Did they really load just five rounds?

[Vern Humphrey]

At the range sometime you could test it with a cartridge under the hammer. Just rap the spur moderately to heavily with a piece of wood. I either read of someone doing that demonstration or it was on You Tube.

Of course, if you do that, you will damage either the sear or the half-cock notch, or both.

 

[aaaaa]

Of course, if you do that, you will damage either the sear or the half-cock notch, or both.

Oh, right. Yeah, for the demo the hammer has to be all the way down. It will illustrate the danger and does anyone want their leg (or possibly life if an artery is hit) depending on a little mechanical cog that would easily disengage if the gun is jostled hard, or as you say, breaks.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

Ain't just resting above the primer...it's resting ON it! Kind of "pre-set".

 

[Ugly Sauce]

At the range sometime you could test it with a cartridge under the hammer. Just rap the spur moderately to heavily with a piece of wood. I either read of someone doing that demonstration or it was on You Tube.

I've done that with bolt action rifles where the cocking piece protrudes from the back of the bolt. Using a primed cartridge case. They do go off, and the Mosin-Nagant especially takes just a very light rap to set it off. I would guess that a SAA would not take much of a rap to set it off, or a cap-n-ball revolver.

 

[aaaaa]

I've done that with bolt action rifles where the cocking piece protrudes from the back of the bolt. Using a primed cartridge case. They do go off, and the Mosin-Nagant especially takes just a very light rap to set it off. I would guess that a SAA would not take much of a rap to set it off, or a cap-n-ball revolver.

Lots of gun safety to learn and each type of gun seems to have its own safety protocols, such as don't carry any 20 ga shells in your pocket when you are out with your 12 ga [fixed it], or you could end up with a plugged barrel.

 

[.308 Norma]

Lots of gun safety to learn and each type of gun seems to have its own safety protocols, such as don't carry any 20 ga shells in your pocket when you are out with your 20 ga, or you could end up with a plugged barrel.

You meant "don't carry any 20 ga shells in your pocket when you are out with your 12 ga," didn't you?

 

[UncleEd]

OK, OK, what's all this posting about 5 beans
in the SAA cylinder or 6 beans?

Based on what's been shown in most Western
movies, the question should be whether 25
beans were in the cylinder or 28?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I had a friend who believed the half-cock on the M1911A1 was a safety. He once loaned his .45 to a young soldier to investigate a tunnel.

"When he gave it back to me, he didn't put it on half-cock, and when I slung my M16, the butt hit the hammer and BANG! Shot the heel off my boot."

When I told him what really happened, he turned pale.

 

[Ugly Sauce]

OK, OK, what's all this posting about 5 beans
in the SAA cylinder or 6 beans?

Based on what's been shown in most Western
movies, the question should be whether 25
beans were in the cylinder or 28?

From what I've seen, those SAA's were often seven or eight shooters. Sometimes nine.

 

[Vern Humphrey]

From what I've seen, those SAA's were often seven or eight shooters. Sometimes nine.

Belt-fed, too, I suspect.

 

[Mn Fats]

Let me ask you this: Do you know anyone who carries an M1911 on half-cock?

Probably not -- because the half-cock on the M1911 is just as dangerous as the half-cock on the Colt Single Action.

No it isn't. The 1911 has a slide lock safety along with the grip safety.

And I carry my 1911 full cock, as you should.

 

[aaaaa]

You meant "don't carry any 20 ga shells in your pocket when you are out with your 12 ga," didn't you?

Yep, butterfingers or butter brain! I fixed it. Thanks.

 

[GooseGestapo]

Well, NOBODY is going to convince me it’s unsafe or reckless for me to load 6rds in my little Ruger!


Single SEVEN !!!

 

[Vern Humphrey]

No it isn't. The 1911 has a slide lock safety along with the grip safety.

And I carry my 1911 full cock, as you should.

Did I say you shouldn't carry that way? My point was, the M1911 has a half cock, but no one who doesn't have pond scum for brains carries it that way.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Lots of gun safety to learn and each type of gun seems to have its own safety protocols, such as don't carry any 20 ga shells in your pocket when you are out with your 12 ga [fixed it], or you could end up with a plugged barrel.

That is why 20 gauge shells are always yellow.

When I was a kid, they could be any color.

Now, 20 gauge shells are always yellow so you know not to put them into a 12 gauge chamber.

 

[tark]

. I just load mine with five and don't worry about what they did 150yrs ago.

I do the same.

Since I highly doubt very many of us choose a SAA for our carry gun, why squabble over the pros and cons of how to load a revolver that 99% of us use for recreational shooting only??

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

By the way, only loading five makes keeping the ammo in the box easy to keep track of.

