Single-Action Revolver...Really a Disadvantage??

S

Southern Shooter

New member
If you were to be spending time in some deep woods of the lower 48 states and only had a revolver to take care of yourself...in this case a .357 Magnum or .44 Magnum...depending on what is appropriate for your region of the country...

Would you really feel at a disadvantage carrying a single-action revolver?

Would there be an ADVANTAGE to carry a single-action?

Would having it loaded with hot and heavy loads from the likes of Buffalo Bore, Grizzly Cartridge Company, or Double-Tap effect your feeling about carrying a single-action?

Thanks
 
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Would you really feel at a disadvantage carrying a single-action revolver?
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no

Would there be an ADVANTAGE to carry a single-action?
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Maybe for somebody that does a lot of SA shooting IE a Cowboy Action shooter.familiarity with that manuel of arms would be of some value.
of course most of the people I know who are handy with a SAA will make anything work.
one very slight advantage a SA has is strength of design you can make a SA in a given caliber just a little smaller/lighter than a DA.

Would having it loaded with hot and heavy loads from the likes of Buffalo Bore, Grizzly Cartridge Company, or Double-Tap effect your feeling about carrying a single-action?
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No I can use that ammo with either my DAs or SAs.
I have several DA and SA guns that I'd concider interchangable in the woods.
Smith 696 and Lipsey Blackhawk in 44 Special
Redhawk and Super Blackhawk in 44 mag
and GP100 and Blackhawk in 357.
 
If you were to be spending time in some deep woods of the lower 48 states and only had a revolver to take care of yourself...in this case a .357 Magnum or .44 Magnum...depending on what is appropriate for your region of the country...
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You would die of exposure most likely, unless you had fire and shelter. Neather of which a single action is going to provide you.

Might want a little knife so you can cut branches, pull slivers ect....

But if its just for feeding yourself raw meat, I would prefer a single action 22 rimfire revolver for feeding myself. You can bag enough birds and rodents pretty damn quick to feed yourself and not expend alot of energy, unlike if you got the idea in your head to go deer hunting and track it for some time. Not to mention the effort of draggin and butchering ect..... The gun is small and light, you can carry way more ammo for a given weight, volume of your pack. You may feel vulnerable with just a 22 on your hip in the bush, but your vulnerable in the bush with a 44 mag handgun anyways.

And if your worried about bears neither 357 or 44 is good insurance, so that question is moot.

Ask a trapper what gun is toted around most.................chances are it will be a 22 of some kind.
 
And if your worried about bears neither 357 or 44 is good insurance, so that question is moot.
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In the lower 48, I'd consider my 44Spl, Mag, or 45LC, with proper handloads, good insurance.
 
Exposure and Raw Meat? I don't think so.

I appreciate the input. But, dying from exposure and eating raw meat is not a very likely reality...although, it could be a possibility given drastic unforeseen circumstances. Reaching the rank of Eagle Scout and working with Boy Scouts in leadership positions for more than 15 years has instilled in me the concept of "Be Prepared". I am not overly confident. But, I plan well, pack smartly, and go with a positive mental attitude to adapt and survive if things take a turn for the worse.

My purpose in this thread was just as it indicates. To further elaborate, would the .357 Magnum or .44 Magnum single-action revolver, in the hands of a practiced individual who is NOT looking for trouble...and with the right load, provide adequate ability to hunt and protect in the woods of the lower 48 states? Or, do you think a double-action revolver is a must for faster follow-up and one-handed shooting?

I understand niether are a cure-all. They are not hand cannons. But, in my mind, either of these could be a good blend of firepower and toteability. Much more weight and recoil from bigger guns would seem to hamper one's follow-up shots and movements in the woods especially if carrying a pack.

Thanks
 
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Then stick with your own parameters.:rolleyes:

If you were to be spending time in some deep woods of the lower 48 states and only had a revolver to take care of yourself..
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So now you will be packing other gear?

If you have all the other trimmings stashed behind your merit badge sash then yes, a 357 single action would be nice to have.

I believe skeeter skelton raised a good case for the 357 in that regard.
Its only preference as I dont like the single "tooth" pawl hand on alot of the double actions. You could feed yourself just fine with one.
 
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In the lower 48, I'd consider my 44Spl, Mag, or 45LC, with proper handloads, good insurance.
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Maybe in Alabama comrade but in the Sawtooths or in other areas of the northwest that wouldn't hack it.
 
Hi Hickstick,

My parameters did not change. I just did not think to indicate that at least a basic day pack would be included along with a gun...behind my merit badge sash...ha ha.

At a minimum, a well furnished day pack is just a given with me and my circle of friends. Whether hunting, hiking, fishing, etc. Just something we never give a second thought to...it just is.

