What is the lure to YOU of the cowboy gun?

King Medallion said:

Love me some Rugers
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and my Colts
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But really like shooting my Remingtons the best.
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Niiiiiiii......
iiiiiiiice grips!
I'm intrigued by the Remington cartridge guns. I sure like my Remington cap guns.

I got a bug to start shooting cowboy action and started a quest to get the gear to start. Now I have the gear I haven’t made it to a shoot yet. Soon though. Have to see how well I can do.

@King Medallion great grips!

Care to share where you got them?

Nostalgia is a factor for me, but I really like how they feel in my hand. Also, if the cartridge has significant recoil, the single action rolls back in the hand and you cock the revolver as it rolls back down into firing position.

Would this count? It's from 1907...and the double action is such I shoot it single action. Just shot 'er today from my horse and hit a barn door.

(Not really, I don't have a horse...but I shot 50 rounds)

rabid wombat said:

@King Medallion great grips!

Care to share where you got them?

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All but the Super 41 (Sambar) have Elk grips on the Rugers, and they are from Grashorn in Wyoming. One of the Colts is Sambar from Eagle, tother is Red Stag I bought off ebay and fitted myself. The Remingtons are from Sack Peterson, poor fitting but not bad for not having the gun in hand, made them work pretty good myself.

First of all is the sheer beauty of the Western style Single Action revolver. The combination of blue steel, case hardened colors, and walnut, ivory or especially, stag grips. And the ease of disassembly which allows swapping out parts such as brass grip straps and hammers. And the feel of the gun in the hand, as if God made the hand for a Single Action revolver.

But there is a practical side, too. The frame of the Single Action is inherently strong, without cut-outs for the crane assembly, etc. And it is as accurate, or can be made to be, as any other handgun. And, bieng a revolver, it can digest pipsqueak handloads up to the most fire-breathin' cartridges.

And, while I'm not into such ornament myself, no other handgun wears plating and engraving and ivory quite as well as the Single Action.

I revere the revolver so that I capitalize the words "Single Action."

Do I make my point?

Bob Wright

simplicity and the mechanical attributes are interesting engineering design. I don't really think of them as cowboy guns, that's just media and movies. I just think of them as good, easy to operate, and simple manual of arms. a decent single action this or that, seems to be about 1/2 the price of a double action or semi, so there's that also.

I like them for the simplicity and the nostalgia of course. This prompted me to start tuning them. I now have a small business tuning cap and ball revolvers. Once I got into the tuning and repair aspect I realized what a truly remarkable and ingenious design they are. By the way, doing a Holidays special on a full tune for cap and ball revolvers, 220 is normal cost, 20% discount for members of this forum. Pm me for details.

Like so many other Boomers I grew up watching Westerns on TV in the '50s and '60s. But I also became a historian (amateur grade) with my primary interest being the post-Civil War settlement of the West. That meant as a gun enthusiasts black powder cartridge guns, and although there were many others the one I came to appreciate and admire the most were the Colt style Single Action revolvers. At one time (1980s and early 1990s) I owned 1st Generation Colts and shot them with black powder. Had to quit CAS and sell all the old guns because life happened. A number of years later I got back into black powder cartridge shooting and now have these:



The three above are USFA Single Actions, all with black powder frames and all are shot with full power, black powder hand loads. I have a couple others but these are the traditional barrel lengths of 7-1/2", 5-1/2", and 4-3/4", all in 45 Colt. They are all not only beautiful to look at but a delight to shoot and when my 250-255g soft lead bullets smack into a steel plate with a resounding "clang" it puts a smile on my old face.

Dave

One of the things for me is versatility. A Glock 9mm is a great gun for self defense. Not so much for long range handgunning, or hunting, or handload experimentation. But a Ruger Blackhawk excels at all of those things and functions for self defense. While the BH is not the best choice for defense, I don’t own and carry a gun only for self defense. I primarily target shoot, handload, and hunt. I carry my gun, and I’m much more likely to need to dispatch an animal than a burglar.

Part of this goes back to my previous post of carrying something you like and practice with. When I had a Glock, I didn’t shoot it a lot, just carried it. I brought my cowboy guns to the range to shoot. If I need to use my gun in self defense, I’d rather the gun be one for which I am intimate with, than one for which I don’t care for and carry because it’s “better”.

Dang it, now you've gone and done it. I want a SAA. Problem is I can't fit anything else in my safe and my wife insists any new safe has to have a dial. Not an easy thing to find in this era of digital madness.

I shot a lot as a kid and teenager. Hadn't shot much as an adult and finally decided as I approached 50 that I wanted to do some shooting. Ran across an add for SASS and the thought of shooting a 44 or 45 cal single action really appealed to me. Ended up with a pair of 44 Special Colt/clones and a 45 Colt USFA. Now have 44 mag Ruger Vaqueros, Marlin 44-40 and a couple of coach shotguns. I shoot real black powder in all of them. But now I primarily shoot USPSA with 1911s and CZ 75s. Got bored with the big close targets in SASS.

Hokkmike said:

First, thank you for your hard service. Funny story - my brother joined the USCG so he would not have to go to Viet Nam. Guess where they towed his cutter?! I was in the AF but never left the US.......So, I am curious - with all the firepower available, whatever you might have thought of it, why did you decide to carry a humble single action into combat? I can understand the .357 as caliber.....

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My question as well, as Col. Jeff Cooper said, a man with a SA is at a great disadvantage in a gunfight.

I have always had a lure for cowboy action guns. I picked this one up and CCW sometimes or carry it in the woods while hunting.

DR505 said:

What if you saw this one first Driftwood?

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Now that's sick

I'm just old school. Still love me my SxS shotguns(many with outside hammers), my Winchester model 1897 (outside hammer too!), my many lever guns and M1917 Eddystone. While I enjoy more modern firearms too, the old classic platforms are like the Knuckleheads of the gun world.

At 84 i don't get out as much as i used to, especially at night. Living in a free state i feel reasonably safe. My carry gun is a plastic M&P 9c with a LCP as a BUG.
That said, when i shoot for fun i love my Uberti Stallion and Cattleman. Blackhawk and of course the PT1911 45 and Ronin 9MM. Nothing beats the feel and looks of a SA.

The old designs typically feel better in my hands and I can put lead on target when it feels right.

What’s there not to like about these?

Interesting that a lot of the comments basically say they love single actions....for the range. As if it’s just a toy and not suitable for self defense any more.

Bazoo said:

Interesting that a lot of the comments basically say they love single actions....for the range. As if it’s just a toy and not suitable for self defense any more.

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It's not that they can't be used for defense, but if my life or a family members safety is on the line I'm going to use something more capable. If your willing to put your faith in a single action in that role, more power to you. It's not going to affect me one bit.

I have a couple of single actions and love the handling and feel but they'll remain my fun guns. Field and range duty.

I love the style and the nostalgia, but I also prefer for all of my shooting to be double action so as to maintain that skill. Exception made for a 22lr revolver for small game hunting.

Paul7 said:

My question as well, as Col. Jeff Cooper said, a man with a SA is at a great disadvantage in a gunfight.

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True, any man who goes into a gunfight armed only with a Single Action is an idiot. Any man who goes into a gunfight is an idiot. I carry a Single Action, not to go into a gunfight, but to protect myself or those with me. I have enough sense to avoid situations in which I might go into an area in which a gunfight might occur. I have enough "situation awareness" to avoid places in which multiple threats exist or might exist. If I were to go voluntarily into a gunfight I'd prefer maybe an M-14 or a good 12 ga. shotgun. And even then, a good SWAT team with me.

Bob Wright