.45 LC Single Action for "defense" ?
- Thread starter wditto
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rcmodel
Member in memoriam
No reason not too if you know how to use one well.
I can think of a lot worse guns to have on hand.
rcmodel
I can think of a lot worse guns to have on hand.
rcmodel
nalioth
Member
...beats a sharp stick and harsh words. . .
Claude Clay
Member
a dark, quiet house....a shottie being pumped, a SAA being cocked; both are very strong non-verbal statements to the intruder. and a 45LC is easier on the home owners ears than a 9 or 45 acp.
I carry one frequently, but carry a 1911 more just due to it being flatter....the .45 Colt shoots a heavier bullet at least as fast as an ACP round....the first shot is just as fast as anything out there...if you know what you're doing, the next four or five can be pretty fast, too, about as fast as you can recover from a .45 Colt round, anyhow....need to solve the problem with 5-6 shots, though....but, as Bill Jordan said, something along the lines of, "if you haven't solved your problem with six shots, what makes you think things are going to get better with another six?"
Coyote Hunter
Member
I use Single actions a lot due to Western Reenacting and live shoots. I carried both revolvers and semi autos in my LEO career. I carry a Colt .45 SSA 5 1/2 every day on the farm and have a short barrel shopkeeper for concealed. Now, honestly I carry a 1911 when I go to the city, beacuse I'm dressed a little more civil than out here in my cartharts and boots and it hides easier under light clothes.
I have no problem being competent with both. I've even carried a uberti colt navy or remington .44 cap and ball in the woods for defense, only because I know what they can do in the right hands.
I have no problem being competent with both. I've even carried a uberti colt navy or remington .44 cap and ball in the woods for defense, only because I know what they can do in the right hands.
Marlin 45 carbine
Member
some years back I fell on hard times (divorce) and the only guns I had were a Ruger Old Army .45 BP revolver, an H&R break-open 12ga mag and a Ruger MkII.
with my black lab sleeping outside near the window and the Ruger and others nearby I didn't lose any sleep.
with my black lab sleeping outside near the window and the Ruger and others nearby I didn't lose any sleep.
I've carried an Old Army, too, just because....with a 147gr softball over as much FFFFg priming powder as could be fit in the chamber, it's like shooting a pre-expanded .357 mag bullet that just gets bigger....also, one of the most accurate revolvers I've ever owned. Most will do 1"/25yds with no problem.
My big, bad, SA Blackhawk in .44 is my "go to" gun. I sleep next to it and carry it openly when I can. I don't consider myself to be that good of a shot, I have bad vision, and my hands aren't very steady....but I can put six 240 grain slugs into a torso sized target just about as quick as a double action .38 special. And then I can yell "yeehaw" when I'm done. 
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MCgunner
Member
I carry one afield a lot. Nothing wrong with using a .45 single action for defense. I mean, I wouldn't carry one if I was a cop, but just for personal defense, it'd get the job done. I've never been a mall ninja, though I do own a few autos.
The single actions, other than my mini revolver which don't count, aren't very concealable. I tried to put the Blackhawk in an IWB once, nearly pulled my pants down to my ankles. LOL I'll stick to J frames and subcompact autos for carry.
The single actions, other than my mini revolver which don't count, aren't very concealable. I tried to put the Blackhawk in an IWB once, nearly pulled my pants down to my ankles. LOL I'll stick to J frames and subcompact autos for carry.
Jim March
Member
My daily carry is a Ruger New Vaquero in 357.
thanks guys, great confirmation -
hey, MCgunner, PLEASE do not send PHOTOS of THAT !!! - ha - say, how's the heat out in Big Bend ? I spent 30 years in Texas, burnt lke a tater-tot , retired and moved to the Smokies , great weather !
thanks again
dit
hey, MCgunner, PLEASE do not send PHOTOS of THAT !!! - ha - say, how's the heat out in Big Bend ? I spent 30 years in Texas, burnt lke a tater-tot , retired and moved to the Smokies , great weather !
thanks again
dit
MCgunner
Member
Big Bend? Ask Art. That's about 500 mile and at 4 bucks a gallon, ah, even on a motorcycle I don't wanna spend it. LOL I'm on the coast up about 85 miles from Corpus Christi by the placid blue waters of Lavaca Bay. Right now, it's hotter'n HELL, then there's the humidity. 100 degrees is bad enough leavin' out the 80 percent humidity! The bend would be a relief! LOL Fishin's better here, though. Desert to plains to piney woods to coastal marsh. But, that's Texas, a whole 'nuther country.
rdrancher
Member
Jim, I'd love to see a photo of your setup strapped on. I tried a Blackhawk in a Mernickle a few times but just couldn't get it to feel comfortable.
rd
Nothing wrong with it
If you want to use it for that purpose you need to put in a lot of range time. Use a premium bullet and you probably won't need to hit your target more than once. Great thing about the .45 is it won't ever get smaller than, well, .45 when we're talking terminal ballistics.
If you want to use it for that purpose you need to put in a lot of range time. Use a premium bullet and you probably won't need to hit your target more than once. Great thing about the .45 is it won't ever get smaller than, well, .45 when we're talking terminal ballistics.
redneckrepairs
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- Joined
- May 3, 2005
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- 1,117
If you have it and its the only pistol you can afford it will do fine ( using the hammer as the " safety " in an auto) . If you have other options tho it likely should not be your first choice, no more than it has been for gun handlers both LE and military since the close of the century before last .
