Thanks for the information and sacrifice of your primers! As a trained and licensed professional gunsmith for 30 years, I can attest to the fact that the SAA safety notch is VERY robust. Very. After graduating from the gunsmithing school in Trinidad Colorado, I apprenticed under an old master gunsmith for four years. My "graduation" test was in the form of a box of parts of a Colt Single Action Army, many of which were from the 1880's. I was told to build a revolver from these parts and a block of walnut for the grip. I was given 48 hours. Among the parts, there was a .429" barrel and a .44 Spl cylinder. Two days later, I handed the compleated weapon to my mentor. After time on the range, I received a smile from the man and the pistol. All that said, I am quite sure that the safety notch is a sound and reliable feature of the Colt SAA. As much as I admire the Duke, he was simply acting and repeating a script, and not stating a physical fact. Now, y'all can argue that amongst yourselves. I'm outta here....
Keep in mind around the time he originally stated the load five. It was the hayday of Westerns and people were buying cowboy guns and had no clue how to actually use them. Several people lost toes or put holes in unitended places. It was a PSA for all those folks.
@@George-ue3er To be honest...there are a lot of people who don't know much about single actions, today, as well...and some of them are making videos "schooling" others about them.
Great video and demonstration. What's most puzzling to me is that your brass did not completely lock up in the cylinder. A very hard lockup/binding has happened every time I fired primed only brass unless I drilled the flash hole to 1/8 inch as I do for blank ammo.
Great demonstration. The 1870 Colt manual says it is "safe to carry" with the hammer in the safety notch.... The official army manual of the time also called for loading 6. I have found no evidence that loading 5 was a common practice in the 1800s. Modern reproductions have a transfer bar safety, so it's considered safe to carry 6 in a modern reproduction anyway.
Sam Colt put the safety notch there for a reason. Can't say for sure what the old timers did but I bet the majority wanted that 6th round more than they worried about an accidental discharge. But that's just my opinion.
Well...technically Sam was dead before this gun was ever designed, but Colt certainly put the safety notch in the design for the purpose of safely carrying 6. They marketed it as a 6 shooter.
@@therealhawkeyeii7888 That's true. I forgot that he had died before the 1873 was produced. But still it was put there for a reason. Personally I would carry it with the hammer on an empty chamber. That's the one thing I like about the Ruger Vaqueros etc. The transfer bar setup eliminates the issue.
I would AGREE 100% that the COLT SAA .45COLT loaded 6 rounds and hammer pulled back in the safety notch I would carry and feel safe and confident in doing so and with all due respect to Hickok45 and how he wants to carry his single action army pistols is his busyness but I also say to heck with that cowboy hollywood load bullshit especially if you're going to battle the gun holds 6 so shoot 6 !!!
It's a matter of personal comfort, I reckon. I have no issue with carrying 5...as a matter of fact, I've carried 5 in this one all day today. I take issue only with the contention that it is inherently unsafe to carry it the way it was designed, and that loading 5 was how "they all did it back in the day".
It takes so long to reload those things, that a tactical/combat reload was pretty much out of the question unless you could find some cover for a little while. I too have little doubt that the old timers carried 6, especially if they thought there was a reasonable chance they’d have to use it. The open-tops don’t have a notch, they have a pin in between the chambers, that goes into the slot in the hammer. The Remington types have notches. That doesn’t work very well with brass cartridges, and lo and behold that’s when the 1/4-cock safety notch shows up. As a side note, the notches are better/more positive (especially if you file down the bottom of the hammer just a little) but the pins are plenty positive enough for me. If you are worried, you can take your gun, lower the hammer onto the pin, and try to give it a good hard twist. If you can twist it onto a cylinder, maybe you’d better not use the pins. If it’s locked on there solid, you can decide for yourself what you’re comfortable with. Is 5 safer? Yes. Did some people carry 5? Probably. People thought about safety back then too, they just didn’t think about it in the same way we typically do now. Sure, you can break anything, if you try hard enough. The question is, how much force does it take to break it, and how likely is it that you will run across that force, and is that a risk you personally are willing to take.
Im carry on the safety notch moving forward. Ive been searching and searching for this information for a while and couldnt find anything. Came across this video by a miracle and confirmed what i was thinking. Thank for the video!
I've Always Carried Six rounds in my colts and colt reproductions with the hammer on the safety notch. If these guns were made for 5 rounds more than likely they would have been designed with a plugged chamber in the cylinder. Don't take my word for it read the old colt instruction Mauels. Thanks for all the great videos.
Something I noticed watching videos and browsing the internet is everyone is worried about the single action revolver safety notch. But almost everyone hates the push button safety on new lever actions and says "it was safe enough with a rebounding hammer." Its literally the same thing
It really is. Some may point out that the revolver notch isn't as robust and repeat the lie that it is therefore fragile...but Ive seen enough to the contrary to know they're wrong.
Excellent video Plowboy. The hammer safety notch on my 1st gen Colt SAA seems pretty darn sturdy. I never could understand all this talk of loading 5. Definitely a myth worth busting. The safety on my Uberti 1858 Remington however is an entirely different matter. The hammer skips back onto a cap with relative ease.
Great demo, my two Uberti 1873 colt clones have the same safety notch and they both work good, I’d trust them loaded with all 6 chambers while holstered, thanks for sharing Sir 👍🇺🇸
You did a really good demonstration and I think you made your point. I thought that if your revolver had a transfer bar mechanism, it was safe to load all six chambers. I've only owned one single action revolver to date, a Ruger New Model Blackhawk in .45 Long Colt. I bought it because I intended to join SASS but I ended up not joining and sold it. I will definitely keep this advice in mind should another single-action revolver follow me home in the future.
Thanks, James. Yeah, the transfer bar guns are generally good to go fully loaded. This is dealing with Colt 1873 pattern revolvers that don't have transfer bars.
Well, learned something here today..and I am a loyal Hickok45 fan and follower..not sure if I’ll load six in my pietta Californian or not but definitely interesting..love your vids. New sub.
There might be a time a man might need that other round. Myself I would always carry six and buy you a holster with a leather hammer loop another safety that will keep your gun from falling out of the holster if it is pulled tight. Wonder how many people have gotten killed because of a gun falling out of a holster compared to just plain accidental discharge. Just like a older marlin rifle, a safety notch was sufficient and they come along and put a extra safety on it. I agree with you one hundred percent. Take care.
absolutely true, but before you trust the SA on that point, test test and test again. And make sure there's no internal wear that won't stop the hammer solid!
Back in the 70's you rarely heard anyone speak of the load one skip one ssa loading and when you did it was because they were a member of a club that required it for safety. When cas became extremely popular is when when this nonsense spread like wildfire and then enter the internet and especially youtube where fanboys not only follow fanboys, but spread their ideaology as fact and then you end up with history rewritten...you know like it has been with the 45 Colt...now it's the 45 long and so on.
There are a lot of things that aren't 100% accurate that get spread as truth on these here interwebz. Before the internet, our gun perceptions were shaped and distorted by mostly gun writers and gun store personnel.
@@plowboysghostand by politicians and news media who blame the gun rather than the irresponsible adult who left a loaded gun where a toddler could get it.
There are certain Uberti single action revolvers, like the 1875 Remingtons, that have a safety bar inside the hammer. When the hammer is put on the safety notch, a spring-loaded bar of solid steel is put between the hammer and the frame, meaning that bar would have to be squished for the firing pin to strike the primer if six are loaded. That seems pretty safe to me.
