GunWorldGunslingers2016 PDF

GUNSLINGERS.
qxP 9/20/16 12:19 AM Page US_C1
FROM THE EDITORS OF WORLD OF FIREPOWER | GUNSLINGERS | FIREARMS & LIFESTYLES OF THE OLD WEST | FALL 2016
FROM THE EDITORS OF WORLD OF FIREPOWER
GUNSLINGERS FALL 2016
U.S. $9.99 DISPLAY UNTIL: 12/20/16
69
25274 01506
Engaged Media Inc.
GS_FALL16_C2 9/9/16 4:57 AM Page C2
NAVY ARMS
THE NAVY ARMS 1892 WINCHESTER
For the Range and the Field
1892 WINCHESTER SHORT RIFLE - 45 LC

The Navy Arms 1892 Winchester Short Rifle is chambered in the popular cowboy caliber
.45 Colt, has a 20 full octagonal barrel and holds ten rounds. It comes with U.S. made
Marbles Arms semi-buckhorn rear and gold-bead dovetailed front sight, and is also
drilled and tapped at the tang to accept the Marbles Arms peep tang sight. The stock is
Grade 1 American walnut, checkered at the wrist and forend. The receiver is beautifully
bone charcoal color case-hardened and accented by nitre blued screws. There have been
other 1892 replicas before, but never one this beautifully made from such outstanding
materials and with such superior workmanship. The Navy Arms Winchester 1892 Short
Rifle will make you the envy of the loading table.
1892 WINCHESTER COYOTE KILLER

.44 Rem Mag Punch
For over a century, the Winchester 1892 has been used by farmers and ranchers to manage
herds and eradicate dangerous predators, large and small. The Navy Arms Winchester
1892 Coyote Killer has the same fine features as the Navy Arms 1892 Short Rifle, with a
stock that incorporates a pistol grip for fast handling, sighting and cycling, and is checkered at the wrist and forend. Unlike its target-shooting brethren, the Coyote Killer is
chambered in .44 Remington Magnum, ensuring enough stopping power to take down
any size animal, from coyotes that have become a menace in all corners of the United
States, to larger game like Deer and hogs. The Navy Arms Winchester 1892 Coyote
Killer will give you the handling and stopping power you need in an exceedingly
handsome rifle.
For more information, please visit www.navyarms.com
54 Dupont Rd., Martinsburg, WV 25404 ph - (304) 274-0004 info@navyarms.com
GS_FALL16_3 9/9/16 4:49 AM Page 3
GNSL-FALL-TOC-4-5.qxp 9/19/16 9:29 PM Page 4
Fall 2016
On the Cover:
10 INFERNAL FOUR
These notorious gangs of
robbed and murdered their
way across the American West.
By Ryan Lee Price
Features
24 TOGETHER AGAIN
52 MARES LEG MATCHUP
The James and Younger boys are gone, but their

holsters have been recreated and are reunited for
the rst time in 140 years.
Comparing a pair of these handy lever actions

from Henry and Rossi proved they were fun guns
with a purpose.
By Gunslingers staff
By Abe Elias
26 SINGLE-SHOT HUNTER
60 TOP SHOTS
Uberti has updated the old Winchester 1885 high

wall design into a modern carbine with Old West air.
Great exhibition shooters then and now amaze

and inspire generations of spectators.
By Steven Paul Barlow
By Ryan Lee Price
32 POTENT LEVERAGE
68 OLD LUCKY
Taylors & Co. offers a handy Bootleg version of

the Winchester Model 1887 lever-action shotgun.
The quest for a special, engraved single action

in the tradition of the Old West lawmen.
By Mike Searson
By Bob Campbell
38 A TRUE SIX-SHOOTER
76 FEEDING THE BEAST
Ubertis Cattleman II revolver with retractable

ring pin can be loaded safely with six shots.
Ammunition for Old West rearms can

sometimes be challenging to nd.
By Bob Campbell
44 SHOOTABLE COLLECTIBLES
82 REACHING OUT
Winchester commemorative lever actions

can do more than look pretty on a wall.
The Single Action Army revolver can be effective

at longer ranges than you might think.
By Mike Searson
By Bob Campbell
GUNSLINGERS I FIREARMS OF THE OLD WEST SUMMER / SUMMER 2016
GNSL-FALL-TOC-4-5.qxp 9/19/16 9:29 PM Page 5
Departments:
6 Editorial
8 Front Sight
130 Closing
88 CUSTOM CLASSIC
Gary Reeders Doc Holliday Classic revolver brings
back the spirit of Old West gamblers and gunmen.
By Leroy Thompson
96 SIX FOR SURE

Remington is celebrating its 200th anniversary. Here
are six of the companys guns that made an impact
in the Old West. By Gunslingers staff
102 OLD RELIABLE

Lymans Model 1878 recreates the last of the mighty
side-hammer, single-shot Sharps ries.
110 THE LONE RANGER RIDES AGAIN

Was the legendary lawman Bass Reeves the real life
inspiration for this ctional Western hero?
By Thomas C. Tabor
116 BEST BULLET
FROM THE EDITORS OF WORLD OF FIREPOWER | GUNSLINGERS | FIREARMS & LIFESTYLES OF THE OLD WEST | FALL 2016
By Thomas C. Tabor
The .44-40 WCF is a leading candidate for the best

all-around cartridge of the Old West era.
By Bob Campbell
FROM THE EDITORS OF WORLD OF FIREPOWER

GUNSLINGERS FALL 2016
U.S. $9.99 DISPLAY UNTIL: 12/20/16
69
25274 01506
Engaged Media Inc.
122 LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE

Navy Arms introduces its versions of the famed,
fast-handling pump-action rie.
ON THE COVER:
Cover: Ed Vebell/Getty Images
Cover design: Eric Knagg

FIREARMS OF THE OLD WEST SUMMER / SUMMER 2016 I GUNSLINGERS
GNSL-FALL-EDIT-6.CX.qxp 9/19/16 10:05 PM Page 6
Editorial
I Like
Them All
Whenever someone I know is

just starting to take an interest in
rearms, its not uncommon for
that person to ask me what guns I
prefer. I can tell that he or more
often these days she is ready to
measure my words carefully, hoping to get some sage advice.
I always struggle for an answer.
I have shot many guns and have a
reasonable grasp, I believe, of the
fundamentals. But I dont believe
Ive shot any one gun to the point
where I could truly and conclusively say, This is the one. You
can take the rest out of my sight.
In most things Ive always been
more of a sampler. I have some
preferences, of course. When I attend a gun show, I always seem
drawn for some reason to leveraction ries, pump shotguns and
.357 revolvers. Beyond that, my interests rotate from one type of
rearm to another with no discernible predictability.
At the moment Im quite partial
to single-action revolvers in .45
Colt and .44 magnum, the former
for general eld carry and the latter for hunting. Lately, I have an
interest in carbines in those calibers, too, or anything that shoots
big, heavy, slow bullets, such as
those in a .45-70.
There have been times Ive
thought about concentrating on
those rearms and trading away
most everything else. When it
comes down to it, I could probably live happily ever after limited
to rearms from the Old West era
with maybe just a few modern
updates to some of them. I like innovations, for instance, that allow
At the moment
Im quite partial
to single-action
revolvers in .45 Colt
and .44 magnum, the
former for
general field carry
and the latter for
hunting.
me to scope a rie or safely carry

a revolver with all six chambers
loaded.
Saying that I preferred Old
West rearms would never satisfy
those asking me for advice.
Knowing Im a retired cop, theyre
expecting me to mention some
easy-to-conceal, polymer semiauto pistol. Thats what they really want and they just want me
to conrm the choice theyve already made. Id be less than truthful if I said I didnt like those types
of guns, especially since I have
one in my pocket right now.
If Im going to carry a rearm,
rst and foremost it has to be effective. There are many types
both old and new that fulll that
criterion. Beyond that, carrying
something thats -modeled after
a classic steeped in history and
has the hallmarks of ne craftsmanship seems to suit me better
at least for now.
EDITORIAL
Doug Jeffrey Editorial Director
Steven Paul Barlow Editor
Wendy Wilson Managing Editor
Henry Z. De Kuyper Senior Staff Photographer
DESIGN
Eric Knagg Design Director
Eric Mendoza Art Director
CONTRIBUTORS
Bob Campbell, Abe Elias, Ryan Lee Price, Mike Searson,
Thomas C. Tabor, Leroy Thompson
ADVERTISING
Gabe Frimmel Ad Sales Director
(714) 200-1930
gfrimmel@engagedmediainc.com
Casey Clifford Senior Account Executive
(714) 200-1982
Mark Pack Senior Account Executive
(714) 200-1939
Charles Dorr Account Executive
(714) 200-1931
John Bartulin (866) 866-5146 ext. 2746
John Cabral Advertising Design
Gennifer Merriday Advertising Traffic Coordinator
Eric Gomez Advertising Traffic Coordinator
OPERATIONS
Robert Short IT Manager
Shailesh Khandelwal Subscriptions Manager
Alex Mendoza Administrative Assistant
Jeno Torres Administrative Assistant
Victoria Van Vlear Intern Program Manager
EDITORIAL, PRODUCTION & SALES OFFICE

17890 Sky Park Circle, #250, Irvine CA 92614
(714) 939-9991 Fax: (800) 249-7761
www.gunworld.com
www.facebook.com/eembybeckett
GUNSLINGERS is published by Engaged Media Inc., LLC,
2016 by Engaged Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction of any material from this issue in whole
or in part is strictly prohibited.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Engaged Media, Inc.
Subscriptions, Address Changes, Renewals,
Missing or Damaged Copies
(800) 764-6278
(239) 653-0225 Foreign Inquiries
subscriptions@engagedmediainc.com
customerservice@engagedmediainc.com
Back Issues: www.engagedmediamags.com
Books, Merchandise, Reprints
(800) 764-6278 Foreign (239) 653-0225
Letters to Editor, New Products, or to Contribute a Story or Photo
jjarasa@engagedmediainc.com
ENGAGED MEDIA INC.

Mike Savino CEO
Celia Merriday HR and Office Management
Steven Paul Barlow, Editor
Philip Trinkle Newsstand Sales Director

Jason Mulroney Director of Content
Kris Roadruck
Director of Marketing
Bob Husly Director of Business Development

Pinaki Bhattacharya Vertical Manager
This magazine is purchased by the buyer with the understanding that information
presented is from various sources from which there can be no warranty or responsibility
by Engaged Media Inc., as to the legality, completeness or technical accuracy.
GUNSLINGERS I FIREARMS OF THE OLD WEST / FALL 2016
GS_FALL16_7 9/9/16 4:53 AM Page 7
GNSL-FALL-OPEN-8-9.qxp 9/14/16 10:10 PM Page 8
FRONT SIGHT
ETCHED
n the days of the Old West, a persons rearm was held in the highest
esteem. The owner relied upon it in
peacetime and in war. It keep him
fed, defended him against enemies and wild

beasts, and saw him through adventures
great and small.
Behind its practical applications, a
rearm was an empowering symbol of an individuals ability to be self-sufficient and
free. Firearms were so cherished that many
people personalized them. If something special was desired, an independent artisan
could be hired to customize it. Gun factories
For the past two years, one of Kaufmans most
memorable jobs has been to produce specially
engraved pieces for Remington in celebration of the
companys bicentennial. Amanda Young photo
offered enhanced models with intricate,

artistic metal engraving and select wood.
Master engravers such as Gustave
GNSL-FALL-OPEN-8-9.qxp 9/14/16 10:10 PM Page 9
IN TIME
FOR MASTER ENGRAVER AND STOCK MAKER
JESSE KAUFMAN, TURNING FIREARMS INTO
WORKS OF ART HAS BEEN A LIFELONG PASSION
Dakota Arms in Sturgis, where he

stocked more than 1,600 ries.
Along the way he was able to meet
many master engravers, so learning
that craft was the next logical step.
Kaufman studied under master
engraver Ray Cover of Missouri and
gained valuable knowledge from
others in the eld, including his
friend and world-renowned engraver Hendrik Fruhauf of Germany.
It was perhaps prophetic that
the rst gun he stocked was a Remington. As his reputation grew
through the years, Kaufman was
commissioned by Remington to
produce a series of engraved
Young, Louis Nimschke and the Ul-
gravers must spend many years
rearms, including the Model 700,
rich brothers Herman, Conrad
perfecting their art. One such
Model 870 and 1911 R1, for the com-
and John turned out exquisite
master is Jesse Kaufman of Black
panys bicentennial in 2016.
pieces, some inlaid with gold, that
Hills Gunstocks and Engraving in
are now highly prized by collectors.
Sturgis, S.D.
For most of us, rearms arent
Kaufman is stock maker,
There is no doubt that the

many hours of skill, patience and
care that Kaufman invests in an
as integral to our everyday exis-
checkerer and engraver of the
engraved rearm will reap untold
tence as they once were, but our
highest degree. He began at the
dividends in the cherishing hands
passion for them continues to be
age of 25, working with his dad,
of owners for generations to
strong, especially when particu-
who had bought a lathe and hand
come. GNSL
larly ne examples are elevated to
checkering tools to help occupy
the highest level of craftsmanship
his time in retirement. Together
CONTACT
and ne art.
they stocked Jesses Remington
Jesse Kaufman
Black Hills Gunstocks and
Engraving
www.blackhillsgunstock
sandengraving.com
Today, the tradition of handengraving rearms is continued by

a select few. Because there is no
quick path to success, master en-
870 Wingmaster shotgun into trap

conguration.
He gained valuable experience
605-499-9090
working as a stock maker for

FIREARMS OF THE OLD WEST / FALL 2016 I GUNSLINGERS
GNSL-FALL-GANGS-10-23.qxp 9/16/16 4:59 AM Page 10
INFERNAL
FOUR
THESE NOTORIOUS GANGS ROBBED
AND MURDERED THEIR WAY ACROSS
THE AMERICAN WEST
Actors from the 1980 movie The Long

Riders depict the James-Younger gang.
Mondadori Portfolio/Getty Images
10
BY RYAN LEE PRICE
he history pages of the American West are

bloodstained with the deadly acts of outlaw
gangs rampaging the vast expanses of the
lawless frontier, where corruption, greed and
vices polluted the morals of many men. Many became not

just popular folklore gures, but romantic heroes as well,
regardless of the truth about their terrible acts of violence.
Heres some background on some of the most
notorious outlaw gangs of the Old West era:
11
embittered by the loss of the war

and outspoken regarding the reconstruction efforts in Missouri,
began a series of bank, train and
stagecoach robberies.
THE RISE OF THE GANG

The initial leader of the gang
was fellow Quantrill Raider Little
Archie Clement, who got the
gangs well-documented crime
spree started in 1866 when they
robbed the Clay County Savings
Association in Liberty, Mo., on February 13.
The gang made off with
$62,000 (more than $1 million in
todays money). This was the rst
daylight armed robbery of a bank
to take place in U.S. history. While
making their escape, a shootout
commenced and a 17-year-old bystander was killed.
A price was put on Clements
head, but that didnt stop him. On
June 13, 1866, in Jackson County,
Mo., two jailed members of
Quantrill's gang were freed by the
gang and the jailer was killed. On
October 30, the gang robbed the
Alexander Mitchell and Company
Bank in Lexington, Mo.
Shortly thereafter, Clement
was shot dead by the state militia,
and the survivors of the gang conRobert Ford, who shot and killed Jesse James, April 3, 1882, in order to collect the reward. He was tried and convicted of murder instead, but was pardoned by the Missouri governor. Ford himself was shot and killed 10 years later
at the age of 30. Print Collector/Getty Images
tinued to rob banks throughout the

