How confident are you with cap n ball pistols?

[Oyeboten]

As Belt Pistols, when carried on the front, tucked behind one's ( sturdy ) Waist Belt, the Remington New Model .44, or the Colt 1860 .44, seem light and natural and easy.

The Colt Dragoons or the Colt WALKER for all their weight, seem to pretty well disappear in their way, and do not seem a bother or to be weighing on you when likewise carried.

Granted, these latter ones were Horse Pistols, to be carried ( usually ) off the Pommel.

But, as Belt Pistols, they ride fine.

I have tried carrying thus around here, doing chores and so on, and, they seem very comfortable that way.

One sees this of course in many period Photographs, and, once tried, one will understand why.


Anyway, far as my experiences with the few Cap & Ball Revolvers I have, I would be comfortable if I had to rely on any of them for a fracus...even appreciating as I definitely do, the advantages of a 1911 .45 Auto, or, any of various good Double Action Revolvers.

I do not have a lot of practice all tolled with the Cap and Ball Single Actions compared to these other two, but, I am confident that those who may, and those who have learned rapidity in successive fire or to fan for a first round or other, would be very formidable indeed.


They were in their day...and, would be now.

 

[golden]

Agree to disagree

GOON,

We will have to agree to disagree on this subject.

The REMINGTON was a late entry into the C&B market with many improvements that the COLT revolvers lacked. SIGHTS come to mind, but you are comparing apples to oranges as the vast majority of C&B's were made by COLT or copies of the COLT. So it is the COLT sight I am comparing to the model 10 S&W.

For cost reasons, I buy a lot of ammo at WALMART. I have not seen any black powder there or in most sporting goods dealers in my area. It is available, but I can get .357 magnum anywhere, not so with black powder.

Those who make you quiver with a single action would be quivering if someone was armed with a BERETTA 92 or 1911 or AR-15, so it really does not matter. I have to carry a gun for my job and if I worried about how good someone was with a gun, I would not be able to do it. If they present a big threat, call for backup.

Overall, I cannot imagine a reason to use a C&B for defense if you have anything else above a .32 caliber.

Jim

 

[Oyeboten]

For most self defence situations and the distances and urgency of the condition, the Sights never come into play anyway, and or I would think, that time spent trying to acquire a sight picture, would have been better spent dispatching effective rounds into effective close-enough-up places of the beegee ( 'BG' ) with ability in point Shooting, no matter what kind of Handgun one has.

 

[goon]

golden - I can't imagine why you'd want to use one if something better was available either.
I suffer from no romanticism about their effectiveness, but a gun is still a gun. Even a Colt (which are said to be slightly more reliable than the Remington pattern because of the Remington's weakness for fouling more easily) is still accurate enough to put lead on target if the sight are regulated. Check out the BP forum here if you suffer from disbelief. Even the most mediocre sight picture can put a bullet in the vitals across the living room. Two holes in your chest will still put you in the ground whether they get put there with a Beretta 9mm or a Navy Colt.
As far as "quivering", you take what I said too literally. But there are guys who can run a single action. There are guys who can put that first shot in your forehead with one. If they kill you while you're trying to mug them, it doesn't matter what they use to kill you. It's one less criminal either way.

I'm not saying I'll be trading in my SP-101 to carry one, but if the only thing I had to defend myself with was a reliable Uberti 1860 Army replica, I still wouldn't be defenseless.

 

[Oyeboten]

Short little video showing the alacrity of use for SAA...same would hold true for a Cap & Ball Revolver, assuming one has practiced some, anyway...Lol...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8bJ3TLEbZw&NR=1&feature=fvwp


I don't think anyone is saying that a Cap and Ball Revolver would be their first choice for an all round SD Arm.

But if the question ( as I undestood it, ) is would one feel confident in one's C&B Revolver, the answer among those familiar with right practices, does seem to be a qualified 'Yes'.


Fouling is not an issue with any of the old Makes or a good reproduction, when one uses right Lube methods.

 

[dtvburns]

10 shots in three seconds with a single action. WOW!



I know old post but we are frozen in here and I am waiting for the snow to at least slow down so I can go tot the range with my pistols today.

 

[NMGonzo]

Cylinder conversion on a dragoon would be fun.