Killing Livestock

[CJDave]

[img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] I cannot even imagine being on horseback with a revolver that had only the half-cock holding the hammer away from that primer......yeek! [img]/forums/images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] When the Colt Python first came out, the California Highway Patrol adopted it because it could do so well against "machinery". It could shoot through the fender of a vehicle and hit the engine hard enough to break something important. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[Pat]

Dave, I didn't realize you were so lacking in imagination. [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img] [img]/forums/images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

I can imagine it, just not me doing it. Like I said, six in the wheel for in the night stand or target shooting but not like horseback, Jeepin' and such.

You definitely don't want to carry the ole Ruger on half cock (or any single six I know about.) There are actually 4 (countem, FOUR) static hammer positions with the Ruger SBH.

1. Hammer down as in after firing a round. Not a safe carry position with a loaded chamber but the safest possible if an empty chamber or fired round in chamber.

2. A short distance of hammer travel from position (1) above there is a sort of "safety" position. You can hear it click and see it is in that position with the hammer off the round, if any. This was not reliable and was "improved" in the post 1973 model with ""the block." (Mine is stock pre '73)

3. half cock, used to free the cylinder to rotate for inspecting, loading, unloading the chambers.

4. Full cock, only hammer position from which trigger pull will release hammer to fire.

Maybe not as safe as the safety mechs of the Glock but still, the only way to get a discharge of a Ruger single six type revolver when carried on an empty is to bring the hammer back to full cock and pull the trigger. You could hold the trigger back and then pull the hammer back and release from full cock or an intermediate distance/proportion but for a more certain ignition of the primer get it close to full cock. (see also fanning)

If the warmed over .38 (AKA .357 magnum) was considered appropriate for anti materiel interdiction (shooting into an engine to disable it) then the .44 mag (warmed over .44 special or .44 Russian) was similar but MUCH MORE CAPABLE. (See prev comments regarding armor piercing tests.)

Just in case anyone cares, even though we aren't on topic (yet, still) the difference in the .357 and .44 magums vs the .38 and .44 special respectively is that in both cases the shell casing is 0.10 inches longer to prevent putting the magnum rounds into a "standard" gun where the more powerful discharge could damage the gun and or injure the shooter.

There are a lot of really old .38 and .44 pistols out there which would be subject to exploding if subjected to the pressures of a hot magnum round. So the magnum case is made 1/10th of an inch longer to prevent chambering it in the wrong gun. Of course the .38 and the .44 special rounds will fit into and function fine in the respective magnums. It is entirely possible to load hot magnum loads in the 38 and 44 special cases but it is NOT GOOD PRACTICE as they could accidentally find their way into a standard gun and cause a dangerous situatioin. Few loads require the extra case volume provided by the extra 0.10 inches of length however, I have loaded a significant number of "compressed" loads for the .44 mag. Compressed loads are when the case is filled so much with powder that when seating the bullet the powder is compressed. This is done with care from a position of knowledge and experience. I rely on good loading manuals and work up to such a charge carefully while being alert for signs of overpressure.

It was while producing some "by the book" compressed loads using a Lee Loader that I had a bit of an epiphany which changed my reloading forever. You see a Lee Loader is a simple inexpensive set of reloading tools that uses a hammer to pound on the "bullet in progress." You pound the case into a sizer, you pound out the old primer and then use the hammer to pound in a new primer. You use a small dipper to measure the charge of powder and then use the hammer to pound the bullet into the case to the desired depth. You then use the hammer to pound on the nearly finished round to crimp the case tightly to the bullet.

It suddenly occurred to me while making hot rounds with compressed charges that I was pounding on a .44 magnum cartridge, over filled with powder, with a hammer, over and over to make a box of of hand loaded cartridges. Although all the individual steps were in accordance with recommended practice, at least in accordance with the Lee Loader manufacturer and the reloading manuals, nevertheless in aggregate it just didn't seem like something that was provident to do over a protracted period of time spo I boiught a reloading press. I still have the Lee equipment (unused for decades) and would not hesitate to use it for reloading shotgun shells (no hammer used after depriming and repriming the case.)

Pat