Dang right. I think alot of the load 5 came from “The Shootist” and old wives’ tales. I taught my kids to load 5 because they were young and we used blackpowder cap n ball pistols AND no critters were gonna come bite us. Preaching load 5 I doubt jives with history. I load 6 in my peacemaker when at bear camp.
The issue with the SAA is that trigger nose that fits into the safety notch is fairly fragile. In the cases where I've heard of the gun firing, it was because trigger nose snapped and then the gun could fire.
Most people back when they came out they carried 6. I do also. That has been passed down through the generations. They are made with 6 and they used all 6 and our family used them . I still do .I live on a farm and use a 45 all the time. I don't live in no subdivision or city. My guns get used . Load 6 first click then kill the dick as my great paw paw always said. Sincerely from one Johnny Reb to another. 👍
I'd say it's pretty much a given that if you were riding in territory where the possibility of indian or outlaw attack was present, you're running six. No way cavalry going out against hostiles was running 5. They also had flap holsters throughout.
Thanks for the demo. I will load 5 because that's my habit though there is no doubt that if I were carrying it with the potential of having to use it defensively, I'd absolutely load 6.
@@rccola200 Why would you not carry something with more capacity while being smaller and semi-automatic? Cool factor isn't really a consideration when it comes to actually protecting yourself.
A revolver is always ready even on an empty cylinder. You don't need to chamber a round like semi autos. That said, I'm not a fan of short changing your round count.
Locked and cocked since 1911. Also if it was meant to be a five shot revolver for "safety", then why oh why wasn't it designed with five bored through, with the 6th a solid with nothing more than a firing pin notch in the center of it?
The 1873 Colt has a very large and strong notch. So do the Win 92 Levergun and the 1890 Gallery gun. When I carry those guns I use and trust the safety notch. There is something about thumbing back the hammer to full cock that promotes fuller deliberation and concentration.
I have 2 sa revolvers but don't know much about them. I have a chiappa 22 10 that i have a problem loading bcuz when in half cock the cylinder doesn't always spin to load so i have to hold the hammer while loading which i know ain't safe so i aim it in a safe direction while loading at the range. What can i do to fix it? I also just got a ruger blackhawk 357 3 screw revolver. Haven't shot it yet and not sure how many clicks it has but this one seems to spin fine in half cock to load. Do they have the safety cock?
A good example of the real world imitating Hollywood (John Wayne) I’ve always suspected that most of these cases were people who did not know, did not understanding the purpose of the first click (safety notch) or had thought they had put it in that notch but had somehow missed that notch altogether and unintentionally rested the hammer right on a round. That first click the hammer is only barely raised and someone might accidentally miss that the hammer was not set in that notch.
I’ve taken a habit of filing a small notch into the rims of several cases and resting the firing pin Between cases. Is an old Cowboy trick I picked up from an old family friend. I’ve safely carried 6 in my Single Action revolver that way for years.
@@plowboysghost give it a bash. The notch needn’t be very big, just enough to ‘nest” the fixed firing pin between case rims. Load as you would normally, with the first cartridge having the notch(facing left) centered in the cylinder. When you load the last round, hold the cylinder centered (between chambres) and lower the hammer carefully, it should drop right centre in that notch. You can then safely holster your revolver and carry it safely, fully loaded. No additional steps required for use.
I often Ask those who Contest this fact... If Colt Put a mid notch safety feature on their PC models, then why would they completely ignore any safety feature, on their cartridge models? I have yet, to get an answer to that question.
@@jeremystake4733 Ok, by that line of thinking, then zero rounds loaded is the ONLY safe way to carry. How efficient is that to someone, who uses the revolver, for a defensive tool? If colt had intended for that, they would have manufactured the cylinder, with a dead chamber.
I have two SAA clones. One is an EMF 22lr that holds 10 rounds. The other one I just got is a Cimarron Pistolero. Both of them have a "Safety Notch". I haven't heard of anyone else refer to it this way (as a Safety Notch) but I thought that was what it was. Thanks. And for the record, I would trust the safety notch, if I was going to carry either one of these guns. Truth is that I have them just because I like them, and I need one or the other when I'm watching a cowboy movie. Thanks.
I tried commenting to Mr. Hickock about this and the “cowboy load” he speaks of from John Wayne being mainly a Hollywood load and not necessarily historically accurate and he would have none of it lol
From my personal interactions and dealings with Hickok, he's a great guy who relays info to the best of his knowledge, with the best of intentions and a keen awareness of his responsibility to his viewers to lead them in the safest direction. He, like myself, is limited in the scope of his knowledge. We all are. This subject is a matter of long standing belief for some and they don't feel comfortable changing. That's fine....but comfort and long standing belief don't always walk hand in hand with historical precedent and purpose of design. The fact is, the '73 Colt SAA was designed and marketed to be a six-shooter with a safety notch to facilitate the safe carrying of six rounds. The safety notch isn't "fragile"...so long as there's no serious mechanical or metallurgical defect. He would rather hang onto what he believes, and that's a-okay. I frequently find out I'm wrong about something and strive to embrace the truth...and that's a-okay, too.
To be perfectly honest, even though that 1-1-4 is not accurate, better to be safe than sorry in carrying a single action revolver, whether it be a Colt or clone, a Remington copy or Schofield copy By the way, if you owned a Uberti or Pietta clone with a retractable or "floating" firing pin, would you still carry five in it?
The 1873 SAA has the exact same parts, mechanics, and field of arms as the C&B revolvers. Colt C&B revolvers were designed for all 5 or 6 chambers to be loaded with the hammer resting on the safety pin between the chambers ( similar to the Remington safety notches). The 1873 SAA in .45 Colt and .44-40 were designed to be carried with all 6 chambers loaded and the hammer down with the firing pin resting between the cartridge rims. The safety notch is for safety during uncocking or loading in case the hammer was to slip.
Well...the mechanism of the '51/ '60 and the '73 are very close, but with the 1873 having a safety notch on the hammer that the earlier cap and ball guns do not. None of my .45 Colt SAA clones will hold the firing pin/hammer nose between case rims. The cap and ball Colts '51 and '60 were designed to be carried between chambers, the '73 in the safety notch. Colt's own literature from as late as the 1930's clearly states that it was designed to be carried in the safety notch.
@@plowboysghost I think the repros firing pin is a little more robust at the tip than the originals. Mine can do it with certain ammo. It works best with .44s. I think that habit was due to a hold over from the open tops and C&B days. People didn't trust the notch for carrying all the time.
@@George-ue3er More people distrust the notch today than they did in 1885, I'd bet....due to falsehoods being taught throughout the 20th and into the 21st Centuries.
The only problem I have with this, is when people say to carry it on the half cock position. That is wrong! Safety notch ok fine. Wanna carry 5 in the cylinder and rest on the empty, again sure fine whatever, floats your boat. As for me, if that gun holds six rounds you can bet if I have it on me then it’s going to have all 6 in the cylinder. As there is no substation for experience and familiarity with one’s gun, so that you build confidence in the gun and how to safely carry and use it. That said if you are not confident with the gun, then either don’t use it or use a gun you have enough experience with so that you are confident with it. That’s just my two cents as some one job required them to carry a gun, to protect the lives of others.
I suppose the reality is that you could load 6 if you’re going to be in the field and feel you need the 6th round, and the weapon will be securely holstered until it’s either fired or unloaded. Otherwise, load 5 for safety.
