original uses for the wheelgun in the old west????

[willysjeep134]

Ok, I'm not a Cowboy Action shooter, but I do share a similar admiration for the "old ways"

Anyways, I have a few questions for y'all.

What, other than self defense, did cowboys use their revolvers for?
 I'm half thinking about getting an SAA clone for hunting/plinking. I know it has the power for any game up to probably deer, but was it historically used for hunting? I remember seeing Buffalo Bill firing blanks from horseback at buffalo, but was this just theater or were revolvers actually used to hunt game from horseback?

[Big Hext Finnigan]

Howdy,

The revolver wasn't used much for hunting.
Plinking, entertainment, self-defense and protection were all likely use for a regular cowhand.  Of course lawmen, gamblers, gunfighters and outlaws had a different need for the handgun.

For the hand, the revolver was used to kill varmints (or scare them off) to cull a down animal or worst case, to put down a horse, with a runaway as the worst case scenario.  He might need it in a fight with rustlers, but again, pretty rare.

Townfolks were more likely to have and need a pistol.
I'm sure you'll get more answers.. Adios,

[Dan Chamberlain]

I read an account of a real cowboy who stated that normally, they didn't carry rifles while riding herd.  Rifles were kept in the chuck wagon.  Their horses were worn to a frazzle normally and the extra weight was not worth it.  Pistols were carried as much to kill their horse in the event they were thrown or fell and were being dragged (though I doubt one man in 100 could kill a horse with a pistol while they were being dragged) or to kill an ornery old steer that turned on them!  

Dan C

[Capt Hamp Cox]

willysjeep134 said:  "I'm half thinking about getting an SAA clone for hunting/plinking."

Just remember if you get a SAA clone to only carry it with five rounds in the cylinder.  Gotta leave one chamber free for your "buryin'" money. :grin:

Seriously, true clones, just like their role model, should be carried with only five rounds loaded, and the hammer down on an empty chamber.

I think Hext and Dan have given you the straight skinny regarding your question.  From what I've read, most cowboys couldn't or wouldn't spend the money necessary for sufficient ammo to become proficient or maintain proficiency with their handguns, and weren't too effective with them unless the action was up close and personal.

I used to think fixed sighted single actions were inferior to their adjustable sighted counterparts, until I got into CAS.  They can be extremely accurate (at reasonable ranges) if you take the time and spend the money (ammo) necessary to learn how to shoot them.  That said, I would probably opt for a Ruger Blackhawk if I wanted a single action and expected my primary use to be hunting, because the adjustable sights facilitate use of different loads and, for me and my 62-year old eyes, are more precise at longer (hunting)ranges.

[HWooldridge]

My now deceased grandfather rode in some of the last cattle drives from South Texas to Abilene and Fort Worth, Texas.  He owned a double barrel shotgun and carried it on the saddle but he said they were not allowed to even own a pistol by order of the trail boss.   He also told me each individual trail boss was the final say on what was permitted and if you had a banned item, you would probably get fired on the spot.  They usually killed snakes with whips or ropes from horseback and left everything else alone.  My grandpa was also sometimes asked to kill game to supplement the chuck but they usually ate beef.

[williamlayton]

The lore of the revolver, colt or remington, has universal appeal to connect one to the old west. Well, that aint a bad thing. Get yourownself one and have fun with it, it aint a bank breaker, specially if ya load your own.
Recollection bout tha drives indicates that most of tha boys had a collection of different weapons, scatterguns, winchesters (after a time), but all had a handgun, wheather or not it was carried on a daily basis. Them old'uns could be pretty heavy.
Some old pictures and drawings show em carried on the saddle (pommel holsters) as well as in scabbard in tha chaps they wore. Lots of it was determined by the era we are talking about and the locale. Boys on tha ranch (early) or drives (late), which drives and the region of tha country.
Ya aint gonna go wrong with one.
When I was with RIP--oh well thats a lie fer another time.
Blessings

[willysjeep134]

I already shoot a cap and ball "58 remington bufalo model" which Pietta made. They make a lot of non-historical replicas. This one is a remington army with a brass frame and 12 inch barrel, .44 caliber, and target sights. The remington has safety notches for the nose of the hammer to ride in between the chambers. That is how I usually shoot it at the range, but then again it doesn't stay loaded that long at the range.

