Why Five Beans in the Wheel?

[ECVMatt]

Here is a pretty interesting account from the Inyo Independent of a young man who did not abide by the hammer down on an empty chamber rule:

Inyo Independent
Independence
Saturday, August 16, 1873

Local Affairs
Accidental Shooting

Monday evening last, at one of the dance houses of Cerro Gordo, occurred an accidental shooting that came near to ending the earthly career of one of the frail inmates of the institution. The partner of her joys in the dance had become superabundantly active from the effect of frequent promenades to the bar; and during his gyrations his pistol became disengaged and fell to the floor, striking of course, on the hammer, the bullet coursing its way into the body of the frail one mentioned, inflicting a bad flesh wound. She sank to the floor but with will in due time recover and "on with the dance". The episode has caused a new light to enter the head of a certain young man in regard to the proper manner of carrying fire-arms however.

Fortunately all parties survived! Cerro Gordo is a pretty cool ghost town that you can still visit. I was lucky enough to spend some quality time in the same place this shooting occurred.

 

[BobWright]

The partner of her joys in the dance had become superabundantly active from the effect of frequent promenades to the bar;

Don't you like the way those old accounts were worded?

Bob Wright

 

[Skribs]

Is that rule as big of a deal with modern revolvers?

 

[ECVMatt]

Is that rule as big of a deal with modern revolvers?

Not if it has a transfer bar or other safety system.

 

[Clippers]

Those old books are hard to read. The sentence structure is so different.

 

[rswartsell]

I have a feeling that the scribes of the age made their living by their literacy, which was not as common as today. I think they were tempted to overdo it and their audience came to expect it. Local papers had to provide a good deal more entertainment then than now, and if readers had to work pretty hard to get the gist and if it was sensational the paper was doing it's job.

I sometimes think I was born 140 years late! LOL

 

[JRH6856]

I have a feeling that the scribes of the age made their living by their literacy, which was not as common as today. I think they were tempted to overdo it and their audience came to expect it. Local papers had to provide a good deal more entertainment then than now, and if readers had to work pretty hard to get the gist and if it was sensational the paper was doing it's job.

I sometimes think I was born 140 years late! LOL

Their flowery prose may also have benefited "from the effect of frequent promenades to the bar."

 

[rcmodel]

She was a Daisy!

Any bar girl worth her salt would've poured a shot of rot-gut on a little .45 Colt wound, changed into a less bloody dress, and worked it off.

rc

 

[Armored farmer]

I noticed the "overdone" english in the recent version of True Grit. It sounded a good deal like the op newspaper article.

 

[earplug]

Pity the type setter

 

[rswartsell]

Their flowery prose may also have benefited "from the effect of frequent promenades to the bar."

Yup, 140 years late.:banghead:

 

[buck460XVR]

I musta missed the part where they said it was a revolver? I thought that all well dressed men of that era had a derringer stuffed in their pocket.

 

[Deaf Smith]

The gun used no doubt was not drop safe.

No rebounding hammer or firing pin lock or transfer bar ignition.

So big deal. Now days virtually all of 'em are drop safe.

Deaf

 

[jmr40]

I noticed the "overdone" english in the recent version of True Grit. It sounded a good deal like the op newspaper article.

The style in the recent version and original, are very much like the book.

I would believe that common language of the day for those of any education was very similar to the written word. Read letters from Civil War soldiers and it seems even the common man of the day spoke that way.

 

[Panzerschwein]

I wish writers of today where expected to deliver their material with such eloquence and pomp!

I recently read a couple autobiographies of Civil War soldiers. Once you get used to the vernacular and grammatical structure, old books like that are extremely fascinating to read. Not only because of the first hand account of history presented, but also because of the rich and interesting language used.

 

[SleazyRider]

... Cerro Gordo is a pretty cool ghost town that you can still visit. I was lucky enough to spend some quality time in the same place this shooting occurred.

Been to Cerro Gordo many a time myself, a remarkable, haunting sort of place that is well preserved. I had the rare opportunity to explore the mine shafts and spent several nights in the hotel where this accident occurred. I believe Mike Patterson still runs a B&B there, for those who are bold enough to take the drive up there!

