OT - Who carries a single action concealed?

[gundownunder]

I once asked why I wouldn't be allowed to qualify with, and carry, a single action as a security guard over here. I was told that it was because the law considers that if I have time to cock a gun before I fire it then I have time to think of another solution to the problem
My opinion is that if I have to cock the gun before I fire then the dirtbag would have about 1/10th of a second longer to drop what he's carrying before I send him to where he belongs.

As for only having six shots, if I cant win the fight with six shots I'm not going to win it by myself anyway unless someone throws me a pair of uzi machine pistols.

I was actually surprised at how well my single six conceals in my jeans pocket with a t-shirt pulled over it. I carried it from the shed to the house this way one day after cleaning it and the wife and kids stood in the kitchen and had a conversation with me and no-one noticed I was armed till I pulled it out to put it in the safe.

[stormspotter]

Now that I have put a SBH on my New Vaquero I will use a Mernickle
PS6-SA or his PS2 REF4 IWB for a single action. I had thought about getting a Montado, but now that I have installed the SBH hammer, I will use it more often.

The SBH hammer does make a difference in the ease cocking and it prints less that the factory one.







I won't give up my S&W Model 19 2 1/2", but I will carry the Ruger more often.

Leonard

[Dakota7]

I use to carry this one until I traded it away, got another one to replace it but haven't had the time to modify it.

[homefront]

Dakota7,

That's a Bisley - what caliber?

[DerekR]

Tell us about those grips Stormspotter. Very nice.

[stormspotter]

The grips are American Holly. They are in the gunfighter pattern and made by Bearpaw grips in southeast Missouri, he sells on ebay also.
These were fitted to the frame and then the Holly is dyed, not stained.

I may have him make a set of Holly for my Davidson's Limited Edition New Vaquero. The frame on the Davidson's is blue, not case colored, and the aged Holly should look great on it also. I like the eagle grips on the Davidson's, but I'm not that fond of "plastic" Ivory.





If you don't want to send in your grip frame, he will use his as a pattern. There may be a slight difference in grip frames sizes, so the grips will not have that "custom" look. I'm still happy with the ones below.

[El Mac]

Beautiful grips!!

[Griff]

IIRC, 10 or so years ago Phil Spangenberger did a Guns & Ammo article on the supposed merits of a singleaction & double-action revolvers for self-defense. I had several friends that were "enlightened" as to the "First Shot" capabilities of a single-action. I feel the article would have been more balanced had he picked a "combat" shooter for the SA demo part rather than a fast draw artist, but... it was his article and theory to be proved, not mine.

Rexster, the Sheriff I worked for up here asked me one day at the range if I thought I could qualify with the SA on the PPC course. Of course, I had to give it a try. And actually surprised myself by passing; with some time left over on a couple of the reload stages. It became more difficult when we went to a 18 shot string @ 25yards for a couple of years, but, with a little practice, my SA stayed on my off-duty list from about 1992 till I resigned in 2004.

I haven't ever carried my SA as a CC weapon, but did carry it in the truck as my "go to" gun quite often. The only times I ever carried it as my "duty weapon" was when mounted in parades and when rounding up loose cattle after the rare cattle truck involved traffic accident.

ScottT, I'd like to repeat the query as to the make & model of the holsters in your pics.

[Ysabel Kid]

Better late than never (on me posting the picture)!

[Rexster]

Griff, with my agency, there is no timed reload for "off-duty" and back-up weapons, just one gunload at 15 yards, and the rest of 50 rounds up closer. I could finish before the guys who have only one magazine for their autos, using my SAAs or Montado. The only revolvers, allowed, however are DA, and with 2" to 4" barrels. The chief himself can make exceptions for officers with unique assignments or circumstances, but in an agency with several thousand officers, and a chief without an open-door policy, that is fairly hopeless for a line officer like me. We are not even supposed to cock our DA revolvers and autos, though we are allowed to carry our SA autos in Condition One. Yep, we can still use a 1911 or BHP for back-up and for personal CCW on our own time. (We are never "off-duty.") One of the assistant chiefs is a former partner; if he ever gets promoted to the top, I might be able to plea for a special exception, but he is so business-like, I would need a really good reason to accompany my request.

[rob]

I have a Ruger Montado that was a gift from a few folks who visit this sight on occasion and it will make a dandy CCW. The only reason I'm not carrying it yet is the gun is so tight the chambers are tighter than a Freedom Arms (and I'm not exagerating) and I had to put together some loads with new virgin brass that haven't been fired in any of my other 45 Colts because they would kick back under recoil and the hammer would loose some of it's energy driving them back into the chamber...they need to be able to slide in and out freely. The new brass has worked so far but it was extremely windy the day I tried them and I put my guns up and haven't had a chance to get back to it. Anyhow, it appears it's working and if so I'm gonna settle on a load, file the sights and find a proper IWB holster and I will be carrying it quite a bit. I plan on putting some rounds though it this weekend in fact. I will probably work up a good cast load for plinking but will carry it with 250gr XTP's around 850 fps or so.

[ScottT]

I watched Rob kill this deer from about 35yds with a 4 inch S&W .44mag and drop it in its tracks. Rob is a superb handgun shot.