The Army Ordnance manual did not have anything about 5 vs 6. I thought it was there as well.( Mandela effect) I have read the entire ordinance manual. the only part that broke was the half Notch. it was listed as a manufacturer defect. there was nothing saying to load 5 vs 6. Duke, garrett and i went over it. its not there. Plus i dont see the army spending all this money on this expensive revolver, and not force colt to fix it. if this really was a problem. It would be the revolvers biggest flaw. they made a lot of changes to the SAA. why did they not fix this massive flaw. The first time i have seen anything about 5 vs 6 was after ww2. Thanks for the shout out. I to would love to see A American do his test. I still plan on doing my test someday. i just need to buy a SAA replica. I Just couldn't do it to original first gen colts.
Where I got that: sceti.library.upenn.edu/fairmanrogers/pdfs/cavalrydrillre00unit.pdf Cavalry Drill Regulations United States Army -adopted Oct. 3, 1891 Page 60... "173. Habitually the pistol will be loaded with only five ball cartridges and the hammer lowered on the empty chamber."
i have a 1858 remington and it locks between cylinders even with the converter to 45 colt best part i can switch the cylinders faster then u can reload a revolver. i also have a 22 frontier and it is a small gun to the 45 frontier
I always wondered why the percussion revolvers like the 51 Navy and the 60 army and so on the way they were internally designed. There was a notch in between cylinders that allowed you to rest the hammer in a safe spot. I thought it was weird that when they designed the new Colt single action 1873 there was no safety on it. So you have to carry five rounds instead of six further limiting the capacity. I always thought that was stupid. I mean it made sense but it was stupid. This answers that question. Pulling the hammer back once that is the safety and when they design this the holsters at the time had a flap that would go down over it completely covering the revolver therefore the hammer is not exposed to anything that can potentially pull it back further or smack it forward. So that's how Colt designed. It pulled the hammer back one time and now it's on safe. Makes sense. I mean it's not ideal or perfect but it makes sense. I guess it depends on what you're doing too. If you're a soldier who's marching or riding a horse, this would be the optimal way of carrying it with all six rounds. But if you're a rancher or farmer and you're mostly going to be working then perhaps loading five and resting on an empty chamber would be the best thing for you.
It makes sense that the army would have that 5 load rule. But if you're an average man in the west, would it do any good to have the first cylinder empty when you might need to get the first shot off? I'm a neophyte regarding 6 shooters. But do enjoy the videos, ready to learn. I don't keep my El Patron loaded at all unless I'm going to the range (my father in laws farm). I do keep all my semi-autos loaded though, in case of home invasion. No matter which one I pick, it's ready to run.
It is fine to carry 5 or 6 depending on the circumstances and your personal preference today. However one thing Texas Cowboys didn't carry for the most part weren't 18 dollar Colts, A half month pay when a 1860 Army of 51 Navy was available for pennies on the dollar and ammo was a nickle maybe and on the three month trail with no place to buy any when a bar off lead and a pound of powder could load the whole outfit up. No-one wasted a shot to spook the herd into a fatal stampede. No soldier in hostile territory would carry his 1873 and handicap himself with 5 rounds when his dead mutilated body was at stake. SAFETY first but lawsuits rule the thinking these days and governing internet rules. Our host is a man
Your welcome.. I was a Regular Army Soldier and my observation written on when to load and where is based on my personal experience. Lawsuits are driving our present day invironment in our civilian life and most of us can't afford the cost of an innocent word spoken against the new world order and their degenerates out to put women clothes on all us men. You have many friends here up North who enjoy your efforts..
I load 5 but, BUT……nice to know there’s an option. My Cimmeron Model P only has 3 clicks but does have a safety notch. Not sure what that has to do with anything
Typically, the 3 click Ubertis are the Cattleman II guns, and the first notch on those is half cock..a notch in which they should never be carried. It's important to be certain of what you have. (Since I've not seen/examined yours, I strive to give advice in caution. I don't ever want to inspire someone to do something that gets them or anyone else hurt)
@@plowboysghost you’re correct. It’s a half cock. My bad. I’ve only ever carried it down on an empty anyway but again, nice knowing the difference. Thanks.
I have monetized recently (ain't seen a dime of it yet) but I don't have ads selected for during run time. They're supposed to be at the ends only. There's not much more irritating to me than trying to watch something and having ad breaks every 90-240 seconds of run time.
I just scored some lg pistol primers a month ago online! Maybe they will show up regularly shortly. Not like I'm running out, it's just that I feel uneasy when things like primers, toilet paper, wipes and food are not readily available.
@@plowboysghost when this mess started, there was a store down here in LA that had supplies when others already ran out....I bought some but I should've bought a lifetime supply. Hind sight is 20/20...these cost me 3x what they were a couple of years ago.
If you feel this is a relevant test which would make you feel safer. Someone pointing a colt single action with nothing in the chamber beating on the hammer or one with a live round with the safety engaged but whacking on the hammer?
I would "feel" safer not pointing a gun at anyone, unloaded or not. More important than how I "feel" are the following: Is pointing an unloaded gun at someone REALLY "unsafe" in relation to whether or not someone can be harmed by that unloaded gun? No. Is carrying this gun in my video fully loaded with the hammer in the safety notch "unsafe" ? No. Is that notch fragile? Obviously not. QUITE obviously not. Are the "experts" correct in their claim that the notch is fragile, or that the "cowboy load" was THE way everyone carried them in the day? No. Are there a WHOLE LOT of know it all folks incensed when they're proven wrong? Yep.
if you go w/ the old military doctrine seen w/ the early 1903s and Enfields etc w/ mag cut-off then hammer on empty chamber could go w/ reloading (rd by rd topping off) as you cock to fire the empty comes under the gate and you can load it then also after the next shot w/ an added eject empty load new process to have continuous full cylinder like the classic painting of a wilderness mailman having shot 7+ wolves in self defense
That was probably not very good for the internals of this handgun to whack that hammer so many times in the safe condition, one or 2 taps may have been OK but not so many and with the working end of the hammer.
I heard an interview with Wyatt Earp talking about gunfighters in his heyday and he said all the serious gunfighters had the hammer on an empty chamber. Whether that meant everyone, I doubt it, but that is a historical reference that I would place trust in. It may be overly cautious, but as Whatt said, “a real gunfighter had too much respect for his gun to take a chance.” Just food for thought.
I'll reply. This took a lot for me to do so. I've several Generation 1 Colt SAA's My favorite, is a 1898 model, which was built by Colt, and issued to the Bisbee Mining Company. This pistol didn't have a firing pin on the hammer, it was a flat hammer, with a 4 notch hammer. It was issued in .38 Long Colt, and later modified to .38 Special, in smokeless. It's been in my family since it's issue. It is absolutely not safe on the safety notch, or the half cock. Again, this is a flat hammer SAA My great, great grandfather, Erastus Ferguson, personally sold the firearm to one of the Earp Brothers, in 1905, for about 35 dollars. That person left southern Arizona shortly after and sold it back to my family for 13 dollars. A huge depreciation for the time. Said Great, Great, Grandfather ended up moving back to southern Indiana. The firearm remained his 'desk gun' in Edinburgh Indiana for many years.... I acquired it after my father passed in the late 2010's
You have to thumb cock it for the first shot, the first shot is NEVER the one under the hammer because when you cock it, it rotates to the next chamber. So... it's not like carrying an auto with an empty chamber. Carrying 5 or 6, you still have the same exact movement to get that first shot off.
The safety notch might work i am still going with 5. The safety notch did not take a sturip falling down on a 3 gen colt. The guy was saddleing up he used the big metal sturips. It fell hit the gun nice little 38 spc slug in the leg. Could have been worse could have had 357 ammo in it.