But, I do apologize if I was misleading in my posts.

Thanks
 
I find that i shoot considerably more accurate when i use my .357 mag as a single instead of a double. When i pull the trigger and it has to cock then release and shoot it throws me off by a hair. . . whereas if i cock it first then pull the trigger im dead on almost every time. In a self defense situation though i dont want to mess around having to cock the gun between each shot. There is no time for that.
 
I hunted with a S&W Model 629 44 magnum for a number of years. Any hunting shot I ever took was using single action.
As for quick follow up shots with a 44 magnum, well if you messed up with your first shot at an animal that was standing still, don't count on your follow up shots being any more accurate at a moving target.
 
ruger blackhawk

A 4-5/8 Ruger b-hawk in .357 has been one of my "heavy" woods pistols for a long time.

I figure that a SA has fewer moving parts and thus less to go wrong. I wouldn't mind fixed sights as on a Vaquero( for increased durability) , but the std b-hawk comes w/ adjustable sights.

It is not necessarily super portable, but rides nicely in a tanker type holster that keeps it dry, protected and away from brush and the elements. It does not snag on limbs in thick cover or while on ATV of mtn bike. Sorry, no horses for me.

I shoot it no less worse than any other pistol I own. Its lack of "fast" repeat shots bothers me not a bit.

My std load was the now defunct Speer 160 gr half jacket SWC to avoid leading problems I encountered with commercial lead SWC at the velocity I wanted, 1000 fps+, about 3/4 power. I'm in search of a new bullet.
 
I'll be hunting deer in OK. and love taking my Ruger Super Blackhawk single action .44 Mag. except in one area which has hogs. In that area I want to be able to fire fast follow up shots if necessary. I'm just not good enough to fire the SA quickly.
 
I have a few SA's, a couple of DA's, and a small amount of semi's. I have found that the SA's fit me best and they are the ones that I am most accurate with. When I am out in the woods, you will see me accompanied with my favorite.........Superblackhawk.
 
Hello, Southern Shooter, I don,t want to sound clich'e, but the Colt S.A.A. has been packed into more wild and wooly areas of north america..the world for that matter, than we will probably ever see again in our lifetime...and for the most part, both it, and it's wearer came out on top. It would never have gained the reputation and name "peacemaker" if it hadn't. Just my opinion.
 
It's kind of a ridiculous scenario as stated, but kind of fun to think about anyway. Yeah, chances are good that if faced with the scenario the OP stated, I would most likely choose a SA revolver from my arsenal. I only have 2 DA revolvers. The S&W J frame would be silly since the 3" barrel kind of limits the ability to hunt with it. In fact, I probably wouldn't even choose my 6.5" Blackhawk since it's a 357 also and I am just not that fond of 357's for serious duty. Sadly, I would leave my 629 in .44 mag behind, even though it's the most accurate of my "medium range" revolvers. It has an 8 3/8" barrel which tends to get in the way a lot. I have a pair of BFR revolvers in .480 and .454 Casull which are exceptionally accurate and powerful. Alas though, they are just too heavy if I'm walking all day long.

That leaves out a lot of my arsenal. My .45 Colts in various configurations are good candidates being light but still fairly potent. But my true survival gun would probably be my 44 magnum in the old Vaquero model. It has a 5.5" barrel, so it is fairly handy. Lighter than the BFRs, although heavier than the Colts, but not too bad there. Not as accurate as the 629, but good enough to do the job. It's the one gun to do most any job that might come up. Maybe not the very best at a particular task, but able to get it done anyway.
 
I've carried SA and DA revolvers while outdoors all of my life.

these days, I carry a SA revolver in .45 Colt. Never occured to me that I might be disadvantaged by it. I've never needed more than a cartridge or two at a time anyway.

Carry what suits you, and learn to use it effectively. If you do that, there is no disadvantage for outdoor use.

Seriously, if a bear is charging you, you better make the cartridges in the gun count. You won't have time for a reload, no matter the action type of the revolver you're carrying.

Daryl
 
It's a disadvantage,,,,,

Only if you have to shoot fast,,,
And only have one hand to do it with.

Let's suppose Yogi and Boo-Boo jump out of the thicket,,,
Yogi chomps down on your left arm so you only have your right hand to use,,,
Do you really want to be fumbling with your thumb for the hammer before you can shoot?

Personally, I would rather be able to just pull the trigger,,,
Buffalo Bore or even T-Rex Bane won't do much good if you can't cock the gun.

This is just my humble opinion,,,
Your mileage may vary.

.
 
Unless you've got one hand (or a bear clamped on the other), I can't think of any really disadvantage to shooting a single action.

Regardless of loading, a single action is still a single action and a double action is still a double action. Personally, I buy double action and shoot them single action most of the time.
 
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