Prior to the metalic cartridge... all shooters were also handloaders

[O.S.O.K.]

Think about it - before the self-contained cartridge, all shooters had to be handloaders. They had to load each charge by hand... and prime the chambers or the single nipple if it was a rifle...

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4025/4688206561_2f1dd3d497.jpg

So, its little wonder that shootists just kept on rolling their own when the first metalic cartridges came out - at least after the interim rimfire cartridges were replaced with "central fire" rounds.

Truth be known... I'd be perfectly happy with this brace of six shooters to defend myself if that was the norm.