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Peacemakers

3K views 27 replies 20 participants last post by  randytulsa2 
#1 ·
This thread is more of just a curiosity issue for me than anything. Right now I keep the same Springfield Armory 1911A1 that I use as my carry weapon on my night stand along with a led flashlight. However, growing up I worked on my grandma's horse ranch, and watched too many John Wayne movies, so I've always been into the cowboy stuff, yes I know I am in Ohio and will catch hell from you Texas boys, but whatever, I've been roping and riding and wearin cowboy boots for a long time. Anyways, being drawn to such things one of the first pistol i had to buy myself was a .45LC Peacemaker, just had to. So i have a beautiful blued Uberti Cattleman, with the brass backstrap. Its as accurate as I am, and .45LC has a reputation as being able to put down many critters, including the bipedal kind. It is obviously slow on the reload, and doesnt fire as fast as a semi-auto.

But what is yall's opinion, is there any place/situation where a peacemaker makes an acceptable defenseive weapon? Is it a viable nightstand gun, or walk in the woods gun, (as much as I like the thing I'm not even gonna bring up the idea of ccw'ing it with its 5 1/2 inch barrel)? Or are such revolvers nowadays just good for putting holes in paper or maybe deer and their use as defenseive arms has come to an end and been replaced completely? Look forward to see what type of opinions people have on this topic.
 
#3 ·
Let me put it this way, I would rather face a gangbanger with an autoloader then I would one of them old rangerats with a peacemaker. It never got that name by accident. If you are proficient with a single action revolver they can be viable in many cases. I carry my Ruger Super Blackhawk while in the hills.
 
#5 ·
I like em.:wave:
Got a stainless .45 Ruger Vaquero myself...:image035:

They arent the best tool in the world for CCW, but its definatley better than throwing rocks.:blink:

Believe it or not, I have a friend that is big into the Cowboy Shooting Sports and does carry one concealed. He's a big ole boy and you'd never notice it if he did'nt tell you. He carrys it near the small of his back in the waistband and uses a string tied to his belt loop that has a small dowel tied to it. This he puts in the barrel of the gun and its stays where its put. Kindof primitve, but it works.

Since most statistics say that gun battles are over in 3.2 shots anyway, I dont think you'd be as "undergunned" as one would think by using a revolver. The .45 LC has been around for a long time because its too good a round to die out.

If you like it,practice with it and are proficent with it, I'd say carry it...if thats what you want to do.
 
#6 ·
I own several single-action revolvers......I don't carry any concealed, but I do carry them during hunting season, usually as a backup to a long gun.
 
#7 ·
You Be The Judge...

If you're comfortable with it...practice a lot...:yup:

If you can hit things with it...practice a lot...:yup:

It's you're gun, and if you like it...practice a lot...:yup:

OMO

ret:urla9ub:
 
#8 ·
I've seen some in skilled hands that would make any belt fed glock shooter running with his tail between his legs.

Go watch a SASS match, they are very fun. Some of those guys/gals have some amazing skills. There are a few near both Cinci and Columbus in the summer.
 
#9 ·
I've been at SASS matches, I used to practice with some family friends who did the mounted shooting as well as SASS, some of those folks really can shoot. And its a lot harder to shoot a ballon thats only a couple feet away with a .45 while goin at a full gallop than one might think, or not, I suppose it doesnt sound all that easy.

I have open carried mine before on private property for use as a woods gun. Also as corny as it sounds, there is just a neat feeling of having my peacemaker in its rig while I'm riding (too many John Wayne movies, I know.) During hunting season I'll prolly have both it and my Marlin .30-30, Grandma doesnt let anyone hunt on her property, but sometimes we find tree stands mighty close to the fences. And it used to be my nightstand gun before I bought my 1911A1.

I am shocked that in the hour since I have started this thread not a single person discounted it for all defensive purposes, but there have been numberous affirmative responses. Must say something about the round/design. Maybe I shoulda brought up my .44 Colt 1851 Navy...
 
#12 ·
The 45 Long Colt is such a great classic cartridge. Absolutely a neat walk in the woods gun. I don't know if I would carry one defensively but there ARE some very amazing shoulder holsters out there to enable you to carry one concealed.

Some folks in the Western states still pack them concealed in a vertical shoulder rig.
 
#14 ·
I've seen some cowboy action shooters that could put most folks with DAs or Autos to shame, at least until they had to reload.

I also saw Bob Mundin on American shooter hit center on a target with 6 shots with a peacemaker faster than he could do it with a 1911.

If your good with it, it can be as effective as any other HD weapon, however for CCW, probably not. You only have six shots though so you have to make 'em count. I think it was Wyatt Erp who said "shoot deliberately".
 
#17 ·
I've carried my Peacemaker from time to time. While wearing a duster it's fairly easy to conceal.

If I were to carry a single action revolver on a regular basis though I would probably try to get a S&W Russian or model 3 (Modern versions made by Navy Arms).

A Peacemaker would be fine for a night stand or a pick-up gun (after seeing comercials for Taurus's the Judge), and a wilderness. And of course Wild Bill days in Deadwood, SD but you wouldn't have to be concealed if you had your hat and boots during that weekend

The major draw backs of is the single action and to carry safely you should only have five in the cylinder. You should go two gunned at least (a couple of hide out guns)

ON average I would still rather carry my 1911
 
#18 ·
I really would not feel unarmed with a Ruger Vaquero or Colt SAA, especially if backed up by a snubnose, ejectorless version of the same on the other side.

Then again, I'd carry a Navy Colt with confidence.

It's a shame really; I shoot best with SAA clones but prefer the semi-auto because of the speed for follow up shots. (I can follow up with a DA revolver as quickly as I can cock a SA revolver).

Josh <><
 
#19 ·
Like anything if you train understress will a semi-auto or a double action pistol a Peacemaker wouldn't be that much harder if you ever had to use it.

A Long Colt round really defeats the .45 vs 9 MM Luger debate once and for all.
 
#21 ·
I recall a recent article in American Handgunner where Duke Venturino (sp?) said that at Thunder Ranch, Clint Smith had him go toe to toe with a guy firing a 1911.

They fired 5 shots each (don't recall how far away the targets were) and no one could decide who shot faster. They repeated the drill with the same results. Duke shot two handed and cocked the hammer with his weak hand (no fanning).

Sounds impressive. I guess the SAA would work well unless you get wounded in one arm and then had to cock with your shooting hand. That would be slower.

Also, if you had to use one hand to fend off a knife or something, the SAA might be more difficult to handle one handed.

But, hey, it's a heck of a lot better than going unarmed isn't it?

I've been wanting one of these for years. Christmas is coming!:image035:
 
#22 · (Edited)
I've got a Urberti clone in 45 LC and it always is my hunting side arm. I wouldn't use it to CCW, but as a truck gun you could do worse.
 
#24 ·
I have a .357mag blackhawk. For some reason this is is a very easy gun for me to shoot accurately. I used to carry it as a truck gun when it was the only centerfire handgun I owned. Never CCW though. It can be fired quite fast using the method mentioned above cocking with the weak hand thumb. I would be as comfortable carrying my blackhawk as I would a similar sized double action revolver if it weren't for the fact that there's just no fast way to reload.
 
#25 ·
I like my .357 Blackhawk so much that I want one in every caliber, barrel length and finish factory available.

I have the 6 1/2" version, and six out of six in a paper plate at 25yds isn't hard to do. The gun, as all of my guns, shoots better than I do.

Wouldn't be one that I would carry, but a proficient shooter would do well with it.
 
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