does anybody cc a single action revolver?

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...when you fire that second time no matter how fast. you're going to need to articulate why you did it,
If you can document that you have been responsibly trained to fire 3 to 5 shots very rapidly at a charging opponent, and if the evidence, including but no limited to air testimony. indicates that the circumstances at the time were consistent with the underlying basis of that training, you will have done so.
 
These discussions almost always revolve (so to speak) about the one mugger incident vs. the more intense but rarer critical incident. Would one like to have a SAA in the Virginia Beach incident if you were an armed civilian or a standard higher capacity semi auto with a reload or two. If you say, it is most likely that it will be the one dude - that doesn't mean it will always be the one dude.

As Kleanbore suggests so well, test yourself in something besides the square range. Try an IDPA match for instance or a FOF class (if the instructor lets you as an experiment). You could in the latter case, carry a 38/357 with Code Eagle or similar sims like revolver rounds. See how it goes. Try a FOF, where one hand is out of action due to injury or carrying something you can't drop (like a baby).

I've seen folks try a lever action in carbine matches. If skilled enough not to screw up the stroke, they handle the first few. When it is reload time, they are out of luck for time.

It's clear that modern semis are optimal guns and modern DA/SA revolvers can work with noted number of opponent limitations. Carrying a single action, except in the case, of outdoors animal self-defense or hunting is really more about posturing. There I said it.
 
If you can document that you have been responsibly trained to fire 3 to 5 shots very rapidly at a charging opponent, and if the evidence, including but no limited to air testimony. indicates that the circumstances at the time were consistent with the underlying basis of that training, you will have done so.

That ought to be enough. And I hope if it ever came to that, the police would decide not to pursue criminal charges under the circumstances, when the threat still actively advanced. But to people who have never seen what a gunshot wound may or may not do, there's always going to be a hurdle to overcome. They're highly vulnerable to the notion that any hits past the first could be excessive. You have to live first, but it's a good idea not to be surprised by common reactions in an aftermath.
 
These discussions almost always revolve (so to speak) about the one mugger incident vs. the more intense but rarer critical incident. Would one like to have a SAA in the Virginia Beach incident if you were an armed civilian or a standard higher capacity semi auto with a reload or two. If you say, it is most likely that it will be the one dude - that doesn't mean it will always be the one dude.

As Kleanbore suggests so well, test yourself in something besides the square range. Try an IDPA match for instance or a FOF class (if the instructor lets you as an experiment). You could in the latter case, carry a 38/357 with Code Eagle or similar sims like revolver rounds. See how it goes. Try a FOF, where one hand is out of action due to injury or carrying something you can't drop (like a baby).

I've seen folks try a lever action in carbine matches. If skilled enough not to screw up the stroke, they handle the first few. When it is reload time, they are out of luck for time.

It's clear that modern semis are optimal guns and modern DA/SA revolvers can work with noted number of opponent limitations. Carrying a single action, except in the case, of outdoors animal self-defense or hunting is really more about posturing. There I said it.

I suppose everybody can't love us. Is a sinking realization of this possibility the reason we go armed at all? At least I don't think GEM is going to shoot any of us. I live in a remote farm in the hills, and I often carry a single action. Mainly, because I like it. It was the gun of my childhood. On a planned trip to the bright lights and the big city, I'll usually switch out to a double action revolver or a 1911. Should I be rushed to get into town before the parts places close to keep a piece of equipment running, I'll wear what I've got on.

The bath may be the dividing line. If I have time to take a bath, I usually will switch out to a 1911. I wonder if there is any symbolic meaning in that?
 
@GEM makes a good suggestion about running them in matches.
I have run my Uberti at a couple of fun matches.

Good to go for the first 5... then, not so much.

Even when I cheated with a speed loader, I was way behind.
And misses (for me, at least) happen.

Now, I was allowed to shoot it at a BUG match once (no reloads on the clock).

I was actually fairly competitive. With the longer shots, especially.

So if the situation is some kind of BUG verses a SAA, then I choose SAA.
But I don't get to pick the weapons other people use.
 
