Loading The Single Action Sixgun

[JimT]

I understand that most everyone knows the "Load One ... Skip One" loading method. I have a confession to make. I did not learn to load a single action that way. And what's even stranger, I never heard of it before I started shooting CAS.

The way my Daddy taught me, there is never a live cartridge under the hammer during loading. Loading one, skipping one, loading four puts a live round under the hammer which is at half cock. Now we all should keep our fingers out of the trigger guard until we are on target. But fecal matter occurs. I have seen single actions with a broken half-cock notch that were fairly easily fired from half cock.

I learned to load by keeping the gun pointed in a safe direction, open the loading gate and pull the hammer to half cock.

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Load the cartridges 1-2-3-4-5

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Pull the hammer back very slightly, just enough to clear the half cock notch, pull the trigger to the rear and let the hammer down, all the while holding the trigger back

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With the hammer all the way down, note that the cylinder is slightly out of battery.

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Roll the cylinder back slightly. You will hear the bolt drop into the notch.

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At no time was there a live round under the hammer.

And the neat thing about the Colt is you can look at the side of the cylinder and tell where it's at. I milled off the back of the cylinders in my Ruger .45 Colt and my Freedom Arms so I could see the cartridges.

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I am NOT saying that this is THE WAY to do it! Whatever method you use, practice it until you can do it without thinking about it. That every part of it is in your memory banks. Especially the safety parts!

[Lastmohecken]

You need to be careful about that doing that, because you can throw the Colt out of time and mark your cylinder . INHO, never roll it backwards. load one, skip one, load four, while you gun is on half cock, then, do not, I mean do not let the hammer back down from half cock. Go ahead and roll onto full cock, then let the hammer down, and it will be on the empty chamber. And then like you said it's easy to visually check it at that point.

But I repeat never half cock the hammer and then let back down on a real Colt, or Colt copy. A colt can be very old and shot to death, and never show a ring around the cylinder if this rule is followed. Unlike a Ruger which will ring the cylinder in one cylinder full or ammo, and most definitely by the time you shot your first box of shell out of it, because the timing is different.

Now, you might be getting away with doing it your way, but lots of people will end eventually getting a nice Colt messed up, by doing it that way.

[JimT]

I have only been doing that for 65 years or so. Never have hurt a Colt or a Ruger. You don't see a ring around the cylinder on that gun. I have been shooting it like that for more than 20 years. That particular gun is perfectly timed. There is no way it could be put out of time by what I do. I don't force anything.

[Lastmohecken]

I have only been doing that for 65 years or so. Never have hurt a Colt or a Ruger. You don't see a ring around the cylinder on that gun. I have been shooting it like that for more than 20 years. That particular gun is perfectly timed. There is no way it could be put out of time by what I do. I don't force anything.

I noticed that Jim, I guess it fine. Actually, where you mess one up is rolling it to the second notch then letting it back down. I will stay with the old skip one method, because I find it better for me.

[JimT]

I noticed that Jim, I guess it fine. Actually, where you mess one up is rolling it to the second notch then letting it back down. I will stay with the old skip one method, because I find it better for me.

YESSIR. I agree with you. I am not saying this method is better or that others should do it. I just learned this way from oldtimers. If you use the skip one method you will not mark the gun! That is for sure.

The New Model Ruger will do it because the bolt drops as soon as you close the loading gate.

[LeverGunner]

Thanks for sharing.

I personally don't care if a gun has a ring around the cylinder or not, to me, it's a moot point. Take that from someone that loves New Model Rugers though!

[AmBraCol]

Thought I was the only one loaded that way. Never had an issue either. Don't recall where I learned it, but it goes back to my first single action, a German built 22 with a weird "safety" that was a hammer block one could manually push down to keep the hammer from contacting the firing pin. Cock the hammer and it'd automatically push the block out of the way. Can't for the life of me remember who built the thing. Sold it to a friend and always kind of regretted it.

[jeepnik]

Funny thing is, all this carry only five is a relatively modern idea.
From what I have read the USA carried with six. Lawmen carried six. Seems most westerners carried six.

The logic seemed simple. If one needs a handgun, why start by handicapping yourself.

Paranoia and civil litigation seem to be the motivating forces behind the "new" way to load a traditional six gun.

