. . . to live 140 years ago.When bored, I often wonder what life would be like in the days of yesteryear. This invariably gets me to thinking that if I were around back in those times, and knowing everything that I know now, what period weapons would I use? Anything say 1875 and before. According to Hollywood, everyone used Colt SAA's and '73 Winchesters. Personally, if I were to find myself "back there", I think I would arm myself with a pair of Colt's Navies, either the '51 or the '61 and a Civil-war era Spencer. Am I the only one who would choose such archaic arms, or are there others out there who doubt the supposed superiority of the 1873 SAA?
Every modern gunslinger's dream. . .
- Thread starter Dithsoer
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MutinousDoug
Member
Perhaps you should ask (if you could) the survivors of the Greasy Grass fight of June 1876 whether they would have cap and ball or cartridge revolvers? Or 45-70 Springfields rather than Spencers? Spencers may have had an advantage at the end of Custer's advance. Not on Reno hill.
Equally instructive might be the Wagon Box fight of 1868 at Ft Phil Kearney about 60 miles south.
Fascinating history.
Equally instructive might be the Wagon Box fight of 1868 at Ft Phil Kearney about 60 miles south.
Fascinating history.
Shawnee
member
Most of the "survivers of the Greasy Grass" festivities were armed with lances and bows & arrows.
An thass a fac, Jac.
An thass a fac, Jac.
No way in Hell would I want to have lived 140 years ago.
I've already thought about this.
I would have been dead long before my time 140 years ago, and that's just based on the various relatively minor surgical procedures I've already had done in my life that 140 years ago would have all been almost certain death sentences.
No thanks.
hillbilly
I've already thought about this.
I would have been dead long before my time 140 years ago, and that's just based on the various relatively minor surgical procedures I've already had done in my life that 140 years ago would have all been almost certain death sentences.
No thanks.
hillbilly
sundance44s
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Sundance44s
If i were to have lived back in the day ..i would have pretty content in my travels to own a pair of 1858 Remmies and a 1866 Winchester or Henry rifle ;;; fact is i feel pretty content with those arms in my gun safe TODAY !
If i were to have lived back in the day ..i would have pretty content in my travels to own a pair of 1858 Remmies and a 1866 Winchester or Henry rifle ;;; fact is i feel pretty content with those arms in my gun safe TODAY !
Shawnee
member
LOL! I'm with you, Hillbilly! Soon as I got a raving toothache I'd be calling Scottie to beam me aboard !
sundance44s
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Sundance44s
Me too Hillbilly my apendex ruptured when i was 42 ...back then i would have been a dead man at 42 .... just about right for the time .
Me too Hillbilly my apendex ruptured when i was 42 ...back then i would have been a dead man at 42 .... just about right for the time .
ialevy
Member
Heck, My appendix would have killed me at 30. My wife would be lame due to a torn ACL.
And the 1911 would not even have been invented yet
And the 1911 would not even have been invented yet
robert garner
Member
Shawnee !
You owe me a keyboard! I owe you a beer. You're my kind of 'merican!
Also, I wouldnt of made childhood, thanks G-d for pennicillan!
robert
You owe me a keyboard! I owe you a beer. You're my kind of 'merican!
Also, I wouldnt of made childhood, thanks G-d for pennicillan!
robert
Cincinnati Slim
Member
Livin' back then
Howdy All,
I'm for-sure certain playin' cowboy now is a lot more fun than tryin' to make a livin' really BEING a cowboy back then !
Sure, life was simple but it was usually HARD and often SHORT.
Just a simple infection or a busted bone could be the end of ya !
I love the smell of black powder but if I get in a fix I'm mighty glad to be able to pull a cell phone out of my jeans and call 911...
Happy Trails
Cincinnati Slim
Howdy All,
I'm for-sure certain playin' cowboy now is a lot more fun than tryin' to make a livin' really BEING a cowboy back then !
Sure, life was simple but it was usually HARD and often SHORT.
Just a simple infection or a busted bone could be the end of ya !
I love the smell of black powder but if I get in a fix I'm mighty glad to be able to pull a cell phone out of my jeans and call 911...