Midwest. Each time, their exploits
grew more and more violent.
1. JAMES-YOUNGER GANG
Built around one of the most
rode together in Quantrills Raiders,

a guerrilla force of pro-slavery Con-
JAMES-YOUNGER GANG FORMS
famous cowboy outlaws that ever
federate soldiers and mercenaries
livedJesse Jamesthe James-
who used hit-and-run tactics on
year that the James brothers met
Younger Gang got its start soon
Union soldiers stationed in and
up with Thomas Coleman Cole
after the Civil War. During the war,
around the Missouri-Kansas
Younger for a bank robbery in Rus-
Jesse and Frank James met the
border.
sellville, Ky., that yielded $14,000.
four Younger brothers, Jim, John,

Thomas and Bob, when they all
12
In the years following the Civil

War, the James brothers, who were
It wasnt until the following
Jesse James didnt become a

household name until Dec. 7, 1869,
when his gang knocked over the

Davies County Savings Association,
where James murdered the banks
cashier, thinking him to be a militia
officer who had killed one of his superior officers during the Civil War.
SWITCH TO TRAINS
On July 21, 1873, the gang derailed a Chicago, Rock Island & Pacic Railroad train in Adair, Iowa,
the gangs rst attempt at train
robbery. This time the gang members wore Ku Klux Klan hoods. In
subsequent train robberies, James
and Younger kept to the express
safe in the baggage car and rarely
robbed passengers. This predominately led to his Robin Hood-esque
status.
THE GANGS DOWNFALL

Even with the world-famous
Pinkerton National Detective
Agency hired to stop the JamesYounger gang in 1874, the gang
proved illusive, outwitting most of
the agencys attempts. Several
agents were killed in these attempts along with Jamess halfbrother. The James family farm was
burned to the ground, too, prompting an upwelling of support for the
gang.
On Sept. 7, 1876, the James-
Sixteen-year-old Jesse James wears the uniform of Quantrells Partisan Rangers, an independent unit that sided
with the Confederate Army during the Civil War. Underwood Archives/Getty Images
Younger gang traveled to Northeld, Minn., to rob the First National

Bank of Northeld.
Townspeople grew suspicious
of ve men standing by the door of
the bank and called authorities.
Shots were immediately exchanged, leaving two of the gang
dead. Upon eeing from the bank,
the banks unarmed cashier was
murdered; he had refused to open
the vault.
The Kearney, Mo., homestead of the James family where outlaws Frank and Jesse James were born. Universal
Images Group/Getty Images
13
GNSL-FALL-GANGS-10-23 9/16/16 5:12 AM Page 14
Portrait of notorious outlaw Jesse James. Universal

History Archive/Getty Images
the wall. As he stood on a chair to

straighten it, Bob Ford shot him in
the back of the head.
After moving several times
and changing his name, Charles
Ford committed suicide in 1884.
Bob Ford was shot and killed in
1892.
Frank James turned himself in
to Missouri Governor Thomas Crittenden, exclaiming as he set his
guns on his desk, I want to hand
over to you that which no living
man except myself has been permitted to touch since 1861. Due to
The Younger family, from left Bob, Rhetta, James and Cole. A fourth brother, John, was killed by Pinkerton agents
during a gunght in 1874. These three brothers were all wounded and captured after their botched bank heist in
Northeld, Minn., in 1876. Print Collector/Getty Images
an outpouring of public support,

Frank was acquitted on all counts.
He lived until the age of 72, quietly
With a posse hot on their tail,

the Younger brothers and Charlie
THE DEATH OF JESSE JAMES

By 1882, many members of
dying on the family farm in 1915.

During their 15-year crime
Pitts split from the James broth-
the newly formed James Gang
spree, the James-Younger Gang
ers. Two weeks later, the posse
were settling down (or turning
committed 26 holdups, making off
caught up with the Younger broth-
themselves in). Bob and Charles
with more than $200,000 and
ers and Pitts 400 miles away.
Ford, wanting clemency for the
killed at least 17 men. Despite their
Pitts was killed in the ensuing
killing of fellow gang member
criminal and often violent acts, ar-
gunfight and the Younger brothers
Wood Hite, offered to kill James for
ticles and dime novels gloried, ex-
surrendered. Bob Younger died in
the $10,000 reward.
aggerated and romanticized the
prison in 1889, while Jim Younger
While outlining his plans for
gang's heists, often casting James
killed himself in 1902, a year after
the robbery of the Platte City Bank
as a contemporary Robin Hood.
being pardoned. Cole Younger
in Missouri, Jesse noticed a needle-
Any benevolent acts were more
lived until 1916.
point was hanging crookedly on
ction than fact.
14
GNSL-FALL-GANGS-10-23.CX.qxp 9/19/16 10:36 PM Page 15
Apaches stole Billys horse,

and the walk to the nearest
farm (the house of Heiskell
Jones) nearly killed him. But
he was nursed back to
health by Mrs. Jones, who
gave him one of their horses.
BILLY THE OUTLAW

Unable to nd legitimate
work, he met Jesse Evans,
the leader of a gang of cattle
rustlers called The Boys.
McCarty fell in with them
Pat Garrett was an American lawman, known

as the man who shot Billy the Kid. Garrett
himself was killed by gunre in 1908. Photo
courtesy of Patrick Quinn, Rock Island Auction Company
and changed his name to
courts order. During the
William Bonney. Soon there-
seizure, John Tunstall was
after, he had gained the nick-
shot in the head. At Tun-
name Kid.
stall's funeral Billy the Kid

swore, I'll get every son-of-
LINCOLN COUNTY WAR
a-bitch who helped kill John

if it's the last thing I do.
The relationship with

Evans was short lived after
The ghting that re-
he met and befriended his
sulted became known as the
new employer, John Tunstall,
Lincoln County War.
a wealthy English cattleman
THE REGULATORS
and banker in Lincoln

County, N.M. Tunstall and
One of the few known photos of Billy the Kid. Because the photo was
produced as a reverse image, for years many mistakenly believed him
to be left handed. Print Collector/Getty Images
2. BILLY THE KID AND THE

REGULATORS
Known as William H. Bonney, but born
Henry McCarty in New York City in 1859, Billy
the Kid is one of Americas most well known
Billy joined a posse led
partner Alexander McSween
by Dick Brewer, Tunstall's
set up a business to rival
ranch foreman, called the
Murphy & Dolan Mercantile
Regulators. The group's pri-
and Banking, which enjoyed
mary aim was to hunt for
a monopoly in Lincoln
who they believed to be Tun-
County. Lawrence Murphy
stalls killer, William Morton.
and James Dolan used a va-
On March 6, 1878, the
riety of legal and illegal tac-
Regulators tracked Morton
tics to run Tunstall out of
to the highlands near the Rio
business, including hiring the
Peasco. After a running
Evans Gang as muscle.
gunght, Morton nally gave
In February 1878, an out-
up on the condition that his
outlaws, though he only lived to be 21 years
standing debt led Murphy
fellow deputy sheriff Frank
old.
and Dolan to attempt to
Baker would not be harmed.
seize some of Tunstalls
However, on the third day of
hand in Arizona and teamster at Camp Grant
horses as payment. When
the journey back to Lincoln,
Army Post in 1877. There at the Army post,
Tunstall refused to surrender
Billy killed the prisoners
after months of torment, McCarty resolved an
the horses, Lincoln County
along with one of his fellow
argument with blacksmith Frank Windy
Sheriff William Brady was
Regulators that had tried to
Cahill by shooting him dead. During his escape,
called in to enforce the
stop him.
He spent a couple of years as a ranch
15
This J.N. Marchand illustration depicts Pat Garrett bringing Billy the Kid and his gang to jail. Billy would eventually escape. Bettmann/Getty Images
Three weeks later, Billy and

several other Regulators went into
LIFE OF CRIME
After the Lincoln County War,
hiding at Tunstall's store while
Billy the Kid was the only person
Sheriff Brady was searching for the
involved in the conict who wasnt
killers of his deputies. The Regula-
given amnesty by Governor Lew
tors ambushed the sheriff and his
Wallace. While in Lincoln in 1878,
men on April 1, 1878, killing Sheriff
ex-gang member Jesse Evans shot
Brady and one of his deputies.
and burned the corpse of local at-
The replacement sheriff,
torney Huston Chapman while
George Peppin, formed a posse
holding Billy the Kid and friend
and surrounded Alexander Mc-
Tom OFolliard at gunpoint. Billy
Sweens house, setting it on re.
wrote to the governor and offered
Several men were killed when they
an exchange, information about
tried to escape the ames, includ-
the murder for a complete pardon,
ing McSween (his killer, Robert
and the two met on March 15, 1879.
Beckwith was eventually killed by

Billy later that day).
16
Billy the Kid allowed himself to

be captured by Lincoln County
If you could have captured Billy the Kid alive or provided positive proof of his death, $5,000 could have
been yours. Bettmann/Getty Images
Billy the Kid has been depicted in many movies, including Chisum, 1970, by actor Geoffrey Deuel (right)
shown with John Wayne as John Chisum. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
the Lincoln County area, including
and see what you get. When
the murder of Deputy James Car-
Olinger looked up, Billy unloaded
lyle at Jim Greathouses ranch, and
both barrels of a shotgun, killing
the shootout with a posse led by
him instantly.
famous lawman Pat Garrett at Fort

Sumner, N.M., where OFolliard
was killed.
BILLY THE KIDS DEATH

Billy went on the run. Figuring
him to be in the vicinity of Fort
CAPTURE OF BILLY THE KID
Sumner, on July 14, 1881, Garrett
On Dec. 23, 1880, Garrett
called on one of Billys old friends,
came across the gang at Stinking
Pete Maxwell, and spoke with him
Springs, where they were encircled
at length in his room for hours, long
Sheriff George Kimball. After he
and captured, during which Bow-
after darkness.
provided his statement regarding
dre was killed. Billy was taken to
Jesse Evans and the Chapman
Santa Fe, N.M., for trial.
killing, he languished in jail long
Billy the Kid was found guilty
Around midnight, Billy the Kid

came into Maxwells pitch black
room, and when Garrett recognized
enough to suspect that the gover-
of Sheriff Bradys murder was sen-
his voice, he immediately red his
nors side of the bargain would not
tenced to hang. His execution was
revolver twice, striking Billy in the
be upheld. So he escaped on June
scheduled for May 13, 1881. While
chest near his heart. He slumped
17, 1879. Shortly thereafter, a $500
awaiting execution, he attacked
to the oor and died.
bounty was placed on his head by
Deputy James Bell, who had es-
Governor Wallace.
corted him out of the jailhouse to
of his youth, his boyish charms, his
the outhouse. Bell was shot in the
charismatic attitude and pleasant
vorting with what was known as
back with his own revolver, and
demeanor, has been lionized in
the Billy the Kid Gang, consisting of
then Billy waited for Deputy Bob
name alone, used falsely in many
Dirty Dave Rudabaugh, Billy Wil-
Olinger, who had heard the shot
movies as a bucktooth no-nothing
son, Charlie Bowdre, Tom Pickett,
from across the street. Billy
innocent, when in fact, he was a
and Tom OFolliard. They were in-
shouted from the upstairs window
cold-blooded killer who died as he
volved in a great deal of crime in
of the jailhouse, Look up, old boy,
lived.
In 1880, Billy the Kid was ca-
Billy the Kid, perhaps because
17
Henry Plummer built the gallows in Bannack, Mt., only to be hung from it himself when the people of the town suspected him of being the leader of the outlaw
gang, the Innocents. LegendsofAmerica.com photo
3. THE INNOCENTS
friendly, all aspects that helped
mer for assistance. Rumors spread
Born in Maine, Henry Plummer
him win the election for sheriff in
that Plummer was having an affair
was of slight physique and not one
1856. Then, at the age of only 24,
with Mrs. Vedder, a fact which Ved-
for following in the family business
Plummers life went downhill.
der confronted Plummer about

very soon after his election to the
(whaling), so he ventured west in

1852 in search of gold. He settled in
Nevada City, Calif., and opened a
bakery. He was well spoken and
18
SELF-DEFENSE?
John Vedder was abusive to
his wife Lucy, who came to Plum-
office. They agreed to a duel, which

Plummer won. Plummer was arrested and convicted of second-
The ghost town of Bannack, Mt., was once a thriving gold mining community plagued by robbery and murder. The site is now a state park. Alan Vernon/Getty Images
degree murder and sentenced to
ries of letters to California newspa-
Mt., a generally lawless town
10 years in San Quentin.
pers announcing that Plummer
propped up by the latest gold rush
and Mayeld were caught and
fever. Taking advantage of the situ-
met Cyrus Skinner, a noted outlaw.
hanged in Washington. The ruse
ationlots of newly wealthy min-
However, the affable Plummer had
worked and the posse was called
ersPlummer rounded up a few
many supporters in Nevada City,
off.
men and started calling his gang
While behind bars, Plummer
the Innocents, raiding mining
many of which wrote letters to the

governor asking for a pardon. Coupled with Plummers developing
THE GANG FORMS

In 1862, Plummer was in
camps and relieving travelers of

their possessions.
The Innocents grew tremen-
tuberculosis, he was granted a par-
Lewiston, Idaho, working in a
don in 1859.
casino when he met up with his old
dously, becoming so large that
cellmate, Cyrus Skinner, who had
they needed secret handshakes
lled with gambling and brothels,
put together a gang of convicts
and code words so one gang mem-
he was involved in another homi-
and fugitives. With Plummer in
ber could recognize another. By
cide over a woman. This time, he
their ranks, the gang began to rob
late spring 1863, there were more
shot William Riley because both
mining camps and homesteads in
than 10,000 men hunting for gold
men had their sights set on a local
the area. Plummer killed a saloon-
along Grasshopper Creek and the
prostitute. Plummer was arrested,
keeper, Patrick Ford, and then ed
lawlessness in Bannack had
but he bribed the jailer and ed to
to Montana to avoid a lynch mob.
reached epidemic proportions,
Plummer and Skinners gang
mostly in part to the Innocents
Two years later, his life now
Oregon.
Along the way, he met Jim
parted ways in 1863 when Plum-
gang.
Mayeld, who had just killed the
mers tuberculosis worsened and
sheriff of a neighboring town, and a
he wanted to return to Nevada City.
posse was soon sent out to track
Along the way, he met up with an
them down. In a moment of cre-
old friend Jack Cleveland, and to-
leading faction in the gang, he
ativity, Plummer dashed off a se-
gether they traveled to Bannack,
stepped up and ran for sheriff of
BOTH SIDES OF THE LAW

Despite that Plummer was a
19
Boom towns, such as Bannack, Mt., with their sudden inux of wealth, were prime targets for Old West outlaws such as Henry Plummer and his gang. Carol Polich Photo Workshops/Getty Images
Bannack, vowing to rid the valley of
few months, more than 100 citi-
the desperadoes. He lost the elec-
zens were murdered. Blatant
the cryptic numbers 3-7-77 on
tion, grabbed a shotgun and went
killings went unpunished.
them, some believing it to be dimensions of a grave, 3 feet by 7 feet
looking for the new sheriff, Hank

