Cap And Ball Revolvers For Personal Protection?

[pondoro]

Zonie and Scrounger - if Glock would make a polymer Rogers and Spencer repro you could have it all. Wash it in the dishwasher and dry it in the microwave! And none of these arguments about how to prevent rust!

 

[weirdjack]

Revolvers are for doors and caps are for keeping your head warm.
While we're fantasizing about defending our families with antiques....I'll use my .67 smoothbore flint pistol (It's basically a sawed-off 16 gauge shotgun). Loaded with one big .650 ball and three .350 balls....as long as we're fantasizing.
Kirk Douglas once said, "I've never needed a second shot".
Jack

 

[agent00]

I have got a colt dragoon and I use it for target and fun shooting and I like this gun very much. IN an cause of emergency I would also use it for sd, althought it is very unlikly that I have to use my gun for that purpose, because I am from austria and in my country (austria) the crime rate is not so high. I am also planing to purchase next year an modern centerfire pistol, a glock 17, but I think in an sd situation, the round ball from the dragoon could be more effetiv as manstopper, than the 9mm ball, because in my country jhp ammo is not allowed, and when I have got a my glock, I have to use fmj rounds.

 

[Dances With Coyotes]

A polymer framed cap and ball revolver from glock, why hasn't anybody thought of this before?

 

[brubincam]

that would be in the same class as an inline,then it would not be able to be discussed on this forum,,, :m2c: :hatsoff: :hatsoff: :hatsoff:

 

[pondoro]

But all cap and ball revolvers are inlines...

 

[jmckenney]

But all cap and ball revolvers are inlines...

This is must true, many states don't consider them muzzle loaders either. Michigan being one

 

[WV_Hillbilly]

But all cap and ball revolvers are inlines...

Well, that's not exactly true... what about the pepperboxes? The nipple is at a right angle to the bore line. (they are a cap & ball revolver also, just not the conventional type that most people refer to... In fact, there are some of those "conventional" cap-n-ball revolvers that have angled nipples, so even those are not truly "inline" as the definition goes.

Personally, in a "serious situation", I would want a pair of 3rd model Colt Dragoons loaded full up and sealed with wax on both ends round balls in one and conicals in the other. OR, a couple of New Model Remingtons loaded as full as possible but with conicals in one and round ball in the other. (the difference being that the primary gun would have the round balls in the Dragoons, while the primary gun would have conicals in the Remingtons.) I wasn't losin' it, I knew what I meant by what I said.

This topic has caused me to do some thinkin' and for me that's "dangerous territory"... I'll probably come up with a slew of posts on related topics now.

ALWAYS use a BIG enough gun... OR use TWO if you can't find one that big... And remember to Shoot Safely!
WV_Hillbilly

 

[Choctaw]

A polymer framed cap and ball revolver from glock, why hasn't anybody thought of this before?

 

[thomas]

Colts Dragoon pistols are nice, but 2 of them would be over 8 lbs. loaded & about 14" inchs long each, that is alot to carry around! :winking:

Thomas

 

[graybeard]

At home I keep a S&W revolver for protection. Since I have a CPL I can carry it when I want. However, in camp, I often have only cap and ball pistols, unless my wife is with me. I camp a lot on Michigan's trout streams and for hunting. A replica 1860 Army Colt often is my only firearm. Sometimes I have a .45 single shot cap and ball as the only firearm available. Usually, however, there's a hatchet, tomahawk and fighting knife within easy reach. Personally I doubt there's a robber or other bad guy dumb enough to approach a hunting camp with mischief in mind. graybeard

 

[CoyoteJoe]

Well, I just gotta get into this. I don't keep any loaded firearms at home. One of the most common deadly situations is to return home and surprise a burglar. I'd not care to walk into the muzzle of my own gun and keeping a bunch of them throughout the house would almost guarantee that.
I have a carry permit and my carry gun is the only one I keep loaded. It goes on the night stand when I take off my pants and back in the pocket holster when I dress.
I also keep a 2,000,000 candlepower spotlight by the bed. Brilliant light is a very effective weapon at night.
While I'd not choose a c&b revolver for a shootout, I would not feel unarmed with a '51 Navy or a '60 Army. Most of a gunfight is mental and that blast of smoke and fire would sure rattle anyone on the recieving end. Reliability is paramount! Pointablity is second, power is third. Accuracy of aimed fire matters not at all since defensive shooting is at very close range. :m2c:

 

[Pittsburghunter]

Although I love this sport bp guns are not my mode of defense. If I was going up agaist other bp guns :hmm:

I will use modern cartridge guns to protect my home. Use what you want or can..

All the guns I own have a purpose. BP guns are the most fun to shoot. The rest earn a living.

 

[CrackStock]

<<BP guns are the most fun to shoot. The rest earn a living.>>

There ya go!

