Author Topic: What guns in 1880? (Read 553 times)

m-g Willy · « **on:** August 29, 2004, 11:58:35 AM »

What guns and loads would you carry if you lived in the 1880's? And what guns and loads do you use now? I would have carried a SAA 45 with 7 1/2" barrel on my hip and a Colt 38 or 41 dbl action in a coat pocket,with a 12 ga.dbl. for my shot gun and a 1873 carbine in 44/40 for the rifle. Now instead of the dbl. action in my pocket I carry a 75 Remington in 45 in a cross draw and a 92 in 45 instead of the 73 for my rifle. The SAA 45 and shotgun would stay the same. (FULL POWER WART-HOG LOADS IN EVERYTHING :grin: )--Willy

WD45 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 03, 2004, 01:31:36 AM »

I'll have to chew on this one for a spell....
Remember its 1880 and yer horse has got to pack you and all that other stuff yer draggin with ya... and a horse doesnt have a trunk to carry all that different and extra ammo in either.. Well last time I checked anyway.

Shorty · « **Reply #2 on:** September 05, 2004, 11:59:30 AM »

m-g Willy,
You must have been a rich man in 1880!

Comparing the cost of guns at that time to today can be deceiveing due to modern manufacturing.
Then, I'd probably be lucky to have a Bannerman cut-down musket in 12 ga! :wink: And be shooting nails out of it!

WD45 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 07, 2004, 03:26:32 AM »

wow.... you could afford nails :-D
I agree with ya shorty... The movies tend to make people think that every man in the west was armed to the teeth. Makes a good movie though :grin:
Most people that could afford a gun could only aford one and more often than not it was a shotgun due to its versatility.
If I could afford 2 guns it would probably be a good shotgun and a colt 45. If I could not afford the 45 it would be a converted remy to cartridge or a 75 remy maybe or maybe .......
We could string this along for months

m-g Willy · « **Reply #4 on:** September 07, 2004, 05:26:09 AM »

If you were a lowly cowhand you might not have the money for top of the line guns. But if you were a skilled laborer a new Colt would cost less than a weeks pay,(even for a dumb bricklayer :roll:)It works out to about the same now :-) And if I was headed west I would make sure I was well armed. Heck I ani't even out west now, and I'm still well armed :roll: --Willy (da bricklayer) :-)