Happy Trails
Cincinnati Slim
Tommygunn
Member
Dithsoer, older guns like the '51 Navy saw use a long time after more modern guns were introduced. In fact, Wild Bill Hickok prefered those revolvers over the cartridge guns.
But a lot of people couldn't afford the new guns. Colts cost a lot of $$ back then, and older guns were much more affordable. Even single shots and the smaller .31 "pocket revolvers" saw use.
Like today. Not everyone drives the newest car. Maybe the can't afford a new one every year. Maybe that 6 year old car works very well and they like it -- you get what I mean.
There were Indians at the Little Bighorn armed with Spencers -- and some even older rifles. In fact, the 7th Cavalry had been equiped with Spencer carbines up until 1873. The army took them away then and replaced them with single-shot .45-70 Springfield Trapdoors...possibly not a wise decision...considering.
The old west is a place I would dearly love to visit, if a time machine could ever be made feasible -- but I don't think I'd want to live there...long.
But a lot of people couldn't afford the new guns. Colts cost a lot of $$ back then, and older guns were much more affordable. Even single shots and the smaller .31 "pocket revolvers" saw use.
Like today. Not everyone drives the newest car. Maybe the can't afford a new one every year. Maybe that 6 year old car works very well and they like it -- you get what I mean.
There were Indians at the Little Bighorn armed with Spencers -- and some even older rifles. In fact, the 7th Cavalry had been equiped with Spencer carbines up until 1873. The army took them away then and replaced them with single-shot .45-70 Springfield Trapdoors...possibly not a wise decision...considering.
The old west is a place I would dearly love to visit, if a time machine could ever be made feasible -- but I don't think I'd want to live there...long.
Low Key
Member
To have lived 140 years ago? Sure sounds like fun, just sit on the porch, no cell phone ringing all the time, no telemarketers bothering me, no loud airplanes overhead or big trucks to run over you on the road…no road either. No electric bill to pay, wait…no electric in the house either! No water bill? No running water indoors??!! No supermarket to buy food from? Dang, now I’ve got to farm or raise cattle! Oh and keep a fire going on the cold nights…shoot, now I’m into cutting and busting wood too! Where’s my chainsaw…oh crap!!
On the other hand, I think I’ll be happy where I am and when I am…I’m too lazy for living 140 years ago! But I would have carried an 1858 Remington 44 cal or two back then, if I had lived back then. And probably a shotgun too!
On the other hand, I think I’ll be happy where I am and when I am…I’m too lazy for living 140 years ago! But I would have carried an 1858 Remington 44 cal or two back then, if I had lived back then. And probably a shotgun too!
Shawnee
member
LOL!!!
Been to the Greasy Grass. Pretty sobering. The 7th simply bit off more than they could chew with any arms short of a platoon of flamethrowers. Personally, I would have traded every gun they had for my Thoroughbred and a 100-yd. head start!
Been to the Greasy Grass. Pretty sobering. The 7th simply bit off more than they could chew with any arms short of a platoon of flamethrowers. Personally, I would have traded every gun they had for my Thoroughbred and a 100-yd. head start!
J.T. Gerrity
Member
I think Low Key has it about right (just ponder, for a moment, just what life was like without toilet paper! That'll sober you up real quick!)
Colt didn't release the SAA Army to the public until around 1874 or 1875, if memory serves, so one would have been hard to come by and expensive (~$17.00). Most people would have been using conversion black powder guns, with many still using straight cap-n-ball pistols. Lots of the old timers didn't trust the new-fangled "Ca'tridge" guns and stuck with CNB. Living at the time, I'd get me one of those fancy 1872 open-top revolvers from Colt to match my 1860 conversion pistol!
Colt didn't release the SAA Army to the public until around 1874 or 1875, if memory serves, so one would have been hard to come by and expensive (~$17.00). Most people would have been using conversion black powder guns, with many still using straight cap-n-ball pistols. Lots of the old timers didn't trust the new-fangled "Ca'tridge" guns and stuck with CNB. Living at the time, I'd get me one of those fancy 1872 open-top revolvers from Colt to match my 1860 conversion pistol!
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