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Frontiersman - Malfunction or Reload


Randingo

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When shooting frontiersman, if a malfunction or miss fire occurs or if the stage calls for a reload, is it acceptable to change to a new loaded cylinder that maybe on the shooter.  If so, can the cylinder be on the belt in a loop designed for it?  If no, then what do ya do??

 

Thanks!!!!!

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Rules do not allow carrying a capped cylinder.

 

A shooter may remove a bad cap and recap on the clock, or may swap cylinders and cap the new cylinder on the clock.  It would be unwise to cap only one charged chamber on the new cylinder if the other 4 chambers are charged...you are risking a chain fire if you do.

 

If a Frontiersman encounters a stage that requires a revolver reload, he should charge all 6 cylinders, cap 5 at the loading table, drop the hammer on the uncapped nipple, then cap the uncapped nipple after the beep before firing the revolver.  Again, firing a percussion revolver with a charged chamber that has not been capped invites a chain fire.  Not that chain fires are dangerous, they are just unnecessarily aggravating and will count as a miss.

 

If I hit a percussion cap twice and it does not ignite, I declare a malfunction and go on with the stage.  Other options just take too much time.

 

If you decide to clear the charged unfired chamber after you have shot the stage, be sure to ask the TO for permission to return to the firing line, recap under his supervision, and fire the shot.  If you fire the unfired chambers at the unloading table you will earn a Match Disqualification.

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The best way with a reload on a stage requiring a pistolreload, shooting a C&B, is to cap the sixth cylinder before shooting a round down range and it is legal when shooting a C&B revolver that requires a pistol reload in the instructions. It is not really safe to try and reload another cylinder for a single shot reload. I remember one club a few years back that had at least on revolver reload at every match but have not seen one even at that club for over five years.

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If you load all 6 at the loading table in one or both revolvers or at your gun cart, etc. (yes this happens, I have first had knowledge) Cap all the loaded rounds at the loading table except the extra. Placing the hammer down on the un-capped  extra round . Tell the RO Timer before you start the stage, what you did, then ask permission to cap the extras  and discharge the extra round or rounds down range before you start the stage.

This happened to me my first year of shooting Frontiersman.

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Definition of terms is called for:  Charged cylinder = powder, wad & ball (or ball & grease, no cap.  Loaded cylinder = powder, ball with cap.  As J-Bar said, a capped cylinder cannot be carried to the line.  Whereas he believes a chain fire will result from an uncapped chamber, that's not been my experience in nearly 32 years of firing a C&B in SASS competition.  I've always charged six, and capped 5, leaving that sixth chamber ready to be capped in the event of a misfire or a needed reload on one round.  

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5 hours ago, Griff said:

Definition of terms is called for:  Charged cylinder = powder, wad & ball (or ball & grease, no cap.  Loaded cylinder = powder, ball with cap.  As J-Bar said, a capped cylinder cannot be carried to the line.  Whereas he believes a chain fire will result from an uncapped chamber, that's not been my experience in nearly 32 years of firing a C&B in SASS competition.  I've always charged six, and capped 5, leaving that sixth chamber ready to be capped in the event of a misfire or a needed reload on one round.  

Several freeze frame videos of 1860 Piettas reveal a 360 degree flash at the cylinder gap and a very narrow upward vertical flash at the hammer. Hammer flash might not ignite an adjacent uncapped charged cylinder.

 

I had a chain fire a few years ago. 5 capped cylinders with fiber wad and lube wad between powder and ball. No logical explanation.

 

Amarillo Rattler

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It must first be understood .... Chain Fire is primarily caused by ... Gremlins.  Gremlins are small, mostly invisible critters that cause all sort of mayhem.  Like hooking yer spurs together.  Or causing Dry Ball.  or inducing your Caps to fall off.  Also seen them snatch off the front sight and throw it into the gravel.  Very annoying.  Oh, ya, they sneak up on ya with a tiny little hammer and whack an extra cap or two.  Only explanation I've ever heard that made sense.  :rolleyes:

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