These two styles had proven themselves reliable, and that was a great importance to a trapper who might have to stake his life on a pistol's ability to provide a back-up shot in what could be a desperate situation.

Carrying a pistol was more practical than carrying two rifles, and most trappers probably would have preferred to avoid carrying unnecessary equipment over mountains and across rivers.

These factors, combined with an appreciation for the stopping power of large-bore weapons, would combine to encourage the development of a large-bore pistol of military size and Kentucky lines. By ordering a pistol in the same calibre as his rifle, the trapper eliminated the need for an extra bullet mold and the constant carrying of two different sizes of lead balls. That's doesn't mean that all mountain men and trappers carried this style of pistol.