Oh, and the BS about gunfighters keeping burial money in the empty chamber is pure Hollywood.

Seriously do you think guys like the Earps or the Billy the Kid would have an empty chamber?

[EdinCT]

My Dad taught me the load and skip method. I sold my only Colt 35 years ago in a moment of stupidity. And while it was shot plenty it looked good. But my new model Vaquero has that ring and looks awful to me.

[JimT]

Funny thing is, all this carry only five is a relatively modern idea.
From what I have read the USA carried with six. Lawmen carried six. Seems most westerners carried six.

The logic seemed simple. If one needs a handgun, why start by handicapping yourself.

Paranoia and civil litigation seem to be the motivating forces behind the "new" way to load a traditional six gun.

Oh, and the BS about gunfighters keeping burial money in the empty chamber is pure Hollywood.

Seriously do you think guys like the Earps or the Billy the Kid would have an empty chamber?

I always load 6 when I am going into something where I think I might appreciate one more ...

[Bruce Scott]

Funny thing is, all this carry only five is a relatively modern idea.
From what I have read the USA carried with six. Lawmen carried six. Seems most westerners carried six.

The logic seemed simple. If one needs a handgun, why start by handicapping yourself.

Paranoia and civil litigation seem to be the motivating forces behind the "new" way to load a traditional six gun.

Oh, and the BS about gunfighters keeping burial money in the empty chamber is pure Hollywood.

Seriously do you think guys like the Earps or the Billy the Kid would have an empty chamber?

I always load 6 when I am going into something where I think I might appreciate one more ...

Copied from a discussion here: https://www.cascity.com/forumhall/index ... ic=69294.0

Now consider what was actually said during the period:

From the 1887 edition of "Description and Rules for the Management of the Springfield Rifle, Carbine, and Army Revolvers. Caliber 45." Page 57:

"To load the revolver. Hold the revolver in the left hand, muzzle downward. Half-cock it with the right hand and open the gate. Insert the cartridges with the right hand. Close the gate and bring the hammer to the safety-notch. Keep it there until the revolver is to be fired."

Another reference is in "The Modern American Pistol and Revolver" by A.C. Gould in 1888, which states, on page 50:

"To LOAD THE ARM.—1st motion: holding the revolver in the left hand, muzzle downwards, half-cock it with the right hand and open the gate. 2d motion: insert the cartridges in succession with the right hand, close the gate, cock and fire it (taking it in the right hand), or bring the hammer to the safety-notch, as may be desired."

[JimT]

Yessir. That was common. Just like the percussion guns, you always loaded every chamber. No argument about that at all.

[Pat C]

When you load one , skip one, then load four more. You pull the hammer all the way back and de-cock it. This places the hammer on empty chamber.

[Lastmohecken]

I noticed that Jim, I guess it fine. Actually, where you mess one up is rolling it to the second notch then letting it back down. I will stay with the old skip one method, because I find it better for me.

YESSIR. I agree with you. I am not saying this method is better or that others should do it. I just learned this way from oldtimers. If you use the skip one method you will not mark the gun! That is for sure.

The New Model Ruger will do it because the bolt drops as soon as you close the loading gate.

Yes, that is true on the Ruger.

[Lastmohecken]

When you load one , skip one, then load four more. You pull the hammer all the way back and de-cock it. This places the hammer on empty chamber.

Yep, that is the way, I learned to do it. Then I will always verify visually afterwards, but that always works for me.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Once a man gets used to doing it one way and it works, a man ought to keep things simple and keep doing the same.

I learned to load one, skip one, and load four more. Full cock and let the hammer down on an empty chamber. I can do it blindfolded, drunk or in my sleep. No point in me changing now.

[Malamute]

I always did it as Jim described, I also never heard of the load-skip, full cock to down thing until fairly recently. So far havent had any problems with the guns.

The empty chamber is by no means modern or recent, unless 1870s would be considered recent. there are several period accounts of dropped guns firing, then the practice became to generally carry 5 unless one expected trouble. This seems to have occurred in various places all by itself, proving humans are capable of learning independently. Keith wrote of it in the 1930s, and he said pretty much all the old timers told him that was the common practice. He knew of a few instances where people carried them full up and had various things happen that caused the gun to fire, like dropped, a stirrup falling over the saddle when tightening the cinch, etc. I knew a guy that shot himself in the leg with an old model ruger 22 when out building fence alone in a remote area and ended up losing the leg.