One of the guys I shoot archery with has a limp, he said he did the wild west show in the town. He was in his kitchen practicing his spin with his colt, and dropped it shot him in the calf and came out his knee had it loaded, he said that his whole family was there, he said that he was lucky and I agree
Well another good video.. they called em 6 shooters for a reason .. now if they was practicing twirling them around on their finger I can see loading 5 .. the guns made with the transfer bars iv seen ppl loading 5 ... it's like Ruger come out with the new model with the loading gate letting the cylinder spin because ppl was afraid of cocking the hammer to free the cylinder... number 1 gun rule you are the safety.... not something mechanical
Excellent video!! I don't know how hard you or Hickok 45 had to hit the primer to set it off. But I remember way back in middle school, around 1980, I classmate brought primers to school. He set them off by setting them on the sidewalk and hitting them with his plastic comb. Dumb, I know, but it didn't seem like much to set them off. That being said, the Alec Baldwin incident, why is it so far fetched that his gun went off without him pulling the trigger. Maybe he bumped the hammer somehow. I am not an Alec Baldwin fan. I don't actually like him. He seems too arrogant. But the main issue is why were there live rounds on set and who brought them onto the set. That is the real person at fault. Even more so than the armoror.
I don't like him either, but he attempted to place the blame on the design of the gun. In doing so, he took arrogance to a new level. I knew he was a liar before I saw footage of his gun handling seconds before he shot two people. I knew he was full of shite before the gun he used was tested by investigators and found to not be defective in any way....and that the only way it could go off was for the trigger to be pulled.
I hear what you're saying about it being safer when you compare it to carrying with an empty chamber on a semi auto, but it's not really a fair comparison when you talk about being in a state of readiness. With a semi auto you wouldn't have to rack the slide if you keep one round in the chamber, so leaving the chamber empty creates an extra step to get ready to shoot. With a SAA however, it doesn't matter if that chamber is loaded or not, you still have to cock the hammer first either way. Which will rotate the cylinder to a loaded chamber. You're not creating any extra steps by resting your hammer on an empty chamber. The readiness process remains the same. The only disadvantage you are introducing is limiting your shots from 6 to 5. With that said, they put that safety notch there for a reason. If they didn't intend for you to load six and use the safety notch, then there would be no reason to have the safety notch there in the first place. Good video, thanks for being willing to take a hammer to your revolver to demonstrate this for us!
i have three single action six.....i will load six in my tools...in any case if a person decides to carry five or six in their tool that is their choice....as long as the person is safe then that is all that matters..
Can I ask why you only put 5 rounds in. That really is only and was only used back in the cowboy days mostly because of wearing the gun all the time and might hit the hammer by mistake and fire a round. Or maybe now a days if you are wearing it or riding or something else that might set it off. But you are at a firing range why not use all 6. No need for 5 there.
A foot and a half isn't a very high drop. This video should be renamed "Famous Last Words". LOL! According to Master Gunsmith and Instructor Robert Dunlap of the American Gunsmithing Institute, it is the trigger sear that is most likely to break when the gun is dropped on the hammer or bumped. With use over time metal develops stress cracks. A brand new gun may not have a problem, unless a batch of triggers had contaminated metal or were not heat treated properly. That's why a new gun has a warranty. But if you don't put your hammer on the empty chamber of your SAA when you drop it, you may not be around to take advantage of the warranty. I have an SAA. When I put it on the "SAFETY NOTCH" (LOL) the firing pin protrudes through the hole because many used guns have sear/notch wear. I bought the gun used. I have no need to repair it because I never have and will never load 6, and I never use the safety notch. Please, never let anyone touch your SAA until they know how to load it the right way. Clear enough?!
100% of NDs happen on a loaded chamber but if youre carrying SAA and using a safety notch then youre 2 steps from firing -- cock hammer then pull trigger even tho you can do both together
Thanks for the information and sacrifice of your primers! As a trained and licensed professional gunsmith for 30 years, I can attest to the fact that the SAA safety notch is VERY robust. Very. After graduating from the gunsmithing school in Trinidad Colorado, I apprenticed under an old master gunsmith for four years. My "graduation" test was in the form of a box of parts of a Colt Single Action Army, many of which were from the 1880's. I was told to build a revolver from these parts and a block of walnut for the grip. I was given 48 hours. Among the parts, there was a .429" barrel and a .44 Spl cylinder. Two days later, I handed the compleated weapon to my mentor. After time on the range, I received a smile from the man and the pistol. All that said, I am quite sure that the safety notch is a sound and reliable feature of the Colt SAA.
As much as I admire the Duke, he was simply acting and repeating a script, and not stating a physical fact. Now, y'all can argue that amongst yourselves. I'm outta here....
Exactly. Thanks!
Keep in mind around the time he originally stated the load five. It was the hayday of Westerns and people were buying cowboy guns and had no clue how to actually use them. Several people lost toes or put holes in unitended places. It was a PSA for all those folks.
@@George-ue3er To be honest...there are a lot of people who don't know much about single actions, today, as well...and some of them are making videos "schooling" others about them.
Laymen here, so did you bore out the barrel or restrict the cylinder or is .429" the actual bore diameter of nominal .44caliber rounds?
.429" is the standard groove diameter of that caliber. And the throats of all six chambers matched as well. Made for a very accurate shooter.
“THOUGH SHALL NOT TEMPT NOR CHALLENGE THE HICKOK45.”
-Hickok 4:5
🤣
Old story that cowboys would carry 5 loaded and a rolled up bill in the 6th as burying money. Probably a myth
i heard that too
Great video and demonstration. What's most puzzling to me is that your brass did not completely lock up in the cylinder. A very hard lockup/binding has happened every time I fired primed only brass unless I drilled the flash hole to 1/8 inch as I do for blank ammo.
It usually does. I don't know how I avoided that outcome here.
Great demonstration. The 1870 Colt manual says it is "safe to carry" with the hammer in the safety notch.... The official army manual of the time also called for loading 6. I have found no evidence that loading 5 was a common practice in the 1800s. Modern reproductions have a transfer bar safety, so it's considered safe to carry 6 in a modern reproduction anyway.
Sam Colt put the safety notch there for a reason. Can't say for sure what the old timers did but I bet the majority wanted that 6th round more than they worried about an accidental discharge. But that's just my opinion.
Well...technically Sam was dead before this gun was ever designed, but Colt certainly put the safety notch in the design for the purpose of safely carrying 6. They marketed it as a 6 shooter.
While I agree that the safety notch is there for a reason, and it's reliable, Sam was long dead by the time Colt engineers came up with the idea.
@@therealhawkeyeii7888 That's true. I forgot that he had died before the 1873 was produced. But still it was put there for a reason. Personally I would carry it with the hammer on an empty chamber. That's the one thing I like about the Ruger Vaqueros etc. The transfer bar setup eliminates the issue.
I would AGREE 100% that the COLT SAA .45COLT loaded 6 rounds and hammer pulled back in the safety notch I would carry and feel safe and confident in doing so and with all due respect to Hickok45 and how he wants to carry his single action army pistols is his busyness but I also say to heck with that cowboy hollywood load bullshit especially if you're going to battle the gun holds 6 so shoot 6 !!!
It's a matter of personal comfort, I reckon. I have no issue with carrying 5...as a matter of fact, I've carried 5 in this one all day today.
I take issue only with the contention that it is inherently unsafe to carry it the way it was designed, and that loading 5 was how "they all did it back in the day".
It takes so long to reload those things, that a tactical/combat reload was pretty much out of the question unless you could find some cover for a little while.
