If You Had To Pick Just One!!!!!

[Crow Choker]

     I don't know if this question has made the rounds yet. I did a search and couldn't find anything, but I'm sure I've seen it either in this section or in STORM. Think of this often with all my firearms, if I had to pick just one or maybe 2 or 3, what would I chose and why. I'll limit this question to either a cap and ball and/or a conversion,Open-top, or solid top frame types firing metalic 'cat-ridge' revolver. """If you had to pick just one of the type I mentioned, what would it be and why?"""""

     For me, if it were a cap and ball, it would be my 2nd Model Dragoon. I responded once to a similar question and stated because I like the heft of the ol beast, its history, and its looks. Love shootin my 60 Army and my 'never was a real gun', a Pietta 51 Navy in 44. Fond of shootin a Remington and just recently picked up a Uberti Walker, but haven't shot it enough yet to claim it as the 'just one'. Would be the Dragoon, its a snarly beast for sure, but feels right at home in 'ma paws'. Shootin it produces 'shock and awe' whenever the thing bellows and hard hittin 'wump' when the lead ball meets its target. Give me my Dragoon anyday.
     If I'd pick a metalic 'cat-ridge' shootin gun, I'd consider two, a 72 Open-Top or a Richards II, both chambered in 44 Special and in my preferred 'Army' grip frame. I shoot mainly 44 Colt rds with 25 grains of FF Black and a Mav Dutch on the top. I bought the OpenTop first, fell in love with it untill I got the Richards. Think I'd pick the Richards as 'the just one' due to the fact I like the more rugged looks of it. The rebated cylinder, the squared remains of the loading lever housing, and the frontier gunsmithing looks of the ejector housing and rod. Yep, fer sure it would be the Richards as 'the just one', although I still have a tender heart for the Open-Top. I have some 'top strap' ones, but like the earlier Colts better.
     To make a decision between the two, quess it would be the Dragoon over the Richards-hard choice. Just my thoughts on a 18 degree night here in snow covered North Iowa!!! Have a good day or night whereever you be and whatever the time ya read this and "Good night to you Mrs. Calabash, whereever you are"!!!!! Crow Choker

[hellgate]

My "just one" is the never was '51 Navy (Uberti or ASM) in 44 cal. You get the knockdown of the .454 ball and the light weight, fast handling balance of the Navy. Next best would be the 1860 Army or Uberti Remington.

[Lefty Dude]

If it were C&B Revolver, my Pietta 1860 Sheriff's model.

For Smokless, it would be one of my Colt Custom shop SAA 44WCF with the extra cylinder in 44 Special. This allows me a wide range of cartridge choices, 44 Colt, 44 Russian, 44 Special & 44WCF. And I usually have loaded cartridges for all, some BP, smokless W/ lead & jacketed.

[Major 2]

Just one nooooooo !

But if I must.....( and I assume you mean as a shooter not collect , as Collect means more than one   )

1860 Army  ( Colt 2nd Gen.  that would be my one )

Conversion ?  Richards Type 1  or Type 2 in 44 colt ,  again if only just one  

[Cuts Crooked]

Easy! Remington New Model Army with a spare cylinder in .45 Colt.

[Dick Dastardly]

Nope, can't do it.  I have too many moods and must have the right guns for each one.  Guess I'm out of luck.  I'll just have to keep on enjoying them all.  Sorry about that.

DD-MDA

[Paladin UK]

Like the pards say....
Its kinda hard, but I have to  pick just one...

Sooooooooooooo.... ole Puk`s choice would be...

Just one 1851 Navy
Just one 1860 Army
Just one 1861 Navy
Just one 2nd # Dragoon
Just one 1862 Powlice
Just one Rossi #92
Just one Baikel 12g
Just one 1897 16g
Hmmmmm Yup!! That`ll do fer me 

Paladin (What would still be OK with Just one  ) UK

[The Trinity Kid]

t'would be a sin to only have one, especially in the gold fields of Californee.  But if I had to have just one C&B, it would be my Remington NMA.  And for those fancy new Cat-ridge guns,  I'd have to stick to the Winchester 1894 in 30-30.  But like I said, it's a sin, and a mite dangerous in these gold fields (or pot fields, depends on what time period you want to be in   ) to have only one gun.

--TK

[Hickok]

As much as I like my '58 Remington, I would have to holster up with my Cimarron/Uberti Colt 1860 Army, climb into the saddle and "go see the elephant!"

[john boy]

A pair in 44    Don't shoot them as much as I should but maybe 2013 will be a new year

[Six Gun Saint]

I ain't shooting the Holy Black just YET (although I fully plan to get a brace of C&B by next spring)-but this question is a no brainer for me.

If I could only choose ONE C&B, that'd be the Walker.  Yeah, it's nearly 5lbs, yeah it's nearly 16" long from muzzle to backstrap.  My question is, who really cares? 

