Traditional Firearms > Cap and Ball Revolvers

Snake loads in a C/B revolver?

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Kermit:
So while walking about in AZ with my son-in-law, we happened on a sizeable and venonous snake. Not something we find much here on the wet side of the Cascades and north of the Columbia. He dispached it with a shot load from a little North American Arms .22 mag. I appreciated the gesture, as I'm allergic to bee stings and have been told I definitely don't want to experience snakebite. One of his buddies packs one of those Bond Arms .410 derringers to the same purpose, but there's the recoil question, and the two shot issue.

So I got to wondering about shot loads in a short-barreled perc revolver. Anyone do this? If so, how, specifically? Bigger bore better? Would a .31 do the deed? The .22 mag sure did.

I haven't owned a percussion revolver in absolute decades, but just might again. I sorta like the cool factor in packing such a snake gun, but I'd kinda like reliability in case of need.

Discussion?

Three Hawks:
I grew up in snake country.  Learned to avoid 'em.   Unlike the two legged variety, the slithery ones try to avoid us.  That's why they rattle.  

Hear the buzz?  [size=150]STAND STILL ![/size] The snake will leave.  Why kill a perfectly good vermin control  officer unless you're going to eat him?

My snake load for the two leggers is  98 gr. Speer .32 cal. Hollow Base Wadcutters loaded base out over 3.5 gr of Unique in my lil' M1895 Nagant 7-shooter.  No idea what it'll do to a 2-legged Snake, but it will blow a jack rabbit in half at 15 yds.

I know this sounds like heresy, but for me BP is to play with.  When it comes to actually defending myself against a clear and present danger I use fixed ammo with smokeless powder in a gun I know will work.  WITHOUT. FAIL.  EVERY. DANG. TIME.

Three Hawks

Kermit:
Aw, gee, Three! Thanks for disabusing me of my fantasy. I think. Living here where snakes are either garter snakes or rubber boas, my experience is limited.

Reliability, as in kinda like my house gun is a modrun slide-type 12-bore, I reckon. I haven't packed a sidearm since my job "required" that little Chief's Special that's still in the safe.

Tin Type:
I have a question about C/B revolvers.  Decades ago,I owned a Ruger New Old Army C/B .45 cal.  Stanless steel... OK, I fired it a lot in eastern WA.  I never had it missfire.  Is this luck? or ...  Are C/B pistols prone to misfire?

R.M.:
I've had many of them, and in my mind, the Ruger Old Army is about the best shooting revolver out there.
As far as misfires go, a lot depends on cap quality, cap fit, nipple, and powder used. I suppose the shooter has a lot to do with it too.
I found that the Italian imports just don't stand up to the thousands of rounds I used to put through them. For the occasional shooter, I'm sure they'd be fine.

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