Muzlleloaders for lawmen, criminals and defense

[pondoro]

I just read that Hickok carried cap and ball revolvers, even after the Colt SA and the Schofield became available. That got me thinking - who was the last lawman that carried cap and ball sixguns? Likewise who was the last known criminal to do so? I know the percussion rifle was used for hunting, self defense, (and probably for crime) in the early 20th century in Appalachia - does anyone on the board have any personal stories - say about a grandfather or uncle who kept a C&B sixgun or a percussion rifle at the ready for home protection?

I am not considering this myself, I have modern guns to protect my family. I am simply interested in historical figures, good and bad, famous and unknown, who persisted in using the traditional firearms after cartridge arms were available.

 

[jim gray]

I believe that John Wesley Hardin carried a '61 Colt.

Hickock's, guns from what I've read were .36 caliber 1851 Navies with Ivory Grips.

 

[bezoar]

Cant remember what year, but our hero hickock traded his pearl handled navies in for cartridge conversions at the end, when he knew his eyes were going to pot

 

[jdixon]

We had a murder committed in Central Kentucky earlier this year with a 1851 Colt Navy replica. We hae been trying to figure out just how long it has been since someone was intentionally murdered with a cap 'n ball in this state. No one really seems to know.

 

[BrownBear]

Friends have a photo of their great granddad, labeled 1906. He was a range marshal in New Mexico, and his leather is as fascinating as his guns. He's wearing a double holster crossdraw rig with no cartidge loops, but a small pouch next to each holster that look suspiciously like they would hold an extra cylinder. You can't tell from the photo whether or not they are cartridge conversions, but the handguns definitely are "cap and ball." I don't recall the details and don't have access to the photo right now, so I can't speculate about models.

His rifle? A carbine model trapdoor Springfield.

The saddle- traditional mexican with an oversized horn.

 

We had a murder committed in Central Kentucky earlier this year with a 1851 Colt Navy replica. We hae been trying to figure out just how long it has been since someone was intentionally murdered with a cap 'n ball in this state. No one really seems to know.

There were some cases back inthe 1950s I think where hillfolk committed some feud type killings with squirrel rifles near the KY-TN line. The troubles were just dying down when I spent a summer near there in 1960 or so. I saw a few longrifles still in use hunting back in the Smokies...

 

Back in the hill country of Appalachia and the Ozarks ML rifles persisted a long time. Even flintlocks were used up at least until the Civil War. My g-great grandfather Watters was a circuit riding doctor in the Ozarks after the Civil War and was still carrying his cap&ball revolver (he was a Confed Colonel)at least until the early 1900s. My grandmother lived with him and was born ca. 1895 and she remembers him coming home after trips and laying "his big horse pistol" on the mantle when he came in.

 

[KampKool]

My father's grandfathers 1863 Springfield percussion smoothbore hangs above the fireplace. My father, just passed away at 74 remembered being a boy [1941 or so] & his pap was the camp cook who used the springfield for a kitchen gun...dad said he's load it by carving a chunk of lead w/ a pocket knife...said it made BIG holes in deer too! :thumbsup: