Carrying Heavy Revolvers

[nhmoose]

Also the guns may have been photo props

 

[nick_1]

that is what I was getting at. photographers in that era were basically carnival buskers trying to make a buck any way they could from posing corpses and selling the photos to trying to talk some poor cowpoke out of 25cents for a posed portrait complete with props.
.

 

[Bunk]

There's a good reason they were referred to (along with earlier single-shot handguns) as "horse pistols"

Exactly so they were "Horse" pistols carried in pommel holsters on the saddlemActually the first "Belt" pistol was the .36 1851 Navy Colt.
Other than the uniqueness and history I really fail to se the fascination about the 1847 Colt Walker. I had one, shot it a couple of times and traded it off. A pair of 1860 .44 Army Colts does the job very nicely/
To each his own I guess
Respectfully
Bumk

 

[earlwb]

Well one can carry Inside the waistband if they really want to. They do make a IWB holster for 1873 revolvers that also fit some of the cap and ball revolvers too. I would prefer that the leather backing was wider so that the grip was covered better. But that is how it is. The barrel end is open thus barrel length is not a issue. when i get some time, I plan on making a new holster back that covers the grip too.

Oh yeah, for belts one can get Hank's Belts, Amish made too. You can also make your own belt. Tandy Leathercrafts sells belt blanks to make any belt you want.

 

[GYJ]

Exactly so they were "Horse" pistols carried in pommel holsters on the saddlemActually the first "Belt" pistol was the .36 1851 Navy Colt.
Other than the uniqueness and history I really fail to se the fascination about the 1847 Colt Walker. I had one, shot it a couple of times and traded it off. A pair of 1860 .44 Army Colts does the job very nicely/
To each his own I guess
Respectfully
Bumk

The Paterson models preceded the Navy by two decades. I'm sure it wasn't the first handgun to be carried on the belt. This .54 is a dainty 28oz.

I myself have a dragoon repro that I put in a Californian type holster on a 3" wide belt. The belt seems to work relatively comfortably but I have no need to carry it around for any length of time and I have some doubt whether such a wide belt would have been used (or at least commonly used) back in the day, not having myself seen any historical photos documenting a very wide belt with cap and ball revolver(s).

The wide gun belts did not arrive until after cartridges. Before that, they were mostly around 2".

 

[Malamute]

Rip Ford is not impressed with most of y'all.
View attachment 169660

There was an everyday attitude in those days to "make do" with what you had and if it was all you can get, use it anyway. That form of thinking is not as prevalent today I imagine.

That photo was from about 1858 during his rangering days, so there were definitely lighter options available. He probably liked the bigger guns because they were better for shooting the horse out from under a Comanche or something like that. That said, those are clearly belt holsters (not pommel holsters!) and made for maybe a Walker and a dragoon. And the belt is pretty small looking, but maybe the rest is wider or the buckskins spread out the weight enough to be not painful.

For a bit more of the historical perspective, I found Randolph Marcy's passages in The Prairie Traveler interesting (published in 1859 as a guide for overland emigrants). He was a career frontier army officer and discusses the relative merits of the Colt's "navy" and "army" size revolvers - in the latter case he must be referring to a dragoon, since there's reference to the length of time which the army had used both types of revolver and the guide's pre-1860 publication.

He indicates his personal preference for the "army sized" revolver, despite its bulk, and, also writes, "many of our experienced frontier officers prefer carrying their pistols in a belt at their sides to placing them in holsters attached to the saddle, as in the former case they are always at hand when they are dismounted; whereas, by the other plan, they become useless when a man is unhorsed...."

Some things we will never know for certain, such as if certain guns in pictures were props, but i have no issue believing some people carried dragoons on their belt regularly, or even a pair if they felt the need. Ive carried quite a lot as a daily thing, heavy guns are somewhat bothersome, but hardly disabling. When not walking much, its not really as big an issue in any event. The horse ultimately carried the weight for much of the time one was out and about.

Ive hiked a fair amount with heavy revolver on a belt with 30 rds of 400 gr 45-70 loads and was not incapacitated in any way. I dont know if living an physically active life has a bearing on that but it possibly does.

Many stuck with what they had and were used to, and knew would do the job. Ive carried the same 4" smith 44 mag since 1982 more than anything else. The common lightweight small caliber guns now prevalent havent captured my imagination much, despite messing with them a bit. Just because something new and supposedly improved comes along doesnt mean everyone discards their previous choices. Its not necessarily being curmudgeonly to stick with the known quantity. The later part of Marcy comment about the Army (Dragoon) pistols was when some of the men came across a grizzly, several shot it with their navy pistols, which did not finish it. He or someone else shot it with a Dragoon, game over.

We also know Hickok stayed with Navy Colts for general carry after various cartridge guns were common, and he was known to own some, I believe one being an S&W 44 top break from the 1868 period. Whatever his reasoning, the Navies seemed to work for him.

FWIW, the Walker never really interested me other than reading of its use in its short history during the fighting in Mexico, the Dragoons saw much more widespread use and were a definite improvement in pretty much every way, and i can see why they were popular in their day.

