Load only five of six chambers?

[Stophel]

Bring to full cock, then lower to half cock. Cylinder won't spin freely.

So it does! :grin:

Still, not exactly practical... :wink:

 

[CaptainKirk]

"I have a Colt (reproduction) 1851 Navy revolver. I've read that only five of the six chambers should be loaded, and the hammer lowered on the empty chamber - for safety. Is this correct, and why?

Wouldn't it be just as safe to load all the chambers, and keep it at half-cock until ready to fire? I'm talking about loading the gun on the range - ready to shoot the entire cylinder.
Doug"


Do you follow safety rules at work?

You can't really carry one around on half cock. That allows the cylinder to spin freely, plus, the hammer is sticking way out.

And, again, to address those who still think we're talking about carrying the gun with the hammer on a live cap.... NO ONE is suggesting that anyone do that.

:wink:

You're probably referring to my comment. That's OK. If I can explain...
Yes, my Colt Army has the little pins in-between cylinders. My Remmy has bona fide "safety notches"
I would, and have, carried the Remmy with six in the wheelhouse. I'm OK with that. I would not do so on the Army. The little nubs they call "safety pins" are tiny and could easily shear off or jump under certain conditions. Not likely, but it could happen.
My Navy and Dragoons; no safety notches at all.I would not carry these with six up either. Sure, if I was at the range I'd lay down a full house, and cap at the shooting line. But I wouldn't carry in the back 40 that way.
You say tomahhhto, I say tomayyyto. It's all in your own view, and what you feel comfortable with. But here's the thing; a newbie surfin' the net could come here, read the thread, and cruise on out and buy him a wheelgun with no safety notches at all, feeling safe & secure 'cuz we told him it was OK. After all, aren't we the "experts"?
As for the OP; you've heard the evidence. Follow your own conscience and do what you feel comfortable with.

 

[David W.]

"I have a Colt (reproduction) 1851 Navy revolver. I've read that only five of the six chambers should be loaded, and the hammer lowered on the empty chamber - for safety. Is this correct, and why?

Wouldn't it be just as safe to load all the chambers, and keep it at half-cock until ready to fire? I'm talking about loading the gun on the range - ready to shoot the entire cylinder.
Doug"


Do you follow safety rules at work?

You can't really carry one around on half cock. That allows the cylinder to spin freely, plus, the hammer is sticking way out.

And, again, to address those who still think we're talking about carrying the gun with the hammer on a live cap.... NO ONE is suggesting that anyone do that.

:wink:

You're probably referring to my comment. That's OK. If I can explain...
Yes, my Colt Army has the little pins in-between cylinders. My Remmy has bona fide "safety notches"
I would, and have, carried the Remmy with six in the wheelhouse. I'm OK with that. I would not do so on the Army. The little nubs they call "safety pins" are tiny and could easily shear off or jump under certain conditions. Not likely, but it could happen.
My Navy and Dragoons; no safety notches at all.I would not carry these with six up either. Sure, if I was at the range I'd lay down a full house, and cap at the shooting line. But I wouldn't carry in the back 40 that way.
You say tomahhhto, I say tomayyyto. It's all in your own view, and what you feel comfortable with. But here's the thing; a newbie surfin' the net could come here, read the thread, and cruise on out and buy him a wheelgun with no safety notches at all, feeling safe & secure 'cuz we told him it was OK. After all, aren't we the "experts"?
As for the OP; you've heard the evidence. Follow your own conscience and do what you feel comfortable with.

I agree with your position entirely. If one wishes to carry all chambers loaded, it must be done at their own risk.
I carry my semi-auto without one chambered. It's my own decision.

Practicing safety is recommended concerning firearms, everytime, all the time. If I were operation a chain saw, I follow the rules on that too.

 

[Dave Rosenthal]

:thumbsup: EXACTLY! :applause:

 

[Geraldo]

I load five if I'm carrying it, but then I don't carry less than three C&B revolvers for defense.
:dead:

 

[CaptainKirk]

I load five if I'm carrying it, but then I don't carry less than three C&B revolvers for defense.
:dead:

Defense against who? Confederate marauders? :rotf:
Why not save weight and carry 1 Glock?

 

[Greg Hardy]

Can't wait til Traditions comes out with a composite framed, titanium barreled D/A only .40 cal 1860 Army Colt...

 

[David W.]

Can't wait til Traditions comes out with a composite framed, titanium barreled D/A only .40 cal 1860 Army Colt...