I'm also a fan of the '61 Navy, in .36.  Has to be .36.  BIG fan of the book True Grit (and who am I kidding?  Both movies were great-despite some of the changes), and well, the M1861s he went a ridin' down them boys with...

Open Top would be hands down the '71 in .38 (if for no other reason than the .45 causes/caused issues with the forcing cone cracking).

Conversion?  Eh, that's tricky, as I've never really looked into them, now then have I?

As is, I'm either getting a brace of Walkers, '51s, or '61s for my BP C&B setup.  I like the lines of the '61, and God knows the weight'd be far better on me than that of the Walkers (bad shoulders)...  Plus, being a fan of True Grit, how awesome would it be for me if the stage start line was "Fill your hands you..."  well, y'all know the rest!

[Tascosa Joe]

If I could only pick one, it would be my 2nd Gen .45 Colt NRA Centenial, my parents gave me for a college graduation present or my grandfathers 1st Gen 38-40 but one of my sons has it at present so that would be his one. Shotguns would be a L.C. Smith 12 ga either my #2 2 barrel set or my Eagle grade or my grandfathers model 12 the he bought in 1916.  Hard choice!  Rifle I dont know Shiloh 50-70 or my flint Lancaster.  Toooooo many to choose.  M1 Garand?

[Hargrave]

Ok ... If I had to chose just one ........

(Plainsman must have)

Pistol: Colt 1860 Army. (Kirst Konverter + original cap-n-ball cylinder)
Love the Konverter with an extra cap-n-ball ... can't get any better than that. Why 1860 Army .... great feel, easy to use and shoots great!

Rifle: Sharps 1874 (Shiloh of course)
Levers are great ... especially if you like the pistol caliber ... but you already have a pistol for that .... you want something that can reach out and touch somebody or something to eat .... 45/70

Just my thought and my personal preference.

[Hickok]

If I get to choose a cartridge revolver, my stainless New Model Vaquero .45 Colt with 4 5/8" barrel. This handgun balances and handles so nice, you can spin it like a daisy wheel on your finger, ala Johnny Ringo's performance for Doc Holiday!

[brazosdave]

If I had to pick just one, which is a monumentally hard task for me, because I have so many favorites in my collection, I believe I would have to choose the gun that I use the most, which is an older Navy Arms Pietta Griswold & Gunnison in .36 cal.   I do truly love my Schneider & Glassick Pietta sheriff in .44, it is such a sweet shootin gun, but that Griswold gets the most workout.

[Crow Choker]

     I agree with what's been mentioned several times, "It's hard to pick just one". Quess I was thinking along the lines of "if" I had to "have just one", what one do I enjoy shooting the most. I'm sort of like what Dick D wrote about having the right gun depending on what mood he was in. I do that and carry and shoot various comination of guns at different times. Got a 'kick' out of you Paladin, "Just one xxxx, Just one xxxx, just one xxx, etc." With thinkin like that, how do you guys get beat back in 1783? Just kiddin!!! Like your choice Hellgate, a Euroarms '51 Navy in 44 was my first cap an ball, it was damaged in a fire, I missed it so much, I bought a Pietta and enjoy shootin the black stuff with it. Still think Sam Colt missed the boat by not producing one. Quess the 1860 Army filled in, but the 'gun that never was' is top rate. A shooting friend said he would chose the Ruger Old Army because it's the strongest-makes sense.
      Love shootin all my cap an balls and 1860 style conversions. Like shootin all my handguns and long ones, black (loose powder and cartridge) and smokeless. Quess back in the day when the guns we shoot for fun were carried for suvival and protection, the boys back then didn't have much to choose from. Suppose the majority of em' had only one handgun and/or rifle and weren't presented with the question. Feel blessed to have the many choices I do and be able to choose. Many served and many fell in battle to allow me that freedom. Me thinks if most of us would fall into the hands of some cannibal tribe, thrown in the pot until tender, none of us would taste very good because we're all 'spoiled' to some extent. Good shootin and blessings to all. Crow Choker

[Noz]

My favorite toy would be the right side sheriffs model 1860 Army I use at SASS matches.

My serious guns is a Ruger Stainless Super Black Hawk Hunter Bisley in 41 Magnum(they made 1000 of them) that has been touched up a bit.

[Seamus]

Easy choice, its my original .50/70 Sharps Carbine, no wait, maybe it is my .577 Snider Carbine, or it could be the .45/70 Trapdoor carbine, or maybe the .44 Transitional Open Top as a side arm, or............

In real life modern times its almost certainly going to be my M-1 Carbine or Browning Inglis 9mm High Power

Seamus

[litl rooster]

guns are like shoes.... You need to have a selection

[Blair]

My suggestion would be to pick a time perion before picking an arm and then trying to make that fit.
For me, it would depend on the time period in question I chose for myself.
Older firearms are and will be used into later time periods. However, you wont find 1892 Winchesters being used before 1892.
Remington New Model Army being used during the 1848/9 California Gold Rush. Can't happen Historically.
History simply does not work that way.
Choose your Favorite arm based on the time period in question.