nalioth
Member
To get us back on track, this is a "Would you open carry?" thread, not a "Why you shouldn't" thread.
Would you open carry a BP revolver?
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BlackPowderSmoke
Member
Sounds like a valid point to me. Along with the price of the gun, 45 cal ammo is high. I am sure they are proud of.45ACP hydra shok ammo. I surely couldn't afford to shoot very often. I'm a poor boy.
BlackPowderSmoke
Member
In a close encounter, I would think a 44 cal moving a bit slower would still do the trick, but your point is valid never the less.
Billy Shears
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Those two questions are inextricably linked. In other words would you do X if X isn't really the best idea in the world? If it's not, then would you do it anyway? If so, why?
Sure the price of factory ammo is high. But you only need the factory ammo for carry. For practice, you can handload, and although I have not done any sort of direct comparison, I can't imagine it costs that much more to handload smokeless powder and cast bullets into empty brass cases, and put primers in them, than it does to load black powder and cast bullets into a percussion revolver cylinder, and put caps on it.
BlackPowderSmoke
Member
On this type of thread, those of us that carry cap and ball for defense find ourselves having to constantly justify our decisions every time. Every once in a while it can get heated, especially with references to toy guns, us being childish because of our preferences and such.
What gets my goat is when a portion of those that can not get the best of their black powder firearms blame it on the guns instead of taking responsibility for their own shortcomings in getting the maximum performance out of C&B weapons. Instead they attack the black powder weapons and those that prefer them.
Often times, guys that carry bp weapons for defense stay off of the threads because they know they will be attacked and flamed for their choice.
Sometimes it is easy to let it go and sometimes it is not. I respect the decisions of others in regard to the firearms they carry, I wish everyone else did also.
What gets my goat is when a portion of those that can not get the best of their black powder firearms blame it on the guns instead of taking responsibility for their own shortcomings in getting the maximum performance out of C&B weapons. Instead they attack the black powder weapons and those that prefer them.
Often times, guys that carry bp weapons for defense stay off of the threads because they know they will be attacked and flamed for their choice.
Sometimes it is easy to let it go and sometimes it is not. I respect the decisions of others in regard to the firearms they carry, I wish everyone else did also.
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I live in a decaying downtown Setting where, though technically Legal, Open Carry would likely cause too much interest or attentions and Police interventions for my liking, so, I have never Open Carried here.
But, if I did Open Carry, I'd be entirely happy doing so with my Remington New Model .44 or my Colt 1860 Army.
I have CCW'd with those and felt contended, but, all in all, practically speaking, I really do prefer a short Barrel or a Snubby, for CCW in Urban settings.
I am a lot faster getting on to the point-of-Target and having my Shots go where I wish, with Short Barrel or 'Snub Nose' Revolver, or with a Colt .45 Automatic than I am with any Long Barrel SA or DA Models.
I CCW'd with the WALKER, and, with my 3rd Dragoon a few times just for fun.
No question those are fine and effective Arms...but, they have a lot of mass or inertia and long Barrels, which is maybe not a plus if one needs to respond on an instant to close-quarters developments.
But, if I did Open Carry, I'd be entirely happy doing so with my Remington New Model .44 or my Colt 1860 Army.
I have CCW'd with those and felt contended, but, all in all, practically speaking, I really do prefer a short Barrel or a Snubby, for CCW in Urban settings.
I am a lot faster getting on to the point-of-Target and having my Shots go where I wish, with Short Barrel or 'Snub Nose' Revolver, or with a Colt .45 Automatic than I am with any Long Barrel SA or DA Models.
I CCW'd with the WALKER, and, with my 3rd Dragoon a few times just for fun.
No question those are fine and effective Arms...but, they have a lot of mass or inertia and long Barrels, which is maybe not a plus if one needs to respond on an instant to close-quarters developments.
BlackPowderSmoke
Member
BusyHands, Does the barrel come already screwed into the frame? Just a thought, but for a few bucks more you can get a steel framed Pietta from Cabella's, tear it apart and put it back together. Of course you may get to finish the grips to a perfect fit with the kit.
Some folks completely disassemble the revolver to the frame every time they shoot it. I used to one of those folks. I eased up from that regiment as it is unnecessary, but old habits die hard, especially when it is so much fun.
