Safety Pins: how?

[Marc Adamchek]

I've always believed in placing a hammer on an empty chamber in all my revolvers for safety's sake, SA, SA, transfer bar, doesn't matter.

However, after reading various posts here and purchasing some cap 'n ball colt replicas, I wanted to see how resting the hammer on one of the "pins" between chambers would be.

I can't do it! I pull my hammer back so the cylinder rotates, but then my trigger is "bound". The one time I tried to force the situation I ended up chipping the steel by the cylinder catch of a chamber.

This obviously made me reluctant to try any further due to proof of my neanderthal genes.

So, what's the trick?

 

[necchi]

One way,
Pull the hammer back far enough to drop the bolt (not all the way to half-cock) roll the cylinder with your off hand and let the hammer down onto the pin/notch.

 

[LRB]

Necchi is correct. Once the hammer is drawn to half cock, it should never be let down without first continueing to full cock.

 

[Marc Adamchek]

Yeah, I found that out for sure, hence the scar. Oh well, bound to get a lot more of those anyhoo.

 

[George T.]

I had been doing it with out thinking much about it. Had to go get my 1860 and try it. You are right! Geo. T.

 

[pargent]

:thumbsup: +1

 

[crockett]

Marc- the discussion about whether to load six and put the hammer on a pin or load five and put the hammer on an empty chamber has been discussed a lot in the past. Regardless of what the record may or may not be the general feeling is to load five and lower a fully cocked hammer down on an empty chamber.

 

[cynthialee]

Marc- the discussion about whether to load six and put the hammer on a pin or load five and put the hammer on an empty chamber has been discussed a lot in the past. Regardless of what the record may or may not be the general feeling is to load five and lower a fully cocked hammer down on an empty chamber.

I leave one unloaded and the hammer sits on the pin before the empty chamber. That way if somehow the hammer is caught on something then acidently is fired the hammer hits an empty cylender. If the hammer is on the empty chamber, then the above scenario plays out, the gun shoots. I just need to work the action one extra time to get to a bullet, which takes less than a second to do.

 

[Poor Private]

I guess I am the only one who carries in a full flapped holster.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

I too am a big fan of the full flap holster.

 

[cynthialee]

The flaped holsters look bulky and ugly and you can't see the pistol.
But I can see the safety reasons why such a holster is a good idea.

 

[Poor Private]

Flap holsters are the best holster in my opinion to take out in the woods or brush. I concede that it's not for quick draws, but for safety reasons it' the best. And also with the flap you have a built in rain protector. There may be method in their madness having civil war cavalry, and others having them instead of the old open top.

 

[Marc Adamchek]

Private - Are the flap holsters available for the Colt replicas like the military ones in that they hold the pistol with the butt outward?

Also, are flap holsters limited to just a couple pistol types?

 

[Bon Sauvage]

May I suggest that you take a look at the offerings of El Paso Saddlery?

 

[Poor Private]

You can find them holsters on ebay, Fall Creek Sutlery, Blackade Runner, and Dixie. And you can have them to fit any pistol (check out Dixie). and any direction. cost anywhere from 20 bucks to a hundred. about any color also, from black to natural.

 

[Marc Adamchek]

Ogre - I've got a rig I had El Paso make about 20 years ago. Floral carving on everything - belt, holster for 4 3/4" SAA, holster for 5 1/2" SAA and a slim Jim for a Blackhawk.

I dug 'em out earlier - the belt just barely fits now (last hole!!), and I wanted to see if the Slim Jim would work for a couple cap 'n balls. My 1861 Navy works really well and it kind of works for my 1860 Army, but the only thing I don't like is that the last inch or so of the barrel, including the blade sight, sticks through. I don't feel good about the sight being vulnerable.

But yeah, the holsters from El Paso are gorgeous. I remeber I had to wait awhile for my stuff on account of everything being floral carved.

I might as well check them out, they really are tops in that game. I always liked the idea of flap holsters, especially in the woods and such like you mentioned, private.

This cap 'n ball stuff has hijacked my brain, I tell ya!

 

[Many Klatch]

CL, I made a pair of flapped holsters for my Remingtons. I found that the easiest way to wear them is the cross draw style. I'm just not tall enough to get one of those long barreled pistols out of the holster otherwise.

Many Klatch

 

[M. De Land]

As I see it the flap holster allows six chamber carry in complete safety. How can the hammer be hooked and how can the cylinder turn when inside of a snug, closed holster?
Five chamber carry makes sense in an open top holster where the exposed hammer spur can be struck if down on a chambered round but perfectly safe if on a safety pin in good working order and a hammer loop in place to keep it from being cocked.
Sam Colt did not design his pistols to be carried with only five chambers charged. That's what the pins are for.
Five chamber carry probably came about when pins got broken off and the gun had not been repaired. MD

 

[aeatwood]

Actually, I would think that it came after the conversion to the 1873 Model P. Although you can in fact let the hammer down so the firing pin rests between the cartridge rims. ff

 

[crockett]

Not to get the safety police after me but this is another one of those issues that never gets settled. The Colt Peacemakers had guys lowering the firing pin on a live round and carrying like that, any pull on the hammer would bounce the hammer down and fire the gun. It would be like carrying a cap and ball with the hammer down on a live cap. In any event the carry5 idea came about with the cartridge guns but folks started back peddling and applying it to cap and ball. I've tried and tried and tried brushing a holstered gun against objects seeing if I can trip a hammer far enough back to rotate the cylinder enough to cause the hammer to come down on a cap. I'm sort of tired of the issue so let's just say load five and lower the hammer on an empty chamber.