Colt single actions, Designed by a lefty????

Question

In a right handed world It seems strange. The most popular revolvers from the percussion era Walkers throught the 1873 SAA Have ergonomics that suit a lefty? The loading gates & cap loading areas on these guns require a hand switch to load for most. Why does every one still make copies with the same "error."

Answer 1

Some people believe Col. Sam Colt was left-handed and site some old black n white photo where he appears to be holding a gun left-handed. Since he is not actually shooting this gun it is difficult to determine why the gun is in his left hand. Was he just casually holding it in his left hand when the picture was taken? Then they point out your own observation to assert that he was a leftie (as if that were important!).

Actually, it does make sense if you think about it, IF you are already shooting left handed opening the loading gate with your right hand and reloading right-handed would make for faster reloading and your revolver would NEVER leave your shooting hand.

The other way to look at it is that it is easier for a right-handed person to load right-handed so he/she isn't going to hold his revolver in his right hand and load with his left. Think about it.

I guess that this is just one of those... Unsolved mysteries. I am not going to loss any sleep over it and continue shooting my old .38-40 revolver right-handed, switch to my left to reload with my right. Its just easier that way and I'm right-handed. LOL!

H

Answer 2

Not lefty at all.

You fire all cylinders with the gun in the right hand, then lay the empty revolver in the left hand, which is also holding the new cartridges, open the loading gate, eject and load with the right hand and you are shooting again.

All this, by the way, needs to be done while riding a horse at a full gallop and holding the reins......

Answer 3

I've seen this argument for decades, but I've never seen anything from the era when they were standard issue. It seems natural to me to switch hands so I can fiddle with the gate and cartridges (or the even smaller caps) with my dominant hand, and an inconvenience to my left-handed little brother (who nevertheless seems in no hurry to return my SAA's he has at his house!). Five shots are enough to stop any fight I might be in, and must have seemed a miracle in their time, and the six-shot Walker had the power of five rifles in its day. I wonder if this thinking isn't clouded by those who need three 17-shot magazines to do the same job as our forefathers did with six shots.

Answer 4

I am a right handed dominant shooter and always load with the dominant hand, so how is that backwards, no mater what weapon style we speak of.
As to if it were designed by a lefty or not is irrelevant.
Just because I hold the weapon in my left hand to load with my right does not make it a left handed weapon.
Are you under the belief that the Winchester 94 is a left handed weapon, because the loading gate is on the right hand side and I hold it also in the left hand to load with my right.
How about my Remington 870 or Mossberg 500 the loading gate on them is underneath the weapon not left or right hand sided, but I still hold the weapon in my left hand and load with my right hand and some times with my left also.
Even the old falling block Sharps rifle Is held in the left hand and loaded with the right hand.
All semi auto rifles are held in the left hand and the charging handle is operated with the right hand even when it’s located on the top like the M16 or on the right hand side Remington 1100.
What about the bolt action rifle that has a non-detachable magazine the bolt is worked with the right hand, and loaded with the right hand and all the time held in the left.
What you call abnormal, is normal to me.
It’s normal for the right hand dominant to do the more difficult task right handed, that what makes us right handed.
The same is true with a left handed person, the left hand does the more difficult task.
That is like saying because I hold my boots in my left hand to install boot laces with my right hand that makes my boot left handed.
No in fact it just makes me right handed dominant.
As to the Colt single action revolver it is a right hand design even though you hold it in your left like 99.9 % 0f all weapons to load.

That my opinion on this subject.

D58