 

[nick_1]

I believe that when Hickock was killed he was carrying a top break S&W .32

 

[Philip Lebow]

Get a wider belt that sits on your hip bones. Since my ass fell off and moved to my stomach, it's the only way for me to pack.
Because I am old and get sciatica pain, I have to wear two heavy revolvers, one on each hip to balance my pelvis. Here In Prescott Arizona, also known
as 'Gun Town', we have constitutional carry, but it still gives people new to the area a start when I open my work shirt, and there are two heaters in view.
Usually two '51 Navy's, but also modern things. Lots of people in Prescott carry Colt 1873s, which being cowboy are very acceptable.
A visitor from New England nearly wet himself when I pulled back my shirt to get my wallet out in a local pizza parlor.
On your new gun belt, make sure the edges are rounded, so as not to cut into you or raise sores.

 

[nick_1]

Don't get too full of yourself for packing heat in public. Here in New England we are not afraid to go to the grocery store without suiting up like a dumpster dumpling wall mart tactical commando wannabee.... when I need to carry no one ever knows.... walk softly, be professional, be polite and have a plan that no one needs to know about...

 

[Eutycus]

I'd be lost without my suspenders!

 

[Stantheman86]

back in the day a photograph was a really big deal. Not an every day thing like today. they absolutly dressed up in their best clothes and posed. very few if any candid shots of that era... it was even quite common to pose battlefield photos. . they did not have the ethics figured out because the technology was too new. In the height of modern photojournalism , WW11 through 2016ish you would get kicked out of the business for posing or altering a news image.

A lot of the famous Gettysburg pics were staged, the "Sharphooter at Devils Den" was just some poor random dead Condeferate he dragged in there with a 61 Springfield leaned up on a rock

 

[Eutycus]

Don't get too full of yourself for packing heat in public. Here in New England we are not afraid to go to the grocery store without suiting up like a dumpster dumpling wall mart tactical commando wannabee.... when I need to carry no one ever knows.... walk softly, be professional, be polite and have a plan that no one needs to know about...

I hope alot of people take your advice.

 

[azsixshooter]

I have a Guides Choice Chest Rig from Diamond D Leathers in Wasilla, Alaska that I like a lot. I carry a 5.5" Bisley Blackhawk in .41 Remington Mag in it for deerhunting and it's very comfortable.

 

[nick_1]

when I was 18 and working in the snow king hotel kitchen in Wyoming one of the older fellows working in the kitchen with me had a nice .41 mag story. He had been a cook for a logging camp in AK. He was cleaning up after breakfast getting ready for lunch when a brown bear walked into his kitchen. Trusty .41mag came in handy and they had barr meat for dinner..

 

[Mad Michael]

Have your woman carry it in her purse that way it is ready when you need it but it is not a burden to you. Lol.

All goes well until you make her mad and she lays that purse up along the side of your
Head

 

[appalichian hunter]

Carried a ruger old army for three days while hunting deer, I made the holster as I am left handed and like to do those kind of things, the holster is a full lenght closed bottom with a rise to protect everything up to the grip, as I like a high rise on a holster and a bit of foward tilt, it carried fine on a 2 in. reinforced pistol belt, rode well no strain on hip and very comfortable. I have carried big frame pistols and revolvers for at least 35 years, my summer time carry is a in the waiste band holster, smith M&P shield in 45 cal. it is the summer carry gun, (easier to concel in summer attire) now that its getting cooler out I will go back to the old stand bye, a full size colt 1911(really like the 45 cal. big hole massive bullet) I believe a lot of folks who do not carry on a regular basis is just not used to the pistol hanging on yer hip.

 

[appalichian hunter]

All goes well until you make her mad and she lays that purse up along the side of your
Head

It would take a week to find it in the boss ladies purse with all the other stuff in there.

 

[William P Sepessy]

I am 68 years old and attend Cowboy Shoots where I occasionally use two 2nd Model Dragoons on my belt. I can manage for the 7 hours or so for the match without too much discomfort. A good tight 2 1/2 inch belt seems to work.

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

Exactly so they were "Horse" pistols carried in pommel holsters on the saddlemActually the first "Belt" pistol was the .36 1851 Navy Colt.
Other than the uniqueness and history I really fail to se the fascination about the 1847 Colt Walker. I had one, shot it a couple of times and traded it off. A pair of 1860 .44 Army Colts does the job very nicely/
To each his own I guess
Respectfully
Bumk

In regards to your Walker experience, Friend of mine had one and several other friends want them. Purely the desire to have a powerful hand cannon. It doesn't help that the character Gus in the mini series Lonesome Dove was waving it around all the time. I think one person I know that has a .44 mag Ruger super blackhawk may be compensating somehow. Everyone that has gone shooting with him will not risk doing so again.

 

[GYJ]

In regards to your Walker experience, Friend of mine had one and several other friends want them. Purely the desire to have a powerful hand cannon. It doesn't help that the character Gus in the mini series Lonesome Dove was waving it around all the time. I think one person I know that has a .44 mag Ruger super blackhawk may be compensating somehow. Men that carry those around are more often than not truly dangerous. Everyone that has gone shooting with him will not risk doing so again.

That's an odd perspective. I've been shooting and carrying .44Mag's since I was 16. That has since grown all the way to .500's. Never thought my manhood was a contributing factor.