I always only load 5 in a Colt with the hammer down on an empty chamber, whether messing around at the range or competing in CAS. And yes, the Ruger guys have to only load 5 too, so they do not have a competitive advantage.

Since my ammo boxes have 10 rows of five, it helps me stay organized.

P.S. Don't tell anybody, but I usually only load 5 in a modern S&W revolver, which is completely safe to load up with 6 rounds, for the same reason.

To keep the ammo in the box organized.

Before anybody slams me, I do not carry, so it does not matter that I am only loading 5 into a modern six shot revolver at the range.

 

[gobsauce]

By the way, only loading five makes keeping the ammo in the box easy to keep track of.

This is the only reason I only load 5 in most of my six shooters, unless I really want that extra round.

 

[.308 Norma]

That is why 20 gauge shells are always yellow.

When I was a kid, they could be any color.

Now, 20 gauge shells are always yellow so you know not to put them into a 12 gauge chamber.

Huh, I hadn't realized that. When I was a kid (I'm 74 now) 20 gauge shells could be any color too. Then again, when I was a kid, my folks sold just as many 16 gauge shells in their country store as they did 12 and 20. Nowadays, I seldom see a box of 16 gauge shells.
Do you know when shotgun shell manufacturers started only making yellow 20 gauge shells? My wife has a couple of 20 gauge shotguns, and she's had one of them for close to 50 years. I was just wondering if I might be able to find some old 20 gauge shells around the house somewhere that aren't yellow. Do you think I might be able to?

 

[CraigC]

I do the same.

Since I highly doubt very many of us choose a SAA for our carry gun, why squabble over the pros and cons of how to load a revolver that 99% of us use for recreational shooting only??

Even then, I just load five and don't worry about it.

By the way, only loading five makes keeping the ammo in the box easy to keep track of.

I always only load 5 in a Colt with the hammer down on an empty chamber, whether messing around at the range or competing in CAS. And yes, the Ruger guys have to only load 5 too, so they do not have a competitive advantage.

Since my ammo boxes have 10 rows of five, it helps me stay organized.

P.S. Don't tell anybody, but I usually only load 5 in a modern S&W revolver, which is completely safe to load up with 6 rounds, for the same reason.

To keep the ammo in the box organized.

Before anybody slams me, I do not carry, so it does not matter that I am only loading 5 into a modern six shot revolver at the range.

I do the exact same thing for the same reasons. I only load six in a DA or New Model when taking it afield. Every other time, five only.

 

[Electrod47]

I thought, when the "Duke" explained the empty cylinder under the hammer to Ron Howard in 'The Shootist" that was the final say on that.

 

[.308 Norma]

I thought, when the "Duke" explained the empty cylinder under the hammer to Ron Howard in 'The Shootist" that was the final say on that.

The "Duke" was playing "Rooster Cogburn" when he explained it to Kim Darby in the first "True Grit."

 

[Vern Humphrey]

There is an old legend that men carried rolled up bills in the empty chamber -- for burial money.

 

[wcwhitey]

I always looked at it from a more historical mentality. We’re they as concerned about capacity as we are now. They were barely a generation from single shot muzzle loading. Five rounds on their belt or horse was a big improvement. The revolver was a tool and had quite a few purposes. I can picture someone engaged in manual labor maybe mounted being concerned with their pistol hurting them while engaged in a rough line of work. I can for the same reason see them not trusting a half cock or manual rebound (not everyone carried a Colt). The original Dragoons had a between cylinder safety notch that made perfect sense. The one caveat would be for me if If at all possible in a military environment or otherwise having some expectation of a confrontation I could also see that empty chamber being loaded. In the revolver evolution manual rebounds and then automatic rebounds and hammer blocks were invented and required before adoption by militaries. Had to be a reason for that by a few guys named Karl. I would think that safety was on their mind.

 

[Driftwood Johnson]

Do you know when shotgun shell manufacturers started only making yellow 20 gauge shells? My wife has a couple of 20 gauge shotguns, and she's had one of them for close to 50 years. I was just wondering if I might be able to find some old 20 gauge shells around the house somewhere that aren't yellow.

Nope, I don't know exactly when.

I am a tad younger than you, 72, and when I used to go Trap shooting with my Dad about 50 years ago, the 20 gauge shells could be any color. I remember him telling me to always be careful because a 20 gauge shell slipped into the chamber of a 12 gauge shotgun would hang up by its rim in the chamber. That would make a dandy barrel obstruction.

When I got into shooting sports again about 20 years ago, all 20 gauge shells were yellow.

Google says Federal introduced yellow 20 gauge shells in 1960, and most other manufacturers followed suit soon after.