.45 Colt

[Boon]

I am very new at this and willing to learn. I found a .45 colt Durango in a local gun shop. I think it in an import from Itally or somewhere like that not sure. It has the firing pin on the hammer. Is this a good thing or bad with the pin on the hammer I mean. I do not intend on doing and fanning. But I really want to get into Cowboy Action Shooting. This site is great and there is a lot of info on here and great people willing to help a new tenderfoot like me.

[The Arapaho Kid]

Boon:  You probably won't find a sixshooter that doesn't have the firing pin on the hammer.  Sixshooters were designed and built that way for years before they put the firing pin elsewhere...like in the frame.  What I would do with that Colt is take it to a gun shop and have a smith check it out and see if it's shootable and get an age on it.  They can do that with the serial number.  Sounds like you made a good find.  For Cowboy Action shooting you'll need two sixshooters a long gun and a scattergun. Originals are excellent, but replicas will do just fine.  My long guns are an original 1892 Winchester and an original 1894 Colt Lightning.  My sixshooters are Navy Arms replicas.  My scattergun is a Baikal Russian made, double barrel 12 ga.  This is a fun sport and it can also be used for frustration relief!

Good luck with your shooting and have fun!

The Arapaho Kid

[dangerranger]

I too shoot colt copys but Mine were made in spain. If I had it to do over Id look for a set of Rugers, there a little more cash to start out but by the time I paid a smith to work My pistols over I could have bought a pair of the rugers.There a lot more rugged, and built to a modern standard.In the next year or so Ill be looking for a new pr of pistols and these will do backup duty

[Advertising]

[Wymore Wrangler]

Rugers, don't have the firing pin on the hammer, they have a transfer bar installed to prevent accidental firing of a round under the hammer, which is why you never keep a live round under the hammer until your ready to fire.  Fanning is illegal, but most of the speed shooters use a techinque called slip hammering, basically its holding the trigger back and using your off thumb to pull back the hammer and let if fall.   Are you planning on shooting with two hands on the pistol or one handed, what we call Duelist.  If your planning on shooting two handed and trying to go fast, I'd opt for a Ruger or one of the clones with coil main spring.  Flat springs can break from slip hammering.  If your shooting one handed or a moderate paced two handed shooter, and love the authencitiy of the Old West, I'd go with a original design, i.e. the hammer on the firing pin.

[Stump Water]

Howdy Boon,

The firing pin on the hammer is neither good or bad because, in CAS, we are only allowed to load five rounds in the revolver and must begin each stage with the hammer down on an empty chamber.  Some foks claim that hammer-mounted firing pins are more prone to break when dry firing. If that's a worry, then use snap caps. But some folks also claim that revolvers with a transfer bar system (i.e.:Rugers) are prone to transfer bar breakage.  So... take your pick.

I've not heard of a "Durango" pistol but I'd imagine that it's made in Italy.  The Italian guns (clones) can be made just as slick as any, but they often require a bit more work to be made so.

But... before you buy guns, get yourself to a shoot near you and handle some that other folks are shooting.  All you need to do is say exactly what you said here, "I want to get into CAS and I need all the help I can get" to the first person that says "Howdy!"  And, believe me Boon, somebody WILL say Howdy!

[Four-Eyed Buck]

Not totally sure, but that Durango named gun may be one of the Daly imports made by Pietta. Maybe with a brass trigger guard and/Or backstrap.........Buck

[Boon]

Hey thanks fellers fer the help. I think I will go ahead with the purchase of the .45 Colt  I will have a Gun Smith check her out first. 

[Micheal Fortune]

While you are at it Boon, you might as well buy two!  Good luck 

[Gen Lew Wallace]

I'm going to ask a serious question here.  There really is a gun model called Durango?  I thought our pard was referring to a Colt's dragoon. 

Anyway, go with it pard.  You'll love shooting the big 45 Colt.  Everything else is a mousephart.