[salvo]

Rob, the Montado sure looks to be the perfect packing gun. I sure have been thinking about one for just that reason. Keep us posted on your progress.
Nice shooting!

[gon2shoot]

Presently, not often; my chief says no single action sixguns for "off-duty" and back-up. I can legally tote the SA, but have to also carry a DA sixgun or an auto, and it would not be a good idea to shoot a bad guy with the SA. I do have a Milt SParks Summer Special like ScottT's, and perhaps in another four years or so, it might see more regular use.

Can you explain that in a little more detail as to the reason why.

Sure. Part of wearing a Texas peace officer badge is that one is subject to duty at all times. Any firearm used for police purposes, according to the state, should be one with which one has fired a qualification course. My agency sees armed self-defense as falling within the line of duty, at least if within the state lines. I can plea that I used a "weapon of opportunity" if I use a weapon with which I have not qualed, but generally speaking, I can expect some degree of disciplinary scrutiny if I use an unauthorized weapon to defend myself or someone else. If I am hunting, or target shooting, and just happen to use the weapon already at hand, that is one thing. Carrying an SA sixgun in CCW mode is another.

Back in the old days when we all carried revolvers, We had to qualify at 12 rounds in 25 seconds.
I missed it by 3 seconds with my SA, so I carried a 6in Trooper

[Griff]

Presently, not often; my chief says no single action sixguns for "off-duty" and back-up. I can legally tote the SA, but have to also carry a DA sixgun or an auto, and it would not be a good idea to shoot a bad guy with the SA. I do have a Milt SParks Summer Special like ScottT's, and perhaps in another four years or so, it might see more regular use.

Can you explain that in a little more detail as to the reason why.

Sure. Part of wearing a Texas peace officer badge is that one is subject to duty at all times. Any firearm used for police purposes, according to the state, should be one with which one has fired a qualification course. My agency sees armed self-defense as falling within the line of duty, at least if within the state lines. I can plea that I used a "weapon of opportunity" if I use a weapon with which I have not qualed, but generally speaking, I can expect some degree of disciplinary scrutiny if I use an unauthorized weapon to defend myself or someone else. If I am hunting, or target shooting, and just happen to use the weapon already at hand, that is one thing. Carrying an SA sixgun in CCW mode is another.

Back in the old days when we all carried revolvers, We had to qualify at 12 rounds in 25 seconds.
I missed it by 3 seconds with my SA, so I carried a 6in Trooper

Practice that reload. IT IS doable!

[Travis Morgan]

I MIGHT get the reload by itself in 25 seconds. Good job!

[stormspotter]

Maybe you could make it under 25 seconds if you had a single action "speed loader".





Made out of a 9/16" brass tube cut to length of 6 - 45 Colt rounds plus room for a plug at one end and a stopper at the other.
Not anything you can carry concealed, but fun to play with anyway.

Leonard

[Griff]

Stormspotter,

I remember those from the early days of CAS. Never did fancy them. However, the slowest part of the SA reload is shuckin' the empties. My camera's broke, but... maybe I can describe my process well enough.

1st - Start with light loads, you don't want case expansion here. Have six reloads in dump pouch.

2nd - At the end of the first shooting string, grab the revolver with your left hand, flipping your right palm from the right side of the grip, to the left side (under) keeping the muzzle downrange, opening the loading gate as you reverse the right hand. This will allow the fingers of the right hand to "walk" the cylinder around or by allowing your thumb and middle finger of that hand to rotate the cylinder. Now that you have the gun in the right palm, loading gate up, tip the gun upward, the shells should just fall out; if any do stick, they can be pushed pretty quickly using the middle finger of the left hand on the plunger.

3rd- Exchange hands holding the gun, gripping the gun with the top strap into the web of your left hand, allowing your thumb and middle finger of that hand to rotate the cylinder as you feed the new shells into the loading gate.

4th - Flip the loading gate closed as you load the 6th shot, grab the grip with your right hand in a normal fashion for shooting, and as you raise the gun for sight alignment, pull your left hand back into a two-fisted (squaw grip), simultaneously pulling the hammer for your first shot of the second string.

The above would obviously need to be reversed for a lefty. With some practice it certainly takes longer to describe than to accomplish. The critical step is getting the shells aligned properly in the right hand ready to feed into the cylinder. I usually wear a vest, so having all 6 lie in the lower right pocket with the bullets facing the center of my body is a boon. And having large hands is no handicap.

[JerryB]

Thanks Griff,I am going to do some studying and practice with this .

[Travis Morgan]

I'm sure I look stupid, sitting here with the laptop in my lap, try to do this! My reload time is way down, since I reverse spun my pawl. darn sure makes unloads faster.

I was shooting with a girl that has a 10" OM .44 Blackhawk, and let her play with mine. (My gun) It didn't take her long to get to wanting a reverse spin, when she'd switch back and forth. My favorite part of the setup is that it no longer indexes between cylinders.

[Griff]

I suggest you use some dummy rounds to practice with. Sorry to not include that in my original post. Accidents DO happen.

[Travis Morgan]

Way ahead of ya there.