LightningMan
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- Apr 1, 2008
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- 1,029
If it were me and all I had was a SAA, I would NOT have the gun cocked but have my thumb on the hammer at all times so I could cock it in an instant. Lets say its late at night when there's noises that awake you, with your mind racing, your adrinline going, maybe even scared, and whatever else you may experance when things go bump in the night, you could by accident pull the trigger. Especially a SAA that's had an action job as some can be very light. My own SAA's have about a 1 1/2 pound trigger pull, and IMHO thats way to light for a tense setting. That's my opinion, but if you know how to handle a SAA, nothing wrong it as it can get the job done. LM
Yes, I use a Ruger Blackhawk in 45Colt aka long colt for self defense.
I don't belong to SASS, nothing wrong with it though, and I don't consider my single actions ONLY for 'playing cowboy' as some people think of S/A Revolvers.
I am very good with my 45Colt, for self defense, as I am with my other single actions and 'other guns'.
I PREFER single actions in 45Colt and in 22LR.
I like them in 357Magnum/38Special Plus P but I do NOT own a single action in that caliber. Only in 45Colt and in 22LR. They are sweet in 44 caliber but I don't own a 44 in single action. We sold our D/A 44s in S&W Model 29-2 and 29-3. We don't own any 44s at this time.
Would I trust my 45Colt for self defense shooting? YES!
Catherine
I don't belong to SASS, nothing wrong with it though, and I don't consider my single actions ONLY for 'playing cowboy' as some people think of S/A Revolvers.
I am very good with my 45Colt, for self defense, as I am with my other single actions and 'other guns'.
I PREFER single actions in 45Colt and in 22LR.
I like them in 357Magnum/38Special Plus P but I do NOT own a single action in that caliber. Only in 45Colt and in 22LR. They are sweet in 44 caliber but I don't own a 44 in single action. We sold our D/A 44s in S&W Model 29-2 and 29-3. We don't own any 44s at this time.
Would I trust my 45Colt for self defense shooting? YES!
Catherine
calaverasslim
Member
I own 4 Rugers, 2 USFAs, 44-40 Gunslinger, 5.5" and Rodeo, same cal with a 4.75" barrel. I have 4 Colts, 2 45's, 44-40, and a 44 special, all with 4.75" barrels. Shoot em all several times a week to maintain proficiency.
My go to gun is the 5.5" Gunslinger. Sleeps with me and rides with me and is always handy. Answer your question?
My go to gun is the 5.5" Gunslinger. Sleeps with me and rides with me and is always handy. Answer your question?
Matt-J2
Member
SA revolvers aren't much slower for me to cock and shoot than a pump shotgun is, so I reckon speed isn't really going to be be issue here.
Only worry I would have is remembering to cock it before the first shot, but I suppose that's what training is for, isn't it?
Only worry I would have is remembering to cock it before the first shot, but I suppose that's what training is for, isn't it?
zxcvbob
Member
The one gun I keep loaded in the house is a .38 Special with 158 grain SWCHP's. I have a .45 Colt ruger blackhawk, and I would actually be *more* comfortable using it for HD except it's too big to fit in the hidey-hole where I keep the gun stashed. If I had maybe a New Vaquero with a 4 5/8" barrel, you bet I'd use it (it would fit.) I shoot single-action by default -- I have to really concentrate to shoot a revolver double-action cuz my thumb wants to cock the hammer reflexively. One shot with a 250 grain soft lead bullet at 900 to 1000 fps should take the fight out of a BG quicker than 2 shots with a .38 or 9mm.
These bullets make a cute little daisy almost 2" in diameter when they hit a steel target. I pick 'em up after I finish shooting and melt 'em down to use again. They should do something similar (just not as much) if they hit a bone. If they only hit soft tissue, they should still make a half inch hole all the way through... from any angle.
These bullets make a cute little daisy almost 2" in diameter when they hit a steel target. I pick 'em up after I finish shooting and melt 'em down to use again. They should do something similar (just not as much) if they hit a bone. If they only hit soft tissue, they should still make a half inch hole all the way through... from any angle.
My "bedside table companion" is a Springfield 1911-A1 'GI-45' model, but yeah, for many years my revolvers were all single-actions...Bearcat, Single Six, Blackhawk, Vaquero, and some no-name knock-offs.
While probably not the best choice for fending off Atilla The Huns' Thundering Herd, the SA revolver will do its part if you do yours.
While probably not the best choice for fending off Atilla The Huns' Thundering Herd, the SA revolver will do its part if you do yours.
I have a higher grade Uberti 4 3/4" .45 Colt clone. Have been shooting it a lot and reloading for it too.
I carry it around in the truck quite a bit. Like John Wayne would say, "wouldn't be scared of no booger man with a big old pistol like that"!
Probably a lot better choices out there. But then the old .45 Colt has an excellent reputation as an effective manstopper.
I discovered that if you shoot my not so old Uberti clone enough, can achieve supurb accuracy.
I carry it around in the truck quite a bit. Like John Wayne would say, "wouldn't be scared of no booger man with a big old pistol like that"!
Probably a lot better choices out there. But then the old .45 Colt has an excellent reputation as an effective manstopper.
I discovered that if you shoot my not so old Uberti clone enough, can achieve supurb accuracy.
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