I turned my Vaquero into a practical carry piece!

Jesus, the gun is almost as big as you are!

cool, but I don't know if I would consider a single action revolver a "practical" carry gun. Still cool either way, I love cowboy guns.

cool what caliber and barrel length?

Nice! I'm somewhat obsessed with the SA revolvers, very cool and nice job

Step up to first class citizenship

The "oxblood" color is appealing. I like it too.

That leather will soften with use and time, and when you get the urge to purchase another, may I recommend one with a thumb snap strap? To keep it secure during any jogging you might do. And to bind the trigger down -secure.

I think that if you force yourself to be vigilant and remain alert, you may never need to quick draw. Of course any one can always be surprised, but watch how you do things and go about your movements, and you can preclude that from happening.

I too like the SA revolver, and one of the features it has, is the inherent safety of only firing when the hammer is cocked. At any rate, my advice: Take it to school with you.
If you can cover it with a light jacket or other clothing. I would not worry about printing. Many of the members here can confirm that the general public goes on with their day to day lives; oblivious to what their surroundings are.
And besides, doesn't everyone carry all kinds of things on their belts? Like cell phones, cameras; electronic devices of all sorts.

They may "expel" you for violation of school policies, but you can always enroll elsewhere. Today, the institutions are clamoring for students and their money! It is better to be kicked out by the provost than to be carried out head first.

{Sorry for the poor poetic attempt. I need to return to college.}

"cool, but I don't know if I would consider a single action revolver a "practical" carry gun. Still cool either way, I love cowboy guns."

You obviously haven't read sixguns by elmer keith. anything practiced enough can become fast as lightning. I carry a superblackhawk in .44 mag.

They may "expel" you for violation of school policies, but you can always enroll elsewhere. Today, the institutions are clamoring for students and their money! It is better to be kicked out by the provost than to be carried out head first.

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If only this were the issue! My problem is that it's illegal and the state would prosecute me. I'd go to jail for 20 years and being a convicted felon, I'd never work in a professional field so all my education would be a waste.

But very nice setup, and a fine firearm. I am jealous.

Ditto corspmanup.

I cannot consider a SA revolver as practical.

I personally wouldn't consider a SA revolver practical, but thats because I really am not practiced with one at all.

If you practice with it regularly, I'm sure it would get the job done. The one thing I would really be concerned about is the slow reload speed after 6 shots have been fired.

Just curious, why do you two consider a SA not practical? I think Prepster is better armed with a six round Vaquero in .45 Colt than with, say, a 5 shot S&W snubbie .38 or a pocket rocket in .380 or 9mm. If the SA is the gun he likes and practices with, I think it's practical. It doesn't have 20 rounds in the magazine or glow in the dark sights or a light rail, but I feel well armed with my Vaquero or even with a Colt clone with only five in the wheel.

Slow follow up shots and agonizing slow reloads.

I said it's not practical, not that it's worthless.

Carry what makes you happy. C3855: I routinely carry J frame revolvers. My SAAs stay in the safe when it's time to arm up for urban carry.

I'm only 5'6'' and 120 lbs., so concealing anything other than a pocket rocket is a bit of a challenge. Usually I end up with said pocket rocket, or I'm OCing in the warmer weather, or I have an awkward buldge in my jacket that looks like a freakish tumor.

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I think you haven't gotten to the right platform, and set up. First, I'm 5'11'', and 145 lbs soaking wet. I can ccw a 1911 no problem. I'm just seeing from your pics that you can do this as well. There are so many guns that are made for ccw.

You need a thin gun, good holster, and good belt.

i disagree with the slow followup shots. i guess you have never seen a cowboy action shooting match, those guys can run a hogleg mighty fast. i can shoot my single actions as fast and as accurate as my 1911, i sm very wuick with either but i practice. i do however agree with the reloading of single action is slow especially if in a critical situation but on the other hand you could always use it for a club, lol.

I think folks overestimate the need for reloads. When was the last time you heard of an armed citizen involved in a running gun battle with multiple magazine changes, despite that scenario being so common in the so-called "practical" pistol matches?

