Just because handguns don't get enough love around here...

[Marshal_]

I dunno, I almost like the looks of a good pair of cocobolo grips better. I've got a set around here somewhere, just don't have anything to put em on right this minute. 

[badsection]

I had that commander custom built back in the day when I worked tons of O T. by a good friend that is out of the business now,not too far north of VA Beach,btw. Pocomoke City,MD.

[ballistic]

Thanks guys, thanks Ron, what you said about the .357 made up my mind   Be a little bit but thats the caliber Im set on now. I had one before, wasnt bad to shoot.

K... another question about handguns. Ive been doing some snooping around the internet about my question but havent made alot of headway, so I'll pick your guys brains. What calibers did most of the gunfighters/cowboys/famous outlaws and lawmen carry in there single action army colts ?

[badsection]

.45 would be my guess..44 second?  I have a .454 taurus that shoots .45 colt as a 'reduced' round. Does real nice at close hogs,BTW 

[Marshal_]

Snagged from wikipedia's Single Action Army page, so take it as you would any google search:

"From 1875 until 1880 Colt marketed a Single Action revolver in the .44 rimfire Henry caliber in a separate number range from no. 1 to 1,863.[5]
 
A "Flattop Target Model" was listed in Colt's catalogs from 1890 to 1898. Colt manufactured 914 of these revolvers with a frame which was flat on the top and fitted with an adjustable leaf rear sight. The front sight consisted of a base with an interchangeable blade.[6]
 
In 1896, at serial number 164,100, a spring-loaded base pin latch replaced the cylinder pin retaining screw and by 1900, at serial number 192,000, the Colt Single Action was certified for use with smokeless powder.[3] In 1920, larger, highly visible sights replaced the original thin blade and notch. The revolvers remained essentially unchanged from that point until cessation of manufacture at the beginning of World War II.[4]
 
From 1873 through 1940 (with small numbers assembled during and after World War II, the so called "Pre-War, Post-War" model), production of the Colt Single Action Army reached 357,859. This is identified as the "Pre War" or "First Generation" of the model. Calibers, at least thirty in all, ranged from .22 rimfire through .476 Eley, with approximately half, or 158,884 (including Bisley and Flat Top Target variations), chambered for .45 Colt. The next most prevalent were the .44-40 Winchester Center fire (WCF) at 71,392; 38-40 (38 WCF) at 50,520; 32-20 Winchester (32 WCF) at 43,284 and, the 41 Colt at 19,676.[3]"

[dubyam]

Back in 'wild west' days there were a lot of .32, .38, and .45cal stuff. The .38 may have been .357cal, as well. I think there might have been some .36, and of course there were .44cal. Interestingly, a .44cal cap and ball gun uses .451" round balls. I learned this the hard way after getting mediocre accuracy from the .441" lead round balls I initially tried.

To answer the basic question, I'm not sure there was a preference, other than in a gunfight most folks prefer what's at hand.

[badsection]

Some things never change,Duby  .; I`ll take what`s at hand,too!

[ballistic]

I believe Wild Bills pair is a 36, there not single armies.  Ive been trying to figure out where there at.

[badsection]

I`ve actually been to Deadwood,S D.Cool place to gamble, see the gold mine and to visit the grave yard ! Had family stationed at AFB near Rapid City,now in ABQ.  My modern day hero,been deployed to war zones 8+ times!

[Chris338378]

The two most common caliber Single Action Army pistols carried in the old west was 1) the .44-40 for the simple reason that Winchester chambered their rifles for it so they would only have to carry one caliber of ammunition, and 2) was the 45 "Long Colt.  The actual caliber is .45 Colt but was referred to as the "Long Colt" because when the Scofield pistols were made they were also made for a .45 caliber round but it was shorter than the one Colt designed so in order to keep it straight they nicknamed, for a lack of a better way to put it, the .45 Colt to the .45 Long Colt.

Wild Bill carried a set of .36 caliber cap and ball revolvers.  At the moment I can't remember the exact mode but when and if I remember it I'll post it.

[Marshal_]

1851 Navy?

[badsection]

The 1851 Navy sounds right to me. I posted a pic of my Colt Commander on my trophy page,btw.

[Chris338378]

That rings a bell for some reason but I'm not positive it's right. 

[dubyam]

According to some sources, in fact, the 1851 Navy Revolver in .36cal (.375-.380" round ball) was the most popular and widely used revolver in the pre-cartridge days of the American west.  Not sure how accurate that is, but it certainly sounds possible.  Wild Bill and others used this revolver model extensively.

[zonie]

I'm not sure if there is a definate answer as to which was more popular with outlaws and lawmen.   Duby's answer is probably the closest,   there was a varity of calibers used and it really depends on the timeline.   My guess would be a 45 Schofield while not a single action army it was used by a lot of good guy's and bad guy's because it was faster to reload and shoot,  and in a pinch the 45 Schofield cartridge could  usually be fired out of an 1873 SAA.     If you were talking strictly an 1873 single action army  I would guess it was 45 long colt followed by 44-40 mainly because the 45 is  what the Army adopted.   It's a really good question.