Just wondering. Anybody rely on a ROA or any cap and ball pistol for serious? What would be a good load/method for this use? I'm contemplating my options. Thanks.
Just wondering. Anybody rely on a ROA or any cap and ball pistol for serious? What would be a good load/method for this use? I'm contemplating my options. Thanks.
If that 's all you got , use it. I used one for years, ioaded with 30 gr 3f and 457 round ball. I never had to use it and never felt under gunned. They were used for years be for cartridges came to be. Will kill a man just as fast as newer guns, in my opinion. John
It's not a matter of being under-gunned, it's a matter of being able to see your target after you fire the first shot. I've hunted hogs at night with a muzzleloader (legal here), and you really can't see anything after you shoot even using white light.
Most people would sooner die than think, in fact, they do so. -B. Russell
If you think about it cap and ball pistols have been killing things for over 100 years.
I would keep the hammer over a empty cylinder so you would really only have 5 shots.
This is in case it is dropped even though most modern weapons will not fire if dropped but its just in case.
5 shots of 45 round ball is pretty deadly for close quarter combat. Not to mention scary as **** because of all the smoke produced.
If it was all I had, I most certainly would use it. But, I would back it up with a big *** bowie knife or something real sharp and long.
Disclaimer: The above is not holy writ. It is just my opinion based on my experience and knowledge. Your mileage may vary.
It has the plus of laying down a smoke screen!
The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"
Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!
like a sheriff years ago told me, even if you dont hit him the fire and smoke comming out of that thing at night will scare him to death.
Keep it clean, keep it dry, and keep it freshly loaded. The ones I have are quite reliable if I follow those rules. Stack them up against any cartridge revolver. Posted some 10 yard groups that I shot today. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...a-Kit-Revolver
Dave
In 100 years who of us will care?
An armed society is a polite society.
Just because they say you are paranoid does not mean they are not out to get you!
Not necessary with the ROA as it has hammer-rest notches between the chambers.
Me, I'll keep my .357 by the bedside because I have one. I might choose the ROA over a .22 pistol, or even a .32 S&W, but even if all I had was a .380, I'd choose that over the ROA. The ROA is heavy and much harder to handle with one hand, which could be a deciding factor, unless you have hands like Paul Bunyan.
Cognitive Dissident
Exactly my point - how easy is it to shoot a long, heavy revolver in a crisis situation ? Try whipping one out from under your pillow and dry-firing it quickly at a doorknob and you'll know what I mean. Mind you I'm no big fan of the .380 - I'm even skeptical of the 9mm and the .38 Special, but you can empty the magazine of a .380 in less time than you can get three shots off with a ROA, (unless, as I said, you have hands like Paul Bunyan), and that's what needs doing if you find a thug at your bedside at 03:00 hours.Just shoot straight
There is something to be said for the flame and smoke, however.
Lemme add that I do own a ROA, and I do shoot it from time to time. But if'n all I had was that cannon, I'd be looking hard for something handier for the nightstand.
Last edited by uscra112; 04-22-2013 at 01:20 AM.
Cognitive Dissident
ROA. Better than nothing. If forced into a confrontation and a shot fired in order to protect yourself from his aggressiveness. Even if you miss your going to scare the s---!! out of the moron.
O/M
Ya mean handier like this?
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Vermont...First Republic...Fourteenth State
"A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity"....Sigmund Freud
Bureaucracy,, taking the fun out of life one stupid rule at a time,,,,
Now that is just plain cute!
Bob
GUNFIRE! The sound of Freedom!
This question pops up ever few weeks. Search for it and you'll find scads of threads on it, with pages and pages of arguments both for and against.
Exactly. It'll preform just fine, and better than some of the little concealed carry calibers, but holy smokes. I've hit deer outdoors, and when the smoke cleared the deer was simply gone. No immediate clues as to where to look. Now try something like that indoors. No thanks. They used them back in the day because it was all they had. As soon as decent smokeless loads came out, BP for defense and for hunting died a quick death. Special seasons for hunting keep it alive, but in terms of pure practicality it is a bad idea when your life is at stake. Do it if ya want, but understand that you are playing a little game with yourself-- you are deliberately separating yourself a little bit, from reality. That's fine when hunting, but jeeze. I like style as much as any man, and a nice percussion revolver has a LOT of style, but as has been said; you don't get style points at the pearly gates.It's not a matter of being under-gunned, it's a matter of being able to see your target after you fire the first shot.
well better then a sharp stick but ill stick with my 870
kids that hunt and fish dont mug old ladies
i don't think i'd use it for HD, there's to many possibities of something going wrong, now if you use it as back up to a good shotgun, not problem. but it would'nt be my main HD gun. an aluminum bat also works well.
If it was all I could legally get, it will do fine. In the country of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. Ballisticaly, it should be decisive. But caps never will be as reliable. As center fire priming. Between it and a rimfire, would prob take th ROA
Some will call it unwise, but I have a cutdown 1860 that sees quite a bit of carry use. Given fresh components, I have no qualms about using it in a defensive role. I put fresh loads in it every few weeks. No lubed wads, just powder, ball and a little melted wax on top. I also put a thin coat of nail polish around the caps.
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BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |