The Triple P Loader

[6Gun4Fun]

Hi Everyone!
 
  My attention was directed to this message board by a member at The High Road.  Don't know if any of you have seen it yet, I'm the inventor for "The Pistol Packin' Pardner.  It's a black powder revolver cylinder loading tool. I'm trying to decide if it's worth my time and money to start regular  production, so I'm trying to get a feel for how many people would be interested. If you do a search on ebay for my product in completed auctions, you should be able to view my product. If anyone is interested please contact me via email at

TripleP@sixgunforfun.com

Thanks

[litl rooster]

What is suggested retail?

[6Gun4Fun]

$79.99 if you buy through ebay, $69.99 If purchased direct.

[Rusty Spurless]

At that price point I am sure there will be some interest.

You would be catering to the ROA & Remmie shooters though... Fear not, theirs a mess of them goobers out there   

For me & mine what shoot Colts there is little need.

[Steel Horse Bailey]

VERY nicely done!

[6Gun4Fun]

Thank You Sir!  I developed the tool for use with the Old Army at first, then soon realized it could be adapted for just about all of them.  I haven't put a hand on a '73 Cattleman, Spiller & Burr or JH Dance yet, but I have space available on the reverse side of the turret for future adaptations.

[Pettifogger]

Looks way better than the other similar model.  Your link system looks great.  That sliding collar deal on the other one leaves a LOT to be desired.

[Mako]

At that price point I am sure there will be some interest.

You would be catering to the ROA & Remmie shooters though... Fear not, theirs a mess of them goobers out there   

For me & mine what shoot Colts there is little need.

Rusty,
Actually I load all of my Colts on a bench loader.  I break mine down between every stage, clean the tubes, check for debris especially around the hammer slot and wipe them down.  Before I got my first bench loader I used to charge powder, add a  lubed wad and then reassemble the pistol to seat balls then I'd pull the barrel again to clean the lead rings and had to reassemble it a second time.  Too much work!  I can load my revolvers as fast as someone  loading them using the barrel mounted rammer, check them, clean them and keep my pistols running trouble free an entire match.  Almost every other stage I find cap fragments somewhere when I pull the barrel and cylinder.

If you look at any pair of my revolvers they almost look new (but the newest pair is three years old) because I don't put a lot of wear and tear on them using the barrel mounted system.  If you pay attention you will notice the stress you actually put on the pistol while ramming a ball home.  I shoot trouble free matches gunfighter style, I can't afford to have a sticky action or dirty pistol with both hands full. 

I do all of this while manning the safety officer position at the unloading table.  No one has or ever will ever accuse me of not pulling my weight on a posse.  I start out as a spotter, take my turn shooting about half of the way through then finish out the stage as a safety officer at the unloading table.  The loader helps me be able to do this because you can see exactly what you are doing and stop at any point to do your duty as  the unloading table officer.  I notice a lot of Cap-N-Ball shooters go off on their own to recharge because they don't want to be distracted, this isn't a problem with the cylinder off, you can stop, re-inspect and start back up at any point.  I have it all kitted up and stick to a a choreographed routine.

I like the looks of this loader, he is using the linkage concept commonly seen in toggle clamps.  It's compact, has compund leverage and controls the motion of the rammer keeping it very linear and better than most other designs.

Kudos,
Mako

[Adirondack Jack]

Looks real well made.  Good job.

[Fox Creek Kid]

My advice would be to make a video & post it showing the thing in use as some of us have been "burned" in the past. Also, you have to push the handle up in order to lower the ram or maybe the dimensions are out of focus w/o a cylinder there for perspective?

[6Gun4Fun]

When the handle is lowered, the ram is in the fully extended position. Raising the handle raises the ram to the fully retracted position.  There is a video at www.sixgunforfun.com that show me loading the Ruger Old Army.

[Fox Creek Kid]

Thanks, as I see now. So the loading ram never cants, always going straight down. Great!!    You've eliminated the flaw in the Powder Inc. loader by adding another linkage that cams. 

[litl rooster]

and a wad cutter too...great job

[Mako]

My advice would be to make a video & post it showing the thing in use as some of us have been "burned" in the past. Also, you have to push the handle up in order to lower the ram or maybe the dimensions are out of focus w/o a cylinder there for perspective?

FCK,
He has videos, go look at his site.  They are hosted on Youtube.
http://sixgunforfun.com/
~Mako

[Fox Creek Kid]

Thanks, Mako.

[Fingers McGee]

At that price point I am sure there will be some interest.

You would be catering to the ROA & Remmie shooters though... Fear not, theirs a mess of them goobers out there   

For me & mine what shoot Colts there is little need.

+1  The loading stand on the side of my guncart holds the pistol & the rammer on the pistol does the work.  No need to constantly disassemble and reasssemble the pistol - wears the wedge out.

FM

[Mako]

+1  The loading stand on the side of my guncart holds the pistol & the rammer on the pistol does the work.  No need to constantly disassemble and reasssemble the pistol - wears the wedge out.

