Are you talking about using a modern handgun at 6 yards?? Or are you talking about a smooth bore dueling pistol at the same range? Or even a rifled muzzle loading handgun?
If you are talking about a modern hand gun then I think even a novice could hit a man sized target at that range. Hell, you could throw the gun and hit your target at that range. The only question would be the nerve of the two combatants wrt firing and missing (or hitting), but with a full clip I’m pretty sure both would be blazing away as fast as they could fire and it’s pretty sure both sides would be hit and probably killed in a very short time.
If you are talking about a modern American firing a smooth bore dueling pistol then that’s more problematic as most people today haven’t fired cap lock or flint lock pistols, and even if you have they weren’t the most accurate…which is why dueling with pistols lasted so long and was even a thing.
I do a lot of shooting with all kinds of firearms; from IPSC/PPC to flintlocks and front-loading cannons. I’ve actually competed in what was called Duello Matches ----- two guys with muzzle-loading pistols side-by-side, turn on command and shoot at a standard police-type target say 17 yards off. First shot off gets a bonus point, second shooter loses a point. Misfire or miss and you are declared dead. It was usually done bracket-style and if you won the day you got a pretty good prize or pay-out. Won quite a few and came in second some.
That sounds pretty fun, actually. But I wonder how the dynamic would have changed if there was a real possibility of ending up with a hole in you. I mean, you can only simulate this stuff so much, but until there’s some actual skin in the game…
Try it with less-than-lethal rounds? Rubber bullets for two and maybe breakfast for only one? Don’t know but I would be surprised if it hasn’t already been done.
Trying to add some of the pressure/realism is why we stood close side-by-side. When you see the other person turning and catch some of the flash it really added something regular target matches didn’t. Sort of like doing some of the “Hogan’s Alley” type assault courses with modern handguns with all the noise and simulated bangs and all going on around you.
I shoot pretty often but I’m getting old. I typically shoot empty food cans at a measured 50 ft. I hit them almost every time. At 100 ft. I hit more often than not. Not sure how much the adrenaline would factor in, sometimes I can be really calm under stress. I might even choose one of my .22 pistols. Better a hit with a .22 than a miss with a 9mm. With my 92F 9mm I would still be pretty confident unless I was going up against some one that trains for combat shooting or shoots every week. I’m not THAT good.
As mentioned upstream, I had misconceptions about dueling. I thought it was just 6 yards apart and both sides then suddenly wheel around and try to hit each other in that split-second before the other guy shoots first and hits you. A test of eye-brain-hand coordination under pressure and time crunch.
But I am envisioning it being done with modern guns (i.e., SigSauer, Beretta or Glock) but with each participant being given only one bullet. Probably a good longer distance than 6 yards, but either way, you must open fire more or less immediately, with intent to kill, because your opponent has intent to kill.
Point of order: Is the goal here to win, or to not lose? And what’s my opponent’s goal? Killing the other guy first isn’t much of a defense, because even if you do, what’s to stop him from killing you immediately afterwards? The time to die from a gunshot wound is usually a lot longer than the time to pull a trigger.
I would do poorly. Too much pressure. I’ve never done any ‘combat’ type shooting, only target. I tend to treat my .357 like a rifle. With a 6" barrel, and that cartridge, it nearly is a rifle.
Like who won or lost, it depends on the people. Take Burr for example; he both won and lost. In the usual sense a dual is about honor and/or pride. Yes - there have been those throughout history where someone just wanted someone else dead legally but that is more a “fight” than a duel.
And your pallbearers may have mixed opinions as to how much they appreciate the greater testicular weight, in view that someone so unworthy still got a shot in that you took a whole day to die from
Tangential question: Do modern handguns basically last forever? I.e., someone 300 years from now could bring out their “family heirloom Glock” and shoot it reliably at a range?
Well, rust is a big factor. But yeah, properly cared for guns last for a long time. You may have to replace a barrel if you shoot enuf rounds or maybe springs.
This; and it has always been the case. I sometimes hunt today and shoot with a flintlock made in 1797 and I expect a lot of my pistols will still be pretty accurate and fun 200+ years from now. Once upon a time I would “burn out” my primary competition revolvers in about 2-5 years but the number of rounds I was putting through them and the conditions at times were from from normal use.
Don’t know but I would be surprised if it hasn’t already been done.