Crawford, who put a bullet in Plummers right arm during the
shootout.
They tacked up posters with
DEATH OF PLUMMER
Local residents who suspected
by 77 inches (incidentally the Montana State Highway badges today
anything feared for their lives and
have these numbers). The vigi-
kept their mouths closed. The am-
lantes dispensed justice, hanging at
practicing shooting with his left
bitious sheriff soon extended his
least 24 men. One man, Erastus
hand while his right arm healed, so
operations to Virginia City when he
Yager, claimed that Henry Plummer
that his accuracy was just as
was appointed Deputy U.S. Mar-
was the leader of the Innocents.
deadly with both hands. Hearing
shal for the region of Idaho Terri-
Though no real evidence
this, Crawford set his badge on the
tory east of the mountains in
pointed at Plummer, guilt was
Bannack mayors desk and left
August of 1863.
placed on him and the vigilantes
Tenaciously, Plummer began
town.
Plummer erected a gallows in
tracked him down on Jan. 10, 1864.
Bannack to punish the criminals
Surrounded by 75 men, Plummer
became sheriff on May 24, 1863.
that were caught, none of which
and two of his deputies, Buck Stin-
Plummer was quick to appoint two
were ever from his gang, of course.
son and Ned Ray, were marched
of his henchmen, Buck Stinson and
However, by the end of 1863, the
down to the very gallows that
Ned Ray, as deputies. Unknown to
people of Bannack and Virginia City
Plummer himself had built and
the people of Bannack, Plummers
had had enough of murder and
were hanged. Plummer pleaded for
group of Innocents had now
crime in their towns. They secretly
clemency, telling the vigilantes that
reached over 100. Crime in the Ban-
formed a vigilante group and set
if they freed him, hed tell them
nack increased dramatically after
out warning members of the Inno-
where $100,000 of gold was
Plummer was elected. In the next
cents to shape up or ship out.
buried. Plummer was ignored.
After a new election, Plummer
20
BRUSHES WITH THE LAW

While Bill was exonerated,
Grat was found guilty and sentenced to 20 years in prison, but
he managed to escape en route
and met up with his brothers in
Oklahoma. The Dalton Gang's
next robbery was the Katy train
at Leliaetta, in Indian Territory.
With Bob and Emmett, were Bitter Creek Newcomb, Bill Power,
Dick Broadwell, Charlie Pierce
and Bill Doolin. On the night of
Sept. 15, 1891, they stopped and
boarded the MK&T train, and
robbed the express car of
$2,500.
In June 1892, they robbed a
train at the Red Rock Station in
Oklahoma Territory. Charlie
Bryant and Dick Broadwell held
the engineer and reman in the
locomotive while Bob, Emmett
and Bill Power walked through
the passenger cars taking jewelry
and cash. Bill Doolin and Grat
Dalton threw the safe out of the
train, which only contained about
$50.
Unsatised with their take,
they planned another heist, this
Bill Dalton survived until 1894, when he was shot and killed by a lawman in Oklahoma. American Stock Archive/Getty Images
time on July 14 at the Pryor Creek

station in Indian Territory. When
4. THE DALTON GANG
the unscrupulous land grabs made by
the train arrived, the gang no-
the Southern Pacic Railroad, and the
ticed it was packed full of
James Dalton and Adaline Younger
four decided to rob the train headed to
deputies but they were all in the
(she was the aunt to Bob, Cole and
Los Angeles on Feb. 6, 1891, in Alila.
last car. While the train sat at the
There were 15 children born to
station, the Daltons backed up a
James of the James-Younger gang),
It didnt go as planned. The engi-
and while the majority of them went
neer, George Radcliffe, was murdered
wagon to the express car and off-
on to lead law-abiding lives, a few
trying to escape and the guards re-
loaded the safe. Soon their antics
slipped into criminal behavior and
fused to open the door of the express
were discovered and a furious
formed the Dalton Gang.
car. The gang decided to retreat; how-
gun battle commenced, causing
ever, Grat and Bill were quickly ar-
the death of two guards and a
rested while Bob and Emmett ed the
bystander. The gang escaped
DALTON OUTLAWS
state to rob a train at Wharton, Okla.
and made off with $17,000 in
brother Bill in California. Bill shared
(which yielded them their rst score,
cash. Soon, a $5,000 bounty was
with the three brothers his anger over
$1,745).
placed upon their heads.
Bob, Emmett and Grat joined their
21
This 1960s ad from the Adams Express Company promoting the transportation of gold and silver shows why trains were a tempting target for outlaws such as the Daltons. Print
Collector/Getty Images
THE BIG SCORE
They divided into two groups,
and could not be opened for 10
with Grat, Power and Broadwell
minutes, a ploy the Daltons fell for,
nicely off of the Pryor Creek train
entering the C.M. Condon & Co.
which gave the townspeople time
robbery, the Dalton gang sat down
Bank, and Bob and Emmett cross-
to arm themselves.
to plan their biggest robbery to
ing the plaza to enter the First Na-
date, two banks at the same time.
tional Bank.
After nearly 18 months of living
Early in the morning of Oct. 5, 1892,
Even with disguises, they were
Across the street, Bob and

Emmett had collected money from
the vault and made their escape
Bob, Grat and Emmett Dalton,
discovered by Aleck McKenna, a
out of the front door with three of
along with Bill Power and Dick
childhood friend of the family, who
the cashiers as shields. The towns-
Broadwell rode into Coffeyville,
sounded the alarm. Inside the Con-
people red at them anyways, so
Kan., disguised with false beards
don Bank, cashier Charles Ball told
they switched tactics and left by
(after all, this was their hometown
Grat, Power and Broadwell that
the rear door. Meanwhile, Grat,
for a short while).
there was a time lock on the vault
Broadwell and Power charged out
22
Gratton Grat Dalton was killed in the shootout during the gangs bank robbery attempt in Coffeyville, Kan.,
in 1882. George Rinhart/Getty Images
feet away. Broadwell, suffering
Doolin-Dalton Gang
from a mortal shot to the stomach
The disaster in Coffeyville
found his horse but careened from
was not the end of the Dalton
it only a half-mile from the bank.
gang. Three members of the
Emmett was hit in the right
gangs original members were
arm, left hip and groin as he
still at large: Bill Doolin, Bitter
mounted his horse with the money
Creek Newcomb and Charlie
bags. He rode back into the alley to
Pierce. Bill Dalton later joined
of the Condon and into a hail of
retrieve his brother, Bob, who he
the three and formed the infa-
bulletsall three men were hit be-
didnt know was dead. As he
mous Dalton-Doolin Gang
fore they could take cover in a
reached to grab him Seaman un-
that terrorized the Midwest for
nearby alley.
loaded both barrels of his shotgun
several years. Bill Doolin was
into Emmetts back, blasting him
killed in August 1896 by U.S.
Connelly, and two othersJohn
from his horse. With his only good
Deputy Marshal Heck Thomas
Kloehr and Carey Seamanmade
hand, Emmett surrendered. He had
near Lawson, Okla., while Bill
chase. Connelly was quickly killed
been shot 20 times, but survived
Dalton went on the run after
by Grat. Bob Dalton slumped into
(and lived until 1937).
robbing the first National
The towns marshal, Charles
the dirt and died, but not before
Emmett Dalton, the only sur-
Bank in Longview, Texas, and
taking several wild shots into the
viving member of the robbery was
was killed by lawman Loss
street. Grat was killed by Kloehr,
sentenced to life in prison, but he
Hart at Elk, Okla., on June 7,
and Power toppled dead a few
was pardoned in 1907.
1894. GNSL
23
GNSL-FALL-HOLSTER-24-25.qxp 9/14/16 10:17 PM Page 24
PASSION FOR THE WEST

For the Soellners, the Old
West has been a lifelong interest.
Researching and recreating historical holsters and other leather
goods has been their passion for
more than 15 years.
Alan has made historical holsters to grace the cover of magazines and his creations have
appeared in such movies as
Django Unchained, Cowboys &
Aliens and 3:10 to Yuma. As a
team, the Soellners practice what
The outlaws of the James-Younger gang probably wore many
holsters during their criminal careers, but these are excellent
recreations of three of them. From the left are holsters of Cole
Younger, Jesse James and Frank James.
Together
Again
THE JAMES AND YOUNGER BOYS ARE
GONE, BUT THEIR HOLSTERS HAVE
BEEN RECREATED AND ARE REUNITED
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 140 YEARS
has been called Historical Gun

Leather Archaeology.
Our best description is the
scientic research of historic Old
West outlaws, lawmen and others, said Alan, analyzing their culture, all known artifacts, gun
leather, buckles, inscriptions,
wanted posters, writings, signatures, photos, paintings and other
such remains and relics. Tracking
provenance is paramount in this
search. Hours must be spent on
the Internet, in libraries, reading
books, periodicals and newspapers of the period.
We have visited most of the
important museums and private
collections from The National
Cowboy Museum in Oklahoma City
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY STAFF
to the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody,
he James-Younger
Jesse and Frank James es-
gang rides again.
caped. The Younger brothers
Well, not exactly,
Cole, Bob and Jim were
Schoeld, holster and gun belt to
but recreations of
all wounded and captured.
the Gene Autry Museum in Los An-
some of their historical hol-
Now, Alan and Donna
Wy., he said.
We tracked Jesses right hand
geles, he said. Recently we found
sters are together again for
Soellner of Chisholms Trail
the left hand holster and Schoeld
the rst time since that
Old West Leather have
in the NRA museum in Springeld,
failed robbery attempt in
painstakingly researched
Mo.
Northeld, Minn., in 1876.
and recreated holsters
Fleeing after a gun battle
Frank James holster, gun and
known to be worn by Jesse
belt are also in the Autry Museum.
with lawmen and townspeo-
and Frank James and
Cole Youngers holster, after being
ple, the gang separated.
Cole Younger.
much traveled, ended up almost

where it started.
24
GNSL-FALL-HOLSTER-24-25.qxp 9/14/16 10:17 PM Page 25
The most exciting nd is the Cole Younger

holster, gun and gun belt in the Museum of the
Ozarks in Missouri, Alan said. To us it was exciting to nd that 140 years after the famous
Northeld bank robbery and destruction of the
James- Younger gang, that Coles gun and gun
leather ended up in a museum less than an hour
from his home in Missouri.
Once an historical holster is located, the
next phase begins.
We arrive with a brief case full of materials
from specic question forms, cameras, magnifying glasses, leather gauges, color charts, etc,
Alan said. We use nitrile gloves that are museum approved to handle leather artifacts and
trace the patterns for future use. We examine
These replicas of Jesse James right-hand holster, gun belt and buckle were created by
Chisholms Trail Old West Leather. The Uberti revolver is a replica of the Smith & Wesson
Schoeld of the type favored by Jesse.
provenance and make copies of all documents

possible.
We record findings such as stitches per
inch, width and thickness of the leather, markings including tooling, stamping and makers
names. The type of gun, barrel length and caliber are critical items that we record, he said.
Many sets of gun leather have visible
stampings of makers, edge designs and other
large stamps such as flowers or geometric patterns. We have a stamp maker reproduce
them.
Buckles are critical, he said. When we
nd a unique buckle we either borrow or have a
jeweler recreate it. Then we have a mold made,
and then have it hand cast to go with the historical recreation. This adds the nal piece of au-
This is Chisholms Trail Old West leathers replica of Frank James holster and gun belt that he
used with his Remington 1875 revolvers. The revolver shown is an Uberti replica.
thenticity. We currently have over 80 historical

buckles to choose from.
Chisholms Trail Leather currently has over
600 individual patterns to recreate holsters,
belts, buckles, knife sheaths, saddle bags, rie
This is a replica of the holster Cole Younger

was wearing at the time of his capture after
the Northeld, Minn., robbery attempt. The
revolver is a Uberti Cattleman II, patterned
after the Colt SAA, although Coles Colt
revolvers were actually nickel plated.
scabbards, pouches, spur straps, hat bands and

other old west leather gear. GNSL
MORE INFORMATION
Chisholms Trail Old West Leather
http://www.westernleatherholster.com
P.O. Box 612
Newnan, GA 30264
Phone: (678) 423-7351
E-mail: chisholms_trail@netscape.com
25
GNSL-FALL-UBERTI-26-31.qxp 9/14/16 10:25 PM Page 26
SINGLE-SHOT
UBERTI HAS UPDATED THE OLD WINCHESTER 1885
HIGH WALL DESIGN INTO A MODERN CARBINE WITH
OLD WEST FLAIR
The Uberti 1885 High Wall Big Game rie is an

excellent blend of the old and new and should make a
ne hunting rie, especially handy in thick brush.
26
HUNTER
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY STEVEN PAUL BARLOW
ts the best of both worlds. Its like

having your cake and eating it, too.
When you can describe a product
in these terms, its usually a very
good thing.
I like the history, the tradition of Old
West-style rearms. I like the way they
handle in use. At the same time, I have a
great appreciation for advances in
rearms technology. Today the metal is
better and the manufacturing techniques
are more precise. There are more options
when it comes to mounting scopes and
other accessories. Bullet design has
improved, too.
Uberti has been making replicas of

