By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
In a world where many of us are hopelessly romantic, count me just plain hopeless.
Having managed to enjoy a variety of handguns, both revolvers and semiautomatics, and being permanently associated with the .41 Magnum Model 57 Smith & Wesson, there are moments when I just can’t resist strapping on a single-action sixgun and heading into the High Lonesome. This time of year, with big blue skies, lush green vegetation, magnificent timber and no smoke from wildfires fouling the air just yet, walking the land above 5,000 feet includes a full cartridge belt and something in a holster that requires thumb cocking for every shot.
I’ve got single-action Ruger Blackhawks in .41 Magnum, and single-action Ruger New Vaqueros in .45 Colt. One or the other often find their way into my off-pavement summer adventures, which, alas at my age, are becoming fewer and farther between.
I could drone on about double-action versus single-action wheelguns where practicality is concerned. And it would be easy to make the argument that thumb busters are not simply passe, but woefully anachronistic. When the air clears and the arguments have all run out of steam, the fact remains that some of us just flat like the single-action in the outdoors.
The six-shooter belongs there. It seems at home there. Where people walk today anywhere in the wilds, you can pretty much rest assured somebody packing a single-action wheelgun has already been there.
Single-action revolvers force us to do a couple of things.
We learn to count our shots and we also learn about waiting for the right shot. That is, sixgun afficionados have learned to not waste a shot on an iffy target. The times I’ve fired at live game, I didn’t just slap leather and fire half-blindly at the whole mass of the critter. I leveled the sights and kept my finger off the trigger until I was absolutely confident the bullet would go where it was supposed to go.
We learn to reload quickly, which translates to the adage, “Never holster an empty gun.” You only think the shooting has stopped. Bears can only seem dead. Mountain lions occasionally travel in pairs, same as coyotes. I’ve had deer suddenly get up and start walking away, even after being hit with a rifle bullet. Kick out the empties and refill the chambers with fresh cartridges.
There is “just something” about a sixgun in a good holster carried on a full cartridge belt that tends to make my world go around a little smoother.
I’ve spent many an enjoyable hour sitting at a campfire with friends, or while hunting and camping solo, with the welcome feel of a single-action handgun on my hip. I’ve devoted lots of hours practicing at the gun range, designing and building holsters and patiently stitching cartridge loops on smooth or rough leather belts. It all has paid off many times with the smell of smoke, cool fresh air after sundown, and the comfort of having an emergency survival tool at hand in the event, however unlikely, of an emergency.
Speed
Let’s face it, not a lot of people are truly quick draw specialists, compared to the general population of shooters. I’ve known some people who are extremely fast with a handgun, and they can hit targets at close range regularly. Those targets aren’t charging at them with bared teeth, or maybe shooting back, and some of these folks shoot double-action revolvers.
The single-action wheelgun must be drawn and cocked in a single, smooth motion. Start slowly and speed will improve. Shoot slowly at first, and accuracy will improve. Remember the words attributed to the late Wyatt Earp: “Fast is fine, but accuracy is final.”
It takes practice, followed by more practice. Nobody does this in a few hours. We’re talking weeks, if not months of gradual improvement.
Sights
There are considerations most folks probably wouldn’t immediately considered. Single-actions such as those in the Ruger Blackhawk series have adjustable sights. Meanwhile, sixguns of traditional design from Ruger, Taurus, Uberti and others have fixed sights, and this is where things get tricky.
One can readily sight in a revolver with adjustable sights after settling on a consistent, reliable load. Just adjust the rear sight.
On a fixed sight model, however, one must spend time at the range using a sandbag rest initially to determine where a specific load will hit a target downrange, and then more practice is required to get used to this loads/gun combination. I’ve fired a lot of single-action revolvers that—surprise of surprises—do not send bullets exactly where they’re aimed. They may shoot right, left, low or high, or a combination of those variables. I once owned a .22-caliber revolver which consistently shot high and left, so I came to reflexively aim low and right, and managed to put some small game in the cooler as a result.
Another surprise awaited me when I first hit the range with my first New Vaquero, with a 7 ½-inch barrel, and discovered windage to be spot on, while the elevation was a slight problem. I simply did some reloading experimentation, settled on two good propellants and gently stoned down the front sight a tiny bit to bring my point of impact up.
Leather
I’ve got one hard and fast rule: NEVER carry a single-action sixgun in a plastic or nylon holster. Yeah, its probably 50 percent nostalgia and tradition, and 50 percent practicality. And a hundred percent growing up on a diet of big screen and TV westerns. Like I said up front, I’m hopeless.
There are holsters and then there are holsters. I prefer models with exposed triggers. Others contend this isn’t safe and I suspect they’re concerned about their own capabilities. I’ve been packing sixguns for decades in such holsters, so anymore it doesn’t bother me.
There are many very good holster makers who specialize in western rigs. El Paso Saddlery, Bianchi, Simply Rugged, Barranti Leather and others. I built my own rigs back when I was doing holsters on order, and one thing about leather I learned quickly is that it can take some hard punches and still provide years of service.
I think sixguns were made to be carried in leather. Brown or black.
I’ve never participated in cowboy action shooting or become a member of the Single Action Shooting Society (SASS). I know those folks have a great time doing what they do, and my Resistol is off to ‘em.
My single-action wheelguns are purely for other purposes, and they’ve fulfilled their mission. None of them wears the original factory grips, and none of them have ever given me a bit of trouble. Keep them clean, don’t try overloading them and they will last a lifetime.
One doesn’t really need to “go cowboy” to enjoy a single-action wheelgun. They’re addictive, and carry well, and when the shooting starts, they will hold up their end. The proof is in scores of Old West cemeteries in places that no longer have names, and some places that do. Tombstone comes to mind.
Don’t be shy about trying a single-action. Gun shops and gun shows are good places to find new and/or used ones. Trust me, you’ll wake up some morning and decide it’s time to hit the trail.
