[andy]

.44, in 7.5" barrel, with GOOD, fresh powder (ha ha, back THEN?) was 140 grs, 850 fps. Today's plus P 158 gr lhp .38 is 158 grs, 850 fps, in a 4" barrel, 9" long gun. The .44 was 12" long. The .36, in a 7.5" barrel, was 90 grs at 900 fps, same as 380 jhp of today (which can be had in a gun that's 5.5" long, 13 ozs, the Colt Mustang Pocketlite) The single actions had poor sights, that disappeared when the hammer dropped, and the target disappearaed, too, in a cloud of smoke. .50 second splits, was about all that could be done with SA revolver, misfires and blooper loads were commonplace, and almost nobody knew jack about how to use one well. They couldn't afford the practice, and in many areas, it was risky to make that much noise, staying in one place to practice, especially if you didn't have a pair of revolvers and a rifle, carefully keeping one six gun and the rifle always loaded. guns cost a lot of money back in those days, the equivalent of months pay, and I mean 80 hour weeks of hard, dangerous work.