I read an article in an old Guns & Ammo magazine about the police transitioning from revolvers to autos. The article stated that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police used Smith & Wesson Model 10 .38s until the 1980s, and never had to reload during a documented gunfight. The article also stated that the Milwaukee, Wisconsin Police Department carried Smith & Wesson Model .38s until the 1980s, and never had to reload during a documented gunfight. I do not know the origin of the statistics, but they are believable. In most of the gunfights I have researched or read about, it is usually over in the first six rounds or less.

To get back on topic, the purpose of the above was to illustrate that the Single Action Revolver is still usable as a defensive handgun and practical carry piece. The way to fix the alleged slow loading and unloading is to practice your loading procedure, and do what single action shooters have been doing since 1836...carry two of them .

Prepster...great holster, and what caliber is your Vaquero?

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

I've been in one gunfight... and I ran my 1911 dry. So in my experience, a reload is required 100% of the time.

So much for statistics.

Plan for the worst case scenario. There are far better choices for personal defense than the SA.

Plan for the worst case scenario.

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No handgun is useful in the worst case scenario.

really no gun at all is sufficient for the worst case scenario... so each of us has to make a personal decision as to what is or isn't sufficient for our purposes.

Ruger Single Action CCW

I also use a single action at times for CCW mine is a custom built Old Style Ruger Vaquero .45cal 4 5/8 bbl. It is carried in a Bob Mernickle single action strong side conceal carry holster PS6-SA REF1 on a Mernickle belt with a 6 round belt slide ammo carrier.
The gun rides high but tucked into my body.
Comes out Smooth as silk !!
I believe this holster also comes in cross draw.

1873-pattern Single-action revolvers aren't as impractical for carry as one might imagine. Practice is the key to success with any platform.

It does require a little reprogramming and moving outside of the norm...but it can be done...with practice.

The 1873 SAA points like your mother's index finger when she caught you in a lie. The big-bore calibers like .45 Colt and .44 Special strike with authority even at moderate velocities. Recoil is manageable and the somewhat slower followup requires you to focus on accuracy, trigger, and shot placement...which is a good thing.

My grandfather carried an old Colt .44 Special. He carried it hammer down on an empty chamber 90% of the time...and when he had to go to town...he loaded the 6th round and rested the firing pin between the rims. At one time, for him..."Town" was across the ridge into Harlan, Kentucky in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Google "Bloody Harlan" for a description. He never broke the habit...even when they moved to Wise County, Va. and later on to Fordtown, Tennessee, near Kingsport.

He didn't worry much about reloading. He once said that if he lived long enough to fire six rounds, he'd have plenty of time to reload. I remember seeing him knock apples off a tree with the gun at 20 paces...in a frighteningly short span of time for a man of his age.... so I tend to take his comment seriously. If anyone saw the movie "Doc" with Stacy Keach in the title role...there was a scene when he was doing a shooting exhibition for Billy Clanton while explaining that speed was okay, but accuracy was much more important as he drew and blasted whisky bottles off a fence. Grandpap shot a lot like that...and just about that quick.

I've recently gotten back into single-actions, and have been working hard with a pair of New Vaqueros and carrying a Cimarron Model P in .44 Special. After a little effort and practice, I have to say that I'm pretty impressed...even in my hands and with my aging eyes. Wyatt Earp said of the '73 Colt...as told by Bat Masterson: "It falls onto the target with a deadly certainty."

And it does...

I usually carry something other than a SA. But when I do, I carry this Beretta .45 Colt and I do not feel inadequately armed...jus' something comforting about those big heavy bullets.

38 Special- Yes, we all are aware that a handgun makes an inferior weapon compared to a rifle (and thank you for pointing out the obvious). Unfortunately, civilians are generally prohibited from carrying a rifle around town and I really wouldn't want to go about my business with my FAL in my hand, anyway, so we must use our intelligence and realize that we must make do with the DEFENSIVE weapon (the handgun) that does the job best for us.

That's not a SA revolver. Is the SA useless? No. Is it my first choice? No. Is it the best choice? No. Are there better options? Yes.

That's all I am saying.