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Remembered Today:

Prideaux Improved Patent Magazine Loader


Nutting

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Anyone who thinks that speed loaders for revolvers are a new(ish) invention has clearly never heard of the Prideaux Improved Patent Magazine Loader!

 

This device held six rounds of .455 ammunition for rapid loading into an officer's Webley revolver, including the Webley-Fosbery.

 

See: here for more.

 

Nigel.

Image 26-06-2019 at 18.04.jpg

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As well as the automatic ejection as compared to the hand-operated ejector rod of the sideswing cylinder, the top-break action also exposes the whole of the cylinder rear face more accessibly for reload.

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Patent document for the original Prideaux loader, from 1894:

Prideaux Patent.jpg

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And some photos of the first model (credit Bonhams and Engels) (not strictly Great War, but interesting nonetheless to see where the wartime version came from):

459000498_1stModelPrideaux1.JPG.1562298cb244a01f80098eee337142b0.JPG

1160523038_1stModelPrideaux2.JPG.d3bfc158042366ea85eda374c334da19.JPG

759171257_1stModelPrideaux3.JPG.b853b8325e60e192c38980fa1569e5f2.JPG

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The Bell's speedloader was patented at least 15 years before the Prideaux and was made in many different cylinder diameters and calibres, including ones suitable for the .455 webley series

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I'm sure someone else can chip in with some of the wartime improved version, as well as the usual warning about those WWA repros that frequently get passed off as originals....

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7 minutes ago, Joolz said:

And some photos of the first model (credit Bonhams and Engels) (not strictly Great War, but interesting nonetheless to see where the wartime version came from):

459000498_1stModelPrideaux1.JPG.1562298cb244a01f80098eee337142b0.JPG

1160523038_1stModelPrideaux2.JPG.d3bfc158042366ea85eda374c334da19.JPG

759171257_1stModelPrideaux3.JPG.b853b8325e60e192c38980fa1569e5f2.JPG

Great photos.  Thanks.

 

Nigel

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15 hours ago, Radlad said:

The Bell's speedloader was patented at least 15 years before the Prideaux and was made in many different cylinder diameters and calibres, including ones suitable for the .455 webley series

 

You learn something new every day! I knew about the Prideaux speed loader and the modern Dade, HKS, etc. speed loaders, but I had never heard of Bell’s invention. Thanks for the information.

Nigel 

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The speed loader case as copied from an original 

 

452F760E-72DE-428B-AC5E-E57FEF648AF2.jpeg.36997c7a3efc729a8ba4d3b61c52e04c.jpeg7FFAFDEB-522C-4BA9-A9E9-AEC66F6B0636.jpeg.f69ff33a1598691d8c1110b22d81c544.jpegA618AC2E-B89D-4BB0-9078-AB41E6633A35.jpeg.2f0fc78239312874325aa95169ddbd45.jpeg

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Very nice, who made this? I'm after a few for my own use, I even went as far as making the cutting templates etc., but if there is someone out there already making them, then that would be a lot less effort.

 

I'm currently working my way through Tracy's "The Service Revolver....." and perfecting my handling/shooting techniques, these would speed things along a bit....

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Hi joolz

I made it, patterned it from the original. The leather is Sedgwick English bridal, linen thread, hand waxed and even the stitch count matches the original. The loop on the rear is large enough to fit either the 08, 14 or Sam Browne belt.

Please feel free to pm me

regards

Dave

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  • 2 months later...

Here is an original loader and leather pouch. 

Prideaux 455 loader with case.JPG

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I've never seen the detail of how these loaders work. It *looks* as if they simply release the rounds to drop into the chambers, so depending on downward-ish orientation plus a clearance fit in a clean-ish chamber to work reliably.

 

Is that so, or could you easily push all rounds horizontally or worse into cruddy chambers?

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On 25/09/2019 at 04:44, MikB said:

I've never seen the detail of how these loaders work. It *looks* as if they simply release the rounds to drop into the chambers, so depending on downward-ish orientation plus a clearance fit in a clean-ish chamber to work reliably.

 

Remarkably simple, position the loader over an opened cylinder. Push down on the bar over the top of the loader and the steel plate spring clip holding the rounds slips up into the brass body of the loader as the rounds slide into the chambers of the cylinder. One quick almost instantaneous motion and the cylinder is fully loaded and ready for the pistol to be closed and used.

 

Regards mud. The cylinder mechanism of a pistol must be relatively clean and free from mud for it to work. The pistol is broken open and the action of fully opening it lifts the extractor and removes all the spent cartridge cases in the one operation of the mechanism. This keeps the mechanism clean with no opportunity for contamination. The loader is a clean tool, removed from its pouch or from a coat pocket. Even if the user has mud on their hands, using the loader is a clean operation, the loader may become contaminated but not the pistol or the new cartridges. Hand loading with cartridges withdrawn from a pouch and individually hand loaded into the cylinder has much greater opportunity for contaminating the mechanism.

 

Cheers

Ross

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7 hours ago, Chasemuseum said:

 

Remarkably simple, position the loader over an opened cylinder. Push down on the bar over the top of the loader and the steel plate spring clip holding the rounds slips up into the brass body of the loader as the rounds slide into the chambers of the cylinder. One quick almost instantaneous motion and the cylinder is fully loaded and ready for the pistol to be closed and used.

 

...

Cheers

Ross

 

Thanks Ross. I've used Webley and Iver Johnson top-breaks so I was clear about the star ejector action - I just coudn't see from the photos whether the user could use the loader to push the rounds in if more than gravity was needed, and I was thinking more of the sticky grease found on some lead-bullet ammunition, and the grit it might attract, than mud. The rounds might not just drop in, and the visible contact of the body with the edge of the case head rim might tip the round instead of pushing uniformly.

 

But it's clear from some of the You Tubes that the user can push on the case heads. I probably should've guessed that, because shooters are a critical bunch and not many have bad things to say about Prideaux loaders... :)

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I have the .38 cal prideaux, it came with some items from an old WW2 RAAF WAG (who is still alive), so I have the advantage of being very familiar with how they work. Unfortunately I do not have the .38 or any cartridges otherwise I would have posted photos showing how it works.

Cheers

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