New gun day!!

[Tim_IA]

I was tickled pink to aquire a little 31 "Wells Fargo". Very nice replica by Uberti. New gun days are always the best!!!

 

[Gtrubicon]

Please let us know how it shoots, I’m trying to decide on a pocket pistol myself'

 

[PathfinderNC]

Congratulations!
I have that same gun. I haven’t shot it in 30 years. I even forgot how to load the thing without that loading lever

 

[cynthialee]

I have one of these little dudes, and a Remington Pocket pistol as well.
It is a hard toss up on which I prefer. The Colt can hold just a tad more powder and is larger. The Remington is real small and concealable. (Also came with a conversion cylinder so that is a bonus in its's favor). The Remington has a loading lever. But I find the small bullets seat easy enough with the arbor on the colt.

Neither one would serve as a proper self defense piece, even though a bunch of them were purchased for this reason when they were new. Card table distance is all it is good for really. Better than a Deringer I suppose.

 

[Eutycus]

Do you think the pocket pistol of yesteryear could be today's pocket pistol? To put it plainly, would you rely on one for self defense? I kind of think I just might.

 

[DiMarco_Mercantile]

Do you think the pocket pistol of yesteryear could be today's pocket pistol? To put it plainly, would you rely on one for self defense? I kind of think I just might.

I don’t see why not, as long as you’re a good shot!

 

[Musket69]

I have the 1849, same revolver, but, with loading lever. It is a fun shooter, very accurate out to 7 yards. The frame is so small that it is very susceptible to cap jams and failure to fire due to busted caps blocking the hammer fall. Still fun to shoot.

 

[ormond tony]

I just took mine to the range 2 days ago. It shoots nice, just like a little gun should. For me, it's almost like shooting my 22. No recoil to speak of and accurate up to 15 yards with no wind. And I am sure it would hurt to receive a RB from it. . I just wish my fingers were a tad smaller when I clean the insides.

 

[Musket69]

I like to clean mine using a dentist's metal pick, hot soapy water, small "toothbrus", lots of cloth patches, along with all the assorted gun cleaning rods, bore brushes, etc. When I clean a BP revolver, all of the screws come out... I usually find pieces of cap inside the action of my Walker or Dragoon...

 

[ormond tony]

Oh, yes. I've learned to be careful with any cap and ball so I don;t get scratched by spent caps. And I do remember about the revolver being small enough that caps do get stuck occasionally. My wife dislikes the gun for that reason but she's obsessed with removing caps as soon as they are shot, to the extent that she tries to remove a cap before cylinder gets to clear space.

 

[cynthialee]

Do you think the pocket pistol of yesteryear could be today's pocket pistol? To put it plainly, would you rely on one for self defense? I kind of think I just might.

I would only rely on such a gun if it was my only option. At 5 paces the bullets bounce off roof sheeting at 8-10 grains and only penetrated at 12 grains. Ball and bullet pretty much the same. (even the Remington when loaded with the conversion cylinder and using CAS rounds....weak penetration)

Now at across the room normal social distance it may serve if loaded with as much powder as you can get in it. Especially if you give them 4 shots in a row. But now you are likely empty. (I only load 4 chambers.) I would consider using a load of 4fg powder in these pistols, but I don't have any. Plenty of shooters have used the 4fg in these pistols and of the folks I have heard directly from who have used it, they didn't report any issues. Now I know this goes against the load lawyers recommendations. But I also know that old timey pistol powder was a little finer than our current 3fg powder. And I also know our steel is better than the old timey steel.

I keep both the pocket pistols and a .47 Derringer in the same place. That little Derringer is loaded with a 25 grain charge and a .45 ball. It'll for sure put a hurt on a miscreant in close quarters. If I grab a pocket pistol you can bet I am grabbing that derringer also. But if I felt I had 30 seconds to get to the gun safe or my other stash guns I'd either grab the .410 modern shotgun with slugs, or my .44 1851. Both of which I never feel like I need more firepower.

I wouldn't ever want to be in a situation to rely on such a small piece as a .31 black powder revolver. More of a rabbit, snake and bottle killer really.

 

[Musket69]

I wouldn't rely on cap and ball anything for personal protection or to prevent home invasion in these times with much better choices with the unmentionable available. 12GA pump with birdshot doesn't over-penetrate/tear up the property and will get the job done with a little spackle and a mop

 

[Eutycus]

That was kind of an hypothetical or a "what if".I've got many more and better options than a little cap and ball revolver but I would like to see the headlines and the news story on the 6 o'clock news about such a scenario.

 

[cynthialee]

That was kind of an hypothetical or a "what if".I've got many more and better options than a little cap and ball revolver but I would like to see the headlines and the news story on the 6 o'clock news about such a scenario.

a good friend of mine was shot point blank in the sternum with a .36 Navy
doc couldn't save him
said if he had the entire OR ready the second he was shot, he couldn't have saved him
they can and have killed many people, even in the modern era

 

[Musket69]

They killed a lot of people in the past and are still deadly today - just not reliable by today's needs

 

[Whitworth]

Die now or die later, back then death by infection from a mere flesh wound could cause a slow painful death. Being gut shot was a near certain death sentence. The thoughts of such a lingering death from a .31 Colt was probably as much a deterrent as having the brains blown out by a .44 Colt. Stopping a determined attacker though favors the .44

 

[Musket69]

True, with the .31, you were dead, just didn't know it. It has about the same ballistics as a .22... no stop, just hurt....

 

[dsk]

Do you think the pocket pistol of yesteryear could be today's pocket pistol? To put it plainly, would you rely on one for self defense? I kind of think I just might.

Compared to what else was available at the time a percussion pocket pistol was an effective weapon. Compared to what is available today it's hopelessly obsolete. Having said that, dead is still dead regardless of whether it happened in 1852 or 2022.

It's still fun though to play with something like this and see just how far we've come in 170 years. The card players in saloons in 1867 Abeline, Kansas could never have imagined being able to carry a 19-ounce pocket pistol holding a dozen rounds of +P 9mm hollow points.

 

[Eutycus]

Maybe we are talking about the wrong weapon here but would 31 caliber lead balls be a good ammo for a slingshot?

 

[cynthialee]

Maybe we are talking about the wrong weapon here but would 31 caliber lead balls be a good ammo for a slingshot?

they make great slingshot ammo!
my pop was pretty good with a slingshot and #0 buck shot was his favorite to shoot