would anyone ever conceal carry a cap and ball revolver?

Status
Not open for further replies.
J

jason41987

member
Joined
Apr 10, 2012
Messages
1,293
ive been seeing some projects of peoples involving cutting down and shortening cap and ball revolvers, and bobbing the grips, sometimes removing the sight... making what they call a "belly gun" or a hideout gun i guess they were called... so i wonder if anyone would ever actually carry one concealed... if so, why? and what make/model and configuration would you go with?... im assuming though these belly gun mods are just for show and tell?

ive known people to carry single action cartridge revolvers like the colt SAA and remington 1875.. and i guess these revolvers would actually be slower to reload than changing cylinders on a '58... never thought about it, and if i was going with a single action id still probably go with one of the top two. but just curious if anyones ever use cap'n'ball in that manner?
 
i like cap and ball for fishing and camping as well.. its going to sound odd i say this, but its for the survivalist aspect of it... i know how to find the chemicals in nature needed to make gunpowder :D
 
I sometimes carry my 8" '58 in an uncle mike shoulder holster. Sure, I've got more modern "reliable" guns, but I just like the cap and ball sometimes.
I carried the '58 for the better part of 2 months every day in the swampy regions under my arm. Took it out to the range: Bangx6.
Is it something i want to try and reload? No. Is it the "safest" bet give the other guns I have? Noy really. Do I feel more than confident being behind the trigger of that hunk o' hog leg? Oh yeah. I have never felt underguned.
 
my question was about concealed carry though... has anyone ever done that?
 
Highly unlikely as most anybody legally able to carry would choose something modern that may be more reliable and easier to reload.
 
Not yet. But i plan to carry my 5.5" '58 .44 when i git 'round to findin the right rig.I'll even swap out for my 5.5 stainless ROA.
Heck, why not ?
If i ever have to use it and miss, the smoke will cover my git away ninja.gif
 
"If i ever have to use it and miss, the smoke will cover my git away "

Most certainly! Unless it is a small pocket pistol. You may need to fire off a few for the smoke screen!
 
Rodwa, you'd be surprised. Even a .22 short loaded with Holy black puts out a cloud of smoke equal to the amount of smoke you'd get from a regular sized toke from a pipe or cigar.

Now... put 9 rounds of BP loaded .22LR into an H&R 9-22, shoot all that ammo double action... you'd be having trouble seeing your target halfway through the cylinder! Been there, done that, too much fun! :D


Here's a comparison I did between a New Model Army and a .38 Special with Winchester White box fired from a M&P Smith and Wesson. I used 130 somethin' grain FMJ flat tipped bullets at about 750 FPS for the video. For the Remington I used a full chamber of Goex and a ball.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OukAS0Gk8BA&list=UUQyanVLLSkwkvmZgcO3jrww&index=1
 
I've heard of people doing this, but personally I wouldn't carry one for defense unless that was literally all I had. A cap and ball pistol would beat the hell out of a karate chop but I seriously doubt that a million years of practice would allow me to reload one as fast as I can slap another mag into my Glock. I would think that precipitation would be a much bigger issue also......
 
Busyhands94 said:
Not if you seal your caps. I have fired cap and ball revolvers underwater with sealed caps. Light charges and incredibly strong handguns were used.
Click to expand...
Hmm, I'd have been scared to pull the trigger underwater, but that's good to know about the waterproofing option.
 
If i had to CC BP I'd use the Morman Avenger. A 1860 Colt minus the barrel.
 
have you seen the new pepperbox pistol by EMF? uses the 1851 frame with a lengthened arbor and cylinder
 
Brother Rockwell's revolvers were not barrel -less. but the barrels were cut back short just as the many shortened Colts you see on this board. He appearently started doing this to fit his coat pockets as early as the first Pattersons that became available. He may not have done as much "Avenging" as western mythos would have us believe, but he was the first presidency of the Church's "secret Service" and needed concealable weapons.

Changing centuries.....

......and mythos.....

Ever seen "Aliens" the second movie of that chain? The scene where the Space Marines break out all manner of off the books personal weaponry from concealment on their persons?