I thought I was pretty clever setting the firing pin between rims of the shells, but even in the well fitted half flap holster I found it sitting on a primer several times, I gave up on being so clever and just carried 5 most of the time.

There was a short video clip of an aircrewman in a WWII bomber loading an SAA, it appeared he loaded 5, let the hammer down and set the empty chamber to locked position. I think it may have been the Colt forum that i saw it.

Edit: My mistake, Korea. https://www.coltforum.com/threads/b-29- ... 50.419010/

[Lastmohecken]

I remember hunting with a man who carried 6 in an old model Ruger, with it on half cock. I mentioned it to him but he wasn't having any of it. He always carried that way.

[Griff]

1970, insert loaded magazine, pull slide all the way to the rear, release the slide holding down the mechanical slide release, with the slide fully forward, engage the thumb safety, drop the magazine and load one more, reinsert magazine. Oh, wait... wrong single action! About a year later, I bought a lightly used 2nd Gen SAA from a gun shop in CA while I was on leave. When I picked it up, the store owner showed me the load one, skip one, load 4 method. Having no prior exposure, I took it as gospel. I simply can't recall who introduced me to "top it off if you expect trouble." I cap my percussion revolvers the same way, although I always charge all 6 chambers. Well... except the Patersons!

[JimT]

Once a man gets used to doing it one way and it works, a man ought to keep things simple and keep doing the same.

I learned to load one, skip one, and load four more. Full cock and let the hammer down on an empty chamber. I can do it blindfolded, drunk or in my sleep. No point in me changing now.

Scott is correct. However you learn to run a gun safely, practice it until you can do it in the dark, without looking at it. Remember the KISS Principle.

[Scott Tschirhart]

On a whim I went looking last night and saw so many commenters who insisted that old timers carried the SAA with 6 live rounds and with the gun on the half cock notch.

Some commentators seem to be emotionally attached to this idea.

I like to think my decision to carry five and lower the hammer on an empty chamber is not an emotional decision. Frankly, I’ve decided and see no reason to do things differently.

But the apparent furor over this issue seems to be way out of proportion to the issue itself.

Does it really matter what folks commonly did in the late 1870s? Not to me. I’m driving a pickup with technology that I don’t understand. What kind of effect would such a device have on someone from the 1870s?

[Pat C]

The original Colt SAA manual says its ok if gun is as new no modifications to carry 6 live rounds but never on Half cock .
That's what the Safety notch is for.

Half cock is for loading only and a drop from this position will almost definatly discharge the SAA.

Per the Colt Manual :

[Pat C]

Old thread I had.

viewtopic.php?p=983974&hilit=Carry+SAA+on+empty#p983974

[samsi]

I grew up in the load six and use the safety notch camp, fortunately I don't recall any accidents. I converted to loading 5 after a slip-up with a New Model which probably would have resulted in a crippling wound had it been a traditional action - I rethought things. I do use the load one, skip one method.

I don't recall where, Ruger Forum possibly, where someone asked if it was ok to carry their Blackhawk at full cock. They reasoned that it would be much faster to get into action that way(!), and I recall that they weren't dissuaded by the unanimous uproar against the idea. One of those cases where you wonder why they bothered with the question when their mind's already made up...

[Pat C]

Colt stated that the safety notch or half cock notch could be sheared off with a mere 35 ft lbs of force. Post 1956 SAA have much better hammer material .Through hardened medium carbon alloy steel.

The old 1st Gen SAA were relatively soft mild steel with thin color cased shell. Easy bent/broken if abused.

Many of the 1st returned cavalry SAA were in various forms of disrepair . Those old troopers were known to smash their coffee beans with butt of SAA.

[JimT]

Well .. this thread about loading a single action sixgun has kept things lively. I appreciate folks not getting angry or violent about their point of view. Again I wish to emphasize I am NOT saying what I do is THE WAY to do it or that others are wrong. If I came across that way I did not mean to.