I use my modern guns to make a living, protect my scrawny butt and defend my meager belongings. But, I really enjoy building, studying, shooting and hunting with my muzzleloaders best of all.

CS

 

[dodgecity]

I guess it depends on what level of protection you are referring to. Any c&b revolver will certainly provide a degree of defense. In 1860, it was state of the art since any assailant would be armed with the same technology. It is still perfectly effective against an intruder, but, is still prone to the same limitations and failures that prompted those in that era to rapidly replace their c&bs with cartridge conversions or cartridge arms. Even Wild Bill had his Navies converted to cartridge. I live in a right to carry state, and, because of the places that my job takes me into, I carry 6 days a week. I prefer a revolver, but, it's a compact .357. If, God forbid, I need to use it, I'll probably have to use it against someone with a semi, but I don't feel undergunned. My wife also carries, but prefers a 9mm semi. If I had to choose to carry only a c&b, it would definitly be a Ruger, despite it's bulk and weight. I love shooting and hunting with my c&bs, but the Ruger is the only one that I would depend on in a real life confrontation. For a home defense gun, I prefer either a 12 ga pump or an M1 carbine. Both are fully loaded, but without a round in the chamber. Never have figured out what value an unloaded gun is with a trigger lock and the ammo stored in a separate spot when the sh** hits the fan, but, every one needs to do what they consider appropriate.

 

[waltcowan]

any of the 44 or 36 cal. c&p revolvers will get the job done. the 31 cal also makes a nice "get off me gun". the walker would make a nice truck gun too. if ruger made a old army with a two inch barrel , no loading lever and a rounded grip, would you buy it? i would! ::

 

I have officialy done away with centerfire handguns. If you had your choice of a C&B revolver for personal/home protection what would it be?

The .44 1860 Army?
The .44 1858, and have extra loaded cylinders?
A pair of 1851 Navy's?
Colt .44 Walker?

Mule

I have a brace of 1860's that are my first preference, and an long barrel 1849 Baby Dragoon. I also have a Third Model Dragoon, that once, years ago, I was forced to use to take down an attacking feral great dane.

Just :m2c:

 

I heard Wild Bill Hickock kept his two Colts loaded, but that each morning he fired them dry, cleaned them, and reloaded them. Three thoughts:

1) If this is true he always had fresh powder and caps.

2) If he aimed his shots he was getting ten practice rounds per day, more than most lawmen.

3) Once per day, predictably, he was unarmed! Unless he carried a rifle when he was shooting his pistols.

He may have emptied one, cleaned it and then repeated the process with the other. Or he had a belly gun stashed somewhere? It was the practice of the day.

Just :m2c:

 

Without going into the issues around powder, caps and reloads, being a problem consider this:

If your going to depend on black powder firearm for home defense how are you going to deal with the muzzle flash blinding you if the house is dark. Personally, I prefer to maintian my night vision. Secondly, the smoke will block your vision if the house lights are on or the sun is up.
Either scenerio does not allow you follow up.

Here's a few items for you to ponder on.

1.] Smokeless or BP, you're going to have muzzle flash.Oh, let's not forget the noise as well. BP reports are easier on my ears than those from smokeless.

2.] Smoke would be my friend, I know my home, any invader probably will not.

3.] A person using such antiquated methods will probably have had far more practice than most with their modern lines of defense. With that said, I didn't realize we were discussing home defense. In that case, that's what my tomahawks and battle axes are for.

Oh, and there's my Japanese eggs, these are egg shells that have had the egg removed, dried in the sun, filled with a mixture of flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cayene pepper and black pepper for good measure. The idea is to close your eyes, cover your mauth and nose, crush the egg shell and spread the powder in the air with a sweeping motion of your open hand. An ancient Japanese ninja trick to momentarily blind attackers.

I have children in the home, and the youngest is two. All are taught that all guns are loaded and that "empty guns" kill more people by accident than loaded ones. Unless a gun is under my control, its under lock and key, whether trigger lock or in the can. Its the law here in Mass state of confusion.

Are black powder arms sufficient for self defense, Of course they are. However; if you consider all the drawbacks that have been discussed and you truly want to provide adequate self defense for the family and self why depend on antiquated methods??? Would you take confederate money to the bank and expect to come out richer today??

Old ways are some times the best ways. And have you seen the prices that confederate bills are fetching these days? You need to keep them in a safety deposit box!:crackup:

Just :m2c:

 

[wwfeatherston]

"Oh, and there's my Japanese eggs, these are egg shells that have had the egg removed, dried in the sun, filled with a mixture of flour, cornstarch, baking powder, cayene pepper and black pepper for good measure. The idea is to close your eyes, cover your mauth and nose, crush the egg shell and spread the powder in the air with a sweeping motion of your open hand. An ancient Japanese ninja trick to momentarily blind attackers."

A dry powder fire extinguisher works well, too! Blind them, choke them, then wack them with the steel bottle!