I still have a year to wait until I can purchase any cartrige hand guns so I will have good long time to decide just which one I want.

I figure that for plinking a SAA would be great. I'm not a fan of wrist crushing dragon slaying loads any ways, so I'm thinking that the SAA should be strong enough. Just factory loads or factory equivalent hand loads. We have a few pounds of Unique laying around because of my and my dad's trap shooting habit, and I hear Unique makes a good 45 load too. If I ever used it for hunting it would be close range and on nothing larger than deer, so even a pretty good factory load should work I figure.

I'm a big fan of Pietta revolvers becaus of my good experiences with my cap and ball. I was figuring that because Pietta makes it, the EMF Great Western II California model with the 5.5 inch barrel would be about the least expensive and most appealing gun for me. According to both Pietta and EMF  they say it has close to 100% parts interchangability with old Colt SAAs. It also says it's a "new model design". What is the diference between an old and new model? I've heard of both, and really don't know what they mean. Anyways, I still have a year to think on it.

[HWooldridge]

You might want to look at a 44 Special.  Great round and the Colts and clones can be loaded hot with smokeless if you need it, which I would not do with a 45 LC.  The "old model" differs from the "new model" in differing methods of locking the cylinder pin, ejector pin head and other minor items.  And when I say old and new model, I am referring to the blackpowder vs. smokeless variants - not the ones that have a transfer bar system.

[The Shrink]

Generally the dividing line between "new" and "old" models relates to the various safety arrangements the "new" models have to satisfy the lawyers.  The Uberti Cattleman has a way to block the hammer fall without a transfer bar, thus retaining the old solid firing pin.  I still only load five.  Most of the "new" models will utilize some variant of the transfer bar and a flat hammer face.  

Loading only five is a good habit to establish when shooting any SSA.  There are and will be enough SSA's out there that are not safe with more than five that the habit may save a life sometime in the future.  

Wayne the Shrink

[Holiday]

Unique has historically been a very good choice for the .45 Colt. 8 to 8.5 grains with a 255 grain bullet is a good all around defence load that isn't too stiff. 6.5 grains makes a dandy plinker load. Of course, MY favorite is 35 grains of "P" Pyrodex or FFFG black Powder with a 255 grain cast bullet. Sorry, couldn't resist.  :-D  The Uberti pistols are good guns, but if you are gonna go to the high end of the loading chart a Ruger Vaquero would be a better choice. Heavier and bulkier, yes, but STRONGER!! :eek:  Whichever you pick, you'll enjoy the SAA!

[Old Griz]

:cb2: As far as hunting with a handgun goes, some folks in the Old West gave it a try. When Custer first made it out west he spotted a buffalo and went after it with only his sidearm. He chased it for a few miles and when he finally got along side the hairy critter he drew his gun to fire. Well, about that time the irritated bison lunged at the horse. The horse dodged, and the sudden movement threw Custer off balance for a moment. He grabbed the reins with both hands. Unfortunately, he still had his gun in his right hand, and the finger was on the trigger. When he grabbed for the reins, yep, you guessed it, he shot his horse in the neck, killing it. The beleaguered buffalo didn't press the matter and wandered on off, leaving the mightily embarrassed Custer alone in Indian territory, without a horse, little water, and without anyone knowing exactly where he was. His men finally found him, and then he had to explain how and why he shot his own horse. I'm sure that left a good first impression.

[Will52100]

That remindes me of something I seen or read somewhere about Colt's Patterson revolvers.

Seems like a cowboy was trying to bring down a buffalo riding along side it and firing into the animal.  Well between about the second and third shot the barrel wedge worked it's way out and the barrel flew off on the next shot.  He recovered the barrel and had a blacksmith make a new wedge and the gun was none the worse for wear, but he sure didn't get buffalo steaks that night! :-D