Single Action Self Defense

[Hrfunk]

This one was fun to make. I hope it’s as much fun to watch!

Howard


https://youtu.be/eyOtJYoMPEw

[usedtobeyoung]

Great video, I've always wanted to get a good leather holster for concealed carry for one of my sheriff's model colts. Ive spent many years doing contract work in Afghanistan, I'm a huge believer in situational awareness. In Afghanistan stuff could and did turn ugly no matter how careful you might be. Stateside, any bad situation I've been in could have been avoided had I been more cautious. But, some of us when we are young have more stones than brains.
284881

[ddixie884]

Great video, I've always wanted to get a good leather holster for concealed carry for one of my sheriff's model colts. Ive spent many years doing contract work in Afghanistan, I'm a huge believer in situational awareness. In Afghanistan stuff could and did turn ugly no matter how careful you might be. Stateside, any bad situation I've been in could have been avoided had I been more cautious. But, some of us when we are young have more stones than brains.
284881

Nice SA...........

[usedtobeyoung]

Thank you, I have a nickel one also with Ivory and another blued one with plain wood grips and 2" barrel. It looks plain Jane as can be but also mean looking, and has the black powder frame. I've been lucky to be able to buy stuff like this when the price was somewhat reasonable.

[TNsailorman]

As usual, good job Howard. Any handgun can make a good defensive weapon if the shooter practices with it enough to become familiar with the weapon he has chosen. I have never shot single actions all that much, so my double action Smith's would be a far better choice for me, but only because of the lack of practice with the single action. The only real drawback to the single action in my mind is that it is slower to reload than a double action or semi-auto. But if you have missed with 6, you are probable in over your head anyway. james

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Good video, well worth the time to watch. Recommend!

I'd say that any gun is better than no gun when you need a gun! Single Actions should not be scorned, as the SASS crowd is pretty adept at their use, and can shoot right up there with the semi-auto crowd. Practice, practice, practice with whatever your chosen firearm may be.

DG

[rintinglen]

Great video.
To the capacity of the gun, any difference between Revolvers and Pistols is more or less academic. The Auto comes into its own when six wasn't enough, it reloads faster and starts out with more rounds. A single action revolver might not be the best choice. But as Ole H. R. demonstrates, if you have to dance with one you brought, you can still keep time to the music: provided you know how to dance.

[pworley1]

I enjoyed that.

[WebMonkey]

thanks for making the video.
great points/demonstration.

[bisleyfan41]

I liked the video too.
Thanks!

[PhilC]

Have to agree with everyone else, great video.

[dverna]

Seems silly to me to compromise when selecting a SD gun. I have two Colt SAA’s and they are fun, but my last choice for carry.

[country gent]

If its all you have then he proves it serviceable and effective.


On the other side a lot of westerns the stars could get 10-15 rounds off, never miss, and take out 4 bad guys in less than a second.

[fastdadio]

Great video. The only problem I can find with it, is now I have to get another Bisley in 44 spl.

[Outpost75]

The SAs also make better impact weapons when they are empty and sustain less damage than an S&W Model 10 similarly abused. I live in a rural area and routinely carry a short- barrel .44-40 or .45 Colt, mostly for their utility with shot loads and other than the first round in rotation wide flat-nosed Cowboy slugs of dead soft lead at standard velocity. When I go into town I don't usually change, because if I believe it is a higher risk area where I should change my EDC, the better thought process is, why do I need to go there?

[Cowhide]

Great video! While I do own a few 1911's and enjoy shooting them I rely on a single action revolver as a back up. Only because it takes longer to clear a jam or a malfunction in a semi auto one handed then it does two handed. So I rely on my Ruger Black Hawk 44spl flat top as back up since it takes me less time to draw the Ruger then to identify and then clear the malfunction.
Though even with speed loaders it is harder for me to load a double action revolver then a single action revolver one handed.

[gwpercle]

If I could only learn how to draw , shoot and re-holster a SAA like Alan Ladd does in the movie
" Shane" I would be one happy camper ... My draw is pathetically slow , my shooting is pretty good but spinning that SAA back into it's holster ... is a big No-Go ... I need a lot of help on that move .
Video was pretty good ...too much talking . I don't feel unarmed when I'm carrying my Ruger Blackhawk ... No Shane but that was a movie .
Gary

[megasupermagnum]

Seems silly to me to compromise when selecting a SD gun. I have two Colt SAA’s and they are fun, but my last choice for carry.

I can think of a long list of firearms that would be way worse than a SA revolver. In just pistols, the single shots like a TC contender would be horrible. A single shot muzzle loading pistol worse than that. One all too common "SD gun" that many buy are the break action Derringer's. While I'm sure somewhere out there is a half decent one, every single one I have ever handled has been the most horrendous firearm I could possibly imagine. For their size, they are super heavy. A pocket sized derringer must be 30 ounces or more. The triggers are borderline non-useable. I don't think I've ever shot one that I wasn't shaking horribly before it fired, and I'm a 6'5" mechanic with very strong hands. A shocking number of them have problems with reliability.

All in all, a DA revolver or the better semi auto pistols are top of the heap for defensive pistols. A SA revolver isn't that horribly far behind though, better than most kinds of pistols.

[45 Dragoon]

Wow! I thought the idea of this thread was about S.A.'s for self defense!!! Not a what would you choose for self defense thread. There's ALWAYS a comment in a thread like this. Sheeeesh!!

Mike

[shooting on a shoestring]

To HR Funk.
Thanks for the video.
I appreciate the effort.

