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Shooting long-barreled Pietta 1860s


Warden Callaway

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I bought these Pietta 1860s last December.   

 

239956068_Pietta1860holstersDec2020.jpg.7401d5d58c7b0e89aa7a2e15cee1879a.jpg

 

I've made a couple of repairs and new grips.  I cast up 23 pounds of balls, made enough wads to fill a 30oz nut jar, and use up all my luck accumulating 3,500 caps. I've shoot them to get familiar and check point of aim, etc.  But today was the first time I've holstered up tried pulling them Gunfighter.  My belt runs over my pelvic bones.  The slim jim holsters tops come to the top of the belt. Getting those 8" barrels pulled exceeds my dexterity limit!

 

I've got a couple more days to practice and decide.  I may drop back and shoot my 51 Confederate Navy 44s with 5-1/2" barrels.   A man has to know his limitations. 

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Lower the belt.   Or low slung twin belts.   

 

 Personally I'd go with the twin belts.   It's what I did when I was shooting 7 1/2" vaqueros

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I have a pair of crossdraw holsters on the front of my Josey Wales rig, mounted on the wrong sides. The toes of the holsters almost touch, near impossible to sit in. This is the only way I can shoot 7 1/2 in Colts for my rifle targets. My shoulders would not permit anything longer. This would not work if I was drawing on the clock, just carrying to the rifle staging location. I love the appearance of the 1860 Army.

 

Imis

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I may try double duelist or just duelist. That way I'd only have to get one shoulder up at a time.  Probably be challenging enough.  

 

I'm not wanting to shoot them bad enough to invest in new leather. 

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I went with a longer loop in a conventional holster vice a Buscadero rig. Allows me to move them around as I want. I also have a pair of suspenders on my gun belt. This way I can adjust as I see fit.

 

here is a short video of me shooting my 75 outlaws with 7.5 in barrels. You can see how my rig is made. Use the same rig for my 1860s and my Vaqueros.

 

 

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Just now, John Boy said:

Warden, considered cutting the barrels shorter?

 

I have the 51s with 5-1/5" barrel. 1062729038_51NavyConfederate44sAug2019.jpg.3a4e213a7b6bee5986265a6b94821a49.jpg

 

And I have a Dixie Yank.

 

1706771884_Pietta51Yany44Jan2020.jpg.ba78874061b2f435e89dab5171e52aeb.jpg

 

But I  really want to shoot these because, well, they are just cool, and the long loading levers make for easy loading on the gun.  The others I have to break down and load the cylinders. 

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Loosen your belt a notch and slide your holsters forward on your belt to where they are on the point of your hips,

 

If you can cant the holsters like crossdraw holsters, it will allow you to draw at a lower angle and take raising your shoulders out of the drawing motion somewhat.

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When I need a loading lever extension I am using a 1/2 inch piece of CPVC. It fits the lever well and is strong enough to seat pure lead balls.

 

PS it is CPVC and not PVC 

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9 minutes ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

Loosen your belt a notch and slide your holsters forward on your belt to where they are on the point of your hips,

 

If you can cant the holsters like crossdraw holsters, it will allow you to draw at a lower angle and take raising your shoulders out of the drawing motion somewhat.

 

I'm pulling them around over my kidneys now and have been for a while.  It helps. 

 

I can't loosen my belt.  I have no butt to keep the belt up!

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47 minutes ago, Warden Callaway said:

I can't loosen my belt.  I have no butt to keep the belt up!

 

This is why my pants and gun belt have suspenders attached. ;)

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I just went out and shot the pair double duelist twice with holsters pulled around front.  I can do that reasonably well.  I've never shot with just one hand so I've never pulled left gun and transferred it to right. 

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With the holsters pulled around to the front, cant them inward at the bottom.

 

Try strapping your gun belt to your shotgun shell belt and use the shotgun shell belt to help hold up the gunbelt.

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39 minutes ago, Blackwater 53393 said:

With the holsters pulled around to the front, cant them inward at the bottom.

 

Try strapping your gun belt to your shotgun shell belt and use the shotgun shell belt to help hold up the gunbelt.

 

I don't have a shotgun belt.  I use a slide.  When I pull the holsters in, they are pinched in,  well, pinched in so I really wouldn't want to walk that way.

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I usually slide my holsters back when I walk around and adjust them accordingly when I get to the line.  My gunfighter rig uses crossdraw style holsters hung in strong side positions.

 

 I mostly shoot Duelist style because I mostly shoot Frontiersman and because I have nerve damage in my right hand. For that I use two left hand crossdraw holsters, (I’m left handed) and either a pair of long barreled 1960s or a pair of 1875 Remingtons with 7 1/2” barrels.

 

In either case, I slide the holsters apart and back when I am not shooting.

 

The canted holsters allow me to draw smoothly without having to raise my shoulders much at all AND the barrels are already pointed more down range when they clear leather!!

 

 

 

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For my 60's and 51's I use reversed draw cav holsters.  They are easy to use, never been called for a swep. The draw seems to me to be easier to draw long barrels.  As old age set in I can't keep gun belts up so I use a pair of suspenders and let the gun belt drop a little low.

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2 hours ago, Warden Callaway said:

I just went out and shot the pair double duelist twice with holsters pulled around front.  I can do that reasonably well.  I've never shot with just one hand so I've never pulled left gun and transferred it to right. 

 

Are you saying you drew the second pistol with your left hand and transferred it to the right? 

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4 minutes ago, Sedalia Dave said:

 

Are you saying you drew the second pistol with your left hand and transferred it to the right? 

 

No. Draw and shoot right pistol with right hand..  Holster. Draw left with left hand and shoot with left hand and holster. .  

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Warden,

i applause your enthusiasm & preparedness but being having played with cap guns for awhile now I feel it’s only fair to warn you.

if you plan to shoot GF & have never even practiced you’re in for a miserable day. I learned from many a shooter. Peaceful 256, Nyack Jack, Fiddletown Flash just the basics for a year. 
I lucked out & fell into the Dammit Gang & only through shooting with Dark Siders like Howdy Doody, Jailhouse Jim & Ivory Jack did I learn what it takes to run a cap gun like a cartridge gun. Including loading & capping at the table.

I went with 2 belts so you can sling them lower. I use a SG slide as well. That works. Just be prepared for split caps & mechanical dailures common to these guns. 
Others can inform you about all the mods to prevent those maladies from occurring quite so often. When they do it can shut you down fast just as loading a chamber w/o the powder!

You can laugh now but if you run these long enough it WILL happen. There’s no avoiding it. 
So have fun but remember Holy Sh!!t, Dammit can & will happen. It’s all part of it!!!

JUD

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