I too have little doubt that the old timers carried 6, especially if they thought there was a reasonable chance they’d have to use it.
The open-tops don’t have a notch, they have a pin in between the chambers, that goes into the slot in the hammer. The Remington types have notches. That doesn’t work very well with brass cartridges, and lo and behold that’s when the 1/4-cock safety notch shows up. As a side note, the notches are better/more positive (especially if you file down the bottom of the hammer just a little) but the pins are plenty positive enough for me. If you are worried, you can take your gun, lower the hammer onto the pin, and try to give it a good hard twist. If you can twist it onto a cylinder, maybe you’d better not use the pins. If it’s locked on there solid, you can decide for yourself what you’re comfortable with.
Is 5 safer? Yes. Did some people carry 5? Probably. People thought about safety back then too, they just didn’t think about it in the same way we typically do now.
Sure, you can break anything, if you try hard enough. The question is, how much force does it take to break it, and how likely is it that you will run across that force, and is that a risk you personally are willing to take.
Im carry on the safety notch moving forward. Ive been searching and searching for this information for a while and couldnt find anything. Came across this video by a miracle and confirmed what i was thinking. Thank for the video!
I've Always Carried Six rounds in my colts and colt reproductions with the hammer on the safety notch. If these guns were made for 5 rounds more than likely they would have been designed with a plugged chamber in the cylinder. Don't take my word for it read the old colt instruction Mauels. Thanks for all the great videos.
Thank you!
Something I noticed watching videos and browsing the internet is everyone is worried about the single action revolver safety notch. But almost everyone hates the push button safety on new lever actions and says "it was safe enough with a rebounding hammer." Its literally the same thing
It really is. Some may point out that the revolver notch isn't as robust and repeat the lie that it is therefore fragile...but Ive seen enough to the contrary to know they're wrong.
Excellent video Plowboy. The hammer safety notch on my 1st gen Colt SAA seems pretty darn sturdy. I never could understand all this talk of loading 5. Definitely a myth worth busting. The safety on my Uberti 1858 Remington however is an entirely different matter. The hammer skips back onto a cap with relative ease.
Great demo, my two Uberti 1873 colt clones have the same safety notch and they both work good, I’d trust them loaded with all 6 chambers while holstered, thanks for sharing Sir 👍🇺🇸
Thank you.
You did a really good demonstration and I think you made your point. I thought that if your revolver had a transfer bar mechanism, it was safe to load all six chambers. I've only owned one single action revolver to date, a Ruger New Model Blackhawk in .45 Long Colt. I bought it because I intended to join SASS but I ended up not joining and sold it. I will definitely keep this advice in mind should another single-action revolver follow me home in the future.
Thanks, James.
Yeah, the transfer bar guns are generally good to go fully loaded. This is dealing with Colt 1873 pattern revolvers that don't have transfer bars.
Well, learned something here today..and I am a loyal Hickok45 fan and follower..not sure if I’ll load six in my pietta Californian or not but definitely interesting..love your vids. New sub.
There might be a time a man might need that other round. Myself I would always carry six and buy you a holster with a leather hammer loop another safety that will keep your gun from falling out of the holster if it is pulled tight. Wonder how many people have gotten killed because of a gun falling out of a holster compared to just plain accidental discharge. Just like a older marlin rifle, a safety notch was sufficient and they come along and put a extra safety on it. I agree with you one hundred percent. Take care.
Hammer thongs definitely help.
absolutely true, but before you trust the SA on that point, test test and test again. And make sure there's no internal wear that won't stop the hammer solid!
@@paul55austria51 Solid advice.
Back in the 70's you rarely heard anyone speak of the load one skip one ssa loading and when you did it was because they were a member of a club that required it for safety. When cas became extremely popular is when when this nonsense spread like wildfire and then enter the internet and especially youtube where fanboys not only follow fanboys, but spread their ideaology as fact and then you end up with history rewritten...you know like it has been with the 45 Colt...now it's the 45 long and so on.
There are a lot of things that aren't 100% accurate that get spread as truth on these here interwebz. Before the internet, our gun perceptions were shaped and distorted by mostly gun writers and gun store personnel.
@@plowboysghostand by politicians and news media who blame the gun rather than the irresponsible adult who left a loaded gun where a toddler could get it.
Good video. I am trying to learn as much as possible before I buy my first 4 click .45 lc. And I always carried a 1911A1 with one in the stack.
Yes sir totally agree that's the way I was taught from a boy I always loaded 6
That's a nice discussion and demo. Thanks for doing it!
Safer still completely unloaded. It’s a gun, it’s supposed to be dangerous. Best safety is still between your ears.
Agreed.
Took me a minute to realize you’re talking about the brain, and not putting the gun to your forehead lol
Thanks for the demonstration!!
Thanks for taking time to watch and comment!
There are certain Uberti single action revolvers, like the 1875 Remingtons, that have a safety bar inside the hammer. When the hammer is put on the safety notch, a spring-loaded bar of solid steel is put between the hammer and the frame, meaning that bar would have to be squished for the firing pin to strike the primer if six are loaded. That seems pretty safe to me.
I run my 1875 with six for that reason.
Good point about the army saying the 1911 should be loaded with an empty chamber
"we're not gonna Alec Baldwin anybody."
Dang right. I think alot of the load 5 came from “The Shootist” and old wives’ tales. I taught my kids to load 5 because they were young and we used blackpowder cap n ball pistols AND no critters were gonna come bite us. Preaching load 5 I doubt jives with history. I load 6 in my peacemaker when at bear camp.
Good stuff. Thanks for taking the time to show everyone this.
Thanks, my friend.
The issue with the SAA is that trigger nose that fits into the safety notch is fairly fragile. In the cases where I've heard of the gun firing, it was because trigger nose snapped and then the gun could fire.
Very good video. I hope we can get a.r. American enough money I think that video would break the internet
I hope so.
Thanks! 🍻
Thanks for taking the time mr. plowboysghost to demo as it becomes much more clearer than just talking about it. Be safe and well sir!
Thank you.
Safety notch is rated fpr 20,000lbs of force or a drop from 12-14 feet
Good testing, I always cary revolvers that don't have transfer bars with the hammer down over an empty chamber. Unless I'm shooting then I load 6.
Thanks. I carried this same gun all day today...with 5 loaded.......for now.
This pertains to the old model rugers too...great video!
Thanks!
Most people back when they came out they carried 6. I do also. That has been passed down through the generations. They are made with 6 and they used all 6 and our family used them . I still do .I live on a farm and use a 45 all the time. I don't live in no subdivision or city. My guns get used . Load 6 first click then kill the dick as my great paw paw always said. Sincerely from one Johnny Reb to another. 👍
Your G, Grandfather sounds like my kind of feller.
Traitor is quicker to write than johnny reb.
Does anyone have any evidence of someone getting shot by their single action army that was on halfcock? I haven’t found it.
I'd say it's pretty much a given that if you were riding in territory where the possibility of indian or outlaw attack was present, you're running six. No way cavalry going out against hostiles was running 5. They also had flap holsters throughout.
Guaranteed.
@@plowboysghost That and Colt is aware of this issue and builds the system to take that into account.
Interesting suject , good points and demonstration. Out of habit I carry five in SAA.
Thank you.
Thanks for the demo. I will load 5 because that's my habit though there is no doubt that if I were carrying it with the potential of having to use it defensively, I'd absolutely load 6.
Sounds like a plan!