I do a lot of things differently than others ... in many areas. I often got into trouble with other pastors and I found out early on that there were two types: Those who would say sh-t and those who wouldn't.

[jeepnik]

Jim, threads like this always bring up different points of view. A person's point of view is correct for that person.

And yea, we have had this conversation before. And will again but we constantly have new gun handlers joining the forum. So rehashing things put the information back where they might see it.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I’m not changing my old ways based on a manual. I’m good.

But, it’s interesting. I’ve never had a manual for a Colt SAA.

[piller]

I have never owned a Colt SAA, or any other by Colt. I started on H&R revolvers and Ruger 22lr semiautos. With no experience of Colt outside of M16, M16A1, and M16A2, all I am doing is reading and maybe learning.
I Know a bit about Ruger revolvers. Not the same as Colt. Seems that most of the younger people want autoloaders, and I rarely see revolvers now.

[Pat C]

Here is the original page from the US Ordnance manual for the SAA. Notice when loading it only states to bring the hammer to safety notch after loading .It does not differentiate whether to draw the hammer to full cock or like the way JimT been doing.

Ive always heard to draw the hammer to full cock and then lower which keeps the bolt off the cylinder except the approaches. Less wear to the gun.

The last SAA manual tells you explicitly NEVER carry the SAA with a loaded round under the hammer . So they went 100 years before the changed their tune and it was due to Ruger being sued in the 70's.

So Jim you are not wrong by any means as it sounds based on the Ordnance manual here it does not define just simply return the hammer to safety notch after loading.

[JimT]

Seems that most of the younger people want autoloaders, and I rarely see revolvers now.

You don't need to feel alone. Come hang around with Scott and me. You be in revolver friendly country.

[JimT]

So Jim you are not wrong by any means as it sounds based on the Ordnance manual here it does not define just simply return the hammer to safety notch after loading.

I figure "wrong" is doing something that is unsafe.
If a guy scratches up his own gun and he's comfortable with that, that is his business. It just makes it hard on whoever has that gun after him. Remember Skeeter's BUSTAMONTE I HATE YOU?

[Pat C]

One of the things Ive always done on any Colt or Ruger is to take one of the cratex polishing bobs for dremmel and polish the top surface to reduce friction . Not take any metal off just bring surface to a shine.

Funny thing Ive never held my Colt 's or Rugers in my left hand to load . Ive always held it in the right hand bring it to half cock and open gate and load with left hand. Then cock and fire.

[JimT]

I got in the habit of using my left hand after watching Thell Reed speed-unload his. He had 5 empties in the air. I practiced and practiced that. Never got 5 that I recall but I would have 3 and 4 in the air. I could shuck them out of the gun pretty quickly. It came in handy when shooting the old PPC course with a single action.

When I started shooting CAS I was really appalled at some of the shooters trying to unload their sixguns! Fumbling and picking cartridges out with their fingers ... muzzles flopping around. They at least kept them pointed downrange but it was sometimes painful to watch.

[Griff]

I got in the habit of using my left hand after watching Thell Reed speed-unload his. He had 5 empties in the air. I practiced and practiced that. Never got 5 that I recall but I would have 3 and 4 in the air. I could shuck them out of the gun pretty quickly. It came in handy when shooting the old PPC course with a single action.

When I started shooting CAS I was really appalled at some of the shooters trying to unload their sixguns! Fumbling and picking cartridges out with their fingers ... muzzles flopping around. They at least kept them pointed downrange but it was sometimes painful to watch.

I've always unloaded mine with the backstrap in my left palm, using my thumb & middle finger to turn the cylinder, for my CAS loads this works as I seldom need to use the extractor rod, as cases just fall out. I thought I was pretty fast at reloading, but I don't think I ever had even 3 cases in the air at one time. Although nearly 95% of my shooting is still done with a single action (either SAA or 1851), I doubt I could complete the PPC course today. Maybe... if I could carry 3 of 'em! Boy howdy, would that be fun with 1851s!

[Pat C]

Now on anouther note what SAA are we looking at ? Beautiful one piece walnuts and outsyanding color case .

[Scott Tschirhart]

I never saw Thell Reed shoot in person but he was legendary for his ability with a SAA.

Very interesting discussion. Thank you all.

