SAA can safely load all 6 rounds

I imagine, then as now, some folks carried five and some carried six. Cowboys doing their daily routine, a farmer on his way to town for supplies, or a town marshal making his rounds likely felt no need for that sixth round. A criminal "on the dodge" from the law, or a lawman/soldier, actively in pursuit/on the trail of outlaws/hostile "indians" probably loaded six.
As for people shooting themselves by throwing/dropping/snagging their guns on the ground/flashlights/wire fences, it's called carelessness. You climb through a fence, secure your firearm. No excuse for catching it on the wire. I live on a farm with a lot of wire fences. I've never caught my guns on any of them. Also a proper holster will protect/ cover the hammer, preventing things like that. Guns were not meant to be thrown around either, or placed on the wings of planes or hung from a tractor. Anyone that carries a "colt type" hammer down on a live round is asking for a bad day. As was mentioned in an earlier post in this very old thread, in the old Colt type guns (hammer mounted firing pins)the firing pin can be let down between the cartridge rims, keeping the pin away from the primer. Yes, even on a .45 colt. Personal safety starts with personal responsibility, folks. Leastways, that's how I see it.
 
Last edited:
Relax, fellas. The guy's a troll. He's made a grand total of two posts on the forum and both are full of hyperbole and pejoratives. He gets his jollies by seeing if he can get people to jump through hoops arguing with him. Ignore him and he'll go away.
 
I for one, noticed the really old thread...

I have no idea when they started carrying 5 but hows that work with my 5 shot S&W spur triggers :confused:

my retired tool & die buddy, that's been working on guns for over 50 years had an interesting observation... he believes that they started carrying on an empty chamber, rather than using a 1/2 cock notch, because they could both not afford to pay for the repair if the gun were dropped on the hammer while in 1/2 cock, & or couldn't afford to be without the gun while it was at the gunsmith being repaired... he ( my retired buddy ) feels the gun is much more likely to be damaged in 1/2 cock, than if the hammer is at rest...

after that, I'd suspect if a working ranch hand suspected trouble, he might top off the cylinder, but being that they worked hard, often probably had the hammer on an empty chamber, or even stuck the gun in a saddle bag while doing physical work???
 
I'd suspect if a working ranch hand suspected trouble, he might top off the cylinder, but being that they worked hard, often probably had the hammer on an empty chamber, or even stuck the gun in a saddle bag while doing physical work???
Click to expand...

Kept them in saddlebags for the most part. I personally never heard of loading five until I saw it being touted in gun rags in the late 60's.......1960's that is.:D
 
they started carrying on an empty chamber, rather than using a 1/2 cock notch,
Click to expand...

That's safety notch or quarter cock notch. Half cock is purely for reloading.

That Keith guy described SAAs with both quarter and half cock notches ground off the hammer for a (no doubt small) improvement in trigger pull when the trigger did not have to have enough travel to clear them. He found it no problem to hold the hammer in the right position to load.

The original 1954 book version of The Searchers described Amos (changed the name to Ethan for John Wayne in the movie) loading the sixth chamber as he approached an Indian camp. Reminds me of the old Colt advertising campaign, Detective Special vs Chief's Special. "...that all important shot, the sixth one."

I guess I have a split personality. I load my sixshooters with five, even when not at CAS, but I carry my 1911 cocked and locked with a round in the chamber. And we are told that you must have a modern firing pin obstruction for THAT to be safe.
 
Whenever I felt I might need more than 5, I just brought my shotgun. If the SXS wasn't enough the 5 in my Colt was available (never went that far).
 
I recall hearing back in my youth-the 1950s, NOT the 1850s-that the design of the Colt SAA precluded carrying it wth all 6 chambers loaded as that would have the firing pin resting against a loaded round. Ruger introduced its New Model in 1973 in part to avoid problems caused by attempts of antigunners to use "drop tests"-i.e. dropping firearms on their hammers and if they fired, that design would be considered unsafe and banned by the Consumer Products Safety Commission.
The US Arms Abilene and the United Sporting Arms Seville were designed with transfer bar mechanisms that allowed carried all 6 chambers loaded, my Interams Virginian Dragoon has an extra long cylinder pin that can be pushed back and locked in place to keep the hammer and firing pin from touching a loaded round, I think my Remington M1875 copy has the same thing.
The version I read said the half cock notch was there to allow the cylinder to rotate for loading and to catch the hammer in case it slipped while cocking.
 