:rotf: :rotf: :haha: :rotf: Let me add one more thing here, :rotf: :rotf: :haha: :haha: :rotf:

 

[Poor Private]

Ok lets think this through logically then:
Your pistol has 6 chambers then you only load 5 ROA, 1960, 1851, 1858 all for example, for safety sake..
LeMat 9 shot so only load 8, whoops there is a shotgun barrel underneath so don't load that either.
Then also following this same rule we load the following Patterson, Pocket Pistols, 5 chambers- load 4.
Which leads to the Howdah 2 chambers load 1, but still unsafe since hammer is on the second barrel. So no loading at all.
Single shot percussion don't load them at all either since hammer rest on the nipple examples- LePage, Kentucky, underhammers.
So com'on guys lets get real. Anything you have or carry-pocket knife, pencil,handgun, ink pen, fingernail clipper be dangerous, and accidents do happen.
And those of you who are citing "accidents" with the load 6 got shot with one is all word of mouth. None of you have provided any type of provenance wether-books, magazines, newpapers, or modern media(TV, radio), for those of us to look up as reference. It's all my buddy said, my cousin said, my dad told me, my neighbor told me.
Now lets go futher yet. Those of you who hunt with exposed hammers on your double barreled shot guns I bet don't have empty chambers under the hammers, or even those of you who carry single shot shot guns.
How about those revolving modern guns such as the Judge, and the Circut Judge, or even a bit futher back the revolving Colt, and Remington Rifles?

 

[Pete Gaimari]

Not a lot of competitions that shoot C&B revolvers anymore. CAS is one of them. If it's as safe as you claim. Why don't they allow 6 shots loaded? We'd all rather shoot at 6 targets instead of 5.

 

[Greg Hardy]

Okay. Colt revolving rifle had enough problems was it was, chainfire, exploding cylinders. The LeMat the shotgun barrel is fired by rotating a firing pin on the hammer downward to fire it. A safety of sorts. Most exposed hammer guns, modern manufacture that is, use rebounding hammers or hammer block safeties. In fact, virtually all single action revolvers now have a safety of some sort. Be it a two position cylinder pin to transfer bar safety. In fact, the only imported weapons exempt from having either an automatic or manual safety are, yep, percussion firearms. If you want to carry with six loaded and capped chambers, more power to you. My incident, while referred to a 'carelessness' possible, but I was using it in defense of my well being and was surprised by the pack of dogs. The hammer wasn't drawn very far back, but it was enough. It is a personal choice, unless in sanctioned competition, carry any way you like. I say this with not animosity or malice. As far as I'm concerned, this is truly beating a dead horse.

 

I'll go with this. In traditional risk analysis one balances the GRAVITY of the harm should it occur against the LIKELYHOOD of it occuring. Given the potential of the 'gravity' of harm if stuff goes south the likelyhood can be minimal and it's still very dangerous. I'll go six when I'm shootin' and five when I'm packin'. Never take a chance on 'old devil'GSW you don't have to take cause you may never get another.

 

[CaptainKirk]

I'm baffled...
Resting a hammer on an empty chamber WHILE CARRYING is done, supposedly, for safety's sake. I don't care if it's me telling you this, Elmer Keith, or Eli Remington. It's a fact. Whether or not you choose to heed the warning is totally up to you. Yet you choose to act as if those of us advocating "safety first" are over-reacting or something?
I've heard the same logic out of folks who refuse to wear shooting glasses, or hearing protection because "they're for sissies"
If you blow off three toes while woods-walking with a full-house wheelgun, can you really tell your medical insurance carrier it was "an accident?"
Look, you can do whatever you want. It's no skin off my back. But like Pete says, you'd be heave-ho'd out of a CAS match in a heartbeat, because they refuse to take that sort of responsibility for potentially catastrophic lawsuit scenarios. Again, if you feel comfortable, knock yourself out. But don't expect everyone to agree with your view. It doesn't hurt anything to carry five in the wheelhouse, unless I'm carrying for protection. And if that's the case, I'm darn sure not gonna handicap myself with a cap & ball pistol. :shake:

 

[Pete Gaimari]

Wild Bill did ok with them.

 

[David W.]

:applause: :thumbsup:

 

[CaptainKirk]

Wild Bill was shot in the back.
Two pistols didn't do a damn thing for him, 10 shots or 12...made no difference.
Don't feed the monkeys. :nono:

 

[Pete Gaimari]

He would have been shot in the back if he was carrying Glocks.

What's your point? :idunno:

 

[Zonie]

How Wild Bill was shot and who shot him and why have nothing to do with this topic.

Lets stay with the 5 shot or 6 issue please.

 

There is an old adage, "Don't go off half cocked."

That saying actually came from the use of flintlock guns. So did "a flash in the pan"

Yes, I, actually, have known that for some forty odd years. I, also, am of the opinion, that an individual carrying a cap and ball revolver fully loaded, would also be of mind to attempt to lighten the trigger pull and posibly muck up the half cock notch while doing it. Also, they would surely try their hand at fan firing their revolvers. This, too, is a good way to destroy a half cock notch. Gee, I almost sound like I have some experience at this.

Not everyone carried a holster, handguns were stuck in belts, sashes, waistbands and pockets. Mounting and dismounting horses saw scores of dropped handguns.

If they had been carried in holsters, they would not have been dropped. :wink:

Not always true, cricket. Many early holsters did not have tie downs or straps. wink-wink nudge-nudge

 

[himem777]

You may feel safe carrying 6, but for the sake of the people around you, be as safe as you can be. :shake:
If this gun is not your primary self defense weapon, then its not going to hurt you to have an empty chamber.
Now if you find yourself in a war then by all means load it for bear and carry 6.... guns that is. :grin: