Single Action concealed Carrry

My son has some nice single actions, but prefers to carrl a Bond Arms 45 Derringer, even in the car. I have three carry guns depending on the situation:
First, When I have to go to Memphis or Jackson, The Beretta Stampede 45 LC goes with me in a Safariland shoulder rig. 2 7 1/2 shpt loads up front followed by 4 255 Keiths
Second, around the county, Tallahatchie, I carry a Llama Minimax Duotone 45 ACP with two shot loads first followed by 5 hardballs
Third, around the deadbeat little towns close by, a S&W J-frame 32 long in the pocket. It's light, small, and very nasty up close. Most of the threat here is shooters that hold sideways. They never seem to hit anything; I can.
When tooling around the boonies in the car, I almost always have one of the USFA SAA's in 44 Special with Keith loads in the door panel. The Traverse has a nice built-in holster in the door panels as it comes from the factory.

I really like the SA, & when I'm in the hills that's what I usually carry.
I think if it's used well it'll give a good account of itself.

To answer MAK's epistle about concealed carry: in Mudhole Mississippi, the law (this week) defines 'concealed' as not any part visible. Thus, at my church (mostly populated by displaced Yankees such as myself) most side pockets have a J-frame or small auto enclosed. Of course, the usual fools are now debating at length about the right of open carry. 
One of my fellow weapons officers at a remote location in Montana used to say that everybody would be much safer if every baby born in America was issued a Model 29.
Pretty hard to shoot one sideways.

Okay, first up, obviously this thread spans several years. Replying to a (misinformed) comment from 3 years ago, but I want to set the record straight. I also live in Michigan, and contrary to a statement made by another Member early in the thread, we are NOT required to carry only concealed if we have the State's Concealed Pistol License (CPL).

In fact, we are an OPEN carry State, and it is perfectly legal to do soor (though I admit there are instances of authorities not being aware of this, shame on them), except in areas where firearms are prohibited altogether. Our CPL is also recognized by a total of 40 States (I try to avoid the other 10), and I am not sure any other  State tops that with reciprocity (Florida IIRC is 36).

Now onto the question of CCW an SA wheelgun? Yep. I do so quite frequently these days. I do have Glocks (4) and 1911s (5) and carry those too. And a number of pocket guns. Like with leather, I do like options. And I don't feel at all under armed with my Colt SAA (yes, as I said I hoped I would in a post late last year, I DID manage to get my Colt this year!).

I usually carry in a Milt Sparks Summer Special IWB or a D.M. Bullard Combat OWB. Either is covered by longish untucked shirt or open over shirt, same as with the Glocks or 1911s. I travel urban areas in confidence, secure in the knowledge that my choice will work for, and not against me should the need of it's use arise.

Here in Mudhole, Mississippi, the attorney general says that if any part of a handgun is visible, it's not concealed. Of course, we just got an open carry law which seems to truly confuse law enforcement people. 
When going to town, I used to pack my 32 J-frame. It is invisible in either it's IWB scabbard from Paraguay or a bluejeans pocket. Now that cool weather is here, I have started carrying Old Stampede in my jeans pocket under a jacket. Fits fine and draws easy. No holster necessary. 
As far as usefulness, I have found in my limited experience that a large bore and flatnose bullets showing in the front of the cylinder will end most discussions without a shot being fired. The only time I demonstrated how big a 45 SA looks like from the front, the other guy about popped his eyes out of his head and dropped his weapon. Then, he started crying. It was embarrassing. And, he was sure happy when the deputy sheriff arrived  

