CCW a cap & ball?

Beagle,
I still use that leather from time to time. I don't use the 1860 as much anymore. Now instead of walking out the back door to unload for fresh charges, I have to drive out to the shootin' pit.
To the original question, I have and will continue to use a Cap n ball as a carry piece. Not a regular one, but one none the less. In fact Ive got a snub 1860 that I have 100% faith in and am in the process of building a pancake holster for it.
 
robhof

I used to open carry my stainless ROA in Miami when boating or night fishing. Got bothered by the marine patrol, but the law is they're not pistols and I got away with warnings that I was looking for trouble, and I always replied that I was aiming to end trouble. This was in the mid 80's and I was stationed at Homestead AFB. Went night fishing with some buddies one evening and some thugs were harassing all the fishermen til they got to me and I pulled back my jacket to show my cowboy rig, they ran and several fishermen started clapping, that was the 1st time I wore it, didn't leave home without it after that.
 
Been shooting Colt 2nd Generations since the early 80s. During that time I have carried these from time to time and probably will again. My favorite is the Pocket Police. I'm very meticulous in both cleaning and loading and have had very few problems with reliability. They shoot a little high from point of aim, but with practice they are plenty accurate enough to take an occasional rabbit. It is very safe to say, the history of these gun have proven their effectiveness.

Are there better choices - absolutely. But, they do work.

The pre-ban elephant ivory grips were my upgrade.
 

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Trust me, a pair of Colts or even one will still kill as well as they did back in the day. We are no more bullet proof than back then!
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We are not any more bullet proof, but we are harder to kill- we weigh considerably more now, and have much better medical care.

a .36 roundball weighs what? 95grains? At 7-800 f/sec? 1000, even? and you have five shots?

You empty that into a big determined individual and you might kill him .... after he beats you to death with your "gun".
 
LOL - If a person has enough body fat to stop a .36 round ball - getting beat to death by them is my last worry. I don't see the round that much different in terms of capability than a .32 or .380. Both, very popular carry calibers in the small semi-autos with a number of folks advocating FMJ for penetration and reliability. I see more than a few owners pocket carrying them with only one magazine, so any round count advantage is significantly negated. If your a part of the crowd that just has to have something that begins with a 4... You got the Remington New Model Army or the Colt 1860 as another option.

I will agree that medical care is better today than in past eras, and if a person makes it to the ER they got a better chance. That's a post shooting endeavor.

I've seen a number of these discussions on some of the other forums. Pretty much across the board, the more experience a person has with these weapons, the more comfortable they are with them.
 
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The pre-ban elephant ivory grips were my upgrade.
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I found a half-tusk of elephant ivory in Zimbabwe, but, they said I could not have it!!!

Party poopers!!!

:(

Love the Colts! If you have no children to pass them on to ... please note my name!!! :D
 
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We are not any more bullet proof, but we are harder to kill- we weigh considerably more now, and have much better medical care.

a .36 roundball weighs what? 95grains? At 7-800 f/sec? 1000, even? and you have five shots?

You empty that into a big determined individual and you might kill him .... after he beats you to death with your "gun".
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Is true, we weigh more but a hundred years ago more people were walking to work splitting wood and spending more house with a hoe or shovel in their callused hands instead of keyboards and forklift controls.

Big determined guy might beat you to death with 7 rounds of 230 gr hardball from a 45 or he might die with a single 40 gr LRN 22LR stuck thorough the middle of his forehead. Only problem with a firm and fast rule are all the exceptions to the rule. .36-caliber with a full charge pushes an 80-grain ball at 1,000 feet per second, that is gonna hurt.
 
CCWing a BP Revolver kinda defeats the purpose!
They already DON'T know that you own it (No registration) so WHY would you want to tip em off that you had an unregistered gun???
SUre a Navy or Army would take care of Business! People are just as mushy as they were back in the 1850's and they kill just as easy!
JMHO
ZVP
 
I wouldn't even hesitate to use my little .31 pocket revolver. It's reliable, and 5 shots will definitely persuade someone not to screw with you. This was the first pistol carried by police in the U.S., Baltimore, Md pd.
 
