CCW an 1858 new army?

[Onward Allusion]

Try leaving the fully loaded HP C9 mags sitting for a week. Also, don't use steel case.

From my experience, steel cased ammo is not as smooth in the mag as brass. The HP mags do not have the best finish. Friction will cause hang-ups inside the mag. Also, you may want to put a drop or two of oil in your hands and rub the cartridges in your palms before loading the mag.

The HP's in general are slow cycling pistols because of the mass. The benefit is that it makes 'em very soft shooting. The downside is that feed timing can be thrown off with new mags, hence the fully loaded mag for a week.

I have 4 HP's - no idea how I ended up with so many - but they all go bang and feed fine.

[Don Fischer]

I think we've all seen question's like this from time to time. For myself I think it's a really bad choice. I much prefer DA revolver's to any other hand gun but not for concealed carry. The smaller DA's, detective special type's may hide well but for me even in a 38 they sting my hand and I think about it. I don't want to be in a position where I might be thinking about that. My first carry gun was Colt trooper with a 4" barrel using 38 Spec treasury loads I made up myself. What a nice gun but had drawbacks. heavy, wide and long. I could conceal it but not under light cloth's! If I'd have had 357 ammo in it, I'd have had to practice a lot more, hated the recoil of a 357. But in heavy cloth's in the winter it was great. I'm a lot older now and realize it was a heavy gun Carried it a lot but was to young and to strong for my own good! I'm old and weak today!

I think it's a good idea to carry what you like so long as you can live with the draw backs, most people do! I have two concealed gun's; a Ruger P89 and a S%W Shield 9c. I seldom carry the Ruger. Nice gun but to long, to wide and to heavy! it's on the headboard should some guest come in uninvited! The Shield I carry every where I go with one extra 8 rd magazine. I don't care for shooting either of then near as much as my DA's but they do serve the purpose better.

it may be cool to stand around with the guy's talking about your favorite gun and the likely hood is you are never going to have to seriously use it. But should that time come, the disadvantage of pet guns may become all to clear. Then in my opinion you are much better off well armed with something designed to do what you need it to do.

An 1851 Navy is quite a gun to talk about and probably to shoot, I've never shot one. But there are a lot better choices for a combat weapon being carried all the time. A detective special or something like it might work depending on what ammo it is fed. I guess the reality is, what will work is what you make work. So, where you gonna hide that 1851 Navy in the grocery store? I think your description of the gun as a foot long cannon pretty much sum's it up. A good offensive weapon will serve better for most of us than a foot long cannon!

[Don Fischer]

One last thing. Let's say your really in love with your VW Beetle. Greatest thing since sliced bread. Wouldn't have any other car. Would you really take it to Indianapolis 500 and try to compete with it? Nice as it is, it's out of it's element!

[Hawg]

I've never felt under gunned with a single action revolver. If I carry a revolver it will most definitely be a SA. There are better choices but if that's all you have it will serve you well. The 58 Remington as we know it now has been killing people since 1863. No reason to think it won't do it now.

[Wyosmith]

ARQueen, I am not tall but for many years I carried either a 6-1/2" M29 or a 6-1/2" M24 S&W in a "wallet holster" when I worked for DOD and as a body guard. It was something I made myself.
It's very much like a pancake holster, but square in shape and made to hold the guns in a very high-ride carry. The body of the holster and much of the barrel of the gun goes into my rear pocket and the part that sticks up has a "biker chain" on it and a Harley Davidson stamp. The top of the holster (and gun) are hidden by my jacket or vest.
It's hidden in plane sight.

Every one sees the holster but it looks exactly like the typical "biker wallet". The grip and bulge of the cylinder ride high enough to always be under the vest, around and above my kidney. All that can be seen is the leather sticking out the top of the hip pocket. The Harley stamp is enough to make everyone "recognize it" as a wallet and just dismiss it.

That may be a system you can look at.

You could not be a slender 85 pound girl and get away with it, but my wife used the same rig a few times and did fine with it. She was not big, but had a hour-glass figure and a broad enough back to hide the large fame 44 Special just fine. She was 5 foot 2" and weighted 121.

Such holster cannot by bought, but are easy to make. And fairly cheap too.
PM me if you want, and I'll send you a tracing of it.

[Tinbucket]

My GGUncle a US marshal in the Oklahoma Territory, killed in the Going to Snake massacre, carried several handguns. You didn't want just five or six shots when dealing with maybe several nefarious types. He had two on his belt, two in saddle holsters and one in his waist band. Depending on who is doing the telling he had another couple in his saddle bags. Since he was killed in 1872 his last guns may have been cartridge guns.When they finish the Us Marshals Museum in Ft Smith perhaps they will have more details..
You carry what is the latest and greatest if your life is on the line.
Probably five shots will be enough in suburbia America, maybe even one.
In some parts you would feel more comfortable with a belt fed machine gun.
So carry that 1857 with warmer loaded .38s. It has a full frame and will take it. imo.
With practice and two cylinders you may be able to load the second cylinder a lot quicker than reloading the first, if you can keep the shells from falling out.
I say may because thee 1858 I have is still cap and ball. I load it with forty grains of triple seven, and a 457 ball. When it seats it carves off the extra metal but gives a longer contact patch to the rifling and a heavier ball. I have forgotten the velocity etc at the moment. Forty grain is hefty but it is full frame steel revolver.
If you practice and really good fie shots will do the deed where spraying andd praying with a lot of rounds might never hit the intended target.

[Hawg]

So carry that 1857 with warmer loaded .38s. It has a full frame and will take it. imo.

The conversion cylinders are made from tool steel and can handle the pressure. The frame isn't and can't. Velocity should be kept to black powder pressures.

[FireForged]

If a man knows his weapon, is proficient with it and its generally reliable.. I don't much care what a person decided to carry. Would I carry it for SD?,. nope. Should you?.. that's your call. I can tell you that if I needed a gun ( right now) to lawfully defend myself, I certainly would not turn it down.