perfect packing pistols

[BlindedByScience]

How can you call yourself a gun collector without a SAA?

First 'real' gun I ever shot was a buddy's Blackhawk in .44Mag. He was a reloader, and we often went shooting, which is what led me to buy the Redhawk in the same caliber. I didn't get a Blackhawk because despite all my contortions, I just couldn't get comfortable with the grip on the SA pistol. I gave it a good try, but never got there.

I'm not a collector, I'm a hack shooter.... I don't have pretty safe queens or wall hangers, my guns all go out and get very dirty and play hard. SA's are beautiful to look at, but for me, I just never got 'the hang' of shooting one. Thus, one doesn't live inside the safe. I have three DA wheel guns, so it's not a dislike of revolvers. Far from it, actually.

 

[Pandaz3]

I have my Blackhawk , a GP-100, and a Taurus 605 snub all in 357, a J frame 38, 629 in ,44 Mag, 7 shot J frame and little NAA in .22 Mag, my go to big bore is actually a Charter Arms Pitbull in .40 S&W. My go to rimfire is a Colt Frontier Scout in .22 LR.

The Pitbull in not as small as the advertising makes it seem, it dwarfs a j frame, Strong like Bull!

 

[Certaindeaf]

Great article.
My Perfect Packing Pistol (say that fast while eating crackers!) has always been the Hi-Power. I've been carrying one for around thirty five years, in the field and pretty much anywhere. Right off the bat I worked up stout (cast by me ) SWC loads for it using two different Lee molds and one Lyman. I also worked up very good JHP loads with whatever was available at the time and of course used all the then available high quality performance ammunition throughout for whatever purpose. I've taken piles of small to middlin critters with one and a fair number of deer and hog.. all taken humanely and reliably.
For bigger stuff, I'd always go to a 4" M-29.. elk and if griz crept about it'd offer a measure of comfort.. sure works well on the small stuff too using cast SWC's. lol
Etc.
I've only had a few SA revolvers and sure liked them but I guess I'm just weird.

 

[evltwn]

I find myself reading Heretic's comments, and nodding my head in agreement. Well said on all counts, sir!
While I have several semi autos in the safe and carry them most of the time, I seem to have more revolvers, at last count, with another arriving next month.

My everyday carry when walking the dog out here in the country is my Super Blackhawk. My bedside gun is my GP100. My dispatch small annoying critters piece is my Single Six, while my pocket gun on the Harley is my 442. I have a few more, because like Heretic, I am NOT a collecter; rather, a gun nut!

Various chores require different tools. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Just Jim]

Great article.
My Perfect Packing Pistol (say that fast while eating crackers!) has always been the Hi-Power. I've been carrying one for around thirty five years, in the field and pretty much anywhere. Right off the bat I worked up stout (cast by me ) SWC loads for it using two different Lee molds and one Lyman. I also worked up very good JHP loads with whatever was available at the time and of course used all the then available high quality performance ammunition throughout for whatever purpose. I've taken piles of small to middlin critters with one and a fair number of deer and hog.. all taken humanely and reliably.
For bigger stuff, I'd always go to a 4" M-29.. elk and if griz crept about it'd offer a measure of comfort.. sure works well on the small stuff too using cast SWC's. lol
Etc.
I've only had a few SA revolvers and sure liked them but I guess I'm just weird.

Love the HP and carried one for years when I traveled. Nice to have a high cap when you don't have any help. Carried in a shoulder holster with too mags extra thinking I should be able to keep bad guys away when there were no cell phones. I like them the best of all 9mms but old age is making them heavy.

 

[Certaindeaf]

Love the HP and carried one for years when I traveled. Nice to have a high cap when you don't have any help. Carried in a shoulder holster with too mags extra thinking I should be able to keep bad guys away when there were no cell phones. I like them the best of all 9mms but old age is making them heavy.