Interesting thread...

I am a retired police chief and I have a CCW, but a C&B would never be approved for legitimate carry.

I like the old C&B pistols and have carried on during hiking trips and keep one in the trunk of the car when I travel.

Size doesn't really bother me, as I find the 5-1/2" .44 comfortable and even manageable.

Which would potentially make a better carry pistol????

The .36 caliber Colt Navy or the 1860 Colt Army????

Why would you choose or not choose either one???

Thanks for your input...
 
CCWing a BP Revolver kinda defeats the purpose!
They already DON'T know that you own it (No registration) so WHY would you want to tip em off that you had an unregistered gun???
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???

A CCW, or CPL, permit doesn't specify the gun's design, model number or serial number. How would carrying a bp revolver concealed result in 'tipping them off that you had an unregistered gun'? Unless, of course, you used it, in which case it wouldn't matter if it had been carried open or concealed.
 
@ Mykeal,

Here in California, at least in the counties where I was employed, you may only carry a pistol that is registered by serial # and appears on your license...FWIW
 
I would absolutely carry one. Open carry but I don't know about concealing the thing, maybe a winter time CCW. I don't doubt the killing power of a round ball one bit. I've taken down a many a deer with buck shot which is nothing more than a .33 cal lead round ball. And I can't tell you how many times just ONE pellet in the bread basket did the job!! But I would probably practice with conicals and have them loaded up when carrying one.
 
Quote (Vireye)
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Obviously it died down and disappeared, but with the current state of things, I'd be worried that if you were ever seen with it, or, God forbid, forced to use it, it would open the floodgates for more regulations regarding our beloved black powder firearms.

Quote: (Old Grump)
Are you saying if it was all you had and you needed to shoot to defend yourself you would not shoot in order to keep the reputation of black powder guns unsullied?

Remember all the wars we were in before the French developed smokeless powder, remember Wild Bill Hickock and his little 36 caliber. I think it's pretty well established that cap and ball revolvers are deadly.
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I'm not sure where you're getting that I said they weren't deadly or that it's ineffective, or to keep any kind of reputation "unsullied"...not of that is said anywhere in my post. The reason for my original post is that someone was killed using a black powder revolver.

What I'm saying is that using a firearm that does not need to be registered could, and likely would, result in the anti-gun lobby either calling for their ban, or it becoming necessary to register them as is the law for all other handguns. Part of the allure of the black powder revolvers is low cost, ease of acquisition, and the flat-out fun of them. Alot of that would be diminished when it becomes just like buying any other weapon.
 
Obviously it died down and disappeared, but with the current state of things, I'd be worried that if you were ever seen with it, or, God forbid, forced to use it, it would open the floodgates for more regulations regarding our beloved black powder firearms.
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Me and my speed reading, I missed the salient point in this line but not to worry, my remark was tongue in cheek and not meant in a derogatory way. It was more of a comment on what I have been hearing and used to believe myself that it was an obsolete and therefore must be unreliable and ineffective. I got over it. :D
 
Me and my speed reading, I missed the salient point in this line but not to worry, my remark was tongue in cheek and not meant in a derogatory way. It was more of a comment on what I have been hearing and used to believe myself that it was an obsolete and therefore must be unreliable and ineffective. I got over it.
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ahhh yeah, I must've misinterpreted the tone..

All good then :D
 
Not sure about concealed on my person. But as a truck/boat gun, certainly would carry and use one for SD. My choices would be the 1858 and ROA. Loaded with 30-35 gr FFFG and either round ball for the '58 or cast conicals in the ROA. Lubed wad between powder and projectile. I'm a decent shot with most any SA. As long as the gun is clean and a proven shooter, why not? As far as needing more rounds, the J frame is always close.
But yes, I would feel ok with only a C&B revolver. Should work for the majority of situations.
 
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