The fun and intriguing part about black powder shooting is that you get to manually load each component for every single load in your revolver.
The question every new shooter has is how to unload a black powder revolver if you don’t want to shoot it or if a round just won’t fire.
To unload a cap and ball revolver without firing it, remove all caps and the cylinder from the frame. Remove the nipples and use a copper wire to break up the compacted powder and empty it. Punch the round ball out with a 3/16″ wooden dowel or brass punch.
Don’t worry, this is not a hard process at all. I’ll guide you through the steps to help keep you safe and to get your revolver unloaded until the next time you’re looking to shoot.
Also, remember that if you experience a misfire that you should keep the revolver pointed downrange for at least a full minute for safety in case of a slow powder burn. I have an article here to help you troubleshoot your misfires or hang fires.
The first 4 steps are if you have a misfire. If you’ve loaded the revolver and just decided not to fire it at this time, you can skip to step 5.
Step 1: Point the Revolver Down Range for a Full Minute
A full minute? That seems excessive, doesn’t it?
Granted, I’ve never seen a hang fire discharge after about 5 seconds, but you don’t want to have Murphy visit you after you’ve pulled the hammer back again and moved that problem chamber out of line with the barrel.
As long as no one is shooting back at you, keep the revolver pointed down range. Once that’s done, you can continue to fire the remaining rounds.
Step 2: Remove Spent Cap
Once you’re back to your problem chamber, remove the spent cap if it hasn’t already fallen off.
Step 3: Clear Nipple Chamber
With the cap removed, take a small copper wire or nipple pick and clear out the passage that runs through the nipple to the powder charge. There could be fouling in the passageway from previous rounds being fired from that chamber.
Do not use a ferrous (iron) pick for this as to prevent the possibility of creating a spark.
Step 4: Recap and Fire Again
Place a new cap on the nipple and fire the round again. If it works, you’re back in business. If it fails, the powder is likely compromised due to moisture or not being compressed enough.
Step 5: Remove All Remaining Unfired Caps and Cylinder from the Revolver
As stated above, remove all caps that haven’t been fired with a piece of copper wire that has been flattened on the end like a flat head screwdriver.
Then remove the cylinder from the revolver.
To do this use a rubber mallet to knock out the arbor retaining pin. Pull the pin out from the left side of the revolver (if you were pointing it down range).
Pull the barrel from the frame. If it’s stuck, place the hammer on half-cock and use the loading lever to press against the cylinder between the chambers as leverage.
Step 6: Remove the Nipples for Any Chambers to be Unloaded
Using a quality nipple wrench, remove the nipples for any of the chambers that need to be unloaded.
If you’re looking for a quality nipple wrench that’s made in the USA, check out the link here to trackofthewolf.com where you can pick out the proper sized wrench for your particular model. I’m not an affiliate, I just love their products and have done business with them many times.
Step 7: Pick Out Powder Charge
Use a small piece of copper wire to pick out the powder charge from the chamber that you’re looking to clear. Again, do not use anything that’s ferrous (iron) since you don’t want the possibility of a spark.
If you’re still nervous about any remaining powder, you can always use a small syringe or funnel to pour water into the chamber to neutralize any remaining powder.
Step 8: Punch Out Round Ball
Finally, place the cylinder on a pine board with a hole drilled through it that is slightly larger than the diameter of the round ball. Place the cylinder face-down on the board with the round ball over that hole.
Use a 3/16″ wooden dowel or a brass punch and a rubber mallet to gently tap the round ball out of the chamber. We not only want to avoid any sparks that can happen with ferrous material, but we also don’t want to damage the steel nipple threads on the cylinder. That’s why we don’t use a nail!
I actually used a dried up stem from the top part of a cattail plant just to see if it was possible and the stem suffered no damage.
Why Won’t My Cap and Ball Revolver Fire? (Hangfire or Misfire)
Now that you know how to unload your cap and ball revolver in the event that it won’t shoot (or you just didn’t want to shoot it), it might pay off to learn why it wouldn’t fire in the first place.
Check out my post here to see the top reasons your revolver won’t fire and how to troubleshoot them.