Old West rearms since 1959. Among
their current offerings are versions of the
Model 1885 High Wall falling block,
single-shot rie with barrel lengths of 28,
30 and 32 inches in calibers of .45-70,
.45-90 and .45-120.
New this year from Uberti is the High
Wall Big Game rie, a Model 1885 in .4570 especially designed for hunters. It
features the same strong action that
made these ries famous, but with a
shorter 22-inch barrel and a scope rail on
the receiver. It is a perfect blend of the
old and new, the best of both worlds.
27
Unlike the original Model 1885 ries, this one comes

with an optics rail, which simply, but signicantly,
modernizes the old design.
ONE IS ENOUGH
One shot, one kill shouldnt
be the objective of military snipers
es for the very popular long-range
duced for the more powerful car-
target-shooting competitions of
tridges. The action was so strong
the day.
that Winchester used the design to

test new cartridges it was design-
alone. Every hunter should strive to

take game animals quickly and humanely. If your shots are within the
THE ORIGINALS
Winchester Repeating Arms
ing.
Winchester made about
capabilities of your rearm, car-
made its reputation with the lever-
14,000 single-shot ries through
tridge and shooting skills, in most
action rie. But the company
1920.
cases one shot will be all you need.
wanted a rie that could compete
Single-shot ries have a lot to
with the single-shot ries of domi-
FEATURES
offer the hunter. They tend to be of
nated the long-range competi-
simple, foolproof designs that are
tions. In 1883, the company took
Game rie, at a short 37 inches in
rugged and reliable. In many cases
note of a rie being built in Utah by
overall length, would be an excel-
they are very accurate.
a young designer named John
lent rie for hunting in thick cover.
Moses Browning.
Its receiver and round barrel are
Single-shot ries were very

popular in the Old West era for sev-
Winchester bought the design,
The Uberti 1885 High Wall Big
nicely blued. Its Grade A walnut
eral reasons. Some were popular
made some modications and
stock is nely checkered and
because they were more afford-
marketed the rie as the Model
theres a rubber butt pad to help
able than a good repeating rearm.
1885. Eventually, the Model 1885
absorb recoil.
Others were purchased because of
was produced in more calibers
their strong actions that allowed
than any other Winchester rie.
down the lever under the receiver
them to be chambered for more
The low wall models, with exposed
to open the falling block action.
powerful cartridges important if
hammers, were for the less power-
You load a single cartridge, and
you were a buffalo hunter. The in-
ful cartridges. The high wall mod-
then close the action. A nice fea-
herent accuracy of many single
els, with the steel receiver covering
ture is that the hammer remains in
shots made them the preferred ri-
most of the hammer, were pro-
the safe, half-cock position when
28
To operate the rie, you pull
Single-shot rifles
have a lot to offer
the hunter. They
tend to be of simple,
foolproof designs
that are rugged and
reliable.
you close the action. On other
rearms designs, such as lever actions, working the action leaves the
hammer at the full-cock position,
requiring you to carefully lower it.
The rie comes with open
sights a gold bead front in a
Moving the lever downward opens the ries strong falling block action.
dovetail and an adjustable semibuckhorn rear. The rear sight was

removed, however, to allow room
for the optics rail, which was
pre-mounted on the test rie
I received.
SPECIFICATIONS
Model: Uberti High Wall Big Game Rie
Type: Single-shot, falling-block action
carbine
Caliber: .45-70 (tested),
Barrel: 22 inches, round
Overall Length: 37.5 inches
Weight: 6.7 pounds
Finish: Blued
Stock: Grade A walnut with checkered
pistol grip and rubber butt pad
Sights: Gold bead front, semi-buckhorn
rear (included, but removed for placement of included scope rail.)
Closing the action automatically puts the hammer at the safe, half-cock position.
MSRP: $1,119
29
Recoil was noticeable, but not unmanageable. Due to the short barrel and powerful cartridge, this was not unexpected in the 1885.
The single-stage trigger was

excellent and broke cleanly at 2
SHOOTING RESULTS
Ammo
Avg Velocity
Avg Groups
Smallest
Ultramax 405-grain RN Flat Point
976 fps
2.75 inches
2.25 inches
Winchester 300-grain Polymer Tip
1655 fps
1.68 inches
1.25 inches
Hornady Leverevolution 250-grain Monoex
1671 fps
1.75 inches
1.5 inches
pounds as indicated on my trigger

pull gauge.
RANGE TIME
I mounted an old Bushnell
3x9 variable power scope on the
rifle. Accuracy was good. Groups
averaged 1.25 to 1.5 inches at 100
yards using hunting loads. Groups
opened up a bit with the less
The Uberti 1885 High Wall Big Game rifle, at

a short 37 inches in overall length, would be
an excellent rifle for hunting in thick cover.
powerful cowboy load I tried. I

feel groups could have been better with a higher magnification
SIMPLE, PRACTICAL
Ohio, which was a shotgun-
short and handy, yet sufficiently

powerful, that I really want to nd
scope, but I wanted to test the
only for deer state, is now allowing
a place for one in my rearms safe.
gun in a more real-world scenario,
hunters to use ries chambered for
I can see it easily becoming my go-
and I dont believe most hunters
straight-walled cartridges, such as
to hunting rie. My only problem
will mount a higher power scope
the .45-70. This would be an excel-
now is deciding what to trade
on a short-barreled .45-70 most
lent rie for such areas.
away in order to buy one. This time
likely to be used at modest dis-
I like simplicity, reliability,
the family budget dictates that in
durability. Im careful about every
order to get the best of both
shot I take. In most hunting situa-
worlds, the old and the new, Im
hunting loads, but not unmanage-
tions, if I do my job, one shot does
not going to be able to have my
able. After ring, the spent casing
the job on the animal Im hunting.
cake and eat it, too. GNSL
is partially extracted when you
When a nishing shot is required, a
open the action and you must
single shot rie can be reloaded
SOURCES
pluck it out the rest of the way
rather quickly.
Uberti Firearms
www.uberti.com
tances.
Recoil was noticeable with the
with a nger.
30
This Uberti Model 1885 is so
GS_FALL16_31 9/13/16 12:52 AM Page 31
THE SCHRADE SURE-LOCK. Self-sufciency is more attainable with

all your digits. Blade lock rated to 300 pounds. Razor-sharp high-carbon
AUS-8 stainless steel blade. Aluminum handle. Pocket clip.
Rough Rider Series

Rough Rider rimre revolvers are authentically
crafted and made in the USA. They are
available in six and nine-shot options
in .22 LR and .22 Mag. Big Bore
offerings include .357 Mag
and .45 LC.
STARTING AT: $199 MSRP
See our complete line of revolvers and accessories at:
WWW.HERITAGEMFG.COM
GNSL-FALL-SHOTGUN-32-37 9/14/16 11:05 PM Page 32
POTENT
LEVERAGE
TAYLORS & CO. OFFERS A HANDY BOOTLEG

VERSION OF THE WINCHESTER MODEL 1887
LEVER-ACTION SHOTGUN
32
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY MIKE SEARSON
ne of the greatest ght stoppers

of the Old West was the shotgun.
Whether it was a single-shot or
double-barreled fowling piece cut
down to an appropriate length or a
pump action or lever action in 10 or 12 gauge, the
shotgun saw use on both sides of the law and
everywhere in between.
Taylors & Co. offers a modern replica version
of the Winchester 1887 lever-action shotgun
completely superior to the original, something
we do not say often in the world of replica historical rearms.
The Taylors & Co. Bootleg,

made by Chiappa, could make
a handy piece for dispatching
coyotes at short range.
33
Chiappa managed to nail the design of the Winchester Model 1887 with the shorter Bootleg Model.
HISTORY
Browning went to the drawing
In another twist, the 1887 and
board and came up with the Model
1901 were the only shotguns that
existence to one of the greatest
1887. Offered in either 12 gauge or
Winchester ever offered in 10
rearm engineering minds of all
10 gauge with the choice of 20 inch
gauge.
time: John Moses Browning.
or 30 inch barrels, it held ve
Repeating shotguns owe their
Between 1887 and 1901, Win-
rounds in the magazine tube and
chester produced a total of 64,855
for Winchester, Browning devel-
sported an enlarged WRAC logo on
of the Model 1887 at a rate of close
oped the 1886 lever action rie.
its left side plate.
to 4,800 per year on average. The
While working as a designer
This was the rst successful lever
The end result was the rst
1901 was manufactured until 1920
action repeater that was designed
truly successful repeating shotgun
with a grand total of 14,600 for an
with higher pressure loads such as
that would have a close to 35-year
average of 760 shotguns per year.
45-70 and 45-90 in mind. The ac-
manufacturing run.
tion and locking block were strong
After the introduction of
The declining demand for a

lever action shotgun in favor of a
enough that Winchester easily
smokeless powder, it was soon re-
pump shotgun (and later semi-au-
made the transition to smokeless
alized that the shotgun needed a
tomatic shotguns) coupled with
powder with a minimum of modi-
few improvements. Browning re-
the demand for the improved 12
cations.
sponded with a two-piece lever,
gauge over the more antiquated 10
better metallurgy and Winchester
gauge completely vindicated
with designing a repeating shot-
moved the logo from the side plate
Brownings original position.
gun. The young gunsmith originally
to the rear tang, behind the
had a slide action model similar to
hammer.
Winchester tasked Browning
the Spencer pump shotgun of 1882
Named the Model 1901 for the
REVIVAL
Western movies and serials
in mind, but Winchesters market-
year of its introduction, Winchester
were responsible for reviving inter-
ing lead wanted a lever action for
ironically offered the shotgun in 10
est in many rearms from the Old
purposes of brand recognition.
gauge only, so as not to compete
West period such as the Colt Single
with the highly successful Model
Action Army and Winchester
tune on the lever action rie and
1897 pump action shotgun that
Model 1894. The sport of Cowboy
carbine, and that was what they
Browning designed for them a few
Action Shooting was directly inu-
felt they needed over Brownings
years earlier in the smaller 12 and
enced by several of the founders
objections to the design.
16 gauges.
watching the 1969 lm "The Wild
The company had built its for-
34
it is still a ton
of fun to shoot and from both
design and aesthetics points
of view, they knocked this
one out of the park.
Bunch," which in turn breathed
action shotgun of any type in the
see as much use as I would like due
new life into the 1897 pump shot-
early 1990s, it would have ex-
to the black-powder-only limita-
gun.
hausted its inventory easily that
tion. So I asked Taylors & Co. if I
summer.
could obtain a replica for review.
However, the 1887 lever action

shotgun remained an obscure
The demand proved so popu-
Taylors & Co. is an importer of
footnote in rearm price guides. Its
lar with the release of that movie
a host of classic Western-themed
screen presence was limited to one
that foreign manufacturers such as
rearms made in Italy. I got to han-
Western: "The Life and Times of
Norinco (IAC) of China and Chi-
dle a variety of their rearms at the
Judge Roy Bean" and passing
appa Firearms of Italy began pro-
2016 SHOT Show and have been
usage in more modern lms such
ducing modern replicas in 12 gauge.
on the short list to obtain a review
as "Thunderbolt and Lightfoot"
Function, t and nish on the
sample for many months. They im-
with Clint Eastwood and "The Pro-
Chinese versions leave much to be
port versions of the 1887 manufac-
fessionals" with Burt Lancaster.
desired, but the Italian versions are
tured by Chiappa and sell every
It would take a true summer
true masterpieces and a wonderful
blockbuster action lm made in
homage to the original. In looking
FAMOUS 1887 SHOOTERS
1991 starring Arnold Schwarzeneg-
at the original and the replica, I be-
ger portraying a time traveling cy-
lieve the majority of parts should
borg from the future in "Terminator
interchange with some tting re-
2: Judgment Day" to put the 1887
quired.
Arizona Ranger Clarence Beatty was

partial to the 10-gauge Winchester
Model 1887 shotgun and Cochise
County Sheriff Texas John Slaughter
was said to have been able to re his
"faster than he could an automatic."
But apart from those two, we hear or
see very little about this shotgun in the
Old West. Its eclipse by the popularity
of the pump shotgun a few years later
may have contributed to this.
back on the map.

I said it then and I will say it
now: If a major rearms manufacturer had been producing a lever
TAYLORS & CO.

Although I do have an original
1887 in my collection, it does not
35
You can shoot the Bootleg in the mode of a Thompson Center pistol and still use the bead sight.
last one they bring into the country
whether you are ghting for your
immediately.
life or running a SASS match is a
gauge never ranks high on my list
Shooting a pistol-gripped 12
slow procedure. On the bright side,
of range priorities. With the Boot-
Model chambered in 12 gauge and
you can load ve in the magazine
leg, you never forget for a second
suitable for use with 2-inch
tube plus two with one in the
that you are ring a 12 gauge and
shells for a chance to see how well
chamber and one in the carrier, if
that goes for either mild bird shot
it performs and holds up to the
you feel the need to do so.
loads as well as buckshot.
They sent me their Bootleg
As a testament to how
original.
The angle of the grip and the
rearms manufacturers trusted the
mass of the receiver being below
ships with a matte blue nish and
publics common sense over 130
the chamber does not make for
a hardwood pistol grip instead of a
years ago, the shotgun lacks a
much in the way of recoil reduc-
full length butt stock. While not
manual safety. These shotguns re-
tion, although the weight probably
ideal for a hunting shotgun or a
lied on the safety between the
does help. On the fully stocked ver-
clay buster, I wanted something a
shooters ears instead. There is no
sions, you can counter this some-
real gunslinger would have used
cross bolt or anything of the sort
what by installing a recoil reducer
whether he was a Texas Ranger in
on an original Winchester Model
the early 20th century or a cyborg
1887 or 1901 and Chiappa in their
from the future.
wisdom followed suit by preserving
Taylors & Co.s Bootleg Model
that tradition.
LOADING THE SHOTGUN

Loading an 1887 or 1901 is no
When a round is loaded into

the chamber, the hammer is
BY THE NUMBERS
13 Age JMB (John Moses Browning)
made his rst gun.
24 Age JMB was awarded his rst
patent.
128 Number of rearm patents awarded
easy task if you were raised on tra-
cocked and, as there is not much of
ditional pump or auto-loading
a hammer exposed through the
1887 The year he designed the rst suc-
shotguns or lever-action ries, for
rear of the receiver, I strongly ad-
cessful repeating shotgun.
that matter. There is no loading
vise against attempting to lower it
1893 The year he eclipsed this design
gate as you might expect on a Win-
on a live primer. I do not say this so
with a pump shotgun.
chester 94, and even though the
much for the risk of an accidental
tube is below the barrel like a tradi-
discharge, but you may not be able
1901 The year Browning redesigned the
tional pump shotgun, the lever of
to cock it readily when you need to
lever action shotgun to handle smokeless
the 1887 gets in the way.
shoot.
powder.
SHOOTING THE BOOTLEG
loaded through the top of the re-
Keep the chamber empty and
ceiver and into the tube below the
load it only when you are ready to
barrel. Loading under pressure
re.
36
1898 The invention of smokeless

powder.
79,455 Total number of 1887/1901
Instead the action must be

opened completely and rounds are
to Browning.
shotguns made by Winchester and the

serial number of the last lever action
shotgun to roll off of Winchesters
assembly line.
in the butt stock under the butt

plate, but you will have no such
luck with the pistol-gripped Bootleg variant.
With that said, it is still a ton of
fun to shoot, and from both design
and aesthetics points of view, they
knocked this one out of the park.
The action is buttery smooth and
reminds me why I still love these
Reloading the Chiappa Bootleg or the original Model 1887 is a slow process compared to lever actions with a loading
gate or pump shotguns that can be loaded from the bottom.
designs from the latter half of the

19th century.
Although my antique model
does not get shot very often, there
is something about the feel of this
particular shotgun in the hand that
stirs some primal frontier emotions
and simply makes you want to
shoot it or slide it into a rie scabbard on your saddle and go riding
with your favorite horse.
It may be a pure range toy in
that regard, but shooting does not
always have to be about having a
serious purpose for every piece in
the safe. Sometimes it is just
Some shooters consider the capacity on a lever action shotgun to be "plus two" as the magazine can be fully loaded
with one round in the chamber and a second in the carrier. Slow reloads point out why this may be a more viable
option than you think.
enough to have an oddball like the

Bootleg for pure fun and enjoy-
coated grip.
ment.
I do not recommend spinning
If you plan on shooting one in a
and am in my fourth decade of

shooting them. Browning may not
SASS match, I recommend the ver-
have been a champion of the de-
or ip cocking the shotgun as they
sion with the full length butt stock
sign, but he must have done some-
often do in movies. Not that you
over the Bootleg variants.
thing right. GNSL
may damage the shotgun it is
It may not be the most practi-
built like a tank but you can po-
cal shotgun out there, but it repre-
tentially point it in an unsafe direc-
sents a crucial piece of rearms
SPECIFICATIONS
1887 BOOTLEG SHOTGUN
tion. Plus, you need the strength of
history in its design and legacy, and
Manufacturer: Chiappa Firearms,
an early 90s Arnold in order to per-
a lesson for the managerial folks at
www.chiapparearms.com
form this in any remnant of style.
rearms companies to listen to
Importer: Taylors & Co.,
their design engineers, as they
www.taylorsrearms.com
probably possess more foresight
Caliber: 12 gauge 2 inches
WHICH VERSION FOR YOU?

