Did they stick pistoles in there belts ?

[3 stinky dogs]

Well is that sefe ? it doesnt look safe.I baught a crapy flint pistole for $20.00 and I have stuck it in my belt and just cant see how some one can do it in comfort let alone safly.

 

[Russ T Frizzen]

A lot of men wore sashes back then and stuck their pistols in them. Probably more comfortable than doing the same thing with a belt. In a later period, Hickock is known to have carried his Colt Navys this way. It seems to have worked. I once carried my 20 gauge flint pistol in a sash for most of a day, just to see how it felt. After a little while I barely knew it was there. Carried a sheathed rifleman's knife, too. My family thought it a bit odd, but that wasn't really unusual.

 

[3 stinky dogs]

But what about accedintal discharge ? Would you feel safe if it were primed ? I guess they got around it as I just cant see some one buying a pistole to not use.But then sitting here with a make shift sash is is not so bad but if I were working (or fighting ) I dont know.If I expected trouble then I guess I would prime it and carey it But I dont think a pistole will be in my kit.

 

[graybeard]

I've often wondered the same things. Did a frontiersman carry a pistol primed and loaded? No priming? It doesn't take much of a holster, just a wide loop really, to hold a single-shot pistol on a belt. But when I'm hunting with one as a backup I carry it without the cap. Makes it rather unhandy in an ambush by either native Americans or a grizzly. Do you suppose mountain men carried a big-bore smoothbore pistol loaded with bird shot and a ball in the rifle? That way they'd have a quick shot for birds, turkey or other small game and a deadly load for a man. The rifle ball would be ready for elk or bear or whatever. But an uncapped or unprimed pistol would be pretty slow getting it into action. graybeard :hmm:

 

[3 stinky dogs]

Well the high doller frangable bullets by magsafe and some others ts nothing more then fancy bird shot and epoxey manure.And I bet that a load of bird shot from a large bore BP pistole would cause awsem damage to what ever it hits within its capibilety's.If sed Mtn.Man had a to settle somthing fast and up close With the pislole you described then the Mtn man is Verry well armed indeed.what does it pattern like? Oh how commen were belt clips on Pistoles ?

 

[robinghewitt]

Your military pistol had a belt hook down the back of the side plate.

Question, you aren't using the same belt that's keeping your trousers up are you?

 

[weirdjack]

I have a .67 smoothbore (9" barrel) I built as a belt pistol for trekking in the woods. Loaded with 1 1/8 oz of #5 shot as a snake deterrent. I installed a brass hook, it rides all day comfortably across the front of my sash.
As for carrying it safely? It's loaded, primed, and set at half-cock.....BUT.....I have a stout form-fitted leather frizzen cover on all the time, attached with a thong. This prevents the flint from making contact with the frizzen in case of an accident. Ya never know when I might drop it or get it snagged on a branch. But its a simple matter to draw the pistol, flip the frizzen cover off with my thumb and cock it in a fluid motion.
I use frizzen covers on all my flinters for the same purpose.
Jack

 

[3 stinky dogs]

[

Question, you aren't using the same belt that's keeping your trousers up are you? [/quote]Yeah at first I did.I got to get it out of my head that thees weapons wernt designed with comfort as I understand it in mind.But yeah I stuffed it in my belt and after reading the post adout stuffing it in a sash I made one out of some stuff of my wifes yes she did yell at me (they just dont understand)And that was better.It is a VERRY cheap pistole to made from a kit and is a creativly engineerd piece but its my first ml and I love it.Now if I could just get it to shoot when I yell "Arrr take that you scervy mutt !" then I would have it made.

 

[CrackStock]

Jack,

You are carrying this charged and primed and relying on just a hammer stall for safety?

I have used these, but seen them slip off pretty easily.

I would prefer to carry mine unprimed with the hammer (frizzen) forward and the cock down so that it would be safer.

CS

 

[bezoar]

As to carrying a pistol shoved thru your belt. Many period acounts of pirates before the 1800s describe them carrying a pistol or pistols shoved thru a belt or sash tied around the waist. these pistols were carried locked and loadedwhile boarding an enemy ship.
And if you look at more period descriptions and drawings youll see them also wearing a sword baldric with a few pistols in holsters.

The cossacks and cavalry of that region carried pistols stuck thru sashes tied around their waist into the 1800s.

 

[3 stinky dogs]

Man I cant emagin bouncing around with a big old poky pistole.I looked around thow and seeing some of the pocket pistoles I guess they would have been comfey with loaded pistoles.I found some pics of flint lock pocket guns and I dont see why they would buy them if they wernt kept ready for shooting.I cant find any reports of accidents where a pistole went off in a sash .

 

[weirdjack]

Jack, You are carrying this charged and primed and relying on just a hammer stall for safety? I have used these, but seen them slip off pretty easily. CS

Yes......BUT.....this is not a generic off-the-shelf hammer stall. I made it specifically for the pistol in question. It is form-fitted to the frizzen, made from good belt leather, and it will not just slip off. You have to purposely remove it. I've never had it slip, slide, fall off, or change orientation...unless I moved it.
Yeah, I've seen the one-size-fits-all hammer stalls. I don't care for them. They tend to be a sloppy fit on any frizzen. I've made all of mine specifically tailored for each individual frizzen it gets used on.
Jack

 

If I'm carrying a handgun of any variety it's ready to use upon demand without any preliminaries. One simply must pay attention to what they're doing. I've never tried a sash....just never thought to and maybe I should try one. I do use my belt that I wear around my hunting shirt and I've never had any problems.

Vic