'51 Navy for carry?

[CrackStock]

Oddly enough the most jams that I experienced in 20 years of carrying a gun were with wheelguns. Primers backed out on factory ammo and locked up the cylinder. Also the ejector rods (Especially S&Ws) can back out and have the same effect. I had an S&W 645 which would cycle unsized brass and did not jam. Most reliable gun I ever shot. Was easy to clear when we forced it do so in clearing drills.

However, as this is an ML board, we were discussing the cap and ball revolver and its use as a protection and "intimidation" device.

Wild Bill might have really worried me with a cap n ball 120 years ago, but if you swaggered in with one now, I would think that you were playing cowboy. Also you have just set yourself up for a replay of Bob Ford vs Jesse James.
(Bob is cowardly, but he wins -- I peeked at the ending!)

If you want to dress up and shoot Cowboy Action, then do it, but do not kid yourself into thinking that this is serious self defense.

What is the difference? The fact that the other guy knows that his will fire and not chain fire. He will think that you are playing.

Play when you play and be serious when it is time to be serious.

CS

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

Jesse could have been packing an Uzi and it wouldn't have made any difference since Bob Ford shot him from behind with no warning. Bob probably wouldn't have faced Jesse down even if Jesse was armed with a slingshot.

To go back to the original post, carrying a C&B revolver in
plain view-in a belt holster-as a defensive weapon. I probably would pick a .44 over a .36 and would rather not advertise its presence, but most folks can't tell a holstered C&B revolver from a SAA or a Ruger.They see that plow handle grip sticking out of the holster and think John Wayne. And, in truth, just how likely is it that you will run into a two legged foe and a situation where gun play will occur? More likely, it would be a coyote or some such. And a well handled C&B revolver will do nicely. Those who disagree should certainly feel free to do so and sing the praises of their suppository firearms to one and all. The point isn't that a 150+ year old design is the best defensive weapon available, but that after all these years, it will, if used with skill and determination, still get the job done. And the most modern of handguns, if used without skill and determination, is just a noisy paperweight.

 

[greenneck]

What about a C&B revolver with a conversion cylinder, using .45 LC rounds? I am asking about reliability and dependability, since I own no modern handgun.

 

[bezoar]

45 colt is NOTHING to laugh at. And as far as reliability is concerned, as long as the gun is properly functioning and maintained there shouldnt be any trouble what soever.

 

[Stumpkiller]

Never say never.

I was shooting a Colt Trooper III .357 in PPC and I had a powderless handload. :redface:

Bullet jammed in the forcing cone and I couldn't swing the cylinder out to clear it and I couldn't work the action to get past it. Had to withdraw from the round and clear it with a cleaning rod.

Good thing the bad guy was only a paper silhouette.

 

[Rebel]

For liablity reasons you should never carry reloads in a gun you are carrying for defense. Trial lawyers will say that you are using homemade mankiller ammo if you ever have to use it on someone. always use factory ammo in y9our cary gun, the best HP, expanding, :imo:mankiller FACTORY bullet you can get.

 

[Hammerdhed]

I've seen some really good conversation on this one.
I actually agree with both views on the open-carry given differant situations.
However, I'm seeing a lot of folks leaning toward the trusty .357 or .45 acp for carry and home defense.
Even saw a mention of an SKS for home defense. I own guns in each of these calibers. And have been on the receiving end of some of them.
From personal up-close experiance I have to say I might question these choices.
At self-defense ranges all of these rounds will carry through and potentially take out a bystander or even one of your own younguns.
For home I'd say go with a 12 ga. or even a 10.
Out on the street I'd have to say gimmee a hollowpoint that will stop INSIDE the perp. Or a good knife that I could legally carry.
So far as the BP revolver goes.........worked for the old timers....but then again so did Prayer in school. :m2c:

 

Being an NRA handgun instructor, Private Investigator (part time) and bodyguard, and having spent the first 56 years of my life in Detroit, I can honestly say there have been five times I have dealt with a threat. (I have carried for over 25 years). Of those five threats I only once drew my gun, and then never shot, as it was a knife fight. The other four times I used a more powerful weapon, that grey matter between my ears. Two thirds of any conceled training deals with the avoidance of threat, and the liability of using leathal force. The other third of the classroom time is then spent on safety, and use of force in a threat situation. Last of all , there is the range time. I have had people quit a class, because they couldn't or wouldn't deal with the responsibility of concealed carry. I've had the left wing press take the course, to write an exposee on gunslinging, only to leave and either not write the story, or write a positive one, because they saw that the class wasn't creating gunslingers, but empowering people. To me the thought of carrying a blackpowder revolver open or concealed is ludicrous at best, foolhardy, showing off and dangerous in safty, liability, and plays right to the anti's. I would not carry a blackpowder gun to defend myself and family, when I have much better tools, my brains, and my H&K .40 USP. I'll get off my soap box now :m2c:

 

Slightly OT but since we are discussing self defense - last week, a local officer stopped a guy in the wee hours for speeding (about a mile from my house). The guy came out with a 9mm and an AK. The officer saw him coming out and ran behind the squad car. Guy fired over 30 rounds, emptying both weapons and never hit the officer (although he probably had to change pants). Range was 10-15 yards. The officer returned fire and wounded the perp three times - he's now out of the hospital and in jail. No motive given and unfortunately, the guy had a legal carry license but he was still wacko. They raided his house yesterday and found a cache of weapons, a fortified bunker and body armor.

Moral of the story as it applies here - a cool head and marksmanship ability made the difference.

 

[CrackStock]

God, guns and guts.

Thankful that the good guy won.

I hope that he survives the after action as well as he did the action.

YMHS,
CrackStock