What's wrong with a Single Action Army .45 for the bed stand?

[The Real Hawkeye]

Lots of folks have a pump shotgun or lever action repeater as their home defense guns. Other than being less powerful (though more than powerful enough), how is a Single Action Army much inferior for that purpose, yet I hear so often the attitude expressed that this would be a ridiculous choice due to being an obsolete design. Nonsense! Still works as good as it ever did. Heck, Wild Bill was pretty well armed with his old cap and ball 1851 Navy Colts.

 

[zoom6zoom]

A handicap should you have the need to reload. I realize in most of these scenarios only a few shots will be fired, but who can tell?

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

You know, it's funny how when you're talking about a handgun for a night stand gun, all the sudden ability to quickly reload is the objection, but if you knew someone who kept a loaded side by side by his bed, the first thought isn't "Oh, what a bad choice." With practice, you can break open a side by side fast and reload in no time flat, but with a Single Action Army, you don't need to reload after two, or after three, or after four. How many rounds do you really need in your gun to repel boarders, especially when those are .45 Colt rounds? Yes, a 1911 would be an improvement, in that you have seven instead of five, but don't tell me that anyone who doesn't keep an extra mag ready to go is not adequately prepared. Been keeping a loaded 1911 by my bed for years, and have never kept an extra loaded mag along side it, and I bet few do. Is seven so much better than five as to make the five shooter an absurd choice? I guess you could do what Wild Bill did, though, and keep two loaded five shooters by your bed.

 

[Jim March]

My issue is with the lack of a drop-safety system.

Yes, you load it five-up. Fine. But then you have to get a couple of shots off. And THEN the uglybuddy of the guy you shot decides it's time to get in a wrasslin' match with you. The gun goes flying. It's going to spit a round at random when it lands...



I love my New Vaquero. Basically the same gun, but with a transfer bar...

 

[applekev]

I keep my Ruger Bisley Vaquero next to the bed sometimes; loaded with 44 Special Gold Dots.

 

[_N4Z_]

Well, all the what if scenerios aside, there's nothing wrong with your SA wheel, as it's far better than nothing.

For me I keep a .357 at the bedside for the quick grab, to get me to the shotgun a few paces away. Six shots should be enough for a few paces or somebody in my face either way. Might be enough, might not. It's the best I can do right now.

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

Dag blame it! You folks are too highfalutin for me, with yer fancy transfer bar safeties and sich.

 

[Steve C]

If the SA is all you have it will do most of the time and the odds of it being needed is realtively small. There has been some home invasions recently that involve 3 or 4 armed intruders kicking the door in during the wee hours of the morning. Under these circumstances I want as many bullets to shoot as possible or at least a fast reload or a second gun.

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

Steve, how about a side by side scattergun backed up by a trusty peace maker .45?

 

[Tokugawa]

A man like Wild Bill Hickok would be dangerous with a .22 derringer.

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

Yes, he had nerves of steel, which is what wins gun fights most of the time.

 

[Sistema1927]

If every man slept with a loaded .45 SAA within reach there would be a whole lot less night time burglary. The .45 Colt has been dropping bad guys quite well since 1873.

 

[461]

If it goes bang every time and it suits you then there's no problem. Nice revolver by the way.

 

[matthew71]

The obvious draw back is having to thumb cock before each shot.I am sure with practice you could make it less of a disadvantage,but it is still a disadvantage.I think all of the gunfighters you mentioned would have prefered a double action if it were availiable.some may have made the switch in there own lifetime.

 

[LeonCarr]

Nothing wrong with a Peacemaker for a nightstand gun. I personally would also have Ol' Rabbitears (your exposed hammer SxS shotgun) close by also. You can never be overgunned in a gunfight. I would get some range time with your SAA .45, including practicing grabbing the gun and shooting while laying down if your range allows .

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

I think all of the gunfighters you mentioned would have prefered a double action if it were availiable.some may have made the switch in there own lifetime.

Well, Wild Bill Hickock was alive and well when Colt's Single Action Army was gaining in popularity like wildfire, but he kept his old 1853 Navy Colts till the day he died in Deadwood.

