Its 1905, You're a Small Town Sheriff, Whatcha Packin?

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Be carried daily
1. Colt SAA in 44-40
2. Winchester 1892 in 44-40

Below outfitted when needed
3. Springfield 1903 with 4x side mount scope
4. Browning Auto-5 with magazine extension
 
NIGHTLORD40K said:
Just for fun!

The year is 1905 and you are a rural Sheriff whos well-heeled uncle has left you a small inheritance- enough to equip yourself any way you like.

Most of your "encounters" are belligerent drunks, but cattle rustlers, horse thieves, and the occasional train and bank robbers are in the offing.

As you are required to provide your own kit, what would you get? Long guns, sidearms, backup....whatever you like, as long as it was available in 1905.
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Schofield and a model 94 Winchester with receiver sight. Maybe a 97 pump takedown as a back-up.
 
Slamfire said:
Since this is Sci Fi, what about the Space Aliens and phaser guns, force shields, and proton blasters. And of course, unlimited wealth. Got to ask, why anyone with unlimited wealth is going to be a poorly paid Sheriff in a time without medical or dental, or even, anti biotics!. One little bullet hole and death from infection is real. People died from scratches from rose bushes.

So, to inject some realism, I am looking at my 1902 Sears Catalog.

The cheapest LC Smith Shotgun is $27.75, "3 blade Damascus barrel" for $54.00, and the High Grade $67.50.

The really cheap single barrel shotguns are $4.90 to $5.95, a Remington single barrel is $7.50.

A Marlin 1894 rund $10.00 to $11.25, the largest cartridge available is the 44-40.

A Winchester M1892, $11.20 to $12.50. Same price for an 1894. An M1895 lever action is $17.82 and it is in 30-40 Krag. (30 US Army)

Pistols are expensive. A plain, jane Colt Peacemaker, $13.20 though for $5.35 more, you can buy pearl handle stocks. Mind you, I have set a Sheriff's weekly wage at $7.70, so pearl handle grips are not cheap. The New Service is $15.40. A 44 caliber S&W Frontier double action is $14.50. A S&W double action in 38 something (probably 38 S&W) is $12.75.

Maybe you expect Cowtowns to provide the Sheriff with an arsenal like this,

View attachment 1007954

But don't count on it. These rural entities, if they had a Fire Department, it was volunteer. If the Sheriff got $7.50 a week, that was probably good pay. Do you realize that small towns in 1905, did not have air conditioning, central heating, refrigerators, gas or electric stoves, electric lighting, running water, or hot showers. You would smell like a Billy Goat. Maybe you could live with the smell, but what about no cell phones? Imagine a world without cell phones, what an unbelievable Hell! People today actually have panic attacks if they are separated from their cell phone for more than 15 minutes. It is one thing to dream of going back with more armaments than a period Dreadnought, but, I don't think moderns would actually like living back then.

I would rather go to that future world where Captain Kirk lands on the world of hot, blue, amorous women.

View attachment 1007955
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And here I thought a sheriff had a county (or several) to contend with.

Regarding fantasy, yeah that's what the premise of this thread is.
 
My pistol would be a Beretta Model 92 and the rifle would be a Ruger Mini-14. I always store both of them in my time machine, along with plenty of ammunition and my handicap parking permit placard for just such occasions.
 
1905 cop? Colt New Police in .32 S&W Long.

If you were the kind of guys who liked bigger bores: Colt New Army and Navy Revolver, in .38 Long Colt (aka Model of 1889) or a Smith& Wesson Hand Ejector 1899 also in .38 Long Colt, or maybe S&W's new ".38 Special" cartridge.

If you planned on being the "dirty Harry" of the area, a Colt New Army in .41 Long Colt.
 
I have trouble with the trigger reach on a New Service so I'd prolly just go with a SAA and pair it with a 92 in 44-40 or 38-40.
Oh heck let's face it I'd be just as much of a gun nut in 1905 as 2005 so I'd prolly have SAAs in both calibers and a 73 in one and 92 in the other. Prolly have a 94 and 95 rifles and a 97 shotgun. ASAP I'm gonna snag a surplus Krag carbine.
 
JeeperCreeper said:
I'd have a Luger on my hip. I'm sure it would be real controversial in a small town, especially leading up to The Great War.
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Oh, I dunno, until the Zimmerman letter scandal, there was quite a bit of German-American sympathy for the Central Powers, and still some lingering resentment towards the British for the War of 1812 and their support of the Confederacy in the Civil War. It was no sure thing that we would join the Allied side if we engaged in the Great War at all.

Toting a Luger in 1905 would have raised some eyebrows, but more likely out of abject curiosity than disapproval of a German gun.:)
 
Of what I own; a Smith & Wesson DA model 4 in 38S&W and a Type I Colt Pocket Hammerless (it was actually made in 1906 but I'll claim it was a replacement for the 1905).

