Why do they call it a six shooter when you only have five fingers?

[MossRoad]

This is a question I often pondered when I was a little kid until someone explained it was because the gun held six shots.

 

[k0ua]

This is a question I often pondered when I was a little kid until someone explained it was because the gun held six shots.

Well if you refer to an 1873 Colt model P, Also Known As the Peacemaker, it was only safe to load 5 rounds into the cylinder if you were going to carry it. Sometimes called "five beans in the wheel" If 6 round were loaded and the firearm was dropped onto a hard surface on the hammer, you ran a pretty good risk of it firing. Not a good thing. Of course modern revolvers are safe to load 6 rounds into with their various safety mechanisms like transfer bars. So your "sixshooter" was really only a 5 shooter if you wanted to be safe.

 

[GaryM]

In S&W revolvers I've got 6 shooters, 8 shooters, and 10 shooters. Plus speed loaders for all!

 

[TripleR]

Well if you refer to an 1873 Colt model P, Also Known As the Peacemaker, it was only safe to load 5 rounds into the cylinder if you were going to carry it. Sometimes called "five beans in the wheel" If 6 round were loaded and the firearm was dropped onto a hard surface on the hammer, you ran a pretty good risk of it firing. Not a good thing. Of course modern revolvers are safe to load 6 rounds into with their various safety mechanisms like transfer bars. So your "sixshooter" was really only a 5 shooter if you wanted to be safe.

Well if you were in the midst of battle, it quickly reverted to a six shooter after the first five were expended.

 

[bullbreaker]

Also by a revolvers cylinder turn notch you can tell which way it turns whether cocked SA or trigger pulled on a DA . Most modern day ones tend to rotate clockwise . This is good to know if you whether loading like James was explaining or you had less bullets or ball n patches left and wanted your firearm loaded correctly so it would fire and not dry fire with cylinder loaded .

 

[k0ua]

Let's see if I can remember how to load an old 1873 Peacemaker.. With loading gate open and hammer on half cock. Load one round, rotate cylinder and skip the next chamber. Then continue rotation and loading for the next 4 chambers, then close loading gate, and cock the hammer fully and while keeping thumb on the hammer pull the trigger and let the hammer down slowlyon the empty chamber. I think I got that right. Lemme know if I didn't.

 

[Egon]

Well if you were in the midst of battle, it quickly reverted to a six shooter after the first five were expended.

The Duke had one that never needed reloading!

 

[bigtiller]

Let's see if I can remember how to load an old 1873 Peacemaker.. With loading gate open and hammer on half cock. Load one round, rotate cylinder and skip the next chamber. Then continue rotation and loading for the next 4 chambers, then close loading gate, and cock the hammer fully and while keeping thumb on the hammer pull the trigger and let the hammer down slowlyon the empty chamber. I think I got that right. Lemme know if I didn't.

That's correct. Load one skip one load four.

 

[TripleR]

The Duke had one that never needed reloading!

Yep, one of my pet peeves that annoys my wife, I tend to count rounds and explain how absurd it is. Now they have semi-autos they use that don't have working slides or show rounds piling up at someones feet that are very obviously crimped blanks or are the wrong caliber, yeah I'm loads of fun watching movies.:laughing:

 

[bcp]

I'd like to see this actor load his 1892 Winchester with those 45-70 cartridges from his belt.



Bruce