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That ought to be enough. And I hope if it ever came to that, the police would decide not to pursue criminal charges under the circumstances, when the threat still actively advanced. But to people who have never seen what a gunshot wound may or may not do, there's always going to be a hurdle to overcome. They're highly vulnerable to the notion that any hits past the first could be excessive. You have to live first, but it's a good idea not to be surprised by common reactions in an aftermath.
You shoot until the threat ends, whether that's one shot or fifteen.
 
You shoot until the threat ends, whether that's one shot or fifteen.
I concur. If you don't live through the situation what happens next doesn't much matter.

Have you seen that classic Jeff Cooper essay where he delineated what he called problem two? Problem one he defined as surviving the initial encounter, problem two, surviving the aftermath. If you haven't seen the essay I,n summary he was called upon as an expert witness in a case where the defendant had to shoot his attacker eight times with a .380. The contention of the police and the prosecuting attorney was that one shot was likely self-defense, two maybe, but eight? Eight they contended was malice. Cooper's expert witness testimony got the man off. Chances are good if you or I are in that kind of situation we're not going to have someone as eloquent as Jeff Cooper to pull us out of the fire.

And no matter how forceful a speaker you are, you're not going to do it for yourself. It's generally a pretty desperate tactic to put the accused on the stand. Too much can go wrong. The initiative, every advantage, is on the side of the attorney doing the examining.
 
I choose NOT to open carry in town, even though it's legal in here in Texas.
Do I CC a single action? Yes I have, and will continue, on a regular basis as long as it's cold enough to justify wearing a jacket or a coat.
4-5/8" Ruger Blackhawk .357, Bearpaw grips, in a Mernickle cross-draw or PS6SA holster. I'm confident and have become quite proficient with it should I ever have to draw down. For me, it points more naturally out of the holster than any of my other firearms. I have Security Sixes, semi autos and snubbies (which I usually pocket carry anyway), but I'm most comfortable with the Blackhawk. I don't second guess anyone who disagrees with my choice. I never feel under gunned.
Make the first shot count.
 
Looking out on the morning rain
I used to feel so uninspired
And when I knew I had to face another day
Lord, it made me feel so tired
Before the day I carried you, life was so unkind
But you're the key to my peace of mind
'Cause you make me feel
You make me feel
You make me feel like
A natural gunfighter
When my soul was in the lost and found
You came along to claim it
I didn't know just what was wrong with me
Till your single action carry helped me name it
Now I'm no longer doubtful, of what I'm living for
And if I carry you, I don't need to carry more
'Cause you make me feel
You make me feel
You make me feel like
A natural gunfighter.
 
Having read through five pages of this (and tossing in an opinion or two) the conclusions I've come to are:

If you carry a single action revolver for self defense you're stupid. If you carry a DA revolver or a 1911 you're not very bright. You only achieve wisdom if you carry a 9mm with a minimum of 15 rounds and have multiple reloads (magazines of at least 15 round capacity) available. And, you shoot until the gun is empty because handguns are so under powered, and you should have had your rifle or shotgun with you anyway.

Is that about right?

With tongue planted firmly in cheek I remain,
Dave
 
Having read through five pages of this (and tossing in an opinion or two) the conclusions I've come to are:

If you carry a single action revolver for self defense you're stupid. If you carry a DA revolver or a 1911 you're not very bright. You only achieve wisdom if you carry a 9mm with a minimum of 15 rounds and have multiple reloads (magazines of at least 15 round capacity) available. And, you shoot until the gun is empty because handguns are so under powered, and you should have had your rifle or shotgun with you anyway.

Is that about right?

With tongue planted firmly in cheek I remain,
Dave

With the fifteen round magazine you do hold in your hands the power to kill fifteen.

This reminds me of a scene out of Plutarch. The great Persian King Xerxes turns to a Spartan warrior in his employ. "I have men who can fight ten men at once. Can you do that?"

The Spartan answers, "I would not like to fight ten men at once." He pauses. "But I would fight the man who says he can."
 
Even with a single action you are better off than the 95% of the US population who don't have a CCW.

Unless you're toting around a suitcase full of cocaine to do a drug deal,ya prolly don't need more than 5 rounds to defend oneself. Yes they're are those odd ball chances where ya need more rounds...I guess .. more rounds is never a bad thing.