Ok but why would you ever carry a revolver as your self defense gun lmao
@@Thatonedude227 why not? Rideculous question
@@Thatonedude227dumb question. Because when i squeeze the weapon to your face. Less of your face exists. Got it?
@@rccola200 Why would you not carry something with more capacity while being smaller and semi-automatic? Cool factor isn't really a consideration when it comes to actually protecting yourself.
Poor Yosemite Sam. Bugs always has a seven shooter in the cartoons.
😁
A revolver is always ready even on an empty cylinder. You don't need to chamber a round like semi autos. That said, I'm not a fan of short changing your round count.
Locked and cocked since 1911. Also if it was meant to be a five shot revolver for "safety", then why oh why wasn't it designed with five bored through, with the 6th a solid with nothing more than a firing pin notch in the center of it?
Thank you for the demo
Thanks for watching.
The 1873 Colt has a very large and strong notch. So do the Win 92 Levergun and the 1890 Gallery gun. When I carry those guns I use and trust the safety notch. There is something about thumbing back the hammer to full cock that promotes fuller deliberation and concentration.
Agreed
I have 2 sa revolvers but don't know much about them. I have a chiappa 22 10 that i have a problem loading bcuz when in half cock the cylinder doesn't always spin to load so i have to hold the hammer while loading which i know ain't safe so i aim it in a safe direction while loading at the range. What can i do to fix it? I also just got a ruger blackhawk 357 3 screw revolver. Haven't shot it yet and not sure how many clicks it has but this one seems to spin fine in half cock to load. Do they have the safety cock?
A good example of the real world imitating Hollywood (John Wayne)
I’ve always suspected that most of these cases were people who did not know, did not understanding the purpose of the first click (safety notch) or had thought they had put it in that notch but had somehow missed that notch altogether and unintentionally rested the hammer right on a round. That first click the hammer is only barely raised and someone might accidentally miss that the hammer was not set in that notch.
I’ve taken a habit of filing a small notch into the rims of several cases and resting the firing pin Between cases. Is an old Cowboy trick I picked up from an old family friend. I’ve safely carried 6 in my Single Action revolver that way for years.
Interesting....
@@plowboysghost give it a bash. The notch needn’t be very big, just enough to ‘nest” the fixed firing pin between case rims. Load as you would normally, with the first cartridge having the notch(facing left) centered in the cylinder. When you load the last round, hold the cylinder centered (between chambres) and lower the hammer carefully, it should drop right centre in that notch. You can then safely holster your revolver and carry it safely, fully loaded. No additional steps required for use.
I often Ask those who Contest this fact... If Colt Put a mid notch safety feature on their PC models, then why would they completely ignore any safety feature, on their cartridge models? I have yet, to get an answer to that question.
Because safety notches can give and fail,may not be probable,but totally safe is better than probably
@@jeremystake4733 Ok, by that line of thinking, then zero rounds loaded is the ONLY safe way to carry. How efficient is that to someone, who uses the revolver, for a defensive tool? If colt had intended for that, they would have manufactured the cylinder, with a dead chamber.
so is there a safety notch on most SAAs?
I know it was invented earlier than 1873
so Ive wondered why they didnt use it
I have two SAA clones. One is an EMF 22lr that holds 10 rounds. The other one I just got is a Cimarron Pistolero. Both of them have a "Safety Notch". I haven't heard of anyone else refer to it this way (as a Safety Notch) but I thought that was what it was. Thanks. And for the record, I would trust the safety notch, if I was going to carry either one of these guns. Truth is that I have them just because I like them, and I need one or the other when I'm watching a cowboy movie. Thanks.
Thank YOU 🍻
I tried commenting to Mr. Hickock about this and the “cowboy load” he speaks of from John Wayne being mainly a Hollywood load and not necessarily historically accurate and he would have none of it lol
From my personal interactions and dealings with Hickok, he's a great guy who relays info to the best of his knowledge, with the best of intentions and a keen awareness of his responsibility to his viewers to lead them in the safest direction.
He, like myself, is limited in the scope of his knowledge. We all are.
This subject is a matter of long standing belief for some and they don't feel comfortable changing. That's fine....but comfort and long standing belief don't always walk hand in hand with historical precedent and purpose of design.
The fact is, the '73 Colt SAA was designed and marketed to be a six-shooter with a safety notch to facilitate the safe carrying of six rounds.
The safety notch isn't "fragile"...so long as there's no serious mechanical or metallurgical defect.
He would rather hang onto what he believes, and that's a-okay.
I frequently find out I'm wrong about something and strive to embrace the truth...and that's a-okay, too.
To be perfectly honest, even though that 1-1-4 is not accurate, better to be safe than sorry in carrying a single action revolver, whether it be a Colt or clone, a Remington copy or Schofield copy
By the way, if you owned a Uberti or Pietta clone with a retractable or "floating" firing pin, would you still carry five in it?
I did own one and carried 6, but I got enough light strikes to defeat the retractable part of the system and didn't keep the gun long.
I had the same problem with light strikes so replaced the hammer to make it a 4 click.
The 1873 SAA has the exact same parts, mechanics, and field of arms as the C&B revolvers.
Colt C&B revolvers were designed for all 5 or 6 chambers to be loaded with the hammer resting on the safety pin between the chambers ( similar to the Remington safety notches). The 1873 SAA in .45 Colt and .44-40 were designed to be carried with all 6 chambers loaded and the hammer down with the firing pin resting between the cartridge rims. The safety notch is for safety during uncocking or loading in case the hammer was to slip.
Well...the mechanism of the '51/ '60 and the '73 are very close, but with the 1873 having a safety notch on the hammer that the earlier cap and ball guns do not. None of my .45 Colt SAA clones will hold the firing pin/hammer nose between case rims. The cap and ball Colts '51 and '60 were designed to be carried between chambers, the '73 in the safety notch.
Colt's own literature from as late as the 1930's clearly states that it was designed to be carried in the safety notch.
@@plowboysghost I think the repros firing pin is a little more robust at the tip than the originals. Mine can do it with certain ammo. It works best with .44s. I think that habit was due to a hold over from the open tops and C&B days. People didn't trust the notch for carrying all the time.
@@George-ue3er More people distrust the notch today than they did in 1885, I'd bet....due to falsehoods being taught throughout the 20th and into the 21st Centuries.
I think it's more to do with very poor quality early single action copies.
The only problem I have with this, is when people say to carry it on the half cock position. That is wrong! Safety notch ok fine. Wanna carry 5 in the cylinder and rest on the empty, again sure fine whatever, floats your boat. As for me, if that gun holds six rounds you can bet if I have it on me then it’s going to have all 6 in the cylinder. As there is no substation for experience and familiarity with one’s gun, so that you build confidence in the gun and how to safely carry and use it. That said if you are not confident with the gun, then either don’t use it or use a gun you have enough experience with so that you are confident with it. That’s just my two cents as some one job required them to carry a gun, to protect the lives of others.
I’ve carried 5 in a SAA or Old Model Ruger for more than 40 years. I’m just comfortable doing it that way and I’m probably too old to change.:-)
Completely understandable.
I suppose the reality is that you could load 6 if you’re going to be in the field and feel you need the 6th round, and the weapon will be securely holstered until it’s either fired or unloaded. Otherwise, load 5 for safety.
However one feels best with it is the way they should carry it.
The safety notch is safer than a lot of people have been led to believe.
Yeah Buddy!!!!
Thanks!
