Loading only five rounds in a six shooter....

[Bob Wright]

The question frequently comes up as to whether "Old Timers" actually loaded five rounds in a six shooter or not. Not being quite that old, despite some opinions, I don't know firsthand. But my Dad, born in 1891, always insisted that I "keep an empty chamber under that hammer." This when I was a youngster of twelve or so. And it was not really necessary as most of my revolvers were Colt M1917s or commercial New Service revolvers.

But I did as my Dad told me to. "Sound wisdom."

Bob Wright

 

[vito]

I keep a six shooter in a remote part of my home so that should I be there when the SHTF I have access to a firearm. I would not want to further reduce my capacity by leaving one chamber empty.

 

[DeletedMember275]

On an Old Model Ruger or a similar revolver, I only load five. But, I haven't participated in any gunfights with one, either.

 

[kmoore]

There is a lot of truth to that. But and this is a big but. Not all 6 shooters single or double action are built the same. Some are safe to have 6 and some not. Basically you as the gun owner needs to know how the firing system works. If the hammer can be pushed or fall onto firing mode with a hard blow to it and the gun fires that is unsafe. Most new 6 shooters are designed with a safety that prevents that from happening. I will leave it at that others can explain which guns are safe and which ones are not safe to carry 6 shots.

 

[Hawk-in-Wi]

40 some years ago when I got my first 3 screw Blackhawk, I was well aware of the the rule about only loading 5 , but i was new to the single action coming from mainly using rifles and shotguns and was in my back yard range so the thought came that, why not load 6 ? what could it hurt! right ? so i loaded 6 closed the loading gate , pulled the hammer to full cock and then for reason i don't remember after all these years decided to lower the hammer. I will never know if I had a high or sensitive primer or if i let the hammer down to hard/fast but i ended up with a very loud 357 mag bang and a nice hole in the ground several feet in front of me, since that little teaching moment I always load 1, skip 1, load 4

 

[reuben_j_cogburn]

I know a guy who only carries 5 rounds in his S&W model 10... because he was told that loading 6 was dangerous.... in 10 years, I have not been able to convince him otherwise....

 

[Bob Wright]

My intent was to determine if loading five rounds was the custom back "in the day", say prior to 1900 or so. My Dad's advice was from the only one nearest that era I knew. But the practice still prevailed in the late 'Forties (NINETEEN Forties) up in rural middle Tennessee among the few handgunners I knew.

Bob Wright

 

[eveled]

I’ve wondered the same thing. I can’t see me riding through Indian country with an empty chamber.

 

[kmoore]

Bob my reading and understanding about the old Colt revolvers was that cowboys or working folk would only load 5, resting the hammer on a empty chamber since a hard blow from a fall could cause it to discharge. Gun fighters going into a fight might top off. I don't know if that applies to all makes and models of western 6 guns. That's why the manuals for each type of 6 shooter or gun need to read and understood as to the safe/recommended way to load and carry each. A blanket statement might not be correct for all. Old gun and no manual, an expert with the gun in question would be the way to go.

 

[jimbo1096]

I believe there were no set in stone rule that all cowboys carried 5 with the hammer on an empty chamber. If you were a gunslinger or a bad guy you would know your weapons intimately and probably carry six, might need that extra round at anytime. And some firearms had provisions to rest the hammer between cylinders, if you trusted such things. If you were riding the range roping cows you probably wouldn't want to take the chance of shooting yourself.
There was a story about Wyatt Earp having a unplanned discharge because he carried six when he was sitting at a card table and the gun dropped out of his holster. .
"The Wichita (Kansas) Beacon newspaper reported in its January 12, 1876 edition, "Last Sunday night, while policeman Earp was sitting with two or three others in the back room of the Custom House Saloon, his revolver slipped from his holster, and falling to the floor, the hammer which was resting on the cap, is supposed to have struck the chair, causing a discharge of one of the (chambers). The ball passed through his coat, struck the north wall then glanced off and passed out through the ceiling. It was a narrow escape and the occurrence got up a lively stampede from the room. One of the demoralized was under the impression that someone had fired through the window from the outside.""

And I guess he changed his mind when he stated the opposite - From his interview:

"On the second point, I have often been asked why five shots without reloading were all a top-notch gunfighter fired, when his guns were chambered for six cartridges.
The answer is, merely, safety. To ensure against accidental discharge of the gun while in the holster, due to hair-trigger adjustment, the hammer rested upon an empty chamber. As widely as this was known and practiced, the number of cartridges a man carried in his six-gun may be taken as an indication of a man's rank with the gunfighters of the old school. Practiced gun-wielders had too much respect for their weapons to take unnecessary chances with them; it was only with tyros and would-bes that you heard of accidental discharges or didn't-know-it-was-loaded injuries in the country where carrying a Colt was a man's prerogative."
https://americanshootingjournal.com/wyatt-earp-interview-on-gunfighting/

 

[DeletedMember275]

Elmer Keith also strongly recommended only loading five chambers, and said that the old cowboys he knew always practiced that. He specified that it was common practice to loop a stirrup over the saddle horn while tightening the cinches around the horse, and it was not uncommon for that stirrup to flop back down. Elmer said that more than one cowboy had experienced a Negligent Discharge when the stirrup struck the hammer on their sixgun, if all six chambers were loaded. I can certainly see that happening, especially if your horse isn't cooperating.