[JimT]

Now on anouther note what SAA are we looking at ? Beautiful one piece walnuts and outsyanding color case .

USFA .44 Special - Paul Persinger made the one-piece walnut stocks.

[jeepnik]

One of the things Ive always done on any Colt or Ruger is to take one of the cratex polishing bobs for dremmel and polish the top surface to reduce friction . Not take any metal off just bring surface to a shine.

Funny thing Ive never held my Colt 's or Rugers in my left hand to load . Ive always held it in the right hand bring it to half cock and open gate and load with left hand. Then cock and fire.

I actually always hold single action Colts, Rugers and clones in my left hand when loading. Oh wait, I never transfer it from one hand to the other because I am one of the folks the gun was made for, southpaws.

[Lastmohecken]

I am a lefty also, and I always wondered if Samual Colt was left handed. When I watch the average right hander unload and load a singleaction they seem painfully slow, compared to how I do it. I shot some cowboy matches many years ago, but I never seen a match where someone had to reload their revolver against the clock, maybe they do and I have just never seen it. But I figure it because a lefty would clean their clock on the reload.

[JimT]

Bill Grover - Texas Longhorn Arms - thought Mr. Colt was left-handed. And he built the TLA guns left-handed. They are works of art!

This is the West Texas Flattop Target Model

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[jeepnik]

Yep, the TLA guns were beauts. But they didn't catch on. After over a century of telling folks that Colts and such weren't made for lefties, the last thing they wanted to accept is a right handed revolver.

[Griff]

I've always considered myself a lefty, but I happen to be slightly right eye dominant. So, I throw a ball left handed, bat left handed, use a pool cue with my right, bowl with either hand, shoot rifles, shotguns & pistols right handed... and write right handed thanks to a 1st grade teacher that forced me to. One oddity is that I shoot hoops left-handed, but my right hook shot is much better than my left, as least as far as distance & accuracy! Swimming, I always breathe to my right. So maybe ambidextrous, or at least ambiguous!

And have drooled over those Texas Longhorn guns for as long as I've known about them!

[Pat C]

Its interesting to me Im right handed and have always held the SAA in right hand tilted and loading with left hand spinning cylinder with trigger fingerp. Just seems unnatural to hold it in left hand and switch back to right to shoot.

[samsi]

I guess that I'm partially amphibious (sic!). I unload with it in my left hand but load in either hand, right-handed like Pat described above works for me also.

[Pat C]

Hey it worked for Blondie

[Ysabel Kid]

Seems that most of the younger people want autoloaders, and I rarely see revolvers now.

You don't need to feel alone. Come hang around with Scott and me. You be in revolver friendly country.

[Ysabel Kid]

Bill Grover - Texas Longhorn Arms - thought Mr. Colt was left-handed. And he built the TLA guns left-handed. They are works of art!

This is the West Texas Flattop Target Model

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Jim, thanks for sharing this! I have never seen a left-handed SAA (loading gate on the port side) before!

[JimT]

Bill started with a block of steel and built the guns from the ground up. They were amazing works of art. Finely fitted, accurate, well finished and good looking. I never fully got comfortable with the loading gate on the left side or the cylinder rotating to the left. But I loved shooting it. I took game with it, shot targets, shot out to 300 yards busting rocks. It was an amazing firearm.

[jeepnik]

As a southpaw, I actually doubt Sam Colt was left handed. I'm of the opinion that knowing folks would need more dexterity to put those itsy bitsy caps on the nipples, especially in times of stress, Colt set it up for the right hand to do all of the fine motor skills. I double he was that concerned about the very short time lost switching hands when the reloading process was pretty time consuming in itself.

Honestly, I think S&W with their top break action had the best idea. But the Smith's really weren't all that aesthetically pleasing and the Smith's were also sort of clunky in the hand. Strength wasn't really a consideration at the time as the top breaks had more than enough strength to handle the black powder cartridges.

My one question, is why Colt's didn't continue putting the safety notches in the cylinder when they went to fixed ammunition. I've heard things about cylinder size or rim size but in either case the relatively minor increase in diameter wouldn't have made bit of difference. Folks only make comments about cylinder size because they accept the way the 1873 was made as the way it should be.