Around 1974 I was in a unit that provided security for the Pershing missle system system wen deployed on "Combat Alert Sites" (presurveyed, wired in launch sites) in West Germany. We guarded and patrolled with live ammunition. For political and public relations reasons at the very time contact with the Old Bader Minhof Gang and Palistinian terrorist was most likely the powers that be decided patrols out side the wire should be made without ammunition. Several of us shared a repro duction 1851 in .36 that we would conceal on our person under our field jacket on some of those patrols. If we happened to be on an patrol together there was some discussion as to who would get to carry it in fact, usually decided by who had the best skills with it, thank goodness that was me in the other guys mind when I was one of the guys together. Nope a C&B revolver is not equal to an M-16 A1 by any streatch of the imagination and an M-60 GPMG would strangle itself laughing over a comparison..... but we believed it beat being "naked" all to hell.

After being in the dark a couple of hours the muzzle flash seems remarkably bright. Really difficult to hit Jackrabbit sized targets with in the dark with those near nonexsitting sites I understand

Yeah, I have carried a concealed C&B revolver.

-kBob
 
I think those of us who do carry as a matter of practice would think twice before taking a Black Powder revolver with us. I carry for one purpose and one purpose only, to protect myself and my loved ones in the event that the unthinkable happens. I have no illusions about whether or not I can hit what I'm aiming at with an 1860 Sheriff model or that it will go off when I pull that trigger, even though that 140gr round ball will flatten out to the size of a quarter when it strikes a target there are just too many variables in self defense.

You don't want to look back in hindsight and realize that "if" you had been carrying a 1911 instead of an 1860 the body of your wife or child just might not be laying where it is now. Self defense is deadly serious business and few in real life have ever cleared leather in that pursuit, I have and I hope never to have to do it again. Re-loading isn't an issue unless you're in law enforcement or you were ignorant enough to put yourself into a situation that should have been avoided, as a civilian if you find yourself in a firefight and having to re-load you are in BIG trouble.

I commonly leave Black Powder revolvers loaded at home and out where they can be easily reached but they are not my first line of defense nor should they be for anyone hoping to defend themselves. This is not a game folks, nor is it a fashion statement, it's life and death. As such it deserves the due respect that you would give the life of yourself or your loved ones. If you're going to carry a gun, concealed or not, you had better do so with the intent and mindset that one of these days you are going to kill another human being, failure is NOT an option in self defense.

Bedroom= Mossberg 500 w/pistol grip loaded with #6 shot.
Carry guns in order of size =
Bond Arms 45/.410 loaded with .410 SD rounds.
38 Special loaded with HP +P
S&W Model 39 +P
S&W 1911 +P

Sorry for the rant but this is something that I take very seriously.
 
"I've heard of people doing this, but personally I wouldn't carry one for defense unless that was literally all I had."
My sentiments. I've done it and can't say I trust the cap guns with my life unless that's all I had. I've had 3 or 4 times that I carried a loaded (carefully avoiding any oil, lube,etc. in the chambers or nipples) when upon firing the gun several months later had multiple failures to discharge. It may just be that Remington caps are no good for long term use (left loaded). Next time I will try RWS caps. I've had too many duds to rely on them. I use a carry C&B strictly for finishing deer or elk when hunting so it is not my life or death. Loaded up at the end of September and shot dry end of Oct/Nov. On my belt under a coat at times of varying weather from hot to snow.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

troy fairweather
  • Locked
Cap and ball concealed carry?
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Replies
176
Views
14K
Don Van Winkle
Don Van Winkle
Smokepole14
  • Locked
Do cap and ball revolvers require a permit
Replies
16
Views
13K
wittzo
W
L
  • Locked
Converting 1873 cap and ball
Replies
20
Views
4K
CraigC
CraigC
L
  • Locked
Cap n Ball revolvers loaded long term....
2
Replies
31
Views
5K
robhof
robhof
G
  • Locked
Black powder fouling in cap and ball revolver
Replies
14
Views
1K
Imaginos
I
Back
Top