Anyone leave the trigger guard on their slip guns?

To add a little history the legionary Dallas Stoudenmire who while sheriff of El Paso Texas was engaged in a gunfight with a fellow known as “Doc” Manning. Both men had received non life threatening wounds when “Doc’s” brother came running up behind Dallas and fired two shots from a snub nose cartridge conversion trigger less revolver. The gun was fired by fanning with the first shot missing Dallas and the second one entering his head just below the left ear killing him. The gun fight was 09/18/1882 and Dallas died at the age of 36.

SW351C said:

“This is just like the guys who "customized" their Harleys back in the '40s and '50s by removing the entire front brake assembly "to make it go faster". Sounds good right? Go watch Miculek shoot and see what a stock gun can do first. I have.”

I guess that I’ve must have missed the post where someone talked about trying to make a historical weapon that was used as early as the mid 1850’s outrun Jerry Miculek with his highly modified and tuned race guns. I know that along with the Snow Flake movement in this country there’s been a lack of respect for our history across the board but I didn’t expect it in the gun community quite this fast yet.

Click to expand...

Things change for safety reasons in the firearms world. Trigger guards have been on guns for centuries before the revolver as we know it was invented. Transfer bars and hammer blocks got put into revolvers for a reason, too. I sure like carrying a revolver with a full load of ammo instead of -1 cartridge due to a safety concern.

And yes, removing front brakes on street ridden motorcycles is stupid no matter how long ago it was done.

But if people want to mod their guns or motorcycles how they see fit, I ain't gonna stop 'em. Doesn't mean they won't get some advice or opinion from me though.

whughett said:

5 decades fooling around with guns and such and Ive never heard the term “slip gun” until now. My something new learn for the month.

Click to expand...

Same here. Never heard of them nor do I want one.

Rexster said:

If the trigger is removed, in the creation of the slip gun, then I reckon that there is no particular reason to leave the trigger guard unaltered, other than to preserve the ability to restore the weapon to normal function. Let’s keep in mind that the grip frame parts are individually fitted to the main part of the frame, so installing a replacement grip frame is not a simple bolt-on proposition. It may be more expedient to repair the trigger guard, by welding, than to fit a replacement grip frame part. Either way, it would be a project best done by a true gunsmith, not one’s local armorer or parts-changer.

I believe that slip-shooting has its place, so will not cast stones at dedicated slip guns, but if a too-small trigger guard were to vex me, I might rather have a talented ‘smith cut, re-shape, weld added material into place, and re-finish a larger trigger guard.

Click to expand...

To follow-up my earlier post, I have been handing my USFA Single Actions, recently, and noticed how difficult it was to get my increasingly-arthritic right trigger finger inside the trigger guard, in a hurry. Fortunately, my healthier left hand’s trigger finger remains sufficiently nimble, but, if I were to carry a single action sixgun, for defensive purposes*, on my right side, I might well feel compelled to do some surgery on the trigger guard. A crescent-shaped cut-out, in the right front portion, would be a desirable first step, to try, before “Fitz-ing” the entire lower front portion of the guard.

Best of all would be to have a talented ‘smith, who need not necessarily be a GUNsmith, fashion a larger trigger guard.

None of this post is specific to “slip guns.”

*Fortunately, of course, I own several suitable defensive handguns, designed in the 20th-Century, with trigger guards having sufficient clearance.

I have no use for either the slip gun or the Fitz . Below is my S&W 1899 that someone did a Fitz type Mod.

Frankly I had no idea there were slip gun affictionados out there. I honestly don't think I've ever seen one, though Elmer Keith certainly did and talked about a friend who carried one or two

I have tied the trigger back on my Ruger Wrangler with a zip tie and used it as a slip gun. It works well.

JCooperfan1911 said:

I have tied the trigger back on my Ruger Wrangler with a zip tie and used it as a slip gun. It works well.

Click to expand...

I suppose you'd have to carry it with the chamber empty under the hammer since the transfer bar is always in the fire position.