 

[Zaydok Allen]

Heck, 140 years ago, it may have been a pinfire revolver. Those were definately not drop safe safe.

 

[shafter]

The partner of her joys in the dance had become superabundantly active from the effect of frequent promenades to the bar;

Don't you like the way those old accounts were worded?

Bob Wright

That's classic! People wrote with a bit of style.

That said I maintain that not many people carried five rounds only in their six shooters.

 

[Armored farmer]

Read letters from Civil War soldiers and it seems even the common man of the day spoke that way.

Quite right...
Thilman Jones was a young soldier who's letters were compiled into the book "5 Days to Glory". Thilman was buried in a country cemetery not 6 mi from my home. Has english was very formal even in the letters to his family.

 

[StrawHat]

The gun used no doubt was not drop safe.

No rebounding hammer or firing pin lock or transfer bar ignition.

So big deal. Now days virtually all of 'em are drop safe.

Deaf

Except all the copies of the Colt SAA, all the many early S&W revolvers, and a host of others out there.

 

[tpelle]

I believe that it's only been in recent years that the style of the written word has sunk to such lows as we see today. Probably a result of electronic communication such as e-mail and texting.

Back in the day, people had the idea that their written words would outlast them. Consequently they employed proper grammer and accurate spelling in the letters that they wrote.

Today one's written word only lasts until the e-mail is dragged into the "Deleted" folder. And the language has suffered for it.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Except all the copies of the Colt SAA, all the many early S&W revolvers, and a host of others out there.

Most early S&W revolvers did not have much of a 'rebounding hammer' safety. We are talking very old 5 screw or top break S&Ws.

Copies of the SAA? I doubt many copies of the SAA were made back then.

Deaf

 

[9mmfan]

I believe that it's only been in recent years that the style of the written word has sunk to such lows as we see today. Probably a result of electronic communication such as e-mail and texting.

I don't think it's limited to the written word. I have a very weird pet peeve wherein if circumstances dictate I must relinquish my SSN, and the receiving party asks for my "social." I don't know why this bothers me so much, I know it is irrational. Mayhaps just an idea that in a situation that requires me to give up such information, there should be a higher level of formality or professionalism. It really bugs me, and I don't even mind if someone uses the oft maligned term "shottie." Not that I use it myself, mind you.

As to five rounds up historically speaking, I saw something or other on an old History Channel repeat regarding no less of a legendary figure as Wyatt Earp himself. Seems when he was a younger man, new in his role as law enforcement, he was strapped with a fully loaded revolver. He propped his leg up on a chair or table and his hog leg fell free from his holster. Upon striking the ground it discharged, as everyone on this board would assume it would have. Fortunately no one was injured, and an embarrassing lesson was learned. As to the veracity of this tale, who can say.

As far as my own habits go when packing one of my non drop safe clones, I do the reasonable thing and only load five with the hammer on an empty chamber in hopes that I don't, as Rooster Cogburn said "shoot MY foot off."

Their flowery prose may also have benefited "from the effect of frequent promenades to the bar."

Whilst often enjoying the process of playing it fast, loose and whimsical in my own use of the language, my propensities for such would increase subsequent to this type activity. At least in my younger days when I spent more time in bars, either in a professional or recreational capacity.

 

[Jenrick]

Did Colt SAA, or the like not have a safety notch/pin located on the cylinder face in the same manner as cap and ball revolvers like the 1851 Colt Navy? If they did have that I don't see what the issue with having all six chambers loaded as some how you would have to cock the hammer back, then have it land on the hammer. Which in that case an empty chamber wouldn't help either.

-Jenrick

 

[9mmfan]

I'm far from an expert, but I don't believe they did. At least the '73 SAA. Don't know about the transitional open tops.

Some folks have mentioned resting the hammer between the cartridge rims on a fully loaded cylinder, and say it works for them. I have no problem with just five up. Or ten if I'm carrying both, though that usually doesn't happen.