 

[peacemaker45]

I think it's a law of nature that SAA's travel in pairs. At least all of mine do. That gives 10 shots, or 12, if they're roooogers. I wouldn't feel at all undergunned, with 10 shots in 4.2 sec. I just don't prefer to carry that much iron, and only get 10 shots. I much prefer 9 shots and a couple of easy reloads. Less weight, more firepower. Bedstand guns don't tend to face that restriction.

~~~Mat

 

[hankpac]

Over-penetration

The biggest issue of choice for a bedroom gun isn't type or age, it is penetration or more accurately, over penetration.
In tests published by the now defunct "Pistolero" magazine, a set of walls where built by Pistolero, to duplicate actual framed housing, including romex wiring, window framing, outlets, insulation, interior and exterior sheathing, and insulation.
Everything including .22 over penetrated walls of any sort, especially drywall without insulation (interior walls). Double O buck of course blasted right through. The only round considered safe for home protection, avoiding killing or wounding others uninentionaly was the 12 gu bird shot in #8's.
They shot up tons of walls, and phtoographed everything from .22 to 44 to 257, to .38, to 45 auto, etc.
I was amazed at what I thought I knew, vs what proved out in shot after shot.

 

[The Real Hawkeye]

It should surprise no one that any round capable of stopping a determined attacker will also penetrat dry wall. You not only need to know what you're shooting at, but what's behind what you're shooting at. That said, my first priority is effectiveness against attackers.

 

[wcwhitey]

It's all about what you are good with. If you shoot it well and feel confident with it thats what matters. I am not the worlds biggest SAA fan, not that there is anything wrong with them, just not me. But put my Model 10 next to the double barrel and I would feel very well armed. I think sometimes we get carried away with the biggest and the best, most firepower, best bullet, etc. because that is what we are into. What works, works, the SAA has worked for over 100 years, never heard anyone complain that it did not do what it was designed to do.

 

[Jerry Morris]

It would work for me. But,since I also have a few 1911s, it isn't necessary. A Single Action Army is not a bad choice. And you could sub load it with .45 S&W (Schofield).

As far as excess penetration is concerned, if you don't miss, it won't be all that bad. As for a miss, sometimes you just have to gamble.

If all I had was my SAA in .45 Colt, I surely would not trade it off for a Walther PP.

Jerry

 

[armoredman]

The best gun in the world, is the one in your hand when you need it most. if you have an SAA .45 in hand, and Bad People are Attempting To Do Bad Things, well, Col Colt did build it to take care of Bad People, didn't he? Don't make the Colonel unhappy...

 

[Azrael256]

There was a discussion a few weeks ago about whether or not a BP gun would work for SD. The general consensus was that a .44 caliber round ball at 1000fps was pretty convincing in 1847, and little has changed since then. If it goes boom and you can keep it on target, it'll do. It beats smashing a vase over the perps head, anyway.

 

[19-3Ben]

Let's not compare handguns to long-guns because in my mind they are just too different:

Pumps, leverguns, and SxS's are shoulder-fired guns (I know, biiiiiig surprise. earth-shattering realization.).
Long guns are already easier to aim, fire, and recover (for most people) than a handgun. Therefore, the pump or lever is a mere inconvenience, but not something that would be really detrimental if you have a modicom of practice.
The SxS I think would be fine as long as you practice enough. But opening the breach, and popping in another two rounds is a difficult fine motor funciton to perform under stress (when the adrenaline would kills your fine motor coordination. Pumping a lever or a slide on a shotty is much easier.

As for handguns, I like the idea of a DA revolver because it is the simplest gun to use. just point it and pull the trigger. You can do that 5-8 times (depending on the gun) before running into the problem of reloading. there is nothing that you have to cock, and no safety to remove. it is simple "point and click". The SA revolver is not as simple.

Given the choice, I prefer to have the fewest possibly variables with which to contend when little Johnny Bad-ass breaks in at zero dark thirty, and I am all bleary eyed and not 100% on top of my game yet. Hence my choice for a DA revolver backed up with a 12ga pump. They are not the most "tacticool" or most uber-hardcore guns to use. They are just the simplest. (yes I know, there is even less to do with a semi-auto shotty. But i trust the reliability of a pump better.)

If the single action revolver, and break action gun are what work for you, then hell, why not use them.

 

[george29]

My .44 SBH sleeps under the pillow for one good reason, it won't go bang by mistake. My nightstand holds two double action .44's, the Mossberg is next to the nightsatnd.