ROA for home defense?

[dualsport]

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.

[wild thing]

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

[Geraldo]

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.

[HATCH]

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.

[Char-Gar]

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.

[waksupi]

It has the plus of laying down a smoke screen!

[johnson1942]

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.

[drhall762]

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/showthread.php?196490-Pietta-Kit-Revolver

[uscra112]

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.


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.

[Rio Grande]

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.

I would choose the ROA loaded max with ball or bullet over any .380.
Just shoot straight.

[uscra112]

Just shoot straight
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.

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.

[OverMax]

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

[greenmntranger]

......... But if'n all I had was that cannon, I'd be looking hard for something handier for the nightstand.

Ya mean handier like this?

http://imageshack.us/a/img401/9991/imag0101ed.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/401/imag0101ed.jpg/)

Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

[Boz330]

Now that is just plain cute!

Bob

[Omnivore]

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.


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.

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.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

well better then a sharp stick but ill stick with my 870

[izzyjoe]

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.

[greenmntranger]

Now that is just plain cute!

Bob

144 gr, .475 RB on top of 42gr of fff cuts a cute hole too

[Alan]

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

[idahomike]

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.

[Fly]

I have heard this question many times.Everyone has there take.For me that is what I have at night.
Why? well it is more acuate than any hand gun I own.My son inlaw is a OKC policeman.When he
comes to the lake, we go shoot, we alway's have.

My 44 remmie will shoot with any pistol he owns.I'm not kidding at all.I think the first shot tells who
wins the fight.
JMOHOP

[Doc1]

This thread is no different than the ones arguing the merits of 9mm vs. .45 acp. 95%+ of any gunfight is the gunfighter, not the gun. The ROA is perfectly adequate for household defense (as are countless other firearms). Is the man pulling the trigger adequate?

Best regards
Doc

[greenmntranger]

This thread is no different than the ones arguing the merits of 9mm vs. .45 acp. 95%+ of any gunfight is the gunfighter, not the gun. The ROA is perfectly adequate for household defense (as are countless other firearms). Is the man pulling the trigger adequate?

Best regards
Doc

Well said Doc

[FrankG]

144 gr, .475 RB on top of 42gr of fff cuts a cute hole too

Is this a typo or did you have it bored out ?

Cool on either account and right handy size !

[greenmntranger]

woops.....457 RB

[tacotime]

I love the idea but of course the greatest BP risk is failure to fire, contaminated powder, contaminated or bad cap or clogged nipple, chain fire, etc.

Virtually eliminate those issues with a smokeless cartridge gun.

It seems to me that when the truly serious chips are down, all the fun and romance is gone out of gun selection, and all known risks should be minimized or eliminated.

Then on the weekend, go out and enjoy the ROA.