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Assuming you mean '1800's as in the 1851 or 1860 models of Colt, for example, or the Remington, Savage, etc., revolvers of that period.....
Yes, it was not only possible, but quite common for caplock revolvers to be shortened, to become so-called 'pocket pistols' (which needed rather large pockets, to be sure). In the approx 1860 to 1910-ish time frame, many people carried these as self-defence weapons. It was simply accepted that one had six shots, and no practical reload, as the loading lever would be installed to load, and then removed for carry.
Half a century, more or less, later, in the 1950's, these old guns were often 'kid toys', with boys loading them with 20grs. apx of 3f black, as blank, but were strictly forbidden to load them with ball, for the obvious reason. (some of the boys loaded them with a half-charge of black, and round balls cast from paraffin-wax, which would really 'sting' at close range, like modern 'simunitions'.)
A common length of shortened barrel was in the 3" to 4" range, not too easily concealable, but the folks of over a century ago had to work with the equipment they had available, at the time.
You can shorten a caplock revolver with the simple tools of a century ago, if you wish. All you need is a hack-saw, a good sharp fine file, a small square, and a tapered or rounded brass part, such as a large machine screw, to debur/lap the rifling at the cut, using an abrasive, such as automotive valve grinding paste.
After deciding on the length, the hack-saw cut is obvious. Then, one files the muzzle to 'flat and square', checking with the square until it is correct. Filing a slight chamfer around the muzzle, to de-burr and smooth the cut, is obvious.
Chucking a large brass round-head machine-screw in an old style hand-drill (or a modern electric drill motor, for that matter) is again obvious. Using a coarse, then fine, lapping-paste (valve grinding compound) on the brass part will clean up and slightly chamfer the bore, to remove any burrs from the rifling. Rock the drill through an angle, as it turns the lap, to spread out the wear on the soft brass. This is a tedious task, but keep with it until nicely done.
You may wish to have a front sight. If so, just drill a shallow (carefully, not into the bore) hole 3/8" to 1/2" back from the muzzle, on centre, then press in a little piece of round brass stock. File the brass pin to the shape desired, and adjust its height by firing at, say, 35 to 50 foot range. Take care to weigh charges when setting (with a file) the front sight height.....its easy to take a little more off, not so easy to add height.
Its true enough that longer barrels are better for black powder use. When loading a shortened caplock revolver, these days, one may choose to add a bit of a fast powder, such as bullseye, to the charge of 3f black, which will also reduce powder-fouling. One must be ever so careful to use 'just a little bit', again, for obvious reason.
cheers
Carla
Yes, it was not only possible, but quite common for caplock revolvers to be shortened, to become so-called 'pocket pistols' (which needed rather large pockets, to be sure). In the approx 1860 to 1910-ish time frame, many people carried these as self-defence weapons. It was simply accepted that one had six shots, and no practical reload, as the loading lever would be installed to load, and then removed for carry.
Half a century, more or less, later, in the 1950's, these old guns were often 'kid toys', with boys loading them with 20grs. apx of 3f black, as blank, but were strictly forbidden to load them with ball, for the obvious reason. (some of the boys loaded them with a half-charge of black, and round balls cast from paraffin-wax, which would really 'sting' at close range, like modern 'simunitions'.)
A common length of shortened barrel was in the 3" to 4" range, not too easily concealable, but the folks of over a century ago had to work with the equipment they had available, at the time.
You can shorten a caplock revolver with the simple tools of a century ago, if you wish. All you need is a hack-saw, a good sharp fine file, a small square, and a tapered or rounded brass part, such as a large machine screw, to debur/lap the rifling at the cut, using an abrasive, such as automotive valve grinding paste.
After deciding on the length, the hack-saw cut is obvious. Then, one files the muzzle to 'flat and square', checking with the square until it is correct. Filing a slight chamfer around the muzzle, to de-burr and smooth the cut, is obvious.
Chucking a large brass round-head machine-screw in an old style hand-drill (or a modern electric drill motor, for that matter) is again obvious. Using a coarse, then fine, lapping-paste (valve grinding compound) on the brass part will clean up and slightly chamfer the bore, to remove any burrs from the rifling. Rock the drill through an angle, as it turns the lap, to spread out the wear on the soft brass. This is a tedious task, but keep with it until nicely done.
You may wish to have a front sight. If so, just drill a shallow (carefully, not into the bore) hole 3/8" to 1/2" back from the muzzle, on centre, then press in a little piece of round brass stock. File the brass pin to the shape desired, and adjust its height by firing at, say, 35 to 50 foot range. Take care to weigh charges when setting (with a file) the front sight height.....its easy to take a little more off, not so easy to add height.
Its true enough that longer barrels are better for black powder use. When loading a shortened caplock revolver, these days, one may choose to add a bit of a fast powder, such as bullseye, to the charge of 3f black, which will also reduce powder-fouling. One must be ever so careful to use 'just a little bit', again, for obvious reason.
cheers
Carla
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