| Re: For all of our gun fans... |
Subject: Re: For all of our gun fans... by GRIS on 2014/1/28 20:29:08 WELL, THIS ARGUMENT GOES BACK A WAYS. THE FIRST COMBAT REVOLVER, THE COLT PATTERSON, OF JACK HAYS AND COMANCHE FAME, WAS .36 CALIBER. OUR FIRST ARMY REVOLVER WAS THE COLT WALKER, .44 CAL WITH THE SAME POWDER CHARGE AS THE INFANTRY MUSKET. (BY THE BY, IT WAS NOT SURPASSED FOR POWER UNTIL THE .44 MAG) IT WAS ISSUED TO THE REGIMENT OF MOUNTED RIFLES. IT’S SUCCESSOR WAS THE COLT DRAGOON, REDUCED IN SIZE AND POWDER CHARGE, BUT STILL .44. THESE AND THE WALKER WERE BOTH CARRIED IN SADDLE HOLSTERS. THE FIRST REVOLVERS CARRIED ON THE BELT WERE THE COLT NAVY MODEL OF 1851, .36 CAL. THESE WERE ISSUED TO THE 1ST & 2D CAVALRY REGIMENTS. (IT WAS NOTED THAT THE NAVY PISTOLS WERE FAR LESS EFFECTIVE ON GRIZZLY BEARS THAN THE DRAGOON PISTOLS) IN THE WAR OF NORTHERN AGGRESSION, THE SOUTH GENERALLY STUCK WITH THE .36 NAVY, MAYBE DUE TO THE NUMBER OF 2D CAV OFFICERS THAT “WENT SOUTH”. THE NORTH, ON THE OTHER HAND HAD ACCESS TO THE INCOMPARABLE COLT 1860 ARMY IN .44 WHICH WAS US STANDARD UNTIL REMINGTON UNDER BID COLT BY A WIDE MARGIN. THE REMINGTON ARMY WAS ALSO .44 CAL. CONFEDERATE CAVALRY IN THE WEST, LIKE THE 8TH TEXAS, BELIEVED IN FIRE POWER RATHER THAN SABERS, AND CARRIED TWO TO SIX REVOLVERS. THEY WERE NOT PICKY ABOUT CALIBER OR SOURCE. POST WAR SAW CONTINUED VARIATION AMONG PISTOLIEROS WITH JAMES BUTLER HICKOK FAVORING A PAIR OF NAVIES AND JOHN WESLEY HARDEN THE 1860 ARMY. THE ARMY’S FIRST CARTRIDGE REVOLVER WAS, OF COURSE THE 1873 COLT SINGLE ACTION ARMY IN .45 CAL. .44 & .44 SEEM TO HAVE BEEN THE CALIBERS OF CHOICE FOR WORKING GUNS ON THE WESTERN FRONTIER. THE ADVENT OF THE .45 ACP IS TOO WELL KNOWN TO REPEAT. IT IS WORTH WHILE TO NOTE THAT THE 9MM IS A EUROPEAN CREATION. IN THE EUROPEAN TRADITION THE PISTOL HAS NOT BEEN REGARDED AS A SERIOUS COMBAT WEAPON SINCE THE 1600-1700’S. (THERE WERE NO COMANCHES IN EUROPE) TO ME, THE COLT 1911 IN .45 ACP IS THE FINEST COMBAT HANDGUN EVER MADE. THE .357 SIG SURE DOES SHOOT GOOD, THOUGH ;-) |