Even so, if you get jumped and whip out a big OL' 45 colt the muggers would most likely think you're a bat crap crazy Wyatt Earp cowboy and run off into the moonlight.

Bottom line ,carry what you want to learn how to use it. Enjoy practicing with it. And who cares what others say about it. As long as you are comfortable with it, and are confident in it's abilities to protect you and your own.
 
Having read through five pages of this (and tossing in an opinion or two) the conclusions I've come to are:

If you carry a single action revolver for self defense you're stupid. If you carry a DA revolver or a 1911 you're not very bright. You only achieve wisdom if you carry a 9mm with a minimum of 15 rounds and have multiple reloads (magazines of at least 15 round capacity) available. And, you shoot until the gun is empty because handguns are so under powered, and you should have had your rifle or shotgun with you anyway.

Is that about right?

With tongue planted firmly in cheek I remain,
Dave
Slow down there, Pardner.
I don't think anyone is being called stupid. People are explaining why they do what they do. It's been pretty civil so far, no?

I read the thread too, and I came to different conclusion:
Most of us opt for higher capacity if that sized gun is available.

But the thing is that all of us have decisions to make.

If you choose a Single Action then try play to it's strengths and minimize its weaknesses. The folks that are carrying SA's appear to be darned proficient with them. That's makes it a decent choice for them.

Like I have posted at least once: It's all good.
The fact that you are carrying is excellent. The rest is preference.
 
Whenever things like this come up I always wonder how many of the posters have actually used a firearm in a combat situation. Just a thought.
 
Whenever things like this come up I always wonder how many of the posters have actually used a firearm in a combat situation. Just a thought.
I think I am getting your vibe, but I am missing the point.

I think that just testing the machine against a given set of tasks with a focus on time and such would suffice.

You don't pick the firearm to take to combat after you have experienced combat. You pick before. You train before. Based on testing it against a given set of tasks.

I think GEM's suggestion about taking a SA to a match is a good one. I learned a lot, got a lot of props, and it was fun.
 
Even with a single action you are better off than the 95% of the US population who don't have a CCW.
Yep.

Unless you're toting around a suitcase full of cocaine to do a drug deal....
What one may be carrying in a suitcase is completely irrelevant to what might be effective in the event of a violent critical attack.

...ya prolly don't need more than 5 rounds to defend oneself.
I don't know your basis for that contention, but "prolly don't need" doesn't cut for me at all.

As long as you are comfortable with it,....
That kind of comfort does not translate into effectiveness.
 
Bottom line for me is...the more operational tasks you have to accomplish before pulling the trigger and sending the projectile/s that will mean the difference between life and death, the less appropriate the selection of firearm if you have other choices. In this, a S.A. revolver is about the bottom of the barrel of my handguns.

When arming myself from my safe, I certainly won't be reaching past my g19, g26, or Kahr K9 for my .44 S.A.
 
I'm certain some will comment negatively on this, but when I do choose to CC a single action, this is my preferred holster and position.

IMG_20190604_165240267.jpg

I use just the one belt loop on this Simply Rugged pancake holster. The barrel and frame ride just behind the hip, which is very comfortable. The holster can be tipped forward when driving but is still secured inside the belt. Partly due to the grip being forward, and partly due to the overall height from butt to top of rear sights being noticably less than some of my other options (including DA revolvers and a 1911), it conceals quite well even when bending over. An unbuttoned shirt is all that's needed on calm days.

IMG_20190604_165620309.jpg

The shape of the grip frame leaves no "shelf" for clothing to bunch up on. And the smooth grips don't grab clothing either. And although not specifically a trait of SAs, I've found revolvers are much easier to grip and draw from concealment than autos. I've also found that whilst I need to get good hand position on the grip of a DA revolver from the holster, a SA revolver will slip into place in my hand during presentation and cocking. But this might just be me.

For those wondering about the draw.

IMG_20190604_165336377.jpg IMG_20190604_165349401.jpg

Crossdraw: The holster rocks forward slightly as I draw the gun up and across my body. I pull my elbow back into my ribs and the barrel snaps around.


