sleepysquirrel2
Member
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2020
- Messages
- 42
So Arthur C Gould wrote in 1888 that you're supposed to carry the Colt Single Action Army (or DA 1877/1878 models) loaded and on the safety notch (the first click, before the half cock notch). Neither does he imply that Colt gateloaders should be loaded with a cowboy load of loading 5 and skipping 1 chamber.
And Mr. Gould is not a nobody in the history of firearms world: he literally wrote the first english language book on pistol and revolver shooting, founded American Rifleman Magazine, and established the original NRA pistol/revolver competition rules. And most importantly, he wrote this back in 1888, when the Colt gateloaders (both SAA and DA models) were actually being used by ordinary people as ordinary firearms.
So when did "don't carry on the safety notch" become a thing?
I've attached a screenshot from his book, and you can read it for free at this link, as it is well out of copyright now: https://archive.org/details/modernamericanpi01goul/page/n5/mode/2up
To Load the Arm.—1st motion: holding the revolver in the left hand, muzzle downwards, half-cock it with the right hand and open the gate. 2d motion: insert the cartridges in succession with the right hand, close the gate, cock and fire it (taking it in the right hand), or bring the hammer to the safety-notch, as may be desired.
To Eject the Cartridge Shells.—1st motion: holding the arm in the left hand, half-cock with the right hand and open the gate. 2d motion: eject the shells in succession with the ejector pushed by the right hand, moving the cylinder with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. When the shells have been ejected, the pistol is ready for the 2d motion of loading.
There are three notches in the hammer of this arm. The first is the safety-notch, the second is the half-cock notch, and the third is the cock-notch. The pistol cannot be fired when the hammer rests in the safety-notch or half-cock notch, and can be fired by pulling the trigger when the hammer rests in the cock-notch. The pistol should be carried habitually with the hammer resting in the safety-notch.
And Mr. Gould is not a nobody in the history of firearms world: he literally wrote the first english language book on pistol and revolver shooting, founded American Rifleman Magazine, and established the original NRA pistol/revolver competition rules. And most importantly, he wrote this back in 1888, when the Colt gateloaders (both SAA and DA models) were actually being used by ordinary people as ordinary firearms.
So when did "don't carry on the safety notch" become a thing?
I've attached a screenshot from his book, and you can read it for free at this link, as it is well out of copyright now: https://archive.org/details/modernamericanpi01goul/page/n5/mode/2up
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