Lets say you get to travel back in time to 1880.

What handgun and rifle would you take back with you.

My handgun choice would be a Ruger Redhawk Stainless in 45 colt and 5.5 inch barrel.

My rifle choice would be a Marlin 1895 stainless in 45-70 with a 24 inch ballard rifled barrel.

Sounds like a good combination to me!

-and an interesting time in history for a visit.

I'd go with a 1911 and an AR10

Obviously, the answers "should" depend on the easy availability of cartridges. I'd also think you might want something that would blend in as not so noticeable.

For me that might be a couple of second or third gen SA Colts in .45 or .44-40 in 4-3/4 and 7-1/2 inch barrels. Both in the same cartridge, of course.

For a rifle, I'd pick some variety of Winchester lever action rifle. Can't make it 1886, can you? I'm fond of .33 Win. but I forget how far that goes back.

quote:

Originally posted by Mark:
I'd go with a 1911 and an AR10

Very hard to get ammo and they don't work with Black powder very well.

Yes it would be awkward to go into a shop and try to purchase a couple boxes, but 45 LC has been around for 8 years by 1880, it would be easy enough to chuck up some brass and remodel the rims. I've already made dies for a wildcat, and one of my lathes has a patent date of 1888 on it so I suspect I could have plenty of ammo in a few days time.

I suspect that BP would work just fine in the 1911, but good point as the AR10 would be a different story. With that in mind, I think your choice of a Marlin lever in SS and 45/70 would be tough to beat.

Well P Dog....it kind of depends on WHY I'm going back, for how long, and can I carry enough ammo, or will I need local resupply?

If I'm going back for a weekend of Buffalo Hunting, my Winchester M70 in .338 Win Mag, with some 250gr Nosler Accubonds would do just fine.

For meeting the Earps in a dark ally, I might want a Saiga 12ga with some #1 buckshot.

For a general purpose rifle where both buffalo and bandits were on the menu, where I expected to have sufficent ammo, AR-10 in .338 Federal.

Another interesting option could be a Chiappa 1892 Chambered in .454 Casull. Since it chambers off the rim, once you ran out of .454 Casull, you could switch to .45 Long Colt.

As for guns that would shoot the ammo of the era...Well, there were plenty of those around.

If I thought I might be facing down crowds of hostiles, and ammo re-supply might be critically important on occasion, I think I might try to learn from George Armstrong Custer's mistake.

I'd take along my .45-70 or 50-70 Gatling gun, rather than leave it behind for the sake of faster travel.

It seemed to do rather well with black powder cartridges.

I thought I might get a good story line going.

Like on a cold fall night during a violent storm with ball lightinn flashing about the room.

Something didn't feel right I passed out and when I awoke things were differant. Luck would have it I had my rifle and hand gun with me and a few rounds of ammo.

As I was getting orientated A fellow on horse back came riding by. During are conversation I learned the year was 1880.

Well,if that were the case, I'd most likely be caught with either my AR, or FN, and my Ruger Vaquero .44 Mag. I'm sure I could come up with some good BP loads for the Vaquero, but once the ammo was out for either of the other, I'd have to find something contemporary to the period.