Taylors & Co. offers several
versions of this shotgun, including
than they are given credit for hav-
Capacity: 5+1
Barrel length: 18.5 inches
ing.
Overall length: 27.5 inches
one with a full-length walnut stock
In all honesty, this shotgun for
and polished blue metal, as well as
some reason feels the most natu-
Barrel nish: Matte blue
a polished blue deluxe version of
ral in my hands to manipulate and
Stock: Hardwood
the bootleg and a modernized or
shoot, despite the fact that I grew
MSRP: $1,229
tactical Bootleg with a rubber-
up with traditional pump shotguns
Overall weight: 6.6 pounds
37
GNSL-FALL-CATTLEMAN-38-43.qxp 9/14/16 11:00 PM Page 38
A True Six
UBERTIS CATTLEMAN II
REVOLVER WITH RETRACABLE
FIRING PIN CAN BE LOADED
SAFELY WITH SIX SHOTS
eeping shooters happy when it

comes to replicas of Old West
rearms can be a delicate balancing
act for manufacturers.
There are the purists who object
to any deviation from the original designs. Others
want improvements, updates and new features
while keeping the general sense of the feel,
function and handling of the traditional guns.
Uberti has produced its Cattleman revolver
for a number of years and it has been popular,
especially with Cowboy Action Shooting
competitors, who want to shoot something close
to the original Colt Single Action Army.
It has been offered in a variety of calibers,
barrel lengths and nishes. New this year is the
Cattleman II with retractable ring pin that allows
the shooter to carry the revolver safely with all six
chambers loaded.
This leather holster from Chisholms Trail Old

West Leather complements the Cattleman II
very nicely.
38
-Shooter
39
The lower frame, encompassing the grip and

trigger guard, is brass. The trigger is narrow
and offset to the left side of the frame.
FIVE SHOTS FOR SAFETY

Most experienced shooters of
where that bullet might strike.

More modern designs, includ-
so it looks like a traditional SAA.

But this ring pin oats in a chan-
Old West-era handguns and mod-
ing most double action revolvers
nel in the hammer. When the ham-
ern replicas are aware that in prac-
and single actions such as the
mer is fully cocked and the trigger
tice the six-shooter was more of
Ruger Vaquero, incorporate a
is pulled, a small rod locks the r-
a ve-shooter. You put the ham-
frame-mounted ring pin. When
ing pin in place, allowing the gun to
mer on half cock, opened the load-
the trigger is pulled, a transfer bar
re. When the trigger is released,
ing gate and loaded one chamber,
moves into place. The hammer
the ring pin returns to oating
skipped one and then loaded four
strikes the transfer bar and the
freely and can exert no pressure on
more. You closed the gate, brought
transfer bar strikes the ring pin.
primer.
the hammer to full cock, which
This is an excellent system be-
then rotated the cylinder and al-
cause unless you pull the trigger
like an original, but with an im-
lowed you to fully lower the ham-
fully rearward, the hammer cant
proved degree of safety. You can
mer on an empty cylinder.
physically contact the ring pin,
stick with tradition and still load
thus allowing you to carry the gun
only ve if you want to, but its ab-
fully loaded.
solutely ne to load it with six.
Why was this loading regimen

highly recommended? Because
the ring pin was mounted on the
The objection comes from
hammer. If the ring pin rested
those who want something closer
against the primer of a live car-
to the original. Ubertis solution is a
tridge, any inadvertent blown to
retractable ring pin.
the hammer could set that cartridge off. If your horse bucked and
your gun went ying out of your
holster and hit a rock, who knows
40
So, you get a gun that looks
OTHER FEATURES
The Cattleman II that I tested
was a very attractive revolver. The
5 -inch barrel and cylinder were
HOW IT WORKS
With the Cattleman II, the ring pin is mounted on the hammer,
nicely blued. The upper frame was

color-case hardened in a way that
created deep tones. The lower
The front sight is the usual tall blade type.

The ejector rod head is crescent shaped.
the .45 Colt

offers the right
power level for
almost anything I
want to do with a
handgun.
frame, encompassing the grip
frame and trigger guard, were
brass. An all-steel model is available. The one-piece grips are satin
walnut. Sights are the usual tall
front blade and rear groove in the
top strap.
My test gun was chambered
for the .45 Colt, a cartridge Ive
The one-piece walnut grip is attractive and comfortable.
truly come to love. It offers the

right power level for almost anything I want to do with a handgun.
The Cattleman II is also available
in .357 Magnum/.38 Special or the
traditional .44-40 WCF.
AT THE RANGE
The Cattleman II was a pleasure to shoot. The trigger is offset to
the left side of the frame perfect
for a right-handed shooter although it was a bit narrower than
Id prefer.
The real joy was the trigger
Putting the hammer at half cock and opening the loading gate frees the cylinder for rotation.
41
The Cattleman II
represents a good
value in an
SAA replica.
If youre going to shoot a cowboy gun, you might as well look the part. Here the authors son dons a poncho provided by Cimarron Arms and a Western hat.
SPECIFICATIONS
Model: Uberti 1873 Cattleman II Brass
Type: Single-action revolver
Caliber: .45 Colt (tested), .44-40 WCF,
SHOOTING RESULTS
Ammo
.357 magnum
Avg Velocity
Avg Group
Smallest
900 fps
2.25
2.25
Blazer 200-grain JHP
940 fps
2.0
1.5
Winchester 250-grain Lead Flat Nose
759 fps
1.75
1.0
Hornady 255-grain Lead Flat Nose
824 fps
1.75
1.5
Shooting results were the result of ve-shot groups red at 25 yards from a rest.
Barrel: 4 , 5 (tested), 7
Finish: Case-color hardened frame, blued
barrel, brass trigger guard and back strap
(all steel version is also available for an
additional $10)
Grip: One-piece satin walnut
Other: Retractable ring pin
MSRP: $549
pull. It measured just under 2
were very comfortable and recoil
some good hits at 50 and 100
pounds on my trigger pull gauge
with .45 Colt cowboy loads was
yards.
and it broke crisply. That light trig-
not a factor. The sights seemed to
ger contributed to the guns practi-
be regulated for 15 yards, as is usu-
handled like an SAA, which is to
cal accuracy. Five-shot groups
ally the case with SAA replicas.
say that it was excellent. Im al-
averaged around two inches alto-
Once I became familiar with where
ways amazed that with all the ad-
gether, but several better groups
the bullets were hitting, I was able
vances in the rearms industry
were achieved when I did my part
correctly judge how much to raise
since single actions ruled the West
correctly.
the front sight above the rear
almost 150 years ago, the SAA is
notch in my sight picture to get
still, to me, the best-balanced,
The one-piece walnut grips

42
Off hand, the Cattleman II
Im always amazed that with all the advances

in the firearms industry the SAA is still, to
me, the best-balanced, most naturally pointing
handgun out there.
Hammer at rest: Firing pin oats free within the

hammer, exerts no pressure toward primer.
Hammer cocked: Trigger sear ready to engage the

ring pin through the internal connector rod.
most naturally pointing handgun
could put the Cattleman II to good
and you have the makings of a
out there.
use. I think it would make an excel-
fun afternoon at the range.
lent companion when Im wander-
QUALITY AND VERSATILITY
Trigget pulled: Sear pushes the connector rod upward, locks the ring pin forward for ring
When youre not shooting it,
ing the woods. The .45 Colt
put it in a nice leather holster and
chambering is powerful enough for
carry it around the range, in the
Cowboy Action Shooting. Lately,
most purposes without being un-
woods or on a hunting trip with
however, I seem to be having more
pleasant to shoot. I could shoot my
your buddies. Its a good-looking
fun shooting Old West replicas
dinner, drop a rabid animal or de-
gun and youll want to show it off.
than anything else, so getting in-
fend myself quite nicely.
GNSL
Ive never been involved in
volved in that shooting discipline
Beyond that, it would make a
might be something Id be con-
fabulous plinker. Get a little creative
vinced to do with very little arm
with your targets metal plates,
SOURCES
twisting.
plastic bottles, aluminum cans, old
Uberti Firearms
www.uberti.com
Competing or not, I think I
fruit, bowling pins and rubber balls
43
GNSL-FALL-WIN-44-51.qxp 9/14/16 11:22 PM Page 44
SHOOTABLE
COLLECTIBLES
WINCHESTER COMMEMORATIVE LEVER ACTIONS
CAN DO MORE THAN LOOK PRETTY ON A WALL
44
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY MIKE SEARSON
his year marks the 150th anniversary of the rst

Winchester rie, the Model 1866. To commemorate
this milestone, Winchester has introduced ve
specially engraved rearms.
Many buyers of these guns will certainly put them
on display, but they might be reluctant to shoot them at least
at rst because of the risk of losing some of their collector
value.
But what about some of the guns that over the years have lost
their new-in-the-box value? A few years ago I started nding
deals on used commemorative Winchesters and bought a few
as shooters. As these ries were usually discounted and missing
the boxes and paperwork, I pressed them into regular service as
shooters to see if they did indeed live up to this reputation.
45
run to 102,309 of ries (26-inch

barrel) and carbines (20-inch barrel) combined.
In seeking to duplicate the
model 1866 "Yellow Boy" with its
iconic brass frame, they built these
guns as Model 1894s with gold
plated receivers and forend caps.
The ries and carbines featured
brass curved butt plates, black
saddle rings and high polish blued
heavy octagon barrels with fulllength magazines.
The stocks and forends were
fashioned from select walnut in
the straight rie style grip. The caliber of course was .30-30 Winchester, and consecutive serial
numbers were offered for a paired
carbine and rie set. They even
shipped some of them with receivers that were drilled and
tapped for receiver sights.
I was born a few years after
1966, so I did not have the luxury of
buying one new in the box for $125.
However, 40 or so years later I happened upon one without the box
for $299 at a local sporting goods
retailer.
I was looking for a shooter
grade Model 94 as my existing
Model 94 was made in 1903 and
its age and value made it more of a
safe queen than an actual eld
gun. So this fancy Centennial '66
(that strongly resembled an improved "Yellowboy") t the bill
perfectly.
The Chief Crazy Horse Commemorative is loaded with Native American styling.
The rie certainly is ashy, but

at 50 years of age and having
THE CENTENNIAL 66
Winchester's rst foray into
every last one of them.

For the 100th anniversary of
spent much of the past four or ve

years in a rie scabbard on an ATV
factory commemorative ries was
the company in 1966, they rolled
and on horseback, some of the
in 1964, with the Wyoming Dia-
out the Centennial '66. The plan
gold plating is losing its luster.
mond Jubilee 94 Carbine. They
was to make 50,000 ries, but the
only made 1,501 of them and sold
orders poured in, bloating the nal
46
I wanted to have the sexiest

lever action come hunting season,
The ne-line engraving is close to period correct on the Chief Crazy Horse Commemorative.
Tang markings on the Winchester Centennial Commemorative.
but I really prize this one as a

shooter. It looks great with the oc-
CHIEF CRAZY HORSE

Another rie I found myself in-
tagon barrel, walnut furniture and
terested in was the Chief Crazy
the brassy receiver, but it is one of
Horse Model 94. This was a very
the more accurate Model 94s I
ornate design that Winchester
have taken to the range.
came out with in 1983, chambered
Some Hi-Viz sight paint allows
in .38-55 Winchester with a case-
me to see the rear sight more
hardened receiver and engraving. It
clearly and that is about the extent
was tted with a beautiful dark-
of my modications for shooting.
colored stock, adorned with brass
It is a post-1964 rie, which
tacks arranged in the shape of a
means that a few old time shoot-
tee-pee and inset with a medallion
ers will condemn it, but in all hon-
of the United Sioux Tribes.
esty, it is better assembled than
As a Commemorative rie with
our turn of the 20th century an-
no box, I lucked into it for a little
tique lever guns.
less than $500 at the same re-
INVESTMENT OR NOT?
When the Centennial '66 was released
in 1966 to celebrate Winchester's 100th
birthday, a new Winchester Model 94 lever
action sold for $84.95, and the Centennial
'66 sold for $125. This fancy rie cost an
extra $40 and change.
S.P. Fjestad's Blue Book of Gun Values
lists the rie as being worth $695 with box,
paperwork and in like new, unred condition, so holding on to these as an investment has not been very worthwhile. On the
surface it may seem like a 466 percent increase, but in today's dollars that $125
comes out to $930 when adjusted for ination, or a $235 loss.
The Chief Crazy Horse shows a bigger
depreciation with an issue price of $600 in
1983 and a current Blue Book value of
$895. After adjusting for ination, that
$600 investment equals $1,454 in today's
dollars, representing a $600 loss.
47
GNSL-FALL-WIN-44-51 9/14/16 11:27 PM Page 48
The Chief Crazy Horse

Commemorative is decked
out in real case hardening
and brass tacks.
tailer, Cabelas in Reno, Nevada.

Crazy Horse was considered
one of the greatest American generals of all time and Winchester
paid nothing short of a wonderful
tribute to this Sioux leader.
Like the Centennial Model, I
felt the rie was too impressive to
spend its life as a safe queen or
collecting dust on a wall rack or
worse, condemned to life in a Styrofoam box with a cardboard
sleeve.
I had long heard that Winchester's commemorative ries were
ne shooters and the used Cen-
The stock medallion on the Chief Crazy Horse Commemorative honors the Sioux Nation.
tennial Model proved it to me, but

the problem is that once a com-
give these ries their value: styro-
these boxes and certicates, and if
memorative piece is shot it loses
foam boxes, cardboard sleeve,
one were to nd a rie minus these
30 percent of its value. Could I ac-
hang tag and whatever paperwork
for sale, they could replace them.
tually pull the trigger on this rie?
and certicates should have come
However, the asking prices will
with the rie from the factory.
often make any attempt to resell
The Chief Crazy Horse Model

had a few handling marks, but was
missing the other bonades that
48
There seems to be a secondary market of salesmen offering
the rie as original as a loss. I

only recommend doing so if you
The rich wood, gold inlay and

polished blue steel evoke an
emotion similar to seeing a
beautiful painting in a museum.
must have every last piece of pa-
their slide action Lightning rie.
els in this series. Accurate and po-
perwork for everything in your col-
Winchester produced its Model
tent out to 350 yards, the round is
lection.
1894 in 38-55 until 1940 when it
popular for use against whitetail
was eventually eclipsed by the
deer and black bear.
On the Crazy Horse, I installed

a rear sling swivel stud in the toe of
similar, yet more powerful 375
the butt stock so I could mount a
Winchester.
Browning sling with leather end
Winchester rolled it back out
CRAZY HORSE AT THE RANGE

After picking up a few boxes of
pieces and the body made from
for the Crazy Horse Commemora-
ammunition and putting in an
braided horse hair in keeping with
tive and a few of their other mod-
order for reloading dies, I took the
the look and feel of the Crazy

Horse rie. An existing swivel stud
was incorporated into the forend at
the factory.
THE .38-55
The caliber 38-55 Winchester
is kind of an oddball. It was developed by the Ballard Rie and Cartridge Company in 1884 for their
single-shot target rie known as
the Ballard Perfection No. 4.
In time it became popular, with
Marlin and Winchester chambering
ALL ABOUT THE THEME

