Capping Made Easy - Butterfield Army Revolver:

Fiddling those #11 percussion caps into correct engagement on my Ruger Old Army makes me appreciate the intent of the Butterfield Army Revolver design. - Patented in 1855 by Jesse Butterfield

-He would have been well pleased to get the U.S. governments order for 2,250 of his revolvers - however he'd have soon been devastated to have that order cancelled before he had built maybe only 640.

Butterfield Army Revolver - Patent 1855.

This ingenious design employed a spring-loaded tube magazine that screwed into place before the trigger-guard - containing disc shaped paper percussion caps that each had a pellet of fulminate in the centre. When the hammer was cocked a small action bar pushed the top priming cap into place directly on top of the cone or nipple to be popped by the hammer fall.

 

This 'tube-magazine' kept the percussion caps safe until the moment of firing.

These five shot .41" calibre revolvers could also use hand seated conventional copper caps - but the design was overtaken by the development of metallic cartridges and breach loading firearms.

A good idea - even when well made, is not enough - you've got to be in the right place at the right time too. It's surely not easy to make a buck - so keep buying those Lotto tickets eh.

Marty K.