WBR and the transfer bar

[BigJ71]

Yeah well, unfortunately the user is not the only safety concern with automobiles. The problem is everybody else. ALL you have to worry about with a traditional sixgun is carrying the sixgun with the hammer down on an empty chamber. Do it enough and it's completely second nature. If ALL you had to worry about driving a car was ONE THING, the road would be a much safer place. Nope, there are people who just can't drive who have a license to anyway, people on cell phones talking and texting, drunks, people fooling with the stereo, people with poor judgement, people trying to eat, people with poor eyesight and/or hearing, people who learned to drive in Mexico, people in a hurry, people not in a hurry, people who are rude and obnoxious, people who are just pissed off, people ready to snap. Then there is rain, sleet, hail, wind, oil slick, ice, kicked up rocks, gas caps falling off Kenworths, road gators, flat tires, mechanical failures, all the myriad of unforeseen circumstances that can happen at any time.

Versus carrying your sixgun with the hammer down on an empty chamber. :roll:

CraigC,

What about the points I brought up regarding hunting safety and the better design of the transfer bar?? You seemed to gloss over that.

Anyone and I mean ANYONE who has hunted with both a New Model and Old Model Ruger Blackhawk will tell you that the new model is a far safer design. In this application the transfer bar way exceeds the older design. It has NOTHING to do with the operator.

If you pistol hunt long enough there WILL be times when you will need to let that hammer down because your shot just wasn't there. Now because of an old outdated design you have put yourself in more danger of an accidental discharge than you would had you been using an New Model with the transfer bar. Sorry but the revolver itself is more dangerous without the transfer bar...period.

 

[CraigC]

It is not, and I did not.

If the hammer is drawn back but a shot is not available or not needed, you just lower the hammer to the safety notch, return it to the half cock notch and rotate it until drawing it back again and lowering it will rest the hammer over the empty chamber. It's no different than operating an exposed hammer levergun. If you can't safely manipulate your sixgun with gloves on, then you don't need to be wearing them and it doesn't matter what you're shooting. You follow the basic safety precautions necessary for ANY shooting and any "negligent" discharge will not only be your own fault but it will be safely fired into the ground.

The only valid safety concern is if you are ignorant enough to carry your traditional sixgun with the hammer down on a loaded chamber and something impacts the hammer.

 

[BigJ71]

It is not, and I did not.

If the hammer is drawn back but a shot is not available or not needed, you just lower the hammer to the safety notch, return it to the half cock notch and rotate it until drawing it back again and lowering it will rest the hammer over the empty chamber. It's no different than operating an exposed hammer levergun. If you can't safely manipulate your sixgun with gloves on, then you don't need to be wearing them and it doesn't matter what you're shooting. You follow the basic safety precautions necessary for ANY shooting and any "negligent" discharge will not only be your own fault but it will be safely fired into the ground.

The only valid safety concern is if you are ignorant enough to carry your traditional sixgun with the hammer down on a loaded chamber and something impacts the hammer.

And by lowering the hammer to the "safety notch" which we ALL know is NOT a true safety notch you have just put yourself in harms way because if your thumb should slip while doing this, the gun WILL go off. With the transfer bar it wouldn't. Now you have to draw it back to half cock...again if your thumb slips...Bang! Then you have to rotate the cylinder around so that the empty chamber will index into position when you re-cock the revolver. If that half cock should fail (we all know that never happens :roll: ) or you should accidentally drop the revolver...Bang! Again, none of that would not happen if the revolver was equipped with the transfer bar.

As far as manipulating the sixgun with gloves on....Have you ever hunted in Illinois in the middle of December, January, February??? You have two choices, one, wear the glove or two, take it off. Unfortunately BOTH will increase the chance of a misshap. Hands don't work too well with bulky gloves on nor do they in below freezing temps, even after only seconds of exposure. Yet, your asking the operator to manipulate a trigger, hammer and cylinder (multiple times and sometimes two of them at the once) perhaps in a freezing rain or snow in order to move past all those loaded rounds in order to bring the revolver back to a safe position to be carried knowing full well that if there is a misshap, that hammer is going to fall on a loaded round...but in your opinion THAT'S safer than the transfer bar!?

I agree, carrying your Old Model sixgun with the hammer over a loaded cylinder is ignorant but it's more ignorant to believe the Old Model design is better or safer (especially in a hunting situation) than the New Model design.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

I'd say the New Model is "inherently safer" but that it's no substitute for knowing what you're doing and doing it properly.

No amount of "safety gadgets" will make up for ignorance and/or carelessness.

 

[BigJ71]

Please don't misunderstand, I love the Old Model Blackhawk and I prefer the Old Models lock work. It's just the safety notches are no way near as safe as the transfer bar system. In a regular shooting situation I will always reach for an Old Model but when hunting it's New Models all the way....Just my .02

 

[BigJ71]

I'd say the New Model is "inherently safer" but that it's no substitute for knowing what you're doing and doing it properly.

No amount of "safety gadgets" will make up for ignorance and/or carelessness.

I agree 100%

If the shooter is an idiot, he (or she) stands a better chance of hurting themself or somebody else no matter what model is in their hands.

 

[JNewell]

I for one like to be able to load six...I can still load one, skip one, load four...but a full house is nice, even if it's seldom necessary.

I'd say the New Model is "inherently safer" but that it's no substitute for knowing what you're doing and doing it properly.

No amount of "safety gadgets" will make up for ignorance and/or carelessness.

Sad but totally true.

 

[ndcowboy]

Personally, I think the big bore centerfire revolvers are no big deal to use without a transfer bar.
However, the .22 revolvers, like the OM Single Six and OM Bearcat are a bit more of a pain because you can't look at the side of the revolver and see the rim of the cartridge to tell if there is an empty chamber under the hammer.