CCW Blackpowder pistol?

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PRM said:
Just Because

I have posted most of this before - I own modern and black powder firearms. I have over the last three decades carried and shot C&B revolvers. They were some of the first guns I owned, and throughout the years have only grown in my appreciation. When I was in my early 20s, they were all I could afford to shoot that was not a .22. I've hunted small game with black powder pistols and carried them regularly in the woods and on the farm. Mine are Second Generation Colts. Yep, that's pre-ban elephant ivory!!! They are accurate enough to do anything I want, and are reliable enough for me to be comfortable with. Some days dependent on what I am doing, I will have a C&B revolver with me. Truth is, most of the time, CC is as much a matter of assurance for those carrying as anything else. Guess, one would need to weigh out the threat - where I'm from, there havn't been too many shoot-outs at the SONIC over hamburgers.
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Those Colts are beautiful and that collection is priceless. Someone definitely knew what he was doing.
 
Like I said before I would never carry a cap n' ball for defense. Not because of the # of shots, not because of the long reload process, but because of one thing. Guys it's about reliability. Heck a 6 shot Colt's Detective in .38 has about the same firepower realistically as a Colt's Revolving Belt Pistol of Naval Caliber, but I can guar-an-tee you that the Colt's Detective is the more reliable weapon. I've had sore luck with cap n' ball functioning, as have all other people I've personally seen shoot them. I understand here on the internet there's folks who have cap guns that can go for "hundreds of shots" without a single failure and I say good for you, but that certainly has not been anywhere close to my own experience with myself and many others at the range when it comes to cap guns in close to ten years of shooting. So reliability would keep me from every carrying one in defense of my life. Self defense is serious business, especially if there's family members involved, and guys I get it. The nostalgia and style factor are certainly large, but it's just not worth it. You're not the Lone Ranger or whatever other childhood hero you want to be. You live in 2016 and should arm yourself accordingly.

Personally, my life is too valuable to carry such toys for social work. YMMV.
 
Cooldill said:
Like I said before I would never carry a cap n' ball for defense. Not because of the # of shots, not because of the long reload process, but because of one thing. Guys it's about reliability. Heck a 6 shot Colt's Detective in .38 has about the same firepower realistically as a Colt's Revolving Belt Pistol of Naval Caliber, but I can guar-an-tee you that the Colt's Detective is the more reliable weapon. I've had sore luck with cap n' ball functioning, as have all other people I've personally seen shoot them. I understand here on the internet there's folks who have cap guns that can go for "hundreds of shots" without a single failure and I say good for you, but that certainly has not been anywhere close to my own experience with myself and many others at the range when it comes to cap guns in close to ten years of shooting. So reliability would keep me from every carrying one in defense of my life. Self defense is serious business, especially if there's family members involved, and guys I get it. The nostalgia and style factor are certainly large, but it's just not worth it. You're not the Lone Ranger or whatever other childhood hero you want to be. You live in 2016 and should arm yourself accordingly.

Personally, my life is too valuable to carry such toys for social work. YMMV.
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That was my experience too until I found proper fitting caps/nipples. Since then I've not had a single issue. They've passed the reliability test I often see people tout with modern arms and ammo (test it several hundred rounds).

I just feel there are much better options for various reasons. And the percussion cap certainly can become an issue just as a stove pipe or some such issue with modern arms and ammo. Same with a contaminated powder charge as some have found.

I'd never suggest nor opt for a BP gun unless it was only what was available for the several reasons stated earlier, and that includes BP cartridges as well due to the smoke, though outdoors changes that concern quite a bit.
 
I don't understand why so many people want to make this a " would you carry " thread. Im pretty sure its a "what bp revolver would you carry as a ccw" thread! Talk about thread drift . . . . . probably 1/2 the posts in this thread center around "I'd never carry a . . ." ! That wasn't the topic.

Mike
 
45 Dragoon said:
I don't understand why so many people want to make this a " would you carry " thread. Im pretty sure its a "what bp revolver would you carry as a ccw" thread! Talk about thread drift . . . . . probably 1/2 the posts in this thread center around "I'd never carry a . . ." ! That wasn't the topic.