Commemorative rearms: We see ads for them in magazines and on the Internet, and
sometimes we see actual pieces for sale at gun shows or in the used sections at our favorite
sporting goods stores. Some of them look kitschy, while others may inspire us by their artwork or the theme represented.
The more common samples these days are usually commissioned by a third party, but at
one time Winchester and Colt put out more commemorative rearms than they did standard grades, or at least it seems that way if you browse a collectors catalog.
One of the beauties of factory commemorative ries is the number of themes represented and some will have more appeal to others as either a wall hanger or a shooter. Ries
have been commissioned to celebrate state jubilees, support the National Rie Association
and honor historical gures such as Teddy Roosevelt and Annie Oakley.
According to the staff at the Cabelas Gun Library in Reno, Nevada, (which buys more
second-hand rearms than all of the other stores in the country combined) there is always a
huge demand for the John Wayne commemorative lever actions.
Some collectors love them and others scoff at them for being mass-produced pop-art.
I have seen more than a few that made me at least ponder for a minute or so before turning
the page, That piece would look great in my collection.
Then the price hits me and I come back to reality. That is simply way too much money
for a rie that will in all likelihood never be shot.
guns in it. Even Colt offered it in

49
Believe it or not, the Winchester Centennial Commemorative has become one of the authors "go-to" guns for use on the range or in the eld.
rie to the range. I found the Crazy

Horse to shoot a bit high at 100
yards and found the average group
size at that distance to be 2
inches on average.
I did shoot a ragged smaller
I feel that the accuracy is there and

that it is a testament to Winchesters
prowess in rifle design.
graving and case-hardened nish
The more commonly found
group at 200 yards. Shooting a
evoke the late 19th century. The
.30-30 caliber is what makes my
255-grain Barnes soft point bullet,
rich wood, gold inlay and polished
Centennial an ideal hunting com-
the rie averaged about 1,780 fps
blue steel evoke an emotion simi-
panion for brush country. With well
at the muzzle.
lar to seeing a beautiful painting in
over 100,000 of these out there,
a museum. I consider it shootable
chances are that you could nd a
who would Bubba the rie with
art. Winchester made 19,999 of
shooter grade version.
scope mounts and accessories, but
these for the complete run and
I feel that the accuracy is there and
some were sold with a matching
to have throttled back on factory
that it is a testament to Winches-
Case Bowie knife.
commemoratives. Perhaps the
I am not a complete Philistine
ters prowess in rie design.
Part of the appeal of the Chief
Today, most companies seem
over-saturation of the market in
Crazy Horse rie was the 38-55
the 1970s and 1980s plus the di-
chambering as it gave me an ex-
minished return for collector in-
cuse for buying and trying new re-
vestment has made them more
chased this rie was because of
loading dies and bullets. Yet the
concerned with producing rearms
the canvas it represents made of
vast majorities of these ries are in
designed for actual shooting and
wood and steel. The ne-line en-
more easily sourced calibers.
hunting as opposed to safe queens
SHOOTABLE ART
Yet, the real reason I pur-
50
The gold plating on the Winchester Centennial Commemorative may wear slightly, but will not tarnish or corrode like the brass receivers of old.
and wall hangers.

Third party distributors such
as Talo Distributors or Davidsons
may commission exclusives for
their customers, but these are typically at a far lower number than a
direct factory piece.
MORE COMMEMORATIVES
FOR 2016
However, Winchester has not
completely thrown in the towel
It wouldn't be a Winchester without the saddle ring.
when it comes to producing com-
and hand checkering. Additionally
memorative ries and shotguns.
two more modern rearms are
To mark the companys 150th
being made: the bolt-action Model
SPECIFICATIONS
Winchester Centennial '66 Carbine
Caliber: 30-30 Winchester
anniversary this year they have an-
70 chambered in .270 Winchester
Magazine capacity: Five rounds
nounced ve new commemorative
and a Model 101 over-and-under
Barrel: 20 inches
rearms. Of greater interest to
12-gauge shotgun.
readers of Gunslingers are a Model
These pieces will undoubtedly
Weight: 7 pounds
1866 with brass receiver, a Model
be bought as investments and put
1873 chambered in .44 WCF (.44-
away. Yet in another 50 years there
40) and a Model 94 chambered in
may be a sizeable number of
Caliber: 38-55 Winchester
.30-30.
shooters taking them to the range
Magazine capacity: Seven rounds
and the eld and actually using
Barrel: 24 inches
The last two feature scroll

type engraving, Marble Arms gold
them for what they were originally
bead sights, select walnut stocks
intended. GNSL
Winchester Model 94 Chief Crazy

Horse Commemorative

Weight: 8 pounds
51
GNSL-FALL-MARE-52-59.qxp 9/14/16 11:45 PM Page 52
MARES LEG
MATCHUP
COMPARING A PAIR OF THESE HANDY LEVER
ACTIONS FROM HENRY AND ROSSI PROVED
THEY WERE FUN GUNS WITH A PURPOSE
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY ABE ELIAS
lot of legends have come out of the Old West. One legend that
didnt is that of the Mare's Leg. That legend was started by
Hollywood with the TV show, "Wanted: Dead or Alive,"
starring Steve McQueen.
A Mare's Leg is a sawed-off lever-action rie that a person
carries like a pistol. McQueen's character was Josh Randall, a
Civil War veteran who took up bounty hunting to bring runaway criminals
to justice. His rearm of choice was the Mare's Leg.
Since then, the Mare's Leg has made a number of other appearances
thanks to Hollywood, including with Woody Harrelson's character
"Tallahassee" in the movie Zombieland.
Mare's Legs are often considered merely novelty rearms. But I think
they have a legitimate use in a person's arsenal. To test that claim, I
grabbed two versions, one made by Henry Repeating Arms and the other
by Rossi Firearms called the Ranch Hand.
The Henry Mares Leg (top)

and the Rossi Ranch Hand.
52
53
"Adding the full

butt stock turns your
gun into a compact
carbine. The short
barrel makes it great
to maneuver in
tight brush."
same as that of the full size Big
Boy.
The Mare's Leg sports a saddle
ring. The heavy, blued octagonal
barrel has a rate of twist for the .38
Special /.357 Magnum of 1:16. A
walnut stock accents the brass receiver and blued barrel perfectly.
The large lever loop might
make it a little slower to operate
the action, but it will allow for the
use of gloves in cold weather. A
semi-buckhorn rear sight is standard, but the receiver comes predrilled and tapped to accept a
scope mount rail.
Capacity of the Mare's Leg is
ve rounds held in a tube magaTo reload the Henry, you have to remove the inner brass magazine tube and load each round into the loading port
on the underside of the magazine tube.
zine. As with all Henrys, there is no

loading gate on the receiver. You
RIFLE OR PISTOL?
number of versions of the Mare's
must load it, therefore, by remov-
Leg in a variety of different calibers.
ing the tube follower from the
stock and barrel are shorter than
I went with a model in .38
muzzle end of the rearm.
what you would nd even in a car-
Special/.357 Magnum. I already
bine version of the rie. Because of
have a Henry Big Boy in .38 Spe-
accurate. Using a 12.9-inch barrel
its short length, they are classied
cial/.357 Magnum to match my re-
for the .38 Special and .357 Mag-
as pistols in the United States. In
volver, which I did to streamline
num ammo produces higher veloc-
Canada, however, they are still
ammo needs.
ities, allowing you to reach out
With a Mare's Leg, both the
considered long guns. So when
The overall length of the
The Henry Mares Leg is quite
there a bit further.
carrying this rearm, it is important
Mare's Leg is 24.75 inches good
At 5.79 pounds, the guns
to keep in mind your federal and
size for carrying. Being longer than
weight is both a plus and a minus.
state laws.
a conventional pistol, the 9.5-inch
The extra weight helps lessen the
sight radius of the Mare's Leg helps
felt recoil effect. In fact, while
with practical accuracy. The brass
shooting the .38 Special, the effect
receiver on the Mare's Leg is the
of the recoil is hardly noticeable.
THE HENRY MARE'S LEG

Henry Repeating Arms has a
54
The Henry features a rear semi-buckhorn sight. A nice nishing touch on the pistol is that there is a gold inlay on the barrel showing the caliber.
The downside is that the gun is

more difficult to hold on target for
any length of time.
The octagon barrel affects the
balance of the rearm; its a bit
front heavy. I do appreciate the
fuller forearm stock on the Henry.
The larger size helps ll my hand
and makes it easier to control the
gun.
I ran a lot of ammo through
this rearm and did not have one
misre or failure to feed. After running so many rounds through the
Henry, I could see the benets of
having the wide band on the lever
as the action wore on my ngers.
In front is the Rossi Ranch Hand and in the rear is the Henry Mares Leg. The heavier octagonal barrel on the Henry
helps manage the recoil. The lighter barrel on the Ranch Hand makes the gun lighter to pack.
Reloading the magazine

through the end of the tube gave
me a chance to take a break, but it
still meant I had to stop without
the ability to top off the magazine
through a loading gate.
ROSSI RANCH HAND

Rossi's Ranch Hand has an
SHORT-BARRELED RIFLE
Going that bit further and making a Mare's Leg into a short barreled rie (SBR) is easy and
loads of fun. Converting the Henry or the Rossi into an SBR only requires the addition of a full
size butt stock. Oh and, of course, a tax stamp to make it legal in the U.S.
In the case of the Henry, I just ordered a butt stock for a Big Boy rie. With the Rossi, I just
thought about getting one from Boyds. Boyds sells aftermarket butt stocks for the Rossi
model 1892, which will t. The price for the stock from Boyds is $65. To make the conversion,
you need the stock and a standard screwdriver.
The original version of the Mare's Leg is fun, but the SBR version is a completely different
game. A Mare's Leg I would use to plink with at the range or carry as a brush gun. With the full
stock, I would be more likely to go hunting as well. Adding the full butt stock turns your gun
into a compact carbine thats easy to maneuver in thick brush. Being able to shoulder the
rearm provides the ability to increase accuracy. And it just looks cool.
overall length of 24 inches and

55
While the Mares Leg was more a product of Hollywood than history, it nonetheless has an Old West feel to it.
weighs 4.25 pounds. For the review, I chose the .44 Magnum ver-
Hand is six rounds.

The rearm was plenty accu-
sion, but the Ranch Hand is also
rate. The sight radius of the pistol
available in .38 Special/.357 Mag-
is 8.5 inches. For a brand new gun,
num and .45 Colt. Barrel length on
the action itself was smooth and,
the Ranch Hand is 12 inches and it
as the testing went on, it got a bit
has a 1:30 twist rate.
smoother. When handling the
The receiver and barrel are
Ranch Hand, I denitely felt the
blued and like the Henry, the
weight difference from the Henry.
Ranch Hand has a saddle ring. The
But because it was lighter and
Rossi has a larger loop lever than
chambered for a heavier caliber,
the Henry. Because the action is
the felt recoil made itself known.
based on the 1892 Winchester, it is
The Ranch Hand is fed from a
not possible to mount a scope on
tube magazine loaded via a load-
the receiver. Capacity of the Ranch
ing gate on the receiver. I had heard
56
Actor Steve McQueen portrayed a bounty hunter in the

television series, Wanted: Dead or Alive, in which he
carried a Mares Leg. CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images
SIGHTS AND OPTICS

For this article, I managed to round up a number of iron sights
for the Henry. Henry's side ejection design allows them to drill
and tap the top of the receiver so I was able to add a scope mount
to the receiver and add the Minox ZA 5 HD 1.2-6 X 24.
For iron sights, I chose two different sights from Skinner Sights
and one from XS sights. All three are aperture sights so the rear
buckhorn blade would have to go. The two models of Skinner
sights I chose were the Express and the barrel mounted dovetail
sight. Both Skinner sights come with multiple screw-in apertures
of different sizes.
Each sight comes with the tools necessary to change them
out. With the Express sight, it mounts on the receiver so after you
tap out the rear buckhorn sight, Skinner provides a ller piece to
ll the open slot left over from the rear sight. The Express sight
comes with a solid brass front replacement sight, or you can get
its ber optic front sight.
The original sights work just ne, but the Skinner peep sights
allow for much faster target acquisition, and once I dialed them in
they were dead accurate. I would have to say, though, in varying
light conditions the ber optic post was easier to nd as it picked

up any available light.
The XS sight has a more modern take to it. Like the Skinner
sights, it is a rear aperture sight; it mounts to the rear of the receiver like the Skinner Express model does. The difference is that
the XS sights mount to the receiver using one screw and a locater
post that goes in the second screw hole.
The XS rear sight is very compact and has a centering adjustment so you can adjust the sight from side to side without having
to drift the dovetail base.
Like the Skinner sights, XS sights come with different size
apertures, two to be exact. Again, I found these to be great for
quick target acquisition and spot on in their accuracy. I would say
that if you were going to use the gun for hunting as well as hiking,
the addition of aftermarket sights would be necessary in my
books.
I did get a chance to run the Henry with the Minox on it, and it
would denitely be an asset for longer shots, but I would not push
my shots with these guns to much more than 100 yards, anyway,
to be ethical.
57
To carry the ries on the trail you can use any number of scabbards available. On the left is a MOLLE-compatible scabbard by Voodoo Tactical. On the right is a
scabbard sold by Skinner Sights.
some complaints about the stiff

spring tension on the loading gate,
heavier load.
hard on the hand after a number of
During the test there were no
rounds. With the Ranch Hand
but on my model it was not the
jams or failures to re; the rearm
chambered in .44 Magnum, you
issue. What I did notice was that
ran awlessly. I did nd that the
had to be respectful and make
the loading gate was gritty; you
narrow ring band for the lever was
sure you took a break when you
could hear it and feel it rub as you

were loading.
MARES LEG COMPARISON
The loading gate on the Rossi

gives the option of a rolling reload,
Model
Caliber
Henry Mare's Leg

38 Special/.357 Magnum
.44 Magnum
Capacity
faster and it allows you to switch
Weight
5.95 pounds
4.9 pounds
to different ammo weights. Say
Barrel length
12.904 inches
12 inches
you have the rie loaded with a
Overall length
24.75 inches
24 inches
light bullet for smaller game and
Stock
Walnut
Walnut
you now need a defense round for
Twist
1:16
1:30
dangerous game because you
Sights
Front: Brass bead
Front: Gold Bead
Rear: Adjustable buckhorn
Rear: Adjustable buckhorn
$975
$536
being able to top off your magazine between shots. Reloading is
have dropped your animal in bear
Rossi Ranch Hand
country. With a loading gate, you

can top off the magazine with a
58
MSRP
were getting tired. If the gun

got away from you, it could
leave a mark rather easily.
WHERE THEY FIT

Theres nothing wrong
with having "just-for-fun guns.
But I would say there are other
uses for a Mares Leg.
I think one would make an
excellent trail rearm. A Mare's
Leg would make an excellent
wilderness protection rearm.
Unlike a pistol, if you ever need
The safety on the Ranch Hand is at the rear in front of the hammer. As you can see, a simple lever is used to operate
the safety. When the rie is on safe the lever blocks the sight picture.
to use it for food gathering in

an emergency, the longer
rearm would brace against
something easier than a pistol
for those long shots. The increased muzzle velocity from
the longer barrel would be a
plus.
You could holster this style
of rearm, but I think a scabbard carry works great for activities such as hiking and ATV
riding. Scabbard carry keeps
the rearm at the ready, yet
provides for stable, comfortable carry. Between the calibers available, you can cover a
The spring tension on the loading gate was ne, but a bit gritty. After a while, residue from the bullets
starts to build on the gate.
lot of ground with these as trail

guns. GNSL
SOURCES
Henry Repeating Arms
www.henryries.com
Rossi Firearms
www.rossiusa.com
Minox Scopes
www.minox.com
Skinner Sights
www.skinnersights.com
XS Sights
www.xssights.com
The author red a variety of ammo through these guns during testing. Over the short distances, he did not nd
much of a difference in the groupings.
Boyds Gunstocks
www.boydsgunstocks.com
59
GNSL-FALL-EXHIBIT-60-67.qxp 9/15/16 12:01 AM Page 60
TOP
SHOTS
GREAT EXHIBITION SHOOTERS