Busyhands94
Member
it does come screwed to the frame. i don't want to pay extra to buy a completed pietta when i can get what i want for much cheaper and finish it the way i want to. besides, i love brass framed cap n' ball revolvers and i have been wanting one since i was 10 years old. if i were to buy a finished cap n' ball i could not build it with my dad. he told me that this summer he would build a gun with me and that is why i want a kit, i need to get him away from his desk and computer and off his crackberry and spending time with his son building something awesome.
BlackPowderSmoke
Member
I hate to continue to stray from the topic of this thread, but I have never tried a kit, so I am curious... The internals need polishing just as in a production gun, the barrel is already screwed in, so what is there to finish, the grips?
arcticap
Member
Every revolver kit is different but the thread below details the process of completing a Spiller & Burr revolver kit.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=450555&highlight=spiller
Other kits are almost totally complete and only need some exterior finishing.
Each Dixie kit has user reviews. Below are the categories of Dixie kit guns:
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/default.php?cPath=22_162&osCsid=d9e713de16f830c0d869d7ad149a64d0
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=450555&highlight=spiller
Other kits are almost totally complete and only need some exterior finishing.
Each Dixie kit has user reviews. Below are the categories of Dixie kit guns:
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/default.php?cPath=22_162&osCsid=d9e713de16f830c0d869d7ad149a64d0
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BlackPowderSmoke
Member
Oh, I see now. Thanks Arcticap.
BlackPowderSmoke
Member
Self Created Hell?
I suppose a large portion of the ones killed by black powder firearms since the introduction of rimfire and centerfire cartridges are in a kind of self generated hell of regret or purgatory... Filled with anger and regret that they were denied the honor of getting blown away by a more modern firearm.
Poor souls...
I suppose a large portion of the ones killed by black powder firearms since the introduction of rimfire and centerfire cartridges are in a kind of self generated hell of regret or purgatory... Filled with anger and regret that they were denied the honor of getting blown away by a more modern firearm.
Poor souls...
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With the greatest respect to all contributers to this thread, what you carry when your life is on the line is your personal choice. I have a number of BP revolvers and have very few misfires - I have also had misfires from centre fire guns when one hits the occasional dud primer; less misfires here though, and I am talking of thousands of rounds.
After about 40 years in police and military I have pretty well settled on my carry gun which is a .45 Colt govt. model made in the mid '70s. I carry it concealed, as I would rather be the guy who springs the nasty surprise than the recipient.
After about 40 years in police and military I have pretty well settled on my carry gun which is a .45 Colt govt. model made in the mid '70s. I carry it concealed, as I would rather be the guy who springs the nasty surprise than the recipient.
CoRoMo
Member
I voted 'NO', but only because I have more preferable options. If I didn't have those options, I'd certainly have no reason not to carry a BP revolver.
I always love it when this topic comes up because I learn something about carrying a pistol/revolver. Would I open carry? Yes, and I have when hunting and fishing. Have I in town?, no way. I live in gun friendly NH but that doesn't mean that the local folks wouldn't get wierded out by it and the local cops stop to ask me why I was playing cowboy. I don't want the stares or the hasseles. Would I carry a cap and ball concealed?, sure! They are bulky and and not easy to carry concealed but with the right clothing and holster it can be done discretly. Where I live it is highly unlikely that I'd run into gang bangers with tech 9's so 5 or 6 shots would be plenty. As far as adequit power, I don't buy into the "they are too enemic" arguement. An 1858 Remington loaded with 25 to 30 grains of powder and a 200 grain conical bullet comes very close to a .45 acp round out of a compact pistol. A colt loaded with 30 grains of powder and a round ball is on par with the .38 special +P which is no slouch and probably saved the .38 from obscurity. There is enough anacdotal evidence that the round ball going better than 600 feet per second is deadly to be sure. As powerful on paper as modern rounds?, no, but thats comparing apples and oranges. Having said all that, if I lived in a high risk urban area with a high crime rate I would leave the cap and ball at home and carry my .38 with +P rounds. But if all I had was a Colt or Remington reproduction then I'd load and maintain it carefully and still feel like I had a fighting chance.
Don
Don
arcticap
Member
From what I understand, an unlicensed non-resident visitor to New Hampshire would only be able to open carry. So NH is one of the states where it may be safer to transport a C&B to rather than a modern handgun. Especially since transporting modern handguns through Mass. & N.Y. can be considered risky. But if it's an unloaded cap & ball being transported then N.H. is a good destination for open carry. However it would need to be unloaded in a motor vehicle. Vermont is great too since a license is not required for anyone to carry concealed or open there! 