38 DA 4th Model 2.jpg 1906 Colt 1903-02.jpg
 
Living in 2021 and being able to know what would transpire between 1905 and now could have an influence on my decision. Looking at it from that perspective I'd probably choose the Smith DA in 38 Special. But I'm trying to look at this through the eyes of a man born about the time of the Civil War or shortly after and basing my decision on the knowledge he would have had in 1905.

The 38 Special was only 6-7 years old and didn't have the historical record we can look at today. And it had just replaced the 38 Colt that had earned a poor reputation. Sure there were 9mm semi-autos available in 1905, but it would be another 80 years or so before most Americans started to grudgingly accept a 9mm pistol as acceptable.

I just think that someone at that point in history would have been more likely to choose something familiar and proven rather than new technology at the time.
 
mavracer
ASAP I'm gonna snag a surplus Krag carbine.
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There you go!

I thought about choosing a Krag carbine but then I figured 1) they're probably still in service with the Army, as NIGHTLORD40K so aptly pointed out, and 2) ammunition might be a little hard to come by!
 
Ammo availability would be a bit of a concern for anything you wanted to do a lot of shooting with. I’ll be the first to admit I have no idea what ammo availability was like, but I’m making the assumption the more prevalent the firearm chambering, the more availability.


jmr40 said:
Living in 2021 and being able to know what would transpire between 1905 and now could have an influence on my decision. Looking at it from that perspective I'd probably choose the Smith DA in 38 Special. But I'm trying to look at this through the eyes of a man born about the time of the Civil War or shortly after and basing my decision on the knowledge he would have had in 1905.

The 38 Special was only 6-7 years old and didn't have the historical record we can look at today. And it had just replaced the 38 Colt that had earned a poor reputation. Sure there were 9mm semi-autos available in 1905, but it would be another 80 years or so before most Americans started to grudgingly accept a 9mm pistol as acceptable.

I just think that someone at that point in history would have been more likely to choose something familiar and proven rather than new technology at the time.
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“The old American Model Smith & Wesson revolver was a great favorite with those who knew what weapon to select for reliable work."
 
jmr40 said:
Living in 2021 and being able to know what would transpire between 1905 and now could have an influence on my decision. Looking at it from that perspective I'd probably choose the Smith DA in 38 Special. But I'm trying to look at this through the eyes of a man born about the time of the Civil War or shortly after and basing my decision on the knowledge he would have had in 1905.

The 38 Special was only 6-7 years old and didn't have the historical record we can look at today. And it had just replaced the 38 Colt that had earned a poor reputation. Sure there were 9mm semi-autos available in 1905, but it would be another 80 years or so before most Americans started to grudgingly accept a 9mm pistol as acceptable.

I just think that someone at that point in history would have been more likely to choose something familiar and proven rather than new technology at the time.
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.38 Colt's "poor reputation" is a modern thing, not a mind set of the time.

.38 Short Colt was one of the most popular cartridges to convert the .38 cap-and-ball revolvers to cartridges. And, .38 Long Colt was a better version of that cartridge.

The "poor reputation" was only an Army thing and not a widespread perception among the civilian world. .38 Special was S&W's attempt to convince the Army to buy S&W revolvers. It would not be until the 1920's that .38 Special would become the ubiquitous "Police Cartridge".
 
NIGHTLORD40K said:
There, fixed it for ya. ;)
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bannockburn said:
mavracer


There you go!

I thought about choosing a Krag carbine but then I figured 1) they're probably still in service with the Army, as NIGHTLORD40K so aptly pointed out, and 2) ammunition might be a little hard to come by!
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1) ".30 Caliber Army" as .30-40 Krag was known then was a popular hunting cartridge from its introduction on the commercial market, this was about a year after Army adoption. The Winchester Model 1895 was primarily a result of people wanting .30-40 in a lever action. The supply of .30-40 Krag ammunition by 1905 would be more than abundant.

2) There were Krag-Jørgensens loose in the civvie world. In 1899, a Krag in .30-40 caliber was used to shoot the world-record Rocky Mountain elk.
 
Would more than likely just copy grand dad, 1899 Savage 30-30 cut down to a 16" barrel for riding on the floor, 1911 38Auto for duty with a Colt pocket revolver in 38colt, Shotgun would be the two he carried double barrel 8ga, for reach:), and a cut down 12ga double for social work .
 
Considering 1905 is long before any NFA mess, I’m going with an early browning auto 5 chopped to about even with the mag tube loaded with buckshot. In the back of the Ford Model B would be a legit Vickers gun, and on my hip, or hips actually would be a small of back wedge holster holding a pair of 38 safety hammerless 38s.
 
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What is the average pay of a Sheriff in Texas in 1905? Compare that to the cost of gun designs that were less than 10 years old at that time? I can't see a Sheriff carrying the latest and greatest unless they were in a big city county with higher pay.
 
MechAg94 said:
What is the average pay of a Sheriff in Texas in 1905? Compare that to the cost of gun designs that were less than 10 years old at that time? I can't see a Sheriff carrying the latest and greatest unless they were in a big city county with higher pay.
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The premise is that your deceased Uncle Moneybags has left you a little money- enough to buy any guns you want, but not enough to retire on. :)
 
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