THEN AND NOW AMAZE AND INSPIRE
GENERATIONS OF SPECTATORS
BY RYAN LEE PRICE
n the Old West, there were noted Indian ghters,

scouts, buffalo hunters and gun ghters on both
sides of the law who were almost unbelievably
skillful. There were also sportsmen who gained
uncanny nesse with their rearms. Some of
these marksmen were able to capitalize on these
skills and make a living giving awe-inspiring exhibitions.
Exhibition shooters, with their fantastic trick shots,
became tremendously popular with the development of
better rearms in the late 1800s, especially in the
traveling Wild West shows. Though they might appeal to
a more narrow audience these days, exhibition shooters
still amaze audiences around the world.
60
61
At 30 paces she
(Oakley) could split
a playing card held
edge-on, she hit
dimes tossed into
the air, she shot
cigarettes from her
husband's lips
nati hotel owner Jack Frost that he
could outshoot any local shooter.
Oakley was that local who won the
bet. She and Butler were married
nine months later.
The pair joined Buffalo Bills
Wild West Show in 1885. She was
calling herself Annie Oakley by
then, even though public advertisements for the show labeled her
Little Sure Shot. Her favorite
weapon was a .22 rie, but she performed with a multitude of arms.
Eventually she would be the top
earner at the show, making more
money than Buffalo Bill Cody himself. After ve years of tours that
took her all around the world, she
Annie Oakley poses with fellow performer Texas Bill Shufflebottom. American Stock Archive/Getty Images
turned to stage acting and teaching other women how to properly
Annie Oakley (1860-1926)

Ironically, mans most recognizable exhibition shooter is a
before returning home at the age

of 15.
Her life, beginning at the age of
use a rearm.
It has been noted that, Oakley
never failed to delight her audi-
woman. She was born Phoebe Ann
7, was centered around the gun, as
ences, and her feats of marksman-
Moses in a cabin on the rural west-
she became an experienced trap-
ship were truly incredible. At 30
ern border of Ohio. She didnt regu-
per and hunter, helping to support
paces she could split a playing
larly attend school, and at the age
her widowed mother and six sib-
card held edge-on, she hit dimes
of 10, she was loaned to a local
lings. She sold game to local
tossed into the air, she shot ciga-
family to care for their infant son.
restaurants and butchers. This
rettes from her husband's lips and,
paid off her mothers mortgage on
a playing card being thrown into
the farm.
the air, she riddled it before it
In her autobiography, she referred to this family as the

wolves, and she was treated so
On Thanksgiving Day 1875,
wretchedly that she ran away from
traveling marksman Frank E. Butler
them to live with another family
placed $100 bet with local Cincin-
62
touched the ground.

During her career as a shooter,
she set many records and came in
and out of retirement to defend

them. In 1925, she died of a vitamin deciency disease, and Butler
was so distraught at the loss of his
wife of more than 50 years that he
stopped eating and died 18 days
later.
Adolf Topperwein (1869-1962)

Born in Boerne, Texas, to a
gunsmith father, Topperwein was
around guns his entire life. When
Adolf was six, his father made him
a crossbow. At age 8, Adolf already was out-shooting most
adults, and shortly before his
death, his father had given young
Adolf a Flobert .22 caliber single
shot rie, which he spent every
spare moment plinking at targets
until ring his .22 became as instinctive as eating or walking.
That same year, he saw Buffalo Bills Wild West Show and
was enamored at the marksmen in
action. After a series of odd jobs,
he was asked to come to Coney Island and star in the Orrin Brothers
Circus. For the next eight years, he
toured the country performing various exhibition shooting stunts to
abbergasted fans.
This didnt satisfy his want of
international fame as a marksman, so he accepted an offer from
Winchester Repeating Arms Company to become a contract exhibition shooter for the brandone of
the rst exhibition shooters with a
sponsor.
Looking back on his life at 91,
he remarked: Working with Winchester as exhibition marksman
brought me all I ever wanted; a
wonderful wife, the world's rie
shooting championship, travel,
good friends and a good living.
Elizabeth Plinky Topperwein became an integral part of the Winchester exhibition shooting team along
with her husband, Adolf. Winchester photo
63
GNSL-FALL-EXHIBIT-60-67.CX 9/19/16 10:40 PM Page 64
The Topperweins, Adolf and Elizabeth (Plinky), performed as a team sponsored by Winchester. Winchester photo
During a visit to the Winches-
One of Topperweins rst large
shooting in 1951, six years after his
ter factory in New Haven, Topper-
assignments for Winchester was at
wife had died. He opened and op-
wein met Elizabeth Servaty, a
the World's Fair at St. Louis in
erated a shooting lodge at Leon
cartridge assembler, and they were
1904. There Adolf established his
Springs, Texas, where he held free
married a few weeks later. Eliza-
rst official record by smashing
weekend classes to anyone who
beth had never red a gun before,
3,507 2 1/4-inch diameter targets
was interested in shooting sports.
but took a great interest in Topper-
without a miss. He topped that in
Adolph Toepperwein died in 1962
weins shooting. He taught her to
1907 when he shot at 72,500 2-1/4-
at the age of 93.
shoot and she soon became part
inch Texas white pine wooden
of his act. Winchester signed
blocks thrown 35 feet into the air
Plinky to a contract and they be-
over the course of 10 days he
came widely known as the Famous
missed only 13 using three Model
Kansas City, Mo. When his father
Topperweins, the worlds greatest
.03 Winchester 22s.
came home from World War II
shooting team.
64
Adolf retired from active
Bob Munden (1942-2012)

Munden was born in 1942 in
badly injured, the family moved to
GNSL-FALL-EXHIBIT-60-67.CX 9/19/16 10:40 PM Page 65
This poster from Buffalo Bills Wild West show features Annie Oakley as the star performer. Fotosearch/Getty Images
Anaheim, Calif., to be closer to the

hospital treating him. When
Munden was 6 years old, his father
gave him a BB gun, but with help
from odd jobs around the neigh-
By 1961, he (Munden) was winning nearly

ever competition he entered and eventually
set 18 world records
borhood, he was able to buy a pel-
1953, when he was in the fth
or late in the afternoons, he shed
let gun and used it shoot crows in
grade, Munden entered his rst
and hunted deer, rabbits, ducks,
the orange groves that would one
quick-draw tournament. Although
quail and other birds with a bow
day be Disneyland.
he didnt win, he was inspired to
and with shotguns, ries and
become a quick-draw master.
handguns to help feed his family.
His family spent every possible

moment outdoors, whether it was
The following year, the family
While in Big Bear, he joined Jeff
at the beach or in the mountains,
moved to Big Bear, Calif., where
Coopers shooting club and, with
and Munden always used that time
Munden graduated from high
his Iver Johnson, breakdown, dou-
to practice his shooting skills. In
school in 1960. Early before school
ble-action .38-caliber revolver,

65
One of Bob Mundens amazing shots was to split a bullet by shooting at the head of an axe. The two halves of the bullet would then strike two playing cards. BobMunden.com photo
began competing. He entered in
In 1969, the Mundens took to
ing clubs, at the Steel Challenge,
Walk and Draw Level with Blanks
the road and promoted their
The Bianchi Cup, for Safariland In-
shooting competitions where com-
shooting show by booking school
ternational and annually at End of
petitors would re blanks as they
assemblies where they demon-
Trail, the premier event of Cowboy
walked toward each other.
strated quick draw, spoke about
Action Shooting (CAS).
By 1961, he was winning nearly
the myths of the Old West and
He began customizing fellow
ever competition he entered and
taught the importance of gun
shooters guns and eventually oper-
eventually set 18 world records, in-
safety. They performed two to
ated a very successful gunsmith
cluding Fastest Time in Walk and
three shows a day, adding amuse-
shop. He has been celebrated on
Draw Level at 0.15 second using a
ment parks, malls and car dealer-
countless television shows and has
.45 caliber stock-weight Colt.
ships to the grueling schedule.
earned, by his estimation, over
Munden began customizing
After appearing at the opening
his guns to withstand the rigors of
of the rst Guinness Book of World
intense use with modications
Records Exhibit Hall in New York
that can be purchased still. In 1964,
and being featured on a Dixie Cup,
Munden met Becky, brother of fel-
they toured the country, setting
low fast-draw competitor Bill
new world records as they went.
Lewis. They were married three
Settling in Butte, Mt., Munden
2,500 shooting trophies.

Bob Munden passed away in
2012 from a heart attack.
Jerry Miculek (1954-)

Miculek was only three days
old when his family moved from
months later, and Becky set a
started the Great Northwest
Freeport, Texas, to Gramercy, La.
world record of 0.27 second for
Shootout that drew competitors
As he grew, shooting and hunting
Standing Reaction Balloons with
from across Montana and several
quickly became his passions. He
Blanks (listed in the Guinness Book
western states. In the 1980s, he
spent most of his free time with his
of World Records in the late
developed a shooting exhibition
brother, plinking away at targets in
1960s).
and displayed it at various shoot-
the local dump. For 15 years, he
66
Although he doesnt normally perform with Old West rearms, Jerry Miculek has performed amazing feats with double-action revolvers for years. Smith & Wesson photo
toiled away at the Freeport Chemi-
shots each from 10 different .38
Shooting USA; History Channels
cal plant as a millwright before be-
caliber revolvers in 17.12 seconds.
Top Shots, Sharpshooters, and Ex-
coming a professional shooter in
He red 12 shots (including a re-
treme Marksman; Discovery Chan-
1989 (at the age of 35).
load) from a six-shot revolver in
nels Sons of Guns; and NBC
2.99 seconds in 1999.
Sports Hot Shots.
Two years later, he met his future wife, Kay Clark, the daughter
Although best known for his
Miculek has won every major
of gunsmith Jim Clark. At the age
feats of revolver speed shooting,
speed shooting revolver competi-
of 39 in 1995, he helped deliver
Miculek is also one of the top
tion in the world and continues to
their daughter Lena at their home
multi-gun competitors in the world,
wow audiences in person and on
(the midwife was late). Lena her-
demonstrating equal abilities with
the Internet. GNSL
self is a very accomplished profes-
pistols, ries and shotguns.
sional shooter.
Miculek became a member of
Miculek's accomplishments
Team Smith & Wesson in 1989.
during his more than 30-year
Since that time he has participated
shooting career include 52 national
in countless competitions, per-
titles and 45 world titles, including
formed hundreds of shooting
seven-time USPSA 3-Gun National
demonstrations, and represented
Championship, 21-time Interna-
Smith & Wesson and his other
tional Revolver Champion and
sponsors at store promotions and
Bianchi Cup NRA World Action Pis-
trade shows throughout the world.
tol Metallic Champion. His world

record list is extensive.
In 2003, he beat Ed McGiverns
record of 25 seconds by ring six
Miculeks varied shooting

skills have been highlighted on numerous television programs, in-
LEARN MORE ABOUT

THESE GREAT SHOOTERS
Adolf Topperwein
www.showmanshooter.com/html
/body_toepperwein.html
Annie Oakley
www.biography.com/people/
annie-oakley-9426141
Bob Munden
www.bobmunden.com
Jerry Miculek
www.miculek.com
cluding the Outdoor Channels

67
GNSL-FALL-LUCKY-68-75 9/20/16 10:54 PM Page 68
68
GNSL-FALL-LUCKY-68-75 9/20/16 10:54 PM Page 69
OLD LUCKY
THE QUEST FOR A SPECIAL, ENGRAVED SINGLE

ACTION IN THE TRADITION OF THE OLD WEST LAWMEN
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY BOB CAMPBELL
ome years ago I rst read of the life and exploits of

legendary lawman Frank Hamer. Like many
professionals, Hamer used many rearms during
his long life.
Smith & Wesson double action revolvers, Colt 1911
automatics, and a variety of shotguns and ries were part of his
working battery. But the one that made the greatest impression
on me was an engraved Colt Single Action Army.
Hamers revolver was presented to him by a close friend. The
revolver was tastefully engraved. He named it Old Lucky.
Images that exist of the revolver show that it was both cared for
and used. The image of engraving on steel is thrilling and shows
excellent workmanship.
Over the years, I thought I would like to have such an
engraved SAA revolver, an Old Lucky of my own.
Very few icons stir the soul

like an engraved SAA.
69
GNSL-FALL-LUCKY-68-75.qxp 9/15/16 12:35 AM Page 70
There are many great American guns but the SAA on the far left was the rst with the most for American lawmen.
THE SAA ADVANTAGE

Many Western lawmen carried
the Colt SAA well past the intro-
a minimum of decisive shots, the
under the glass at a shop, I knew
SAA was a great tool.
this was the one.
I am a shooter, not a collector,
LASER-ENGRAVED PIETTA
duction of double-action revolvers
and any engraved handgun that Id
and self-loading pistols. Familiarity
buy would be red and red often.
was likely one reason. But, the SAA
An original Colt was out of the
volvers, but Id never seen one that
in 4-inch barrel length is among
question. They were too expensive.
had the eye appeal of this one. The
the best balanced handguns ever
I have enjoyed excellent luck with
appearance was similar to acid
made. The revolver points well and
modern clones of the SAA and my
etching, but laser engraving is not
offers excellent practical accuracy.
original plan was to nd a suitably
as deep as old type German-style
The SAA in .45 Colt is about as
nished revolver to have engraved.
engraving and it costs a fraction
compact as a .38 caliber double-
A 4-inch barrel revolver was the
of the original. The style was simi-
action revolver, while the big bore
goal.
lar to vine scrolls with border work
double-action revolvers are more
I didnt think about the re-
I have appreciated Pietta re-
that was simply amazing. You
volver every day, but it certainly
could spend a pleasant evening
For those who realized that a
was in the back of my mind. When
simply looking over the coverage.
gun battle is usually resolved with
my wife and I saw a Pietta revolver
I am not an expert on the dif-
bulky.
70
GNSL-FALL-LUCKY-68-75 9/16/16 5:16 AM Page 71
Many Western
lawmen carried the
Colt SAA well past
the introduction of
double-action
revolvers and selfloading pistols.
ferences between Banknote,
American, English and Nimschke
engraving, but the mix on the
Pietta was excellent. The barrel,
ejector, frame, cylinder and backstrap featured coverage. The hammer and trigger were
case-hardened. The front strap
wasnt covered. The backstrap en-
Note high quality of the Piettas laser engraving.
graving would add to adhesion of

the piece when ring. The grips
were white polymer.
TRANSFER BAR FOR SAFETY

Overall, the revolver left little
to be desired in appearance. The
4-inch barrel length was ideal for
all-day packing. The revolver also
featured a modern transfer bar ignition system. The spring-loaded
ring pin was housed in the frame.
With this setup, when the
hammer is at rest, it cannot touch
This is excellent detail for modern affordable engraving.
the ring pin. When the hammer is

cocked, the transfer bar rises to a
position that allows the falling
hammer to strike the transfer bar
.357 MAGNUM
The only thing that gave me
and the impact is transferred to
pause was the chambering. The
the hammer. This makes for
revolver was chambered in the
greater safety than the original ac-
popular .357 Magnum. I have a
tion. The price was fair, little more
good supply of .45 Colt ammuni-
than a standard revolver and much
tion and Starline Brass. It was time
less expensive than one thats cus-
to climb the logic ladder. I like the
tom engraved.
power of the .45 Colt and its
A VERY USEFUL HANDGUN

