SA Revolvers for CCW

[Unkei]

Hello all,
Been awhile since I've posted here. There is an ongoing debate as to the wisdom of carrying a SA Revolver for CCW. I am a retired LEO, and would like to weigh in. It about killed me when our large metropolitan department went to Semi-Autos from revolvers. I just always shot the revolver more accurately, and thought then, and still do, that Revolvers are simply beautiful and effective. No, there are not really fast reloads, but they usually go bang every time.
For purposes of this post, I carry a NAA Sidewinder in 22 mag everyday. It is always with me! When I wish to carry a larger SA Revolver, I carry a Cimarron Arms (Uberti) Doc Holiday Special 45 Colt, 3 1/2 in barrel in a Mernickle PS6-SA concealment holster. Yes......I know it's only a Single Action, but I shoot it well, and a 45 Colt cartridge is nothing to laugh at if it comes your way!
Yup... There are definitely better choices in Semi-Autos for CCW, but while I own many of them, including Berettas, Sigs, Walthers, and Colts, as well as a GSG AD-OPS 1911, I still like, and do not feel under gunned with a SA 45 Colt Revolver.
Nice thing about that Doc Holiday special, only 499 other people in the world own one! So I just feel soooooo special! LOL!

Unkei

 

[Leanwolf]

As long as you are familiar with your surroundings and are also familiar with your Single Action, plus practice drawing and firing, you should be well served. I doubt that very, very few of us who post here are ever going to face ten or twelve murderous gangstas at the same time in a realistic scenario.

If one or two bandits decide to attack you, I have to believe that the sight of that "hog leg" and the size of that bore staring out, would cause him or them to think seriously about going in the opposite direction. If not, well .....

A couple of 255 grains .452 bullets cruising along at about 875 FPS ought to solve the problem.

Just my thoughts on your choice.

L.W.

 

[PistolPete45]

I say carry what you want to carry . I have a NAA Mini mag in my pocket most of the time and like to carry a .44 special snubbie . that would put me one round short of your Doc Holiday special. Should we go to war in the streets > I will carry my 15 round FNP-45 and extra mags . but for everyday carry Revolvers are great SD guns .

 

[Lucas_Y]

I have, fairly often, and will continue to carry a single action revolver of some sort. I live in a small town out in the middle of pennsyltucky, spend most of my time in the country, but even making trips to "the city" I don't feel under gunned if I have one of my 45s strapped to my belt that day. I've put more rounds through the 3 Rugers I have in the last few years than all my other guns combined. I conceal a 4 5/8" or 5 1/2" blackhawk with a good strongside OWB holster. My 5 1/2" new vaquero hides decently well in a cross draw under a jacket. I happen to like the CorBon +P 200 grain loads I have the blackhawks stoked with, also like the GoldDots. Should the need ever arise, and I truly hope it never does, I think the firearms are more than capable.

 

[tuna]

Why not? I really like the Doc Holiday Cimmaron you've posted, though I prefer blue.

I've carried my .45 Blackhawk on occassion. I like the lighter weight of my .38s, but if I'm going woodsing, then I prefer the stopping power of the .45.

 

[Bezoar]

Well reloading is an issue but ,, you need the right ammunition no matter what.

To many people would simply buy a pietta SAA clone and a box of SASS baby ammo,, 125 grain 357 doing 800 fps in a 6 inch barrel.. and be really really surprised, in a bad way, when the big mean drug addict kept beating them with a hammer.

 

[Barry the Bear]

Carry the platform that is the most familiar to you , if thats a 1700s howdah pistol than carry it.

 

[CraigC]

To many people would simply buy a pietta SAA clone and a box of SASS baby ammo,, 125 grain 357 doing 800 fps in a 6 inch barrel.. and be really really surprised, in a bad way, when the big mean drug addict kept beating them with a hammer.

I wouldn't make that assumption. Quite the opposite. I would expect the average individual who felt proficient enough with a single action to carry one concealed to know exactly how it should be loaded for maximum effect.

 

[rcmodel]

Myself?

I wouldn't feel too badly under-armed with a 4 3/4" Colt SAA .45 stuffed in my pants.
I've been shooting them for 50 years.

Maybe they will get me?
Maybe they won't?

But you can bet they will know they made a real bad mistake!

rc

 

[CraigC]

But you can bet they will know they made a real bad mistake!

Same here. They might get me but they WILL earn it.

 

[hAkron]

The biggest obstacle to carrying something like that is actually finding a comfortable way to carry it, and it sounds like you've already gotten that figured out. Sounds like you can shoot it competently, so why not?

 

[ECVMatt]

I really like my SA's and feel very comfortable shooting them. I would have no problem carrying one concealed. If the shoe fits..