Do I carry a single-action revolver for protection?
Short answer: sometimes
When recreating out-of-doors, the Ruger New Vaquero 5.5" in 357 Mag has become my sidearm of choice.  It's proven to be an accurate piece and will shoot POA with the right ammo.  For my gun, factory ammo that has worked best is the Remington 180 gr JHP or the Speer 158 gr GDHP.  I've found the 125 grainers to shoot a tad low.  The Vaquero iseasy enough to conceal with a longer shirt-tail in summer or a jacket during cool/cold weather.  I'm hesitant to carry one of my Colt SAA's because, here in PA, there is the humidity factor---and I do occasionally work up a sweat while out hiking around.  The stainless gun is more resilient to moisture.  Another advantage w/ the Vaquero is no safety issues with a fully charged 6-round cylinder.  Never know when that one extra round could sway the outcome of a situation gone bad.

allterrain
I like the New Vaquero too, it's a great gun more closely sized to the Colt SAA.
The really nice thing is now, at least in the .45 Colt, the cylinder will index with the loading port when the loading gate is opened.
They are accurate, pleasing to the eye, Ruger rugged, & light enough for carry.

besides its handy size grip is that it can be fully loaded. Same with the Beretta Stampede. Fit and finish are impeccable, and it has a fine trigger. Mine is 45 LC and fits in a jeans pocket very nicely. The LC gives me room for lots of 7 1/2 shot in a capsule for snakes. We get plenty here in Mudhole, MS. I carry two snake shots up front followed by 4 255 Keiths. We are also blessed with nasty hogs as well as nasty snakes. It seems like every life form here is dedicated to bite, sting, scratch, or suck blood from humans.

I started out carrying one of my Colt SAA's in the Mernickle PS6SA and it was not for me. You really do need a light jacket to conceal it effectively and there have been times that it's been hard to draw, like it gets stuck. I switched to two Thad Rybka IWB holsters, carrying an SaA  on each hip, or sometimes just one. There have been times I've just opened the loading gate and carried "Mexican" style in the appendix position, if I've making a quick run to the store and don't feel like putting on a rig. 

I had never heard of using the loading gate to prevent the gun sliding down inside the pants. I think I will give it a try. However, I'm starting ti think that a ccw vest is going to be the right answer for me. The problem with living in Mudhole, MS is the sticky, humid summers. Hard to consider adding another layer of clothing on those days.

Mike, in one of his articles or books Skeeter Skelton talked about the Colt SA and how he often carried it like that, loading gate open tucked in his belt. He said the gate kept the gun from sliding down and yet it was still ready for action. Chris S

 I am out of town on business and don't have a SAA with me. Using one of those old rattler 1911's without controlled round feed. I will try the loading gate procedure when I get back to Mudhole.
Carrying any handgun inside my pants makes me antsy, though. Back in Montana, two guys, on separate occasions, blew their johnsons off trying to show how fierce they were. Also, I have read of a similar act here in Mississippi a few years ago. Of course, they were sideways shooters with autos. Should be harder to do with a SAA. Of course, it does impress the other guys when you shoot parts of yourself off to demonstrate your badassness.

Mike

A teenager is recovering after police say he shot himself in the penis and testicle while cleaning a gun he just bought.... Smeriglio told police he bought the gun last month at a party.

Elmer Keith did that too he wrote about it.
I've done it when I didn't want to wear my gunbelt & holster into a store & have it known I was packing.
It'll work, I'd sooner have a good IWB holster for it though.

The first concealed carry sans holster or acoutrement occurred here in the SW in the 1800's.
It was quickly discovered that chaps pockets, and enlarged coat pockets worked wonders for such purposes. Unlike today, folks in the 19th century were quite happy to shoot right through their pants or coats if the situation demanded it, likely from the practical sense that a new coat, or a new pair of pants meant that you had lived through your ordeal.
Open loading gate carry was also used, but it was an extremely iffy solution, as it meant that should the operator forgoe closing the loading gate, his pistol often became a single shot.
I have employed open load gate carry on occasion, but truth to tell, it is not the type of carry where one would be happily forced to quickly deploy one's weapon. The act of pulling the piece freely-AND-smoothly closing the gate offer far to many possibilities for Murphy's law to intervene.
That said, I do quite often carry without a holster-or at least I did, in my previous life. A suitably tightened belt offers an excellent perch for a SA tucked in the small of the back, and the cylinder offers a good stop, preventing the piece from descending to recesses unknown. Everyone's anatomy is unique, so this may not work for all. Do not try this with a plastic fantastic semi-auto, but with five of six ready to go, deployment is quick, certain, and as we all require, moves to deadly easily.

