The exact disassembly process will vary by manufacturer, so check on the procedure before continuing.
Scrub the interior of all cylinder chambers with the cotton swab. Set the cylinder down so that all of the chambers face downward. This will allow the water or solvent to drain. Pass a cleaning patch soaked with solvent or hot, soapy water through the barrel. Pass clean, dry swabs or patches through each chamber and through the barrel to finish the cleaning process.
Note that reassembly will vary by gun manufacturer. As with disassembly, you should check on the exact procedure before continuing. Use a natural lubricant instead of a petroleum-based one. Apply a light coating of your chosen lubricant to all moving parts of the gun. Do not oil the gun heavily since doing so can cause fouling. You should also lightly grease each ball you’ll be firing and the opening of each chamber.
At this time, you should also put on your safety goggles and hearing protection.
The hammer should not move. If you can squeeze the trigger and the hammer falls, the revolver is broken and unsafe. Do not load it. Instead, you must have the gun repaired. The half cocked position acts as the revolver’s “safety” position.
Remove the rod and lay it along the outside of the barrel, lining it up with the mark at the muzzle. The opposite end should end at the nipple, which is where the chamber ends. Repeat this step with each chamber. If the rod does not line up correctly for any chamber, there is an obstruction. Do not load it. You must clear the obstruction before continuing.
Point the gun in a safe direction. Do not point it at yourself or at anyone else. Ideally, you should point it down range.
Note that you may need to pinch the cap to ensure a secure fit.
At this point, the gun is live. You will be able to pull the trigger and fire it.
For percussion caps, an appropriate target would be a leaf, blade of grass, or sheet of paper positioned roughly 1 foot (30. 5 cm) away. The target should move. If it doesn’t, there might be an obstruction in the barrel. Do not load the gun until the obstruction is cleared. Firing off percussion caps will further clear and dry each chamber.
You also need to remove any busted or fragmented caps at this time.
Note that the cylinder should be able to rotate freely at this point.
Keep the right side of the gun facing toward you. Do not position any part of your body over the revolver.
Use an individual powder measure. Do not pour powder from a large powder flask or can. The exact amount of powder will vary depending on the type of gun. For a . 36, use 12 grains of powder. Never exceed 20 grains. For a . 44, use 20 to 28 grains of powder. Never exceed 35 to 40 grains.
The ball should be oversized so that it only rests on top and does not enter. Make sure that the ball or bullet has been lightly greased before you load it.
Apply smooth, even pressure as you do this. There should be no air in between the powder and ball, but you should not crush the powder as you seat the ball. Also note that a thin outline of lead will be shaved off the ball as you do this. It should be visible at the opening of the chamber. This is a good sign and an indication that the ball is properly fitted.
It is recommended that you only load five chambers of a six-chamber revolver. Keep the hammer rested on the nipple of the unloaded chamber to reduce the risk of an accidental firing.
The use of grease can prevent “chain firing,” or accidental secondary discharges.
Make sure that the hammer is still in a half cocked position before doing this.
If you do not plan to fire the revolver immediately, then you should rest it over the empty chamber of the gun. If no chamber has been left empty, then rest it on a safety notch in between two nipples or on a safety pin. Note that it is not safe to carry the revolver with the hammer in its half cocked position over a loaded chamber.
You should be able to continue firing until all of the chambers have been emptied. Keep count of your shots as you fire. Make sure that all of your shots have fired before you set the gun down or reload it.
When the revolver is ready to reload, you can reload it by following the same procedure outlined in the “Loading the Revolver” section.
