How proficient were the man killers of old?

[Dave T]

Wayne,

Not trying to start an argument but years ago, when I was seriously studying this stuff, I read an actual news paper account of Hickok doing this. Even into the 1870s he was still carrying and using two '51 Navy Colts. And as most did with the cap-n-ball guns all six chambers were loaded. The hammer rested on a safety notch between the nipples.

Even when cartridge guns became more the norm (Colt's Single Action Army and Frontier Six Shooter being prime examples) a lot of people still carried them loaded with six, resting the hammer on the "safety notch", the first click as you pulled it back. Wyatt Earp was known to have had his Colt revolver, so loaded, fall out of his holster while he was setting in a saloon in Kansas. It landed on the hammer and went off when the safety notch broke the sear part of the trigger. It was reported in the towns paper and policeman Earp was the brunt of considerable teasing for a while.

I also read an interview with an old guy who served as a Texas Ranger as a young man, right after the turn of the Century along the Rio Grande. When the interviewer asked if they loaded five and kept the hammer down on the empty chamber the ol' boy laughed at him. He said they always loaded six, but it you were afraid go ahead and load just five.

It was indeed a different time.

Dave

[wvincent]

You'all quit talkin bout these Colt Walkers or so help God I'm gonna buy one of these: https://www.gunbroker.com/item/817480866

[Hambo]

You'all quit talkin bout these Colt Walkers or so help God I'm gonna buy one of these: https://www.gunbroker.com/item/817480866

Save some money and buy an Uberti. I prefer Dragoons, but stuffing that Walker cylinder full of powder is way cool.

[wvincent]

Save some money and buy an Uberti. I prefer Dragoons, but stuffing that Walker cylinder full of powder is way cool.

Yeah, the Uberti would be a lot less painful. Any big quality difference between the Colt and Uberti?
Gonna be fun telling Alex at ACG what I need a holster for now.

[Dagga Boy]

Uberti......you need to pony up for a real one from the 1800’s. Here is my wife with the real thing.

[wvincent]

Uberti......you need to pony up for a real one from the 1800’s. Here is my wife with the real thing.

Nice. Is that the Ranger Museum?

"Pony Up" being code for selling kidney's, right?

[Dave T]

For those of you interested in this stuff and who own a 45 Colt single action revolver:

Load a modern case with 35g of FFFg, topped by a 255g soft cast bullet lubed with something soft (SPG brand lubricant is intended for this purpose). Don't bother with Magnum primers as some advocate, standard LP primers will get black powder burning just fine. This load will very closely duplicate the performance of the original 40g of FFg load developed by the Ordnance Dept in 1972-3. Out of a 7-1/2" barrel that will deliver 900 fps or a bit more and will have your immediate attention and respect.

That was sufficiently violent that the poor troops complained and issue ammo was reduced to 30g behind a 250g RNFP bullet. In about 1875, a Major named Schofield convinced the Ordnance people to adopt the "Schofield" version of Smith & Wesson's No 3, top-brake revolver. It used the shorter cased 45 S&W cartridge loaded with a 230g bullet (we shall see that bullet weight and caliber come back about 1911) and propelled by 28g of black powder. They soon ran into a supply problem. The units issued the Schofield naturally got the longer Colt rounds, which would not chamber. Ordnance being the bureaucracy it was decided the solution was to issue the lesser round, which could be chambered and fired in either issue revolver. They decided it would do just as well, kind of like the current argument for 9mm over everything else. (smile)

Dave

[Hambo]

Yeah, the Uberti would be a lot less painful. Any big quality difference between the Colt and Uberti?
Gonna be fun telling Alex at ACG what I need a holster for now.

IIRC the modern Colts were assembled here from Italian made parts, so not really.

Nice. Is that the Ranger Museum?

"Pony Up" being code for selling kidney's, right?

Only if you can get six figures, yeah. But you might have to sell them both.

[Stephanie B]

Or, if you just want to try it out, you can buy loaded .45 BP ammo.

[LittleLebowski]

Just read the whole thread, fantastic stuff, thank you all. I have some books to order.