I have carried "Mexican" style now & then too, the 1911 lends itself to that method beautifully. Still a holster is a better way to go & the Old Pancake is making somewhat of a rebound in popularity. A lot of used them in the 70s then their popularity faded, but now we are seeing them again & rediscovering what we knew in the 70s, they work great, provide a good level of retention, speed, & lay flat concealing well.
  One brand Simply Rugged offers inside out straps that allow the holster to double as a IWB holster as well as a belt holster. Their quality is tops, price reasonable, & they are very well made.

www.simplyrugged.com  

  
I haven't posted this here yet? Here is a pic of the Milt Sparks Summer Special with my new Colt. Thad Rybka has an IWB that from what I can tell from pics is very similar. Yes, I am a lefty. This thing hides incredibly easy. Need a solid gun belt to keep the pants from sagging of course (as with any heavier weapon).

If OWB is your thing, I've found I prefer this "Combat" model from D.M. Bullard in  Texas to the Mernickle PS6 SA. It rides tighter to the body and draws more smoothly (at least for me) though it does lack the crossdraw versatility of the Mernickle holster.

T bone;
I'm glad you brought that up. I have a nice Bianchi pancake from the early 70's that I bought for my 1911's. I'm going to dig it out and use it for carry this summer. I usually cary a 1911 around here or a 45 LC with two loads of shot up front for snakes. We have them by the bushel in Mudhole. 
I have holsters for the SAA'a, but they are set up with cartridge belts and are a bit heavy and flashy for daily duty around the plantation. I suspect I could use one with a short barrel like yours in the photos. Guess I need to come up with one. What is the barrel length of your Colt? It looks very handy. My shortest barrels are 4 3/4.

Mike

TBone I like that D.M. Bullard, I'm going to type in his name & see if he has a web.

I was having the gun hang up with the Mernickle P6SA. I found you have to almost push the gun in against your side then it'll come out really slick. It does take getting used to it's almost a level 2 retention holster. Very secure, but you do have to draw straight or it'll hang up. It would be a good holster against the snatch & it does ride high on your belt. It also tucks the gun butt into your ribs which helps against the gun "printing" on your clothing.
Thanks.

Mike, the SAA pictured is 4 3/4 inch barrel. I do also have a 4 inch Storkeeper's Model.

Frank, yep he does have a web site. And my experience on two orders is they came on time or earlier than estimated. Wouldn't mind trying the "Combat" for a 1911 also. Did try the Bodyguard, and it's nice but with it's extreme cant, a little floppy in the upper grip for a full sized 1911. Note, the Combat I have pictured also does have the optional "bodyguard/sweat shield" leather flap, I highly recommend it.

A pair of my SAA's in 44 Spl are 4 3/4". I sure like the looks of the Bullard holster.
Mike

The Bullard does look nice.

USFA 44 Special Storekeeper with Rybka leather

Jefat;
That is a beautiful set of grips. I really like the one-piece look. What kind of wood, and who made them? USFA made wonderful revolvers. Too bad they didn't stick to it. I keep hoping somebody will get them started again. I have a pair in 44 Spl. that I love.

Mike

The USFA six-guns are fantastic guns. I've shot one & handled it, they are VERY well made.
That's a nice six-gun jefats with a great set of stocks to boot.

Hi Mike,
The one piece grips are from an old block of Amboyna I had put away for a special project.   Paul Persinger of El Paso did the work.  He also did the elephant ivories on this USFA 44 Special Flattop Target.
 

Jim
 

Jefats;
Ivory feels so good. I put some on my Beretta Stampede 45 Colt. I carry it around the ranch every day. Pictured a few posts above.
Mike