FM

Fingers,
I have to politely disagree…I’m willing to bet that my four pairs of percussion revolvers I use or have used in competition are as tight or tighter than your pair(s).  I will also qualify that by saying I use minimal wedge insertion (just enough to engage the hook on the retaining spring), so I don’t have them “pounded” in.  I grabbed a pair of ‘60s I used this last Saturday from the shop and took some photos to show you what a pair of well fitted and taken care of pistols should look like after three years of one or two matches a month .  The wedges get pushed out and back in a minimum of six to eight times per match and then again when they are stripped for cleaning.

I have a wooden base block I use to set the barrel against when pushing the wedge in that stops it from over-engaging the slot.  You can do the same thing by resting the Starboard side of the barrel where the slot opening is against the edge of your bench or wooden block, this stops the wedge as it pokes through the slot.

I pulled the wedge from a brand new unfired 1861 and compared it to the well used wedges and you would be hard pressed to see any appreciable wear other than some light burnishing.  Look at the photos and tell me which one is the old wedge, the one on the left or right in the two photos.

Regards,
Mako

[Mako]

Fingers,
This is my loader, I can load Colts or Remingtons, .36 or .44 calibers.  If you look at my two '60s above you will note the rammers look pristine (they are) and the frame doesn't get torqued by using the barrel mounted rammer.  The pictures of the two pistols don't do them justice, there is moose milk on them and the grips aren't wiped off.  The pistols look better than most new ones out of the box.

I can pull my barrels, clean the action and tubes, charge and seat balls with my loader very quickly. And at stage eight mine run as well as they did at stage two (they are never as clean during the match as they were before I send the first ball down range).  Can you say the same for yours, or are they a bit stiffer and harder to cock after a few stages?

Regards,
Mako

[Fingers McGee]

Mako,  I'm glad using the off pistol loading stand works for you.  I view it as extra work and gear to haul around.  Loading on the side of my cart with the pistol assembled works for me. 

I just finished a 10 satge match over two days with the only maintenance being wiping the outside of the gun down after 5 stages before I put it in the gun rug.  Cylinders spin just as free after 10 stages as they did before 1.  Two weeks ago I shot a 12 satge match with the same results - and two weeks before that 15 stages over 3 days - admittedly, I did check the arbor lube after 10 stages though and added some to be on the safe side.

Fingers (Show Me MO smoke) McGee

[Mako]

Fingers
Excellent results!  Who is the powder manufacturer and what grain size are you using? I want to try some.  While I'm at it would you share your lubrication secrets with me?
Regards,
Mako

[Fingers McGee]

Mako,
Powder is either Goex fffg or Schuetzen fffg (whichever I can get cheapest at the time); lubed wad (either wonder wads, bpstuff wads with some of the lube melted out, or dry wads I lube myself with beeswax/crisco/bore butter mixture); and .380 cast balls.  I lube the arbor with bore butter ensuring all the grooves are full and there is sufficient lube on the ratchet to keep the back of the cylinder from binding on the frame.

FM

[Fingers McGee]

Mako,
Guns are 2nd Gen Colt '61 Navies; but get same results from Uberti '61 Navies, 2nd Gen '51 Navies, Navy Army Frontiersman '51 Navies, Pietta 1860 Armies, Pietta US Marshal .44 cal '51 Navies.  Powder for the .36s is either 20 gr Goex fffg or Schuetzen fffg (whichever I can get cheapest at the time) the Armies get 24 gr; lubed wad (either wonder wads, bpstuff wads with some of the lube melted out, or dry wads I lube myself with beeswax/crisco/bore butter mixture); and .380 cast balls.  I lube the arbor with bore butter ensuring all the grooves are full and there is sufficient lube on the ratchet to keep the back of the cylinder from binding on the frame.  The Schuetzen powder appears to be a little bit cleaner.

FM

[Mako]

Fingers,
You must just lead a cleaner life than I do, or maybe you shoot more Navies than I do these days.  You do shoot lighter loads than I do maybe that's the difference.

Regards,
"Dirty" Mako

[Fingers McGee]

Mako;

I've been shooting Navies almost exclusively for the last 5 years.  Between Mar & Oct I average 3 matches a month with one being an annual, state or regional.  Settled on the 20 gr load as the most consistent and accurate for CAS.  Heavier loads are good for longer distances; although, the 20 gr load in my SS Uberti '51 will ring 4 out of 5 on a buffalo target at 75 yds with a dead on hold.

Fingers

[Noz]

I load a lot like Fingers. 1860 Armys, 25 grs of FFFg, lubed wad and a 454 or 457 ball. I have gone to an ultra lite gun cart so I load with a pistol stand at the unloading table rather than on the cart. My results are the same. At the end of the match I spray the outside with Ballistol and then clean when I get time. Frequently days after the shoot. I shoot 10-12 stages with no maintenance.