The Army Ordnance manual did not have anything about 5 vs 6. I thought it was there as well.( Mandela effect) I have read the entire ordinance manual. the only part that broke was the half Notch. it was listed as a manufacturer defect. there was nothing saying to load 5 vs 6. Duke, garrett and i went over it. its not there. Plus i dont see the army spending all this money on this expensive revolver, and not force colt to fix it. if this really was a problem. It would be the revolvers biggest flaw. they made a lot of changes to the SAA. why did they not fix this massive flaw. The first time i have seen anything about 5 vs 6 was after ww2. Thanks for the shout out. I to would love to see A American do his test. I still plan on doing my test someday. i just need to buy a SAA replica. I Just couldn't do it to original first gen colts.
Where I got that: sceti.library.upenn.edu/fairmanrogers/pdfs/cavalrydrillre00unit.pdf
Cavalry Drill Regulations
United States Army
-adopted Oct. 3, 1891
Page 60... "173. Habitually the pistol will be loaded with only five
ball cartridges and the hammer lowered on the empty
chamber."
That's why we didn't see it it's not in army ordnance it is in cavalry drill
@@garrettfromsmokeinthewoods I reckon so. I'd forgotten where I'd seen it, myself.
@@plowboysghost thanks plowboy. We were looking in the wrong place. Now this is getting interesting.
@@snappers_antique_firearms I see the military carrying it that way like the way I see their carrying the 1911.... and nothing more, really.
Applies to the 3-screw Ruger also. Which I carry even my new model loaded with 5, just out of habit.
GREAT VIDIO SIR THANKS FOR SHARING THIS GREAT STUFF
I really appreciate it!
i have a 1858 remington and it locks between cylinders even with the converter to 45 colt best part i can switch the cylinders faster then u can reload a revolver. i also have a 22 frontier and it is a small gun to the 45 frontier
I always wondered why the percussion revolvers like the 51 Navy and the 60 army and so on the way they were internally designed. There was a notch in between cylinders that allowed you to rest the hammer in a safe spot. I thought it was weird that when they designed the new Colt single action 1873 there was no safety on it. So you have to carry five rounds instead of six further limiting the capacity. I always thought that was stupid. I mean it made sense but it was stupid. This answers that question. Pulling the hammer back once that is the safety and when they design this the holsters at the time had a flap that would go down over it completely covering the revolver therefore the hammer is not exposed to anything that can potentially pull it back further or smack it forward. So that's how Colt designed. It pulled the hammer back one time and now it's on safe. Makes sense. I mean it's not ideal or perfect but it makes sense. I guess it depends on what you're doing too. If you're a soldier who's marching or riding a horse, this would be the optimal way of carrying it with all six rounds. But if you're a rancher or farmer and you're mostly going to be working then perhaps loading five and resting on an empty chamber would be the best thing for you.
Hahaaaaa,
The big end 🔨
It makes sense that the army would have that 5 load rule. But if you're an average man in the west, would it do any good to have the first cylinder empty when you might need to get the first shot off? I'm a neophyte regarding 6 shooters. But do enjoy the videos, ready to learn. I don't keep my El Patron loaded at all unless I'm going to the range (my father in laws farm). I do keep all my semi-autos loaded though, in case of home invasion. No matter which one I pick, it's ready to run.
It is fine to carry 5 or 6 depending on the circumstances and your personal preference today. However one thing Texas Cowboys didn't carry for the most part weren't 18 dollar Colts, A half month pay when a 1860 Army of 51 Navy was available for pennies on the dollar and ammo was a nickle maybe and on the three month trail with no place to buy any when a bar off lead and a pound of powder could load the whole outfit up. No-one wasted a shot to spook the herd into a fatal stampede. No soldier in hostile territory would carry his 1873 and handicap himself with 5 rounds when his dead mutilated body was at stake. SAFETY first but lawsuits rule the thinking these days and governing internet rules. Our host is a man
Thank you.
Your welcome.. I was a Regular Army Soldier and my observation written on when to load and where is based on my personal experience. Lawsuits are driving our present day invironment in our civilian life and most of us can't afford the cost of an innocent word spoken against the new world order and their degenerates out to put women clothes on all us men. You have many friends here up North who enjoy your efforts..
I load 5 but, BUT……nice to know there’s an option. My Cimmeron Model P only has 3 clicks but does have a safety notch. Not sure what that has to do with anything
Typically, the 3 click Ubertis are the Cattleman II guns, and the first notch on those is half cock..a notch in which they should never be carried. It's important to be certain of what you have.
(Since I've not seen/examined yours, I strive to give advice in caution. I don't ever want to inspire someone to do something that gets them or anyone else hurt)
@@plowboysghost you’re correct. It’s a half cock. My bad. I’ve only ever carried it down on an empty anyway but again, nice knowing the difference. Thanks.
@@stevesharber634 Yes, sir. Glad I could help.
What about a rough rider 22 with a safety on it will it go off with a bump or drop
With safety on it is safe to carry 6.
@@plowboysghostOr 9. 😇
Perfect talk, on Single action.
Kind of you to say so.
No frills just plain knowledge on single actions
@@henrysara7716 I fail at frills 😁
WTF!?! 18 seconds in YT puts up an ad. They cut you off.
#NoGettingAlecBaldwined
Good demonstration and explanation.
I have monetized recently (ain't seen a dime of it yet) but I don't have ads selected for during run time. They're supposed to be at the ends only.
There's not much more irritating to me than trying to watch something and having ad breaks every 90-240 seconds of run time.
@@plowboysghost Grainger ad 18 seconds in. They cut you off in mid sentence. Ford F-150 ad at the end. Great video though.
@@Squib1911 CZcams is run by arses anyway
The High Road sent me here! GREAT video
Plowboy is carrying an empty gun!!!!
I had another on the stool beside the camera
@@plowboysghost okay good, I just had to make sure
@@christophermead9800 😁
@A.R. American 😁
straight to reloader jail for wasting primers lol
@A.R. American I used it to teach what the sound of a squib load sounds like
🤣
I just scored some lg pistol primers a month ago online! Maybe they will show up regularly shortly. Not like I'm running out, it's just that I feel uneasy when things like primers, toilet paper, wipes and food are not readily available.
@@buffalobob870 If I'd had the money, I'd have ordered some when I saw them available a few weeks ago, but I didn't.
@@plowboysghost when this mess started, there was a store down here in LA that had supplies when others already ran out....I bought some but I should've bought a lifetime supply. Hind sight is 20/20...these cost me 3x what they were a couple of years ago.
And army holsters have flaps , DUH
Yep.
If you feel this is a relevant test which would make you feel safer. Someone pointing a colt single action with nothing in the chamber beating on the hammer or one with a live round with the safety engaged but whacking on the hammer?
I would "feel" safer not pointing a gun at anyone, unloaded or not.
More important than how I "feel" are the following:
Is pointing an unloaded gun at someone REALLY "unsafe" in relation to whether or not someone can be harmed by that unloaded gun? No.
Is carrying this gun in my video fully loaded with the hammer in the safety notch "unsafe" ? No.
Is that notch fragile? Obviously not. QUITE obviously not.
Are the "experts" correct in their claim that the notch is fragile, or that the "cowboy load" was THE way everyone carried them in the day? No.
Are there a WHOLE LOT of know it all folks incensed when they're proven wrong? Yep.
if you go w/ the old military doctrine
seen w/ the early 1903s and Enfields etc
w/ mag cut-off then hammer on empty
chamber could go w/ reloading (rd by rd
topping off) as you cock to fire the empty
comes under the gate and you can load it
then also after the next shot w/ an added
eject empty load new process to have
continuous full cylinder like the classic
painting of a wilderness mailman having
shot 7+ wolves in self defense
Where did you get that hat?