 

[gjgalligan]

The question frequently comes up as to whether "Old Timers" actually loaded five rounds in a six shooter or not. Not being quite that old, despite some opinions, I don't know firsthand. But my Dad, born in 1891, always insisted that I "keep an empty chamber under that hammer." This when I was a youngster of twelve or so. And it was not really necessary as most of my revolvers were Colt M1917s or commercial New Service revolvers.

But I did as my Dad told me to. "Sound wisdom."

Bob Wright

I got a similar bit of instruction from my father, never carry a gun that is cocked.
Which explains why I do not own any 1911 style pistols.

 

[eveled]

As soon as I read the thread title, I thought of a scene in The Shootist. Ron Howard asks John Wayne about only loading 5 and what if you need six?

John Wayne tells him “ You load 5 for safety, if your gut tells you to load 6? Load 6”. Or something like that.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

I would think with the Colt style of hammer in the SAA they probably only loaded five. Remember the old story "Ya keep your burial money in the empty chamber" BUT if you knew you were going into battle you probably loaded 6
A cap and ball allows you to place the hammer between the caps so you can load all six.

 

[reuben_j_cogburn]

I heard a story way back that was in one of gun magazines.. It told of a guy who shot himself in the leg with his ruger when he flopped the stirrup on his saddle off the seat, while prepping for a ride..... It evidentally hit the hammer and sent a round into his leg..
So I guess it happens....
I'd suppose that back in the wild west there were more than a few who loaded six.. Just like there is at least one, who won't load six, when he can......

 

[Busterswoodshop]

It all depends on the gun.
Some you only load five and some it is perfectly fine to load six.
Most guns today you can load them up.
You just need to know the difference.

 

[Johnnu2]

I do remember reading somewhere that the cowboys carried the 'spare $5 bill" in the "empty chamber" (for safety and if they needed the money in an emergency at the bar).

I've held fast to the cautions of loading only 5 after a local hardware store owner's son (back in the 1970's in Mn.) died when he dropped his Colt while twirling in his father's store at the gun counter; he was gut shot when he dropped the gun. The hospital was probably less than a mile away but he never made it. I guess he violated at least TWO RULES that day.

I never worried about SHTF or gunfights..... so far, so good.

J.

 

[Snake Pleskin]

There is a lot of truth to that. But and this is a big but. Not all 6 shooters single or double action are built the same. Some are safe to have 6 and some not. Basically you as the gun owner needs to know how the firing system works. If the hammer can be pushed or fall onto firing mode with a hard blow to it and the gun fires that is unsafe. Most new 6 shooters are designed with a safety that prevents that from happening. I will leave it at that others can explain which guns are safe and which ones are not safe to carry 6 shots.

In SA's they usually have a transfer bar to make them safe. In a DA they can have either a transfer bar, or a hammer block to make them safe to carry fully loaded. The old original SA's had a firing pin that protruded through the recoil shield to strike the primer. Hence it actually lightly rested on the primer if you loaded all six chambers. That is why they carried an empty chamber "under the hammer". There were many documented accidents of "people"/ cowboys shooting them selves accidentally when a six gun got hung up in a holster other piece of gear, or having the firearm fire when dropped, especially if on horse back! etc.

 

[Snake Pleskin]

I know a guy who only carries 5 rounds in his S&W model 10... because he was told that loading 6 was dangerous.... in 10 years, I have not been able to convince him otherwise....

Maybe if yo showed him the actual safety features built onto the Model 10, the internal hammer block as an example.???

 

[Busterswoodshop]

If you don't know how to safely load and carry your gun , you shouldn't be carrying one.

 

[Johnnu2]

I've heard of people removing various safety features found on modern guns.... !!

Just sayin',

J.

 

[jkingrph]

My little S&W j frame revolvers only hold 5 rounds.

 

[buckeyeshooter]

Depends in what revolver I am carrying. A smith and wesson gets 6, unless it only holds 5. My Rugers are all new models, except my dad's 4 digit serial number Blackhawk that has been fired less than 20 rounds in it's life. I have never shot it. I have a bunch of Vaqueros, they get 6 in the field and 5 for cowboy shooting. My Colt's always get 5.

 

[pyth0n]

I've only had NM Rugers, but reading Skeeter Skelton, Spangenberger, Keith & others, they said it was common safety practice to carry 5 in the early SA revolvers. Six if they thought they need it in a fight, injuns, rustlers & all round general bad guys.
I could understand someone with a mixed collection of both types developing the habit of loading five as their own handling safety measure.

 

[Jeepnik]

The 1873 was first a military weapon. The question that begs answering is did they load five or six?

Experience showed me that while instructed to carry the 1911 with an empty chamber many of us ignored that edict and carried condition one. I suspect that regardless of what procedures were soldiers actually carried six.

 

[reuben_j_cogburn]

"Maybe if yo showed him the actual safety features built onto the Model 10, the internal hammer block as an example.???"

Oh.. I went through everything with him.... But a former marine, had gotten to him first and there was nothing I could do to convince him after that...
But.. if someone wants to short themselves a round or two, thats up to them I guess...