USFA 12-22 Revolver

[rodeo kid]

I just got a USFA 12-22 today. Seems to be of very good quality. Did my usual quick test in the back pasture and it shot just fine. Did run across something I have not figured out. The manual was the same as for my Rodeo II and gave the usual warning of only loading five rounds and keeping an empty chamber under the hammer. I am familiar with loading one, skipping one and loading four ending up with an empty chamber in the right spot. But this is a 12 shot revolver so that does not work. anyone know of a sequence that does? Due to the tight gap between the rear of the cylinder and the frame you can't tell which chamber is empty as it comes around, so if anyone has any ideas pour them out. Maybe I will have to call USFA. Thanks

[AJMD429]

If it has a transfer-bar or equivalent mechanism, the point could be moot, but you'd think they wouldn't mention it unless it is a valid safety concern. If I had to do that, I'd probably think of a way to mark one of the chambers so visible from the outside, and simply make it a point not to load that one, then carry with that one indexed to the barrel.

It would be a bummer, though, to only have an "eleven-shooter" - what if an even dozen rabbits popped up before company was coming for dinner...?

[DPris]

It doesn't have a transfer bar, you'll just have to figure it out on your own.
Denis

[Chas.]

Load 1, skip 1, load 10?

[bdhold]

don't feel too bad about the owner's manual, my new Uberti baby rolling block carbine came with a Uberti revolver manual, and a slip of paper that said shoot only commercially available loads, warranty is voided by shooting reloads, yadayadayada

[jnyork]

Wow, bulldog, that is a pretty tough situation you are in there with no manual for that roller. Tell ya what, I am a qualified firearms expert, you send that thing out to me and I will analyze it for ya for a few years, see if I can figger it out for ya and I promise I'll send it right back the minute I get it under control.

[bdhold]

it's going to be really pretty next week. Putting a 3x Malcolm scope on it using the mount set for an 1885 - it was not easy to get somebody at Leatherwood to talk to me, but when they finally did, we put it together.

[rjohns94]

load one, skip one, load ten would work.

[Booger Bill]

Now was that 5 shots or 6? Ah gots to know!
Pretty easy, or hard to count 12 clicks for sure!
What I would do if concerned would mark two chambers. The correct one to stay empty, than another that can be easily identified lined up with another part or mark lined up on the gun.
Darn it! I am really going to stick my neck out this time and give a unpopular opinion. We have had it preached to us as fact that the old timers always had the fireing pin on a empty chamber. I DO NOT BELIVE THAT!! Yes, that would have been the safe way, but in the old times I just dont belive it was practiced as much as the guru,s say! I have read accounts where old single actions were found loaded and not once out of a number of accounts I read was it said with 5 rounds and one empty!

[Blaine]

load one, skip one, load ten would work.

A couple people said that, but how do you know if the empty one is under the hammer when you close it....he said you can't see it...

[J Miller]

load one, skip one, load ten would work.

A couple people said that, but how do you know if the empty one is under the hammer when you close it....he said you can't see it...

AT THE RANGE: Load 1, skip 1, load 10, pull the hammer to full cock POINT DOWN RANGE, pull the trigger.

If it goes click you know the theory is correct.
If it goes bang you know the theory is incorrect.

Joe

[Blaine]

load one, skip one, load ten would work.

A couple people said that, but how do you know if the empty one is under the hammer when you close it....he said you can't see it...

AT THE RANGE: Load 1, skip 1, load 10, pull the hammer to full cock POINT DOWN RANGE, pull the trigger.

If it goes click you know the theory is correct.
If it goes bang you know the theory is incorrect.

Joe

[Pisgah]

Heck, just load 12, shoot the neighbor's pesky cat, then holster with no further worries.

[Pisgah]

>I DO NOT BELIVE THAT!! Yes, that would have been the safe way, but in the old times I just dont belive it was practiced as much as the guru,s say!

When I research the rate of accidental shootings through the years, I don't believe it either. They were killing themselves and each other in accidental shootings at far, far higher rates back in that day than we are today.

Some of us today are smarter than they were back then.

[vancelw]

Well, I've never had my hands on a 12-shooter, but I'm gonna jump out there and say you'd probably have to either load 2, skip 1, and load 9 - or load 3, skip one, load 8.
Since it holds 12 instead of 6, I'm betting there are more than 2 cylinders between the barrel and the loading gate.