Preach it Jim. I remember when Glocks came out decades ago and letting a Glock guy shoot my HP and his eyeballs about bugged out with him saying how heavy it is/was. It is what it is and of course the weight is what makes it what it is.. to a great degree.
It does weigh one pound less than a 1911 though.
lol

 

[Just Jim]

Preach it Jim. I remember when Glocks came out decades ago and letting a Glock guy shoot my HP and his eyeballs about bugged out with him saying how heavy it is/was. It is what it is and of course the weight is what makes it what it is.. to a great degree.
It does weigh one pound less than a 1911 though.
lol

Carried a HP hunting for years as a back up gun, take the head off a rattle snake or finish a deer easy as can be. So accurate that few other autos even came close and never had a jam. Still think in 9mm there is no better gun and I have shot a lot of 9mm.

 

[Certaindeaf]

To be honest I've been jonesing for a short barrel .44 mag single action for some time. Like a round butt birds-head Ruger. I really should get the little DA Ruger .44 too and just be done with it. I've still got multiple dies and molds.

 

[Just Jim]

Now days it's the light weight single actions for me, they are just a pleasure to shoot. All that power in a light handgun but the grip makes it roll rather than kick. My 44 is just a special with a short barrel. I can load it hot but I don't enjoy the blast and recoil. Ruger made some fine flat top 44 specials and they really shoot straight. I hunt or fish and that's the gun I take with me now.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I hear you about the SA's. They sure do work. "Old" PPC shooter here and kinda partial to the DA though.. even for those fifty yard soda can hits (double action-PPC style).

 

[Just Jim]

Ya nothing wrong with a good double action but the single actions pack and carry better for me. Knowing I only have so many shots it tends to make me slow down and shoot straight. I like the bigger bores too, ppc was mostly 38 target rounds and while they had great accuracy out to 50 there wasn't much punch when it got there.

What was your load for PPC ?

 

[Certaindeaf]

Ya nothing wrong with a good double action but the single actions pack and carry better for me. Knowing I only have so many shots it tends to make me slow down and shoot straight. I like the bigger bores too, ppc was mostly 38 target rounds and while they had great accuracy out to 50 there wasn't much punch when it got there.

What was your load for PPC ?

I hear you about the PPC loads. An interesting subset in shooting. They were actually factory for that. Thankfully they were free. lol

 

[Certaindeaf]

Heck yea. Nice nice. I wore out a couple a L's but I think my 4" GP will last forever. And I shoot it a lot.

 

[ch139]

Love the SAA? Yes! But a "Perfect Packing Pistol?" No way!

They don't quite suck to shoot, but are no where near as "controllable" as just about everything else made these days; there has to be hundreds of "better" handguns to "pack." Speaking of that, anyone who carries a handgun on a regular basis knows that carrying a gun is downright abusive to said gun. I for one am not taking a multi thousand dollar Colt SAA and carrying it around to get banged and bumped into everything for no reason other than saying "Look at me, I'm "packin" a Colt SAA." Thats just stupid and that is exactly what the author is saying (same reason I quit subscribing and reading all the gun rags years ago). Neat guns and an amazing part of history, but what a waste of time.

Now that my b/p is spiked from so much stupidity, I'm gonna go practice tactical reloads with my Glock.

 

[WinterBaer45]

Smith & Wesson model 65 with a 3" barrel is about a perfect packin pistol as I've found, for both back woods work and a defensive arm out on the streets. For decades a 3" 357 magnum double action revolver was the ideal combat sidearm, and that hasn't necessarily changed. The Glock 19 is a great piece, the H&K USP is even better, but there's something to be said for a gun that is totally self contained, no external accessories needed like magazines.
I read once of a gunfight the security contractors had gotten into when trying to manage New Orleans during the hurricane Katrina mess, they were on and off boats in about 4' of black sewer sludge water and found themselves in a firefight with looters, their training kicked in and they shot fast and when their glocks jammed they did the tap-rack-bang drills at light speed, combat reloads, etc... They soon understood that being in 3'- 4' of thick dark water should have changed their techniques, their magazines didn't float very well and were long gone in the water currents before they even realized and soon found themselves with only one empty mag to deal with.
Speedloaders and moon clips have rounded out the revolver technique, and even with just a fanny pack full of rounds you can make quick use of a combat revolver just fine, you have to adapt just like anything else.

