Carrying a percussion pistol

[rodwha]

This sounds like a great safety feature! I tried a piece of hard leather that Ohio Ramrod sent me with a punch and the pressure from the hammer pressed it too hard and it got stuck quite often, though this was with an uncapped rifle. Sometimes it stuck to the hammer face and sometimes the nipple.

 

[swathdiver]

Hunting is not war. RISK vs REWARD should be assessed. There is no conceivable reward to risking an accidental shooting of ones self or a friend while hunting. If a person who I went hunting with insisted on doing so I would never hunt with them again.

Very true, hunting is not war. However, if you were hunting in grizzly bear country and you refused to load your cap and ball sixgun and or keep your rifle ready to fire, you would not find me as your hunting partner.

There is very little danger or risk of an accidental/negligent discharge if one exercises just a little common sense. I reckon I'd have a better chance in winning the lottery than having my sixgun go off and I don't gamble!

Sir, you were just taught wrong.

In many places it is specifically illegal to not lock up your guns. If you get caught you will likely have your gun privileges revoked and pay a hefty fine.

Well aware of such stupid and unconstitutional laws. You can guess how most of us regard them.

 

[M. De Land]

I think perhaps the safest way to carry a single shot capped loaded hand gun is the same as with a cap-n- ball revolver and that is in a flap holster in the cross draw position which keeps the muzzle always pointed down and away from the body wither seated or standing.
The flap not only precludes any chance of a half cock or snagged trigger AD but it protects the arm from weather,dirt and is in one of the most easily accessed positions.
Horse pistols were also carried over the saddle pommel in flapped holsters much like the military flap holster for personal carry.

 

[zimmerstutzen]

Hanoverian horse pistols of the 1840's had cross bar safeties built in that prevented accidental hammer drop.

I was surprised that other countries did not adopt that feature for their guns.
Enfield rifles of the Civil war had nipple protectors that fastened by chain to the trigger guard.

Anyone that says it is unsafe to carry a cap black powder gun capped in the woods as a general statement is unaware of other designs of the period.

 

[inlikeflint]

I intend to make a nipple protector that is safe to dry fire on top of a live cap with the cap not going off. Then to carry, it will have hammer down on it and drop away when cocked. And a tiny chain to trigger guard to prevent loss thus making my "just in case" belly gun safe to carry in the woods. john

It fits fine in back pocket.

 

[F.G. Ford]

If someone is walking about with a loaded pistol and can't carry it safely, they should be shot :shocked2:
Your gun is loaded, you have "ONLY ONE SHOT" make it count!
Cock it well, cap it, and aim carefully.
You have one shot!
If you miss, you will have to use the gun as a club.
Can't be more safe than that!
Fred

 

[zimmerstutzen]

do you load your centerfire rifle after cocking it?

In a flap covered holster or a gun with a safety there is no reason not to cap it beforehand. Same for a nipple protector that disengages when the hammer is cocked.

How many old holster rigs had a leather loop over the hammer spur to block against accidental cocking?

I thought of another horse pistol that had a safety to prevent accidental hammer fall, the 1861 Lorenz pistol from Austria.

When I did carry a single shot muzzle loading pistol for hunting it was capped or primed but in a flapped holster.

 

[Marc Adamchek]

Cynthialee - As I recall, a couple years ago when I first got into this end of the muzzleoading experience I would read posts from you wherein you mentioned that you carried a cap 'n ball revolver religiously, around the house and out and about. I was quite taken with that notion. Anyway, I would think that you would qualify as a resident expert on this subject since you "lived it".

 

[smoothshooter]

A percussion revolver CAN be carried safely with all chambers loaded and capped by keeping the hammer down on the little pins ( Colt ), or in the notches ( Remington ), located between the nipples on the rear of the cylinder. Carried in a flap holster, there is no way the cylinder is going to rotate around on it's own to where a capped nipple is under the hammer. Using flap holsters that carry the gun butt - forward makes for a safer draw as well as long as the finger is kept out of the triggerguard and thumb off of the hammer until the muzzle is clear of any body parts.
I think an accidental discharge is much more likely when someone if fiddling around trying to cap, prime, or load a muzzleloader or cartridge gun while in a hurry in the presence of game or some other distraction.
I do think it is wise to unprime a muzzleloader or unload a cartridge gun when getting in or out of a tree stand with a long gun.
If you chose to carry your gun partially or completely unloaded, I respect your decision. You know your limitations, and operate accordingly. You may be creating a safer environment for yourself and those around you.
I have carried fully - loaded percussion revolvers and other handguns for many years while operating farm equipment, riding horses, camping, hiking, fixing fences, working cattle, fishing, hunting, etc., without feeling in any danger from my gun.

Some people are safe with a gun that is cocked and loaded and safety off, if there is one.

Others are not safe with a totally empty gun if ammunition is on their person or readily available.

Most of us fall somewhere between the two extremes.

In the end, I suppose carrying loaded / unloaded doesn't really matter for casual shooting as long as the muzzles are kept pointed in a safe direction and all rules are being followed when on a public range or some other controlled environment.

:stir:

 

[nkbj]

Just thinking about it,I've known folks that carried a percussion revolver because of personal preferences and some also due to legal encumbrances. But none engaged in load development, much to my mystification.

 

[smoothshooter]

I started shooting and hunting with one when I was around 14 or so. There were no legal restrictions on minimum age on black powder guns, and besides, they were relatively cheap to shoot since I made my own bullets. Being a history buff at even that young age made them even more fun.
Quite a few rabbits, squirrels, groundhogs, copperheads, and the occaisional quail and snapping turtle were bagged during those early years. I was using Remington Armies in .36 and .44 calibers.
I did do a lot of load experimentation as well, and discovered that as in long guns, the lowly ball performs surprisingly well in pistols in living tissue.
Never used them on anything larger than really big groundhogs though. But I did do enough autopsies on what I did shoot to form a favorable opinion regarding tissue destruction and penetration.
All I have been shooting for the last 4 or 5 years since I got back into it are Uberti Colt clones, but I have been mightily tempted by the shorter 5" barrelled .44 Remingtons of late. May have to add one to the herd.

 

[Cpl. Ashencheeks]

I would carry a small leather capper, with a couple of caps, tied to the trigger guard. The capper would be stored under the hammer to keep it from swinging around. When game appears I would cap the gun, not until then.

This is pretty much what I had in mind on my earlier post in this thread.

If in a hunting situation you possibly need that first quick rifle shot or a follow up pistol shot with that wild boar situation I described earlier, this does perhaps give you enough time to deal with the tasks at hand without compromising safety too much.

If being chased by a bear you had better have a quick prayer ready and perhaps a bear pole set conveniently on your pre-determined downhill escape route. Eat plenty of pepper the night before, the bear will appreciate it.

Some people who hunt with bow & arrow have several steps worked into one quick flowing motion, think about how much quicker a percussion pistol can be capped in a needy rush with the device described above.