I once had a book with reproduction catalog pages.
In the 19th century the company instructions were to carry in the safety notch. But acceptance of risk was routine in those days, looking for a lawyer is standard now.

Three years ago, HH replied:

Just for the record, if you shoot yourself in the foot, are you going to sue the gunmaker?

Of course not.


What about the rest of the six shot sixshooter experts here?
Would you sue?
Would you want your widow to sue if the bullet landed a little worse?
 
What about the rest of the six shot sixshooter experts here?
Would you sue?
Would you want your widow to sue if the bullet landed a little worse?
Click to expand...

I can't even fathom the question. It's just not in my makeup. If I hurt myself due to the inherent design of a gun, no, I should have been more careful. If the gun fired due to subquality parts breaking during proper use, that might be different. But for the life of me I never could understand the kind of person who would sue someone for their own stupid mistake. Our society is full of lowlife leaches today.
 
What about the rest of the six shot sixshooter experts here?
Would you sue?
Would you want your widow to sue if the bullet landed a little worse?
Click to expand...
I can't even fathom the question. It's just not in my makeup. If I hurt myself due to the inherent design of a gun, no, I should have been more careful. If the gun fired due to subquality parts breaking during proper use, that might be different. But for the life of me I never could understand the kind of person who would sue someone for their own stupid mistake. Our society is full of lowlife leaches today.
Click to expand...

If person A drops a gun and the gun discharges and the bullet hits person B, I submit that it is well within the realm of probability that person B will sue both person A and the company that made the firearm.
 
Riding a horse is dangerous.

Being alone in the boonies is dangerous.

Smoking is dangerous.

Drinking whiskey like it was water is dangerous.

Living long distances from police, fire, and medical services was dangerous.

All these things were common in the 1800s. And you know what? People died-younger and at a higher rate than we do now.

I've little doubt people carried 6 in the old days. I also believe a lot of people got hurt by doing it. As for me, no thanks. When it comes to guns, I don't do what I think I can get away it. I want to be as safe as I can.

To all who believe that 6 "is safe enough" in a non tranfer bar SAA, good for you. Just don't stand by me. :)
 
Years ago I saw the late great Joe Bowman perform, he was loading 6 rounds in his Ruger Old Model Blackhawks. But his gun handling skills greatly exceeded mine. For us mere mortals, it's "Five beans in the wheel".
 
On the what people used to do question - A couple of years ago I saw a restored silent film shot in North Idaho some hundred years ago, with the winter terrain around Priest Lake standing in for Alaska. During the film the claim jumpers are sneaking up on the cabin, and the good guys get a warning. One of them, a tough as nails old gal, pulls her hogleg, opens the loading gate, slides in one more cartridge, and says now she's ready for them.

On the how dangerous question, when I lived on campus at the University of Idaho, one of the men in the dorm only had one leg below the knee. While saddling a horse he had dropped a stirrup on his holstered early-model Ruger .357 loaded with six . He said the half-cock notch broke, but in any case it went off and they had to amputate.

Five beans in the wheel for me, until the claim jumpers are sighted!

- Mike
 
the answer is dont leave hammer on firing pin and you'll be fine....they are safe to carry with 6 in cylinder if your KNOW what you are doing
 
Riding a horse is dangerous.

Being alone in the boonies is dangerous.

Smoking is dangerous.

Drinking whiskey like it was water is dangerous.

Living long distances from police, fire, and medical services was dangerous.

All these things were common in the 1800s. And you know what? People died-younger and at a higher rate than we do now.
Click to expand...

Dang, it's a wonder I lived past 18!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top