Single action revolvers good as defense weapons?

Before I had a stroke, I could load Colts, the clones and the Ruger Old Models pretty quickly. It is easy to top off after firing a couple of rounds from the loops. One can cock and fire the revolver even with the loading gate open. I don't care for the Ruger New Models--the cylinder doesn't line right up with the loading cut unless it is modified. Then they don't balance and point like the old ones. I'd like to try out the New Vaquero and see if it is better.

The fastest reload is a second pistol for sure. Bill Anderson, George Todd, the Youngers and the James brothers used to wander in these parts. They might be offended by that "Kentucky reload"--sons of Missouri on the prod they were. Anderson carried four Colt Navy revolvers and had a bag with more tied to his horse at Centralia, MO, in 1864.
 
On NON trasnfer-bar SAs (i.e., non Ruger, Beretta, Taurus) such as Colt SAA and its Italian and American clones, with the firing pin on the hammer, the technique is to load one round, skip a chamber and load the rest; when finished it places the hammer over the empty chamber, critical. Of course, for traditionalists, the same can be done on the safety-bar'd guns (Ruger SAs etc), just not necessary and can carry a full 6 in the cylinder.

Somerled - the New Vaqueros just introduced are supposed to have the reloading cut properly aligned now.
 
This may not be relevant to the initial poster but I read somewhere that older folk with badly arthritic hands could still handle a smaller caliber single action gun.

I just went through a house clearing stage with a single shot HR 357 rifle where you had to hold the ammo in your hands - that was a hoot.
 
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