Schofield Reliability

[USBP1969]

Howdy,

Due to a gun hand injury I am limited to shooting handguns with no recoil shoulder.  That narrows the field quite a bit.  I have a .22 Magnum Single Six, but I am looking down the road, hoping to be able some day to carry something concealed that's more powerful.

I have a great love for the 1873 Colt style, but I am wondering about the reliability of a Schofield as sold by Stoeger.  One model has a 3.5" barrel and can be reloaded with HKS (S&W 25-5) speed loaders if needed. The ammunition would be .45 Colt 225 grain Silvertip or 225 grain PDX-1 Winchester factory.

Thanks,
-kent

[Short Knife Johnson]

What is the nature of your injury?  You might try to engage the services of an occupational therapist to help select a pistol for you.

By "recoil shoulder" I assume you mean the "prawl" or "hump" on the grip frame of a revolver?  I have a fair number of miles on my old Navy Arms Schofield and it has been very reliable.  The problem is they tend to be a bit of a reach for those with short thumbs - I don't suffer from that.  The action would need considerable slicking up to be used for personal protection and they are well, clunky, and (I wouldn't know because we are not allowed this luxury here in The Dominion) probably not very concealable even if one bobbed it down to the extractor rod housing.

[USBP1969]

Yes sir,  a "Recoil Shoulder" is what hits a shooter in the web of the hand when shooting a double action revolver.

Size, other than a barrel length over 5 1/2" is not a problem as I carry concealed in a Wilderness Systems "SafePacker."

Rspy,
-kent

[The Swede]

The only problem I could you having with the Schofield is with hotter loads. This gun handles full power black powder loads well, but not powerfull smokeless loads. A Ruger Vaquero in .45 Colt may be a better choice for self defense purposes.

For Cowboy Action Shooting the Schofield is great, but would not be my first choice for hot loads (or my last).

Swede

[Shotgun Franklin]

Or learn to shoot with your other hand. I was bitten by a Rattlesnake years ago on my left, non-dominate, hand. As a sort of self imposed therapy, I started shooting Double Dualist. I now shoot Gunfighter. While I'm just a little slower with the Left Hand, I am real good with it. Using your non-dominate hand and your dominate eye takes work but can be done.
BTW, the old Captain Ranger John Hughes suffered a crippling injury to his, dominate, right arm and shot left handed the rest of his life, both rifle and handgun.  It's recorded that he did just fine.

[Pancho Peacemaker]

Howdy,

Due to a gun hand injury I am limited to shooting handguns with no recoil shoulder.  That narrows the field quite a bit.  I have a .22 Magnum Single Six, but I am looking down the road, hoping to be able some day to carry something concealed that's more powerful.

I have a great love for the 1873 Colt style, but I am wondering about the reliability of a Schofield as sold by Stoeger.  One model has a 3.5" barrel and can be reloaded with HKS (S&W 25-5) speed loaders if needed. The ammunition would be .45 Colt 225 grain Silvertip or 225 grain PDX-1 Winchester factory.

Thanks,
-kent

I have a great love for the S&W No. 3 revolver.  I own several originals and replicas.

I compete almost exclusively with a variety of Italian clone No. 3's.  I enjoy them and do well in CAS/WAS competition.

I would not carrry one for self defence.   There are much more reliable modern designs that can handle more powerful defensive loads. 

While I have a great love for the Old West and all of it's trappings, if my family or my life are in danger, I'm going for my Sig or one of my 1911's any of which are loaded with .45 ACP Winchester Silvertips.

[USBP1969]

Yeppers - used to carry a variety of modern handguns for self and family defense, but if I am going to stay with the right hand it'll have to be something with a grip that won't hit me in the web of my right hand.

I shot PPC from 1971 - 1985 where left hand barricade position was required at 25 and 50 yards.  After a while my left hand was more accurate (for shooting groups) than my right. (Less bad habits I guess.)

I truly did try and even ordered a left handed SafePacker, but there is a distinct difference from shooting accurately under fairly generous time limits and shooting to save one's bacon.  After more than a million rounds (Thanks mostly to the US Government) fired with the right hand the difference is significant.  Even if I could practice left handed, which is not possible as a 24/7/365 caregiver for my wife, it would take many many rounds to even come close to what the right will do.  I'd most likely be on par with the local gang banger "spray and pray" bunch which is not good.

Well, I appreciate the info.  Looks like it'll probably be a bead blast Stainless Steel Vaquero in .45 Colt or maybe two if I can scrape together the dinero.   'Course Col. Jeff Cooper said when asked about handguns with lots of ammo that they were great if one planned to miss a lot. 

-kent

[The Swede]

You got it Pard! Ya don't need one of them new fangled type pistols anyway...


Swede

[St. George]

Maybe Cooper should've had a larger-capacity magazine when they featured him on some TV show a few years back.

He was expounding, as usual - and showing the interviewer and cameraman around 'Gunsite' and when they came upon one of his targets - he engaged and missed...

Before looking at a Schofield for primary defense - look at a pair of truly custom-fitted grips instead.

Someone who really 'knows' what they're doing might be able to craft a pair for your hand that handles the recoil shoulder perfectly, and that can open up your options.

Good Luck.

Vaya,

Scouts Out!

[USBP1969]

Everybody misses.  Question is, do they have the integrity to leave it in the video?

Folks that knew him either disliked him (Cooper) or thought he was the best thing since sliced bread.  I tried to get the Gov't to send me to a shooting school every other year since being a full-time instructor with literally thousands of students passing through our doors can give one a jaundiced view of new officers / agents in training.  If we weren't careful, end even if we were, we would start focusing on the "problem children" and forget what it's like to be a student.  Also, one can always learn something new, no matter what the training regimen that can benefit others if used as a training vehicle.

I attended Gunsite's 249 (Basic Handgun) just for that purpose.  And though I had spent time with him at the nationals discussing training, it can be truly said that he was the "reigning monarch" at Gunsite.  Never did see him miss though.

I have just such a grip.  It's a Herrett Jordan Trooper that is quite large and would need to be shot single action, but it has no recoil shoulder.  Thanks for the suggestion.  Now all I need is a "K" or "L" frame S&W.    : /

-kent