I do have a third reason someone would choose a single action revolver for defense.
It’s because they shoot SA revolvers better, can make hits faster.
I’m one of those people. While I do own a Glock, and have owned 3, I came to them after about 4 decades of shooting SA revolvers. I grew up shooting single action revolvers and did it a lot! I never got fast hits with a Glock. There have been times in my life when I did use a single action revolver for my primary defense of home. I was more than adequately armed.

I’m a firm believer in using what you shoot well. For lots of folks a Glock is a good choice. For me I’ll always be biased towards SA revolvers just because of the amount of time I’ve used them. Of course I accept that if the zombies come I’ll have a hard time keeping up.

[Hrfunk]

Let’s hope the Zombie Apocalypse is still far off. I agree with you. If you have a firearm you shoot well, and you’re confident in your ability to use it effectively, that’s the one you should carry. Too many people believe they can purchase proficiency.

Howard

[Mr_Sheesh]

I'd played with a friends' quad 357, 70s-80s 4-shot derringer, cannot remember its' official name. Trigger pull was pretty tough.

As he said, he wasn't sure if it would hurt more, or less, to stand in front of it vs. behind it...

Intimidating in front of it tho LOL

Anyways I'd put that up there in the category of "non ideal SD weapons", definitely.

[Good Cheer]

Single action or double action, just so long as it's a large diameter short revolver.

[rintinglen]

285367285368
This gun comes along when I am walking in the woods. 3 1/2" Ruger .44 Mag, Stainless steel. Not my first choice for serious social interactions, but I shoot it a darned sight better than I throw rocks.

[Win94ae]

For the longest time I was going to get a single action 357 with a 3.5 inch barrel and birds head grips, but I ended up buying a Remington 1911 in 45acp. I'm glad I got the 1911, but do love any cowboy type weapon.

I do have an 1858 that I try to shoot cowboy like; the thing is so long, it practically points itself.

[Texas by God]

If I was using one of my single actions in a defensive way; I think my thoughts would be on the front sight- not Golly, I wish I had my 1911 or DA revolver or Glock...
Assuming there were thoughts to be had at that moment.
As a quick youth, using the left thumb cocking method I managed to clear the bowling pin table in 5 seconds a few times- and could hit a gallon jug at 100 yards offhand with my 4-5/8" Ruger Blackhawk. 41 very often. That confidence in single actions remains to this day- but my marksmanship....
Well......

Sent from my SM-A716U using Tapatalk

[Three44s]

HR Funk,

As a lover of big bore wheel guns, I really enjoyed your video!

The best part was where you resorted to instinctive shooting that transitioned to aimed fire by the fourth shot as you simultaneously retreated from the “threat”.

While I am a confirmed believer in large bore wheel guns and well practiced DA shooting with them, I am certainly opened minded enough to enjoy realistic work with a Single Action Revolver!

Thank you

Three44s

[Terminatorret]

Great video. Don't forget the "OHHHH-S**T!"-factor. The thought of looking down the barrel of a big ol' single action aimed at me would give me the jitters...maybe others.
I carry my single action 4-5/8 .357 Rugers when the weather allows concealment. Open carry in Texas is permitted, but at 66 years old, I don't want to show my hand. I prefer single action to semi-autos/double actions...just my comfort zone. The first shot counts. I have many semi's and two Ruger Service/Security Sixes, but my natural point of aim is faster and more on-target with the single actions than any of my other handguns. I don't know why, but I think that maybe (sub-consciously) that I'm acutely aware that my first shot MUST be accurate. I carry a converted 3-screw Blackhawk most of the time, and the larger NM (with the added girth) with confidence.
Thanks again for the video. I have a beautiful George Lawrence "Gunfighter No. 78" rig , but when out and about in town, I prefer a Mernickle cross-draw or PS6DA riding high on my belt.
If my first shot doesn't stop you (1+ second?), shame on me.

[Gray Fox]

I was lucky enough to find a 4 5/8" Ruger flatop Bisley in .44 special, but my wife immediately claimed it. We both shot SASS for 10 years, she with a pair of Ruger .45 Blackhawks, a 4 5/8" strongside and 7.5" crossdraw. I have a pair of .45 Colt 4 5/8" stainless old Vaqueros for both positions. We were not the best shots, by a long ways, but I would not want to come after my wife with her carrying a single action since she has fired more than a couple thousand rounds of non-powder puff loads through them. I always shot one handed (SASS Duelist category) but if I were to practice a bit shooting two-handed like HR did, using the same recoiling loads in one of my Rugers and in my 4" S&W 25-5 .45 Colt I don't think that my shot to shot recovery time would be much different, with HR's accuracy levels as a goal. That's my skill level, not yours of course. Mouse fart loads would benefit both guns' recovery time, but why do it? It's probably just as easy to conceal either gun under an untucked summer sportshirt, too with the right holster, but not his 5.5". Bottom line is I really liked this latest offering from HR and look forward to his next one. I learn something from each one he does. GF

[Hrfunk]

Thanks fellas. You’re all much too kind!

Howard

[Savvy Jack]

Yeap, they can certainly be fun to shoot!!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekeI9KUNnMI


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zRX2zjyk4k


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHrP54_JBXo

[Win94ae]

Yeap, they can certainly be fun to shoot!!!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekeI9KUNnMI


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zRX2zjyk4k


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHrP54_JBXo

I used to quick-draw shoot all the time, but have gotten away from the single actions, so I'm not very good at it any more.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8jO_Tr_n_8

I do shoot that gun a lot better with modern techniques...


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X2tfNu5i16U

...but quick-draw is fun! Well done!

[Mr_Sheesh]

Actually there is a way to "Buy" proficiency;

Take courses, if needed;

Get a BUNCH of ammo, and then shoot that firearm till you reach proficiency :)

It's AKA earning that proficiency.