They rock AND roll!
I love a .36! Here's mine:
His name is Navy Bean, and he don't play games.
I love the .36 caliber because it has less recoil than the .44s, but has plenty of stopping power for defensive work. And yes, I do in fact use this revolver for defense. It is very reliable, and when the caps and chamber mouths are sealed with melted beeswax, the powder charge is nearly impervious to moisture and will fire every time, even under trying conditions.
I keep it loaded with 25 grains of GOEX FFFG real black powder under a .380" cast lead ball. The Remington #10 caps and chamber mouths are sealed with beeswax. History has shown the .36 round lead ball to be a very effective load. Elmer Keith, writer of the excellent book
Sixguns tells how he talked to old Civil War veterans, primarily Confederate calvary, who loaded their .36 Colt Navies with round ball and full charges of powder vs. the conical bullets typically issued in paper cartridges. These cartridges also usually didn't contain the exact amount of powder to fill the gun's chambers all the way. These calvarymen told Keith how this was a more effective load than the conicals, and produced telling death to the enemy.
It might be 150 years later, but no doubt the .36 round ball is as lethal today as it was back then. Coupled with the great accuracy Colt Navies typically exibit (mine is no different), these old war horses remain effective defense weapon even today. Of course it is prudent to use proper loading techniques and materials to ensure full reliability, with much testing and shooting needed to put confidence in any specific specimen intended for defense.
So yeah, I love .36 caliber percussion revolvers, and even trust one with the weighty task of self preservation. It's a great caliber, every black powder revolver shooter should own at least one .36!