If you've loaded it correctly, the hammer should be over an empty cylinder. So if you pull the hammer back to the full cocked position (which should rotate the cylinder to the next round) a squeeze of the trigger should result in a BANG. You should get 11 bangs in a row and the 12th should be a click.

At least .22 is cheap enough you can practice different methods until you get it right.
Carrying a Single action fully loaded is only a problem if the hammer is banged enough to fire a round - then its a BIG problem. Just because lots of people have done it over the years and not shot themselves (or someone else) is no reason for me to try it. I'm allergic to bleeding. The embarrassment would hurt me more than the pain, especially if I accidentally shot someone else.

EDITED to add photo

[J Miller]

Well, I've never had my hands on a 12-shooter, but I'm gonna jump out there and say you'd probably have to either load 2, skip 1, and load 9 - or load 3, skip one, load 8.
Since it holds 12 instead of 6, I'm betting there are more than 2 cylinders between the barrel and the loading gate.


If you've loaded it correctly, the hammer should be over an empty cylinder. So if you pull the hammer back to the full cocked position (which should rotate the cylinder to the next round) a squeeze of the trigger should result in a BANG. You should get 11 bangs in a row and the 12th should be a click.

At least .22 is cheap enough you can practice different methods until you get it right.
Carrying a Single action fully loaded is only a problem if the hammer is banged enough to fire a round - then its a BIG problem. Just because lots of people have done it over the years and not shot themselves (or someone else) is no reason for me to try it. I'm allergic to bleeding. The embarrassment would hurt me more than the pain, especially if I accidentally shot someone else.

EDITED to add photo

AMEN!!!

[Booger Bill]

What type hammer and fireing pin does it have? If the pin is on the hammer, shouldnt you be able to see the back of the case with the all the way back if its in line with the barrel?

[Blaine]

Ok, here it is, I think: take an empty gun, make a descrete scribe exactly where the cyl disappears unter the top strap. Load a few ALREADY fired empties...experiment until you find the right combination.

[hammerman]

What type hammer and fireing pin does it have? If the pin is on the hammer, shouldnt you be able to see the back of the case with the all the way back if its in line with the barrel?

I was just going to say this. Yes you can see the case from the back of the gun, or lack of with the hammer cocked. It also works with load one, skip one, and load 10, but it is a little harder to do because the clicks are a lot shorter than a six shot. Plus you can load 2 rounds in the gate and that makes it harder to get the clicks right to make the 1, 1, 10 to work.

[AJMD429]

I'd probably think of a way to mark one of the chambers so visible from the outside, and simply make it a point not to load that one, then carry with that one indexed to the barrel.

Ok, here it is, I think: take an empty gun, make a descrete scribe exactly where the cyl disappears unter the top strap. Load a few ALREADY fired empties...experiment until you find the right combination.

I guess great minds think alike...

Really, just take a 'permanent' marker and mark the front (muzzle) face of the cylinder (where it gets powder-stains anyway) with mark(s) to indicate which chamber you plan to have lined up with the barrel, and you're DONE. The marks could be cleaned off the metal easily, and would probably wear off after awhile, so you could re-mark a different chamber, lest any one chamber feel 'neglected'...

[rodeo kid]

Well, everyone thanks for the suggestions. I experimented and figured it out. Tried the the load one, skip one and load ten. Did not work! Tried the load two, skip one and load nine-Bingo! it works, tried it three times and it works everytime. One caution, two chambers are visable when you open the loading gate, you must start with the lower or farthest from the barrel chamber, then it works. Good idea to look through the firing pin hole, I placed a penlight on my workbench and put the barrel up to it, verify the chamber is empty by looking through the firing pin hole-aha light. My nutty neighbor said: "You could have just looked down the barrel". Not me. God Bless.

[vancelw]

.....My nutty neighbor said: "You could have just looked down the barrel". Not me. God Bless.

Well, ERs and mortuaries need business, too I guess it takes all kinds.

Make sure and tell us more about that revolver. I heard one calling me the day they released them. Logic (and empty wallet) has won out for now. But I am weak.

[Hawkeye2]

"You could have just looked down the barrel"

Good thing it isn't a BB gun, you could put your eye out that way.

[DPris]

It's a beautifully made gun & decently accurate.
Denis