Mike
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amen!
 
45 Dragoon said:
I don't understand why so many people want to make this a " would you carry " thread. Im pretty sure its a "what bp revolver would you carry as a ccw" thread! Talk about thread drift . . . . . probably 1/2 the posts in this thread center around "I'd never carry a . . ." ! That wasn't the topic.

Mike
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Let me rephrase a few of my statements, Please.
If I HAD to carry a BP CCW it would probably be my 5 1/2" ROA loaded with 240 Kaido bullets and not an "Avenging Angel"!
 
And there are many who'd even like the whole country in that state, though they'd likely eventually want those taken too.
 
20160918_154306.jpg
I will say that I often strap on this rig on to go woods bumming, mushroom hunting, deer scouting, primitive camping, etc, etc. My BP rig then becomes my defensive weapon. (If you want to call it that)
If I were to use a BP revolver as a ccw. It would be this short '58.
I also hunt deer with a .54 Hawken. It's not "the best" hunting rifle either.
 
For me a single action revolver isn't likely anything I can shoot quickly and be accurate. To me that makes it a poor choice for many of the instances people are concerned with. However it isn't any form of hinderance at all for some of the best of us. Just ask Bob Munden:

 
kbbailey said:
View attachment 227387
I will say that I often strap on this rig on to go woods bumming, mushroom hunting, deer scouting, primitive camping, etc, etc. My BP rig then becomes my defensive weapon. (If you want to call it that)
If I were to use a BP revolver as a ccw. It would be this short '58.
I also hunt deer with a .54 Hawken. It's not "the best" hunting rifle either.
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A coat tail that covers your gun requires a concealed permit, that is one reason I got mine.
 
How about carrying one of Clements .50 cal conversion . Pretty dam powerful to get the job done. Hides under coat easily.
 
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Just to stir the pot, I carried my 1860 Army snubby today. Funny, I didn't feel like I had to slink around avoiding folks because I was under or outmoded gunned.

Then again I didn't get into a gunfight today. So maybe it wasn't a fair test. Those of you who engage in daily gunfights (must be plenty based on the seven pages of replies) might have felt differently.
 
My wife carries, so, if I decided to carry my little .44 cal snubby 1851 and it does not have enough rounds she could shoot the rest of them with her lowly p238

kidding

I really do think a modern center fire is better to carry, but having a bit of fun with this.
 
Again, it's not an " I would rather carry . . . " thread, it's simply a "what blk powder handgun would be your concealed carry weapon" - thread. It can't really be that hard . . . . can it ?

Mine would be a cut (5 1/2" ) barreled '60 with a '51 grip.

Mike

(notice I didn't say that a modern or current or any type of "bottom feeder" or center fire, would be a better choice for a ccw? It really ain't that hard!)
 
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dickydalton said:
I want the one JohnnyCremains just finished!
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Isn't it a sweet looking thing? He did an awesome job on it!

As you felt a very short barrel isn't all that good for a BP pistol I'd opt for about 3.5" and it would be loaded with an energetic powder and custom WFN boolit.
 
45 Dragoon said:
Again, it's not an " I would rather carry . . . " thread, it's simply a "what blk powder handgun would be your concealed carry weapon" - thread. It can't really be that hard . . . . can it ?

Mine would be a cut (5 1/2" ) barreled '60 with a '51 grip.

Mike

(notice I didn't say that a modern or current or any type of "bottom feeder" or center fire, would be a better choice for a ccw? It really ain't that hard!)
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As for CCW of a BP pistol I suppose it would depend on the weather. Being in Texas I'd likely opt for the Uberti Colt Police (unless I had a Remington Police in exceptional shape) with a 3.5 or 4.5" barrel. Otherwise I'd carry my Remington NMA but would want the barrel cut a bit shorter than the 5.5" it is (I like my guns more functional and prefer to have the loading lever attached for range/field loading even if it's a stub needing a cheater).
 
It does seem that many responders to this thread are involved in many gun fights...only to survive by having 15-18 round magazines with several backups for reloading...
 
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