 

[Vmathes]

Good for you - Lots of folks carried SAs "back in the day" and were not at all under-gunned. Reloading is probably not an issue - by the time you need a reload, someone else at the scene will no longer be needing his gun!

 

[Panzerschwein]

I think with good shot placement and large amounts of practice, yes it will be just fine. I recommend cocking the hammer with your weak hand support thumb as the revolver comes up in recoil. With practice one can be prepared to fire again before the gun naturally recovers in recoil.

Some good .45 Colt ammo in there would produce... effectiveness LOL! Those are some big slugs! And for the .357 magnum single actions, just as good or all the better with a hot JHP-SJHP load.

You aren't underarmend AT ALL, but make sure you practice!

 

[Joe Demko]

I carry one of the NAA .22 magnum minis everywhere I can, so I'm not against the idea. I've never been keen on any of the "shopkeeper" variants of the SAA or Vaquero. Not too many other concealable single actions that use usefully large cartridges out there. If that attempt to bring new Merwin & Hulbert revolvers to market a couple years ago had borne fruit (or not just been a scam), I'd probably have purchased one and would be carrying it.

 

[Fiv3r]

I don't fault you at all. In the cooler months I often strap on a 4 7/8" .357 New Vaquero for the day. For a gun with fixed sights, it points so naturally for me and will punch a ragged hole as fast as I can aim and thumb back the hammer.

It's probably the wheel gun I shoot the best.

 

[gunsablazin]

Go for it! It doesn't really matter what you shoot, its how you shoot that counts. I have owned several single action revolvers over the years, and would not hesitate to CCW one myself.

 

[wheelyfun66]

Carry what you are proficient with!
This is not my first choice in carry, but this 45 ACP Ruger Birdshead does get the nod for occasional carry (also in a Mernickle high ride, but I have an El Paso Saddlery IWB on order)

 

[SAWBONES]

The old time guys in the 19th century had only single action revolvers, and they certainly learned to shoot 'em fast & well. 'Course, they had no alternative.

SA revolvers are almost foolproof in operation, and are among the most solid, sturdy handguns available.

Nowadays, though, almost nobody carries SA revolvers for self-protection, given the easier and faster use-under-stress of DA revolvers, DA semiautos and cocked and locked semiautos, not to mention the extremely slow reloading time of SA revolvers.

Nonetheless, if you're fast and accurate with a SA revolver using just one hand (thumb-cocking the hammer with your strong hand, on the draw), I say more power to ya.

Don't fool yourself and carry a SA revolver "just because you like 'em", when a semiauto or a DA revolver would be a more sensible choice, but if you're genuinely faster and more accurate with a SA revolver than with any other handgun, then it's your obvious CCW choice.

 

[benzy2]

I wouldn't feel under gunned with a SA. It wouldn't be something I'd carry though. Reloads are too slow (in the even more rare event that you both need to use the handgun and then need more bullets) but more so that I wouldn't feel comfortable with most of the light weight SA triggers. Just scares me of a potential mistake. If you handle them well under stress, by all means enjoy carrying them. I wouldn't want to be on the business end of one.

 

[Panzerschwein]

Heck theres been folks in recent times who've carried cap n' ball .31, .36 & .44 pocket pistols with the caps and balls sealed with a lil' beeswax to keep out moisture. While I would prefer a cartridge gun, they are still better armed than well over 95% of the people around them!

If I did carry a single action I'd probably also carry a small backup gun like a J-frame in the caliber of .38 special, because in the event a reload is needed the single action will be pretty hard to load quickly unless you're packing a Schofield! Especially with .45 ACP & moon clip conversion!!!! !!!!!

 

[BobWright]

Here's my choice, and has been for the past three or four years:



It's a Ruger Three Screw Blackhawk .44 Special converted from a .357 Magnum. Holster is a Tom Threepersons made by Graveyard Jack.


Bob Wright

 

[MikeFrank]

I guess my only criticism - and I wouldn't really even call it that - is you are limiting your defensive response capabilities to 5 or 6 fairly slow shots, with no realistic possibility of reloading in time to affect the outcome of whatever situation you find yourself in. Probably 99% of the time that's going to be enough. The other 1% it might be nice to be able to top off with a speedloader or shove in a new magazine.

 

[dickydalton]

I guess my only criticism - and I wouldn't really even call it that - is you are limiting your defensive response capabilities to 5 or 6 fairly slow shots, with no realistic possibility of reloading in time to affect the outcome of whatever situation you find yourself in. Probably 99% of the time that's going to be enough. The other 1% it might be nice to be able to top off with a speedloader or shove in a new magazine.

He's gone now or you could tell Bob Munden that a SA is only good for 5 or 6 slow shots.....

 

[Joe Demko]

What Bob Munden could do isn't really much of an indicator of how the typical shooter performs.