Prepper Cowboy Guns
Dr. John Woods 04.10.19
Whoever keeps saying that single action handguns are obsolete and nearly faded into the sunset simply have not been keeping up with the firearms market. Classic sixguns are as popular as ever and sales continue to be strong. There are many good reasons for this.
Curiously enough throughout the firearms press and social media the use of six shooters seems to actually be growing among active shooters. With a market seemingly dominated by semi-auto 9s in every configuration, good ole fashioned six holed rotating cylinders are just as practical as ever.
Furthermore, there is no reason whatsoever that preppers and survivalists should not consider a single action revolver as a good choice for self-defense, property protection, security, hunting, and general shooting enjoyment. Sure, it may not be as speedy to deliver bullets as a semi-auto magazine fed pistol, but with training and practice, the single action can be quite effective.
Another plus in favor of the single actions is the wide range of moderate and more powerful centerfire cartridges that these handguns can handle. Consider the .30 Carbine, .327 Federal, .32 H&R Magnum, .357 (shooting .38 Specials), 9mm, .41 Magnum, .44 Special, .44 Magnum (shooting .44 Specials), .45 Long Colt, .454 Casull, .475 Linebaugh, .50 AE, or the .500 Wyoming Express. And don’t forget all the handgun offerings in the rimfire cartridge categories. There are also several old style cartridges like the .32-20, .38-40 and the .44-40 and others.
There are handgun brands aplenty too in a wide variety of models. Preppers can shop for Colts, Ruger, Freedom Arms, American Arms, Dakota/EMF, Hawes, Iver Johnson, Navy Arms, Uberti, U.S. Arms, among some other lesser known models. Models vary from true cowboy type guns like the Colt Single Action Army (SAA) and copies, to extreme modern models like the Ruger Blackhawks and Super Blackhawks.
Honestly for true practical prepper use in this modern world, the serious single action sixguns like the Ruger or Freedom Arms deserve the most serious consideration. Why? These handguns are made from modern steels including stainless, have refined actions, and fine adjustable sights. They come in various barrel lengths, and chamberings including good, solid self-defense rounds as well as uses for hunting and predator control.
The single action handguns may be a bit of a throwback to John Wayne and Roy Rogers, but the modern single actions can still make a fine choice for prepper use. They are well made, rugged, and ready for rough action.
