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why not the notch?
- Thread starter Rifleman1776
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I may have to work on that . . . It would be fun ( and a great commercial!!! Lol )
Mike
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To many members of Law Enforcement their sidearm is just another tool. It is the last thing used, while others are used many times a shift. And if your other skills, ie. verbal judo, are kept well honed the opportunity to use a Firearm is rare. Not an excuse, just a fact.
If your not an expert at verbal jui itsu you shouldn't do the job. Seen way too many cops escalate the situation the second they opened their pie hole.
When I was a teenager my home made holster had a leather strap under the hammer for retention and safety. naturally I had an AD fast drawing. Got super lucky. It felt like being shot (don't ask me how I know) and caught my corduroy pants on fire. roundball hit the pavement right next to my bare foot and peppered that a bit but didn't hit my thigh.. Naturally I was fast draw practicing on my dads safety zone signs... fast draw with any replica or old revolver that doesn't have a transfer bar without one of those holsters with the metal deflector plate is not smart! My current Remington the notches seem to work but the critical safety component for these revolvers is the correct holster. Carrying on an empty chamber does absolutely nothing if your hammer catches on a branch and gets partially cocked turning the cylinder..... I wanted a slim jim for this Bison with the front of the holster high enough to cover my hammer. Unfortunately my cobbler cut the leather below the rear sight so I had him add a strap that seems to work well. Holsters need to either cover the hammer and the trigger or secure the hammer. I feel comfortable carrying all six with the safety notch in this rig.
On a side note I have the dubious distinction of getting disqualified on the same stage as Jerry Mclick at the 91 Miller invitational. It was a poorly designed stage that caused 7 competitors to be DQed.
When I was a teenager my home made holster had a leather strap under the hammer for retention and safety. naturally I had an AD fast drawing. Got super lucky. It felt like being shot (don't ask me how I know) and caught my corduroy pants on fire. roundball hit the pavement right next to my bare foot and peppered that a bit but didn't hit my thigh.. Naturally I was fast draw practicing on my dads safety zone signs... fast draw with any replica or old revolver that doesn't have a transfer bar without one of those holsters with the metal deflector plate is not smart! My current Remington the notches seem to work but the critical safety component for these revolvers is the correct holster. Carrying on an empty chamber does absolutely nothing if your hammer catches on a branch and gets partially cocked turning the cylinder..... I wanted a slim jim for this Bison with the front of the holster high enough to cover my hammer. Unfortunately my cobbler cut the leather below the rear sight so I had him add a strap that seems to work well. Holsters need to either cover the hammer and the trigger or secure the hammer. I feel comfortable carrying all six with the safety notch in this rig.
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I used to also, until my .22 magnum SA Frontier Scout slipped out of the holster, hit the floor and fired between me, my wife, and my toddler son. Nothing broke, hitting the floor butt first jarred the hammer back far enough to cause the hammer to jump the "safety" sear notch and fire. No one injured and I never found where the bullet went. From that day on I load one, skip one then load four, draw the hammer on back to full cock, lower and holster. Were I going in harms way I would load all six.
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In my opinion the only thing harder on single action revolvers than fast drawing is fanning them, especially brass framed guns and
the only safe holster is a flap model carried cross draw.
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Early on I set up several "fanners" but haven't since. But, I have always used many of the "features" for a fanner in my regular service which lead to my "treat it like a Rented Mule" saying I would tell my customers - which became the name of the service. The all coil action is by far the toughest and most reliable setup which needed an upgrade from "Rented Mule" so the "Outlaw Mule" was born ( Rented Mule became the name for the flat spring service)!!
I will say, Brushy called me after he had recorded himself fanning his Dragoon with full house loads. He said it felt like getting kicked in the chest because of the "closer than arms length" distance fanning takes!!
Mike
I will say, Brushy called me after he had recorded himself fanning his Dragoon with full house loads. He said it felt like getting kicked in the chest because of the "closer than arms length" distance fanning takes!!
Mike
Not all guns HAVE notches for one thing. The Colt reproductions have awful pin safeties. They tend to suck caps off the nipples and jam the action, so many folks, myself included, just put JB Weld into the notch in the hammer and load five only. It's not like I will be taking my 1860 Army into combat, after all!
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Yet ANOTHER useful tip for employing the good ol' J-B Weld! 
I suppose there might be a good reason to load 5 with a Colt SAA if you are concerned about the stirrup falling down and striking the hammer while saddling your horse.
With a C+B revolver I think the empty chamber is due to excessive paranoia. There is a good reason why they were called "six-shooters".
With a C+B revolver I think the empty chamber is due to excessive paranoia. There is a good reason why they were called "six-shooters".
With regards to carrying cap and ball revolvers on the pins or notches, one thing I have noticed is that original Colts and Remington's have really heavy mainsprings. Reproductions have really light mainsprings in comparison. The heavy mainsprings make it real hard for the hammer to be accidently knocked off the pin, or out of the notches on a Remington. My original Colt 1849's main spring is probably more than twice as strong as any of my repros. I can lower the hammer between chambers where the pins would have been and it takes a lot to move the cylinder-its about like opening a twist off beer bottle. In my opinion, that is the single most important factor with carrying a cap and ball on the pins or in the notches. If you had to get on and off a horse or a wagon a lot then a flap holster would be a must to keep the hammer protected. If you didnt really have to do that an open top holster like a slim jim would be fine. Just about every original colt I have handled has no pins left and I have to wonder if the pins failing on the colts led people to not trust the safety notch on the SAA...
Malamute
40 Cal
The issue with the safety notch on the SAA was specific to the SAA and experiences people had carrying them fully loaded, like they had been doing with the percussion guns. They started experiencing hammer hits from various things, stirrups hitting them guns dropped, whatever, and the guns firing. Ill see if I can find the source, but it was quite clear what was happening, and habits were adjusted accordingly in the locale in the description. Its likely similar things were going on elsewhere, and humans being somewhat observant of their surroundings, figured it out.
Mainsprings are definitely lighter the last many years. I'm sure it's because that's what shooters want. Most folks don't ride horses and Cowboy shooters want fast guns. Heavy mainsprings aren't conducive to speed.
As far as Colts safety pins, the usual problem is hammer face erosion. The stock mainsprings still have enough power to move the soft hammer face material. The usual "interference fit" (nipple contact) is the source. That allows less and less engagement with the pin which means a lesser effective safety as time goes on. A close endshake setup along with the hammer stopping on the frame with slight nipple contact would be the more reliable setup.
Of course the other culprit would be an ill timed revolver allowing throw-by which allows the hammer to ultimately mushroom the pins rendering them useless.
Mike
Some, possibly most, shooters are not consciousness enough, or have enough presence of mind to carry that way. I personally, have never had an issue.
