Self defence carry?

However it seems all too often the Colt models have spent cap binding issues to overcome. Either the hammer pulls the spent cap from the nipple causing an issue or a cap that fell off afterward got dropped and stuck in the action. There are fixes for these if it happens.

Click to expand...

The simplest "fix" from the era of the cap-n-ball was carry a second handgun. :wink:

You can omit cutting the barrel and simply buy a "Pepperbox" which really isn't a classic dorsal-hammer, pepperbox but is a copy of a few modified Colts that were done so for concealment. It's only in .36 BUT you could put a pretty hefty load of powder behind the ball in this configuration.

LD

Hello again,
The Pietta .36 cal. pepper box loaded with thirty ( 30 ) grains of 3f powder and a double patched .350 ball would be terrible medicine on any would be mugger.
It would also outclass any .44 ball, as far as damage.
Fred

If I had no other option, then I think I'd carry the 1862 Police or Pocket Navy in.36.

Fortunately I do have an option which is my Glock 23 or Colt Commander, (my two main choices). (And sometimes my Kel-Tec PF9 or PPK/S)

We have to keep in mind that self defense is not hunting. When I hunt I want quick kills. However I don’t care about wounded bad guy. Our job there is to stop the threat.
Now a howdaw pistol might not be easy to carry but it would be a man stopper. Even someone with a vest on would be incopacitated for a bit.
You do have to think in terms of stopping the threat. We use deadly force but we donot have to kill. A police officer has different job. The officer has to stay there until the threat is removed compleatly. You don’t. All you have to do is get safe. Any use beyond getting safe means you are now the aggressor. You can stand your ground, but you can’t chase him down. A cop has to chase him. One can’t point a gun at a would be threat next door, a cop has to.
What gun you carry for self defense is a personal choice, but does not have to be driven by the same choice a cop had to make. In fact it has been shown that the mere presence of an arm deters crime sans a shot ever being fired.

I'd certainly like to see the evidence.

What little ballistics gel results I have seen show most of these projectiles behave slightly better than a modern FMJ. The 9mm ball ammo is pathetic according to our military using them. They preferred and opted for old 1911's for that very reason.

And the one documented event in which soldiers used their .36 cal revolvers against a bear showed pathetic penetration hardly getting through the layer of fat it would seem. Granted the .44 that killed it with two shots came from what we call a Dragoon and hardly something any of us would recommend the OP carry...

Actually I was thinking more of say 25 grains and two round ball .375 in each chamber. Most handgun lethal encounters go at 15 feet or less.

LD

You might be interested in something like this shortened 1858 Remington https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=monbm21UqQ0
Note you could use a separate loading device and carry this with black powder/round balls. Dualist1954 has a series of videos showing how he made this one.

This might work for your needs. It's a black powder ML but looks like a Colt Peacemaker.
I'm thinking that you could get one with a shorter barrel and it would be a good carry gun.
http://www.ubertireplicas.com/product/1873-cattleman-new-model-b-p/

If 1885 is the cut off date,,,Then the Colt SAA 1873,,1875 Remington,,1875 S&W top break would be good ,,,Or could you use a 1858 with a conversion cylinder?...If all these options are a no-go..I would opt for a 5 1/2" 1858 Remington with an extra loaded cylinder ...You can switch out a cylinder on the 58 faster than you can unload and reload a SAA.

You may like this series of videos by Duelist. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXYMkC6HNXk

That actually leads me to another question!

Does anyone know if Cattleman revolver had cap n' ball conversion before 1885?

This is a very important legal issue in Poland as you can only own CAP N BALL revolvers that existed pre 1885, not the later conversions of previously cartridge powered guns. Many people own this cattleman from Uberti but noone is sure if that's actually legal. (Noone got prosecuted though)

So - was there an existing cap n ball conversion for Cattleman revolver before 1885 or is this a modern "idea"?

If your statement about owning cap and ball revolvers that existed before 1885 is correct, the Uberti Cattleman revolver would not (IMO) be legal.

It is the creation of Uberti, designed to meet laws that forbid early cartridge guns but allow cap and ball pistols.

It is basically a Colt 1873 Single Action Army Model P (often called a Peacemaker) with a modified cylinder which cannot be used with cartridges.

Colt never made a cap and ball version of the gun.

In fact, very few cap and ball revolvers were made after 1873 by any company.
By then, the metallic cartridge had become the favored choice.

The fact that the Cattleman is designed to shoot cap and ball loads only and it is based on a pistol that was originally made in 1873 could explain why no one has been prosecuted but if the police wanted to charge someone, they would be within their right to do it.

You could go for high tech rapid fire and get a double action Adams revolver. Of course a usable original might be a bit pricy. I don't think anyone made a replica Adams, did they?

Don't think I'll get any double action revolvers in Poland. There were only a few models, very hard to get original piece, especially in Middle/Eastern Europe.


I know that licenced gunsmiths out here will do replicas of nearly anything but it'd cost around 2,200$ - 2,500$.

Yes, but this one is a cap and ball. Just looks like a 1873 Colt.

Here is another fine model to contemplate.
https://www.dixiegunworks.com/inde...H0460++PIETTA+STARR+DA+ARMY+REVOLVER?view_all

Funny. I was just looking through DGW's updated site for the Starr revolvers and it appeared they only had originals. I had figured Pietta quit producing them.

According to my modern black powder Blue Book, Pietta made the double action Starr revolver back around 2002.

Wouldn't a modern market for new percussion revolver reproductions be awesome...
Give me a .58 Webley!