FIVE CARTRIDGES?
Here’s another Old West
Myth and Fact. Tradition and the early Colt Pistol manuals says to load only five cartridges in a pistol and leave the empty cylinder under the hammer. The reason being if the hammer is accidently hit with a live cartridge under it, it could go off…Incidentally; modern pistols have a safety bar to prevent accidental firing.
So, did they load only five cartridges? Not always. Wyatt Earp’s pistol fell to the floor in a saloon and it went off. Lawman Dallas Stoudenmire was being interviewed by a newspaper reporter. During the interview Dallas showed his shooting skills. The reporter said all six shots hit the target. A couple of years ago we published an article in Chronicle of the Old West from 1898 where two men went into the back room of a saloon, and while there a pistol was fired. The people in the saloon though it was a gun fight. Actually, one of the men dropped their pistol.
My feeling is if you were an average Joe you probably loaded five cartridges, but if there was a chance of gunplay you wanted as much firepower as possible. And that extra cartridge could mean the difference between life and death.
What do you think?
Filed under: Old West Myth & Fact
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Most Cowboy’s when working the range kept five round in there pistols. Even today when we are using a colt single action or clone we still only load five. Most cowboys carried a side arm in case their horse bolted on them, they lost their seat and were being drug. For some reason they thought they would be able to pull their pistol and shoot the horse thus saving their live,s. I ride horse’s and I don’t know if I could do that and I am pretty good with and kind of gun. But the main reason that they carried five was, even a sturipp falling and hitting the hammer could fire the gun. That being said most of the lawmen carried their guns fully loaded while in town. In their profession that sixth round could the differance between life and death.
I can agree with you on the history of having five rounds in a single action. However, is that necessary with modern single actions?
As long as they have a transfer bar you can carry all six loaded. Just make sure the your pistol has one or you could shoot yourself or someone accidently. If You are planing to shoot in a SAS or COWS match they still require you to only load five rounds.
Your remarks show wisdom and experience.
Thanks.