 

[Just Jim]

Love the SAA? Yes! But a "Perfect Packing Pistol?" No way!

They don't quite suck to shoot, but are no where near as "controllable" as just about everything else made these days; there has to be hundreds of "better" handguns to "pack." Speaking of that, anyone who carries a handgun on a regular basis knows that carrying a gun is downright abusive to said gun. I for one am not taking a multi thousand dollar Colt SAA and carrying it around to get banged and bumped into everything for no reason other than saying "Look at me, I'm "packin" a Colt SAA." Thats just stupid and that is exactly what the author is saying (same reason I quit subscribing and reading all the gun rags years ago). Neat guns and an amazing part of history, but what a waste of time.

Now that my b/p is spiked from so much stupidity, I'm gonna go practice tactical reloads with my Glock.

Ever hear of Bob Munden?
http://www.bing.com/search?q=bob+mu...&form=QBLH&pq=bob+munden&sc=12-10&sp=2&sk=AS1

It ain't the gun it's the man and a good man can be dangerous with most any gun. Watched Bob on TV splitting playing cards with a Colt SAA.

I believe there is a time coming that they will make SAAs out of polymer too just so the younger crowd can enjoy them too

 

[Just Jim]

View attachment 234435 Smith & Wesson model 65 with a 3" barrel is about a perfect packin pistol as I've found, for both back woods work and a defensive arm out on the streets. For decades a 3" 357 magnum double action revolver was the ideal combat sidearm, and that hasn't necessarily changed. The Glock 19 is a great piece, the H&K USP is even better, but there's something to be said for a gun that is totally self contained, no external accessories needed like magazines.
I read once of a gunfight the security contractors had gotten into when trying to manage New Orleans during the hurricane Katrina mess, they were on and off boats in about 4' of black sewer sludge water and found themselves in a firefight with looters, their training kicked in and they shot fast and when their glocks jammed they did the tap-rack-bang drills at light speed, combat reloads, etc... They soon understood that being in 3'- 4' of thick dark water should have changed their techniques, their magazines didn't float very well and were long gone in the water currents before they even realized and soon found themselves with only one empty mag to deal with.
Speedloaders and moon clips have rounded out the revolver technique, and even with just a fanny pack full of rounds you can make quick use of a combat revolver just fine, you have to adapt just like anything else.

Years ago my sister asked me to help her buy guns for her boys so they could learn to shoot. The 22's I told her to get were bolt action 6 shot marlins. Idea was that they would shoot better if they didn't have ammo to waste. As they grew up they started hunting with those 22's and learned every shot counts and they got really good. When they bought their own handguns they went to revolvers first for the hunt, damn find shots by then.

Guys carry revolvers got it figured out, better make every shot count.

 

[Certaindeaf]

You've got a point Jim. Back in the old days when a beat cop carried 18 total for his Model 19 Smith or whatever, they tried to Zen those slugs home, I'd imagine.. though even through the ages, one hears/heard of terrible marksmanship. It is always paramount to hit.

 

[Just Jim]

You've got a point Jim. Back in the old days when a beat cop carried 18 total for his Model 19 Smith or whatever, they tried to Zen those slugs home, I'd imagine.. though even through the ages, one hears/heard of terrible marksmanship. It is always paramount to hit.

Even today you see really poor marksmanship from the average cop under pressure. That last murder done by a cop he shot 8 rounds at a huge target that wasn't even shooting back and he still only hit the guy 5 times. I wonder what would happen if they went back to revolvers?

 

[Certaindeaf]

There are so many stories over the years it approaches fiction. Whatever you carry, you owe it to yourself to hit the target.. whatever it might be. no magic gun really