IMG_20190604_165412880.jpg IMG_20190604_165858357.jpg IMG_20190604_170007088.jpg

Cavalry draw: I lean away from the gun as my elbow goes back and up, and hand turns palm out. Back of hand slides into the space made between grip and body. I pull up towards my armpit, then push foward and twist the gun outwards as my forearm makes contact with my ribs and slides as my elbow is pulled in and down.

I say do what works for you. In a highly urban setting, I'll jam my G32 down the front of my pants in a MIC holster, because it's worth the discomfort to me in that situation. For day-to-day goings on, I happily use this setup.
 
Thanks for the informative photos and text, WrongHanded...specifically the off-hand draw. I'll try that with my Mernickle and see how it feels. I'm especially curious to see if feeding the belt "outside the holster" will make any difference with the PS6SA. It already carries significantly high and snug. 4 o'clock is my preferred position, also.
You would make Doc Holiday proud!
 
I'm especially curious to see if feeding the belt "outside the holster" will make any difference with the PS6SA. It already carries significantly high and snug.

I don't put the belt on the outside to increase concealability (and I don't think it has that effect as those holsters are already very low profile). I do it to get the cant I want. Using only one belt slot on the holster allows me to cant it at an angle between where either the 'strong side' or the 'crossdraw' slots offer. And it gives me the option to adjust the cant whilst seated.
 
The common tone in all of these threads is that one is going to the gun shop to look for their primary form of self defense handgun and 'we' are suggesting that it be a single action revolver. Or that 'we' have a whole bunch of more socially acceptable wondernines that 'we' are equally proficient with but reach past them for the SAA. Neither is the case. First, I don't suggest anyone else 'do' anything. I merely state what I do and why. Secondly, I don't reach past guns I am equally proficient with for the SAA. If I reach for the single action revolver, I AM reaching for the handgun I am most proficient with, by far. So I resent the statement (not even 'just' implied) that this has anything to do with posturing or machismo. I 'choose' to carry semi-autos because they are smaller, lighter, flatter and easier to conceal. Not because of some huge firepower or rapidity of fire advantage, real or perceived. The real issue in these threads is folks imposing their own preferences and limitations onto others. Such as the one who states unequivocally how stupid it is to carry a single action revolver, yet only owns one, a recent acquisition. I've been shooting them since age 12 and currently have over 50 of them. So one might consider that 'some' of us actually possess more skill with the platform in question than your average noisemaker at the indoor range.

This prevalent idea that single action revolvers are quaint toys but nothing to be taken seriously is just absurd.


These discussions almost always revolve (so to speak) about the one mugger incident vs. the more intense but rarer critical incident. Would one like to have a SAA in the Virginia Beach incident if you were an armed civilian or a standard higher capacity semi auto with a reload or two. If you say, it is most likely that it will be the one dude - that doesn't mean it will always be the one dude.

As Kleanbore suggests so well, test yourself in something besides the square range. Try an IDPA match for instance or a FOF class (if the instructor lets you as an experiment). You could in the latter case, carry a 38/357 with Code Eagle or similar sims like revolver rounds. See how it goes. Try a FOF, where one hand is out of action due to injury or carrying something you can't drop (like a baby).

I've seen folks try a lever action in carbine matches. If skilled enough not to screw up the stroke, they handle the first few. When it is reload time, they are out of luck for time.

It's clear that modern semis are optimal guns and modern DA/SA revolvers can work with noted number of opponent limitations. Carrying a single action, except in the case, of outdoors animal self-defense or hunting is really more about posturing. There I said it.
Is your average match scenario really more realistic than your average shootout? Or does it more closely simulate a Die Hard/John Wick type shootout? Do many people in self defense situations do several reloads and fire 50rds in a gunfight?

Same for carbines. What are the odds that one would actually need more than the 10rds a pistol cartridge levergun holds?

Sorry but real life is not an IDPA or 3-gun match.


I am continually amazed at the number of people who don't blink an eye at carrying a 5-shot J-frame S&W in the pocket of their cargo shorts, and if they even have a reload it's a speed-strip, but they go apoplectic over someone competently carrying a single action loaded with 5 rounds of 44 Special, 44WCF, or 45 Colt. Then there's the newer designed SAs like the Rugers that safely carry 6 rounds. Still they think the guy with the Chief's Special is better off. Good grief!

Dave
My point exactly. Perception is everything.
 
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