WalMart .. several years ago.
That was probably not very good for the internals of this handgun to whack that hammer so many times in the safe condition, one or 2 taps may have been OK but not so many and with the working end of the hammer.
Making a point about the false reports of fragility. Everything inside that gun looks the same and works the same as before
I like you have 10 tons of respect for Hickok45. As I do you. Thanks for the video brother! Bud Cary
Hey Plowboy, after I shot my new Blackhawk.45 colt I noticed some blow by on two cylinders. Is this normal???? Bud Cary
I heard an interview with Wyatt Earp talking about gunfighters in his heyday and he said all the serious gunfighters had the hammer on an empty chamber. Whether that meant everyone, I doubt it, but that is a historical reference that I would place trust in.
It may be overly cautious, but as Whatt said, “a real gunfighter had too much respect for his gun to take a chance.”
Just food for thought.
I'll reply.
This took a lot for me to do so.
I've several Generation 1 Colt SAA's
My favorite, is a 1898 model, which was built by Colt, and issued to the Bisbee Mining Company. This pistol didn't have a firing pin on the hammer, it was a flat hammer, with a 4 notch hammer.
It was issued in .38 Long Colt, and later modified to .38 Special, in smokeless.
It's been in my family since it's issue. It is absolutely not safe on the safety notch, or the half cock. Again, this is a flat hammer SAA
My great, great grandfather, Erastus Ferguson, personally sold the firearm to one of the Earp Brothers, in 1905, for about 35 dollars. That person left southern Arizona shortly after and sold it back to my family for 13 dollars.
A huge depreciation for the time.
Said Great, Great, Grandfather ended up moving back to southern Indiana. The firearm remained his 'desk gun' in Edinburgh Indiana for many years....
I acquired it after my father passed in the late 2010's
I do not allow people to hit the hammer on my SAA or clone with a sledge hammer to break the safety notch.
You have to thumb cock it for the first shot, the first shot is NEVER the one under the hammer because when you cock it, it rotates to the next chamber. So... it's not like carrying an auto with an empty chamber. Carrying 5 or 6, you still have the same exact movement to get that first shot off.
Yep.
What about 3-click clones, like the Uberti's? I'm about to buy a Cimarron Uberti.
Some say you can carry 6 in a cattleman II. Cimarron says not to... I just stay away from the Cattleman II guns.
👍👍🇺🇸💪
Thank you.
The safety notch might work i am still going with 5. The safety notch did not take a sturip falling down on a 3 gen colt. The guy was saddleing up he used the big metal sturips. It fell hit the gun nice little 38 spc slug in the leg. Could have been worse could have had 357 ammo in it.
You Would Make a Great Preacher. This my brother is coming from a Baptist Preacher
We'll... I'm the grandson of a Baptist minister and my first wife's dad is still a Baptist minister. You could say I'm familiar ...
@@plowboysghost Amen!
One of the guys I shoot archery with has a limp, he said he did the wild west show in the town.
He was in his kitchen practicing his spin with his colt, and dropped it shot him in the calf and came out his knee had it loaded, he said that his whole family was there, he said that he was lucky and I agree
Well another good video.. they called em 6 shooters for a reason .. now if they was practicing twirling them around on their finger I can see loading 5 .. the guns made with the transfer bars iv seen ppl loading 5 ... it's like Ruger come out with the new model with the loading gate letting the cylinder spin because ppl was afraid of cocking the hammer to free the cylinder... number 1 gun rule you are the safety.... not something mechanical
I load 6 if I feel its needed, 5 if not. No big deal the old timers did as well.
Some did, no doubt. Many loaded them with 6 and in the safety notch as it was designed.
Where did they keep their funeral money? Lol. Good talk.
Excellent video!! I don't know how hard you or Hickok 45 had to hit the primer to set it off. But I remember way back in middle school, around 1980, I classmate brought primers to school. He set them off by setting them on the sidewalk and hitting them with his plastic comb. Dumb, I know, but it didn't seem like much to set them off. That being said, the Alec Baldwin incident, why is it so far fetched that his gun went off without him pulling the trigger. Maybe he bumped the hammer somehow. I am not an Alec Baldwin fan. I don't actually like him. He seems too arrogant. But the main issue is why were there live rounds on set and who brought them onto the set. That is the real person at fault. Even more so than the armoror.
I don't like him either, but he attempted to place the blame on the design of the gun. In doing so, he took arrogance to a new level.
I knew he was a liar before I saw footage of his gun handling seconds before he shot two people. I knew he was full of shite before the gun he used was tested by investigators and found to not be defective in any way....and that the only way it could go off was for the trigger to be pulled.
I hear what you're saying about it being safer when you compare it to carrying with an empty chamber on a semi auto, but it's not really a fair comparison when you talk about being in a state of readiness. With a semi auto you wouldn't have to rack the slide if you keep one round in the chamber, so leaving the chamber empty creates an extra step to get ready to shoot. With a SAA however, it doesn't matter if that chamber is loaded or not, you still have to cock the hammer first either way. Which will rotate the cylinder to a loaded chamber. You're not creating any extra steps by resting your hammer on an empty chamber. The readiness process remains the same. The only disadvantage you are introducing is limiting your shots from 6 to 5.
With that said, they put that safety notch there for a reason. If they didn't intend for you to load six and use the safety notch, then there would be no reason to have the safety notch there in the first place. Good video, thanks for being willing to take a hammer to your revolver to demonstrate this for us!
i have three single action six.....i will load six in my tools...in any case if a person decides to carry five or six in their tool that is their choice....as long as the person is safe then that is all that matters..
Well stated. Thank you.
That's why I love my Ruger SBH. I can carry 6 and not blow my manhood off 🤣
😁
Load 5 stay alive! Great video! 👍
Unless you NEED that 6th round....but then I hope to avoid needing the first 5, myself. 😁
Thanks!
Load 6 forget hollywood tricks 🤷🏻♂️
My Pietta Thunderball does the same...
Yep. The Thunderball is the same gun as what I have, with a different grip.
Can I ask why you only put 5 rounds in. That really is only and was only used back in the cowboy days mostly because of wearing the gun all the time and might hit the hammer by mistake and fire a round. Or maybe now a days if you are wearing it or riding or something else that might set it off. But you are at a firing range why not use all 6. No need for 5 there.
Hi there yeah another interesting chat.
I load my 686 plus with 7 whoopass bullets…..
...and safely so.
@@plowboysghost 😉
A foot and a half isn't a very high drop. This video should be renamed "Famous Last Words". LOL! According to Master Gunsmith and Instructor Robert Dunlap of the American Gunsmithing Institute, it is the trigger sear that is most likely to break when the gun is dropped on the hammer or bumped. With use over time metal develops stress cracks. A brand new gun may not have a problem, unless a batch of triggers had contaminated metal or were not heat treated properly. That's why a new gun has a warranty. But if you don't put your hammer on the empty chamber of your SAA when you drop it, you may not be around to take advantage of the warranty. I have an SAA. When I put it on the "SAFETY NOTCH" (LOL) the firing pin protrudes through the hole because many used guns have sear/notch wear. I bought the gun used. I have no need to repair it because I never have and will never load 6, and I never use the safety notch. Please, never let anyone touch your SAA until they know how to load it the right way. Clear enough?!
4:29 is me everyday
Get a Ruger Single Seven and carry it with six 😁
100% of NDs happen on a loaded chamber
but if youre carrying SAA and using a safety notch
then youre 2 steps from firing -- cock hammer then
pull trigger even tho you can do both together