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Oddly, Vermont with it's liberal politics is more gun friendly than traditionally conservative NH. Although, Mass transplants have made it a more purple state. You are quite right about open vs. concealed in NH. Concealed carry requires a permit for residents only. Open carry in the many small and rural towns in the state would probably present few if any problems. In a town of any size however, the police are likely to question your intentions. New Hampshire's carry permit is not reciprocal to any area states with the possible exception of Vermont but I'd have to double check that.
Don
Don
arcticap
Member
It does bring up a potentially valid reason to consider a cap & ball for defense. Reciprocity laws, or rather the lack of them make transporting cap & balls less risky to some extent. Also some states may be less hostile to possessing them verses a modern pistol.
It's one of those legal factors to consider for when a person is on the road, away from their home state and ready to check into a hotel room.
It's one of those legal factors to consider for when a person is on the road, away from their home state and ready to check into a hotel room.
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Prior to getting my concealed carry permit I would carry a cap and ball when hunting. The problem was how do I get it to the woods loaded? I spoke to a retired policeman who lives two doors down from me. He told me as long as I took the cylinder off the frame and transported it in a seperate container than the frame I would be inside the law. Out of staters would probably be safe doing the same thing.
Don
Don
ForumSurfer
Member
For self defense? Only if it was all I had left.
I don't own one anymore. The one I owned, I put maybe 50 rounds down range.
I'm about to get myself another BP pistol, as soon as I figure out what to get. But I'd never carry anything for self defense that I haven't ran drills and practiced with for at least 500+ rounds.
I don't own one anymore. The one I owned, I put maybe 50 rounds down range.
I'm about to get myself another BP pistol, as soon as I figure out what to get. But I'd never carry anything for self defense that I haven't ran drills and practiced with for at least 500+ rounds.
nalioth
Member
Except when they're loaded, they're considered a "deadly weapon", just like a club or other implement deemed so by the state's law.articap said:
BlackPowderSmoke
Member
California's requirement to have the weapon unloaded in order to legally open carry sounds about as logical as another ridiculous policy that originated on the west coast and spread eastward.
In most National Forests, it is okay to gold prospect as long as you don't dig a hole. Gold pan only!! No shovels or digging tools allowed. :banghead:
Sounds like intellectual products of the same group of bureaucratic idiots. Both policies defy logic. What good is an unloaded gun? About as useless as tits on a boar hog.
In most National Forests, it is okay to gold prospect as long as you don't dig a hole. Gold pan only!! No shovels or digging tools allowed. :banghead:
Sounds like intellectual products of the same group of bureaucratic idiots. Both policies defy logic. What good is an unloaded gun? About as useless as tits on a boar hog.
Forumsurfer,
I have put more than 500 rounds down range with a few of my cap and ball revolvers. I can say with confidence that they are very reliable. Occasionally a Colt model will choke on a spent cap but I have never had a Remington bind up on a cap. The biggest what if with a cap and ball is the springs. They are often brittle and tend to brake. This has only happened to me once or twice that I recall in the many years that I've been shooting them. I'll say again, if I were in a high risk, high crime area then the modern double action .38 would be on my side. In less threatening venues a well cared for carefully loaded cap and ball in experienced hands is darn good insurance.
Don
I have put more than 500 rounds down range with a few of my cap and ball revolvers. I can say with confidence that they are very reliable. Occasionally a Colt model will choke on a spent cap but I have never had a Remington bind up on a cap. The biggest what if with a cap and ball is the springs. They are often brittle and tend to brake. This has only happened to me once or twice that I recall in the many years that I've been shooting them. I'll say again, if I were in a high risk, high crime area then the modern double action .38 would be on my side. In less threatening venues a well cared for carefully loaded cap and ball in experienced hands is darn good insurance.
Don
ForumSurfer
Member
In my case, the 500 rounds is to prove the shooter's proficiency, not the firearm's reliability.
If I switch platforms completely, I bump that number up to 1000 before I pack it in a holster daily.
BlackPowderSmoke
Member
Pretty extreme and expensive preparation for a defensive carry, but IMHO, there is no such thing as overkill when it comes to gun safety and proficiency.
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