the loaded chamber correctly for the moment the hero needed to fire up into the air. However, the caps that I used were too big and so I "pinched" them so that they wouldn't fall off. In so doing, they opened up at the opposite sides, exposing the flash holes in the nipples to fire from adjoining nipples. Well, the moment came and I was standing off stage watching to see if everything went off correctly. The hero pointed the old original navy up into the air and pulled the trigger. It was a real good thing that the play was outside because there was a tremendous roar as all of the chambers ingnited in rapid succession like a volley from a firing squad. The audience was silent as the roar of the old pistol echoed across the valley and back again in the night.  There were pieces of flaming toilet paper floating down from high in the sky, down...down...and one of them, still lit, landed on top of the hair of the hero. Well he must've had some type of hair spray on because his hair started to sizzle and smoke like Black Beards fuse lit beard. It was pretty funny as he went through his lines real quick in order to get the hell off of the stage to put his hair out.
It's better to have it and not need it than it is to need it and not have it.

Offline Gordon H.Kemp

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« Reply #31 on: January 22, 2010, 06:08:29 PM »
Did I ever tell you about the guy that had a chain-fire with his single shot flintloock pistol??????----Sorry! I just couldn't resist.
         My opinion is  that a properly loaded CB revolver in good mechanical condition has less chance of a chain-fire than finding a wampus-cat or hens teeth.
Gordy
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Offline Whitedog

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« Reply #32 on: January 22, 2010, 10:00:10 PM »
I agree! When the loading is correctly done, there aren't any problems. Both ends of the cylinder are sealed from rain and fire. Sam Colt gave a demonstration before a group of military brass once where he had dripped hot wax over the tightly fitting caps on each nipple. The bullets in the chambers, being properly oversized, were swagged in and were water tight. He submerged the revolver under water for some time and upon lifting it out of the water, allowed it to drain and then proceeded to discharge all six chambers one at a time. The brass was impressed to say the least and Sam Colt had his contract.
It's better to have it and not need it than it is to need it and not have it.