For defense against feral dogs, coyote, small bears and the big cats, this revolver is ideal. It isnt a drag on the belt
as a large frame double-action revolver
may be. If I were using the revolver for
cowboy action shooting, I would use lead
bullets in .38 Special and not worry
about the Magnum, but the Magnum is a
fascinating cartridge to work with.
Accuracy at long range is excellent.
The more I re the short barrel SAA in
.357 Magnum, the more I am certain I
made the right choice.
71
With the SAA and a little jingle in the pocket, an Old West marshal or merchant never had it so good.
For defense against feral dogs, coyote, small

bears and the big cats, this revolver is ideal.
deadly reputation in personal de-
num revolvers, make the chamber-
fense. The 255-grain conical bullet
ing ideal for cowboy action shoot-
tends to tumble and do a lot of
ing.
damage.
However, the revolver itself
When loaded with the proper

Magnum loads, there is no car-
and the transfer bar ignition were
tridge with better wound ballistics.
improvements, if not historically
In a pinch, a heavily loaded Mag-
correct. I was looking not for a copy
num is useful for defense against
but my own Old Lucky. The easy
bears and the big cats, and I
shooting of .38 Special cartridges,
wanted the revolver to be an out-
which may be used in .357 Mag-
doors revolver. It took a few min-
72
STRAP ON THE LEATHER

A good revolver demands good quality leather. When carrying the Pietta
concealed under a tactical vest, the Old
West Reproductions belt slide is a good
choice. There is good retention and the
belt slide offers a good smooth draw.
This maker uses quality leather and
practices the lost art of basket weave
stamping.
For eld use, I often use the Rocking
K Saddlery Cattle Brand holster. In common with the revolver, the holster
would be just as useful without ornamentation, but I like it a great deal.
Also from Rocking K Saddlery comes
a rst class rendition of the classic Old
West shoulder holster. These are good
holsters that serve a purpose and also
keep the art of Western leather alive.
(www.oldwestreproductions.com and
www.rockingksaddlery.com)
The trigger guard is elegantly engraved.
Black Hills Ammunition gave excellent accuracy in the Pietta.
HAMERS LEGENDARY CAREER
utes, but I settled upon the .357

Magnum cartridge. I was glad I did.
FIRING MY OWN OLD LUCKY

It isnt harmful to dry re a
transfer bar ignition system, and
this was undertaken before any
range work. The trigger was crisp
at 4 pounds with a clean break.
The rst shots were red with
the Black Hills Ammunition 158grain cowboy load. This is a pleasant lead bullet load at 750 fps. I
red at man-sized targets at 5, 7
and 10 yards, and found the re-
Frank Hamer was born in 1884 and became one of Texas most famous lawmen. He saw
the Texas Rangers move from horseback to vehicles and from Winchester lever action ries to
self-loading ries.
While working ranches, Hamer developed a lifelong distaste for rustlers. He joined Company C of the Texas Rangers in 1906. At that time, horseback patrols were none too different
from those undertaken by Texas Rangers since about 1840. The pay, about $50 a month, had
not improved much either.
Rangers lived a rugged, outdoor life and often worked alone. Hamer also served as a city
marshal and Houston municipal officer. Later he served as a federal prohibition officer. While
involved in the investigation that brought Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow to ground, he was
employed by the Texas Bureau of Corrections.
Hamer looked over both ends of the gun barrel many times and was involved in dozens of
gun battles. He was wounded on numerous occasions, sometimes severely. He was known for
his serious approach to law enforcement and integrity.
His favorite handgun by all accounts was his Colt .45 caliber single-action revolver he
dubbed Old Lucky. Hamer also carried back-up weapons and used the Colt Government
Model 1911 and the Smith & Wesson double-action revolver.
Hamer was a large and powerful man, and this doubtless helped him carry and handle
these rearms and also helped him absorb and recover from his wounds.
Despite unrealistic cinematic portrayals, Bonnie and Clyde were despicable murderers and
some of the worst gutter trash of the era. Because they had been involved in prison breaks,
Hamer, working for the corrections agency, pursued them. The real story behind their downfall
is Hamers dogged pursuit of the pair and his relentless time on their trail that involved both
old time tracking and modern investigation. It took a team effort involving Louisiana authorities and the FBI.
When Hamer and Sheriff Henderson Jordan yelled Hands Up!, they did not surrender and
that was the end of Bonnie and Clyde. Hamer later worked in a successful security company.
He passed away in 1955.
volver well balanced and fast on

73
As an outdoors revolver, the author appreciates the simplicity and compactness of the Single Action Army.
target. The rear sight tunnel is
loads using the classic Keith SWC
herent accuracy of this revolver
broader than most, allowing a
bullet in 178 grains. (www.matts-
and load. I appreciated the abra-
good sight picture. The revolver
bullets.com) A heavy charge of
sion offered by the grips as this
struck to the point of aim at 15
H110 exhibited 1,100 fps with this
aided in keeping the piece steady. I
yards, always welcome with the
load. (For .357 revolvers only!) Ac-
also red a number of .357 Mag-
SAA.
curacy was excellent. Informal
num factory loads.
I moved up to heavier loads,

including one of my favorite hand74
plinking at dirt clods and sticks on

the 100-yard berm showed the in-
As Elmer Keith noted, the SAA

may have a long hammer fall but
SHOOTING RESULTS
RANGE RESULTS25 YARD GROUPS
Load
Velocity
5-shot group
Black Hills Ammunition 125-grain JHP
1,360 fps
2.25 inches
Fiocchi 158-grain JHP
1,099 fps
2.2 inches
Hornady 125-grain Critical Defense
1,380 fps
2.35 inches
SIG 125-grain JHP
1,389 fps
2.0 inches
Winchester 158-grain JHP
1,122 fps
1.9 inches
Hornady 125-grain XTP/H110 powder
1,320 fps
1.9 inches
Matts Bullets 178-grain Keith
1,100 fps
1.7 inches
Handloads
The author locked into the Weaver stance and gave the Pietta .357 Magnum a good workout. This is a great
single-action revolver.
the base pin keeps the cylinder steady

and the revolver will often exhibit excellent accuracy. The Pietta is properly sighted for the dead-on hold with
125-grain loads. 158-grain loads will
strike high at 15 yards. The revolver is
accurate enough for any foreseeable
task. GNSL
The engraving at the top of the grip strap has picked up a nick from use. This isnt a safe queen.
75
GNSL-FALL-BG AMMO-76-81.qxp 9/15/16 12:55 AM Page 76
The Remington Derringer is

surprisingly accurate to about
10 yards. Without ammunition,
we would never know.
76
Feeding
The Beast
AMMUNITION FOR OLD WEST FIREARMS CAN
SOMETIMES BE CHALLENGING TO FIND
ld West guns and replicas are

among my favorite recreational
shooters. But many original Old
West rearms are chambered for
now-obscure cartridges that are
out of production or available only from
specialty loaders.
When you look for a historical rearm if you
are a collector, the caliber isnt as important as
if you are a shooter. A collector will be thrilled
to nd an original 1873 Colt in .44 Henry, a
shooter will not.
77
GNSL-FALL-BG AMMO-76-81 9/15/16 1:12 AM Page 78
This old .32 Smith & Wesson "bicycle gun" was still in use as little as seven years ago. Ammunition is difficult to obtain.
This is an original box of .32 rimre the author unsealed.
If you are a shooter, you want
Whether the owner intends to
a steady supply of ammunition or
re the rearm often or not, am-
A VALUABLE RESOURCE
at least enough ammunition to ap-
munition is good to have. Some
preciate the experience of ring an
ammunition is so rare and expen-
original rearm. Some re the
sive it is prohibitive to re. Original
piece a time or two, clean it and
boxes of .32 Rimre and .41 Rim-
put it away. Others replace the
re, as an example, begin at $70
springs and worn parts and use
depending on condition. The con-
original rearms in cowboy action
dition in which they have been
A must-have reference book is the

newest edition of "Cartridges of the
World." (fwpublications.com) This volume contains information on every
known cartridge of the past 200 years.
The information is priceless to a collector
or shooter. Specications and performance of the calibers are included, and cartridge identication is also included. This
volume includes dimensions of common
handloads and safe operating pressures.
shooting.
stored means everything. Rimre
78
Winchester ammunition in .38 Smith & Wesson is a good match for this Perfect Double Action revolver.
priming doesnt last as long as
able .45 Colt. The common cal-
horribly expensive. The .41 Colt, as
centerre and black powder isnt
ibers are simply easier to obtain
an example, is a hard caliber to
as resistant to the elements as
and many if not most are still in
nd. It is difficult to assemble due
smokeless powder.
production.
to the rebated heel base of the
A broken or partial box is

worth a fraction of the price of a
Some calibers arent a terrible

challenge to obtain. Others are
bullet. We are lucky that Ultramax

Ammunition offers this loading.
full box. If you pay through the

nose for the ammo and, after all,
there is a nite supply and you
end up with misres or worse a
bullet stuck in the barrel from partial ignition, your expenditure was
a bust. You have spent big bucks
but not gotten the shooting experience for which you had hoped.
CHOOSE YOUR CALIBER

Before you purchase the
rearm, set a few goals for yourself. As an example, the occasional
shooter will be as well served with
a SAA revolver in .455 Eley as .45
Colt. The high volume shooter will
AMMO SOURCES
Hinged frame pocket revolvers in .32 Smith & Wesson and .38 Smith & Wesson as well as
.38 Short Colt were common in the Old West. The .32 S&W is in occasional production by Remington and Winchester, but is difficult to nd. Put in the order and wait is the only course.
.38 S&W ammunition is much less difficult to obtain. Fiocchi offers rst quality loads that I
have used extensively. The .32-20 WCF, .38-40 WCF, .44-40 WCF, .44 Russian, .44 Special, .45
Schoeld, .45 Colt and .45-70 are offered by Black Hills Ammunition. Winchester offers a .45
Colt cowboy action load. UltraMax Ammunition offers most of the cowboy calibers and also .41
Colt and .45-90 cartridges.
A number of calibers are devilishly hard to nd. Specialty makers such as Load X and Jamison Brass/Captech will be able to help with many of these. Some of the loads from the later
Old West period are less difficult. Remember some of the ammunition for these old calibers
was manufactured well into the 1960s. Boxes of original .351 Winchester and .41 Colt are occasionally found at gun shows. In my experience, 1930s Winchester production is reliable and accurate ammunition if it has been stored properly.
Fiocchi Ammunition www.occhiusa.com
Ultramax Ammunition www.ultramaxammunition.com
Black Hills Ammunition www.black-hills.com
Old Western Scrounger www.ows-ammo.com/store
Load-X Ammunition www.loadxammo.com
Jamison Brass and Ammunition/Captech International www.captechintl.com,
www.custombrassandbullets.com
Redding Reloading Equipment www.redding-reloading.com
Magnus Bullets www.magnusbullets.com
want the much more readily availFIREARMS OF THE OLD WEST / FALL 2016 I GUNSLINGERS
79
If you are a
shooter, you want
at least enough
ammunition to
appreciate the
experience of firing
an original
firearm.
These old Western brand loads, manufactured about 1930, red off without exception.
If you are a recreational

shooter, the .32-20 WCF is a good
choice. It is economical and readily
available. The .38-40 is less so.
Have your goals set before you
purchase the rearm. Even if you
are purchasing a modern replica,
keep in mind that some calibers
are easier to nd than others.
As an example, I really like the
Old West calibers, but if I were beginning in cowboy action shooting,
the .38 Special/.357 Magnum
chambering would make more
sense. On the other hand, if you
Carefully inspect every rearm. This Smith & Wesson cylinder was not in good condition.
nd a bargain or inherit a rearm in

a less desirable caliber, the choice
has been made for you and you
are on the hunt for ammunition.
KNOW THE LIMITATIONS

Old West revolver and ries
were made of iron, not steel. Even
though they are chambered for
the .45 Colt, as an example, that
doesnt mean all modern ammunition is safe in these rearms.
Handloads should be mild.
The Black Hills Ammunition, as an
example, is loaded well within ac80
An original box of UMC cartridges.
This derringer didnt come apart from ring, but from handling; they are none too robust.
ceptable pressure. The .45 Colt
One of the most interesting
sonal defense and hunting prob-
load clocks about 720 fps from my
and perplexing Colt Peacemakers
lems. Today, specialization has re-
7-inch barrel revolver, ideal for
to cross my path appeared in all
placed utility.
fun shooting.
particulars to be an 1882 .45 Colt in
A vintage rearm presents a
original and well worn nickel nish.
piece of history. When you re this
be aware of pressure restrictions. A
The owner told me it would not
revolver or rie you are enjoying the
Winchester 1873 rie made in 1880
chamber .45 Colt ammunition. The
experience of a lifetime. It is a link
isnt safe with modern heavy loads.
piece was marked .45 Colt and the
to the man that used the rearm in
But the Winchester 92 made in
barrel was .45 Colt but the cylinder
the Old West in trying times. Firing
1931 can safely handle improved
was .44-40 WCF! The how and
these implements can be relaxing
.32-20 WCF loads. Know the cal-
why of this mix up will never be ex-
and rewarding. Keep safety rst
iber, the date of manufacture of
plained.
and do your research. GNSL
When you research the caliber,
the rearm, and the pressure limits
As shooters, the rimre cal-
of both the rearm and the ammu-
ibers should be avoided. Ammuni-
nition.
tion is difficult to impossible to
There are many Old West cal-
obtain. Occasionally Navy
ibers still in production. The Marlin
Arms/Old Western Scrounger has
1895 in .45-70 Springeld will ac-
the .41 rimre for the Remington
cept heavy loads that would blast
Derringer. These are new cartridges
an original Springeld apart like a
that are safe in the old Remington.
hand grenade and badly injure the
At 450 fps you may observe the
shooter.
bullet in the air as it ies toward

the target. A particularly difficult
CHECK THE SPECIFICS

Do your research. Understand
cartridge to obtain is the .41 Colt.

The .44 Russian is readily available.
the chambering of the rearm. Be

certain the rearm hasnt been rechambered or re-barreled. Consult
A CONNECTION TO THE PAST

Old West rearms were built in
a competent gunsmith familiar
a day when the handgun or rie
with the rearm.
was expected to solve both per-
LOADING YOUR OWN

A rare cartridge isnt much of a problem when you have loading dies. Redding Reloading offers rst class gear for
loading metallic cartridges. They offer
quite a few not offered elsewhere. If you
elect to load the .38 Colt, .38 Long Colt,
.38 Special or .357 Magnum, for example, the same lead projectile, primers,
and powder may be used even the
same dies.
Once you have the cartridge case
and dies, you are in business. A number
of cartridge cases may be formed from
others with the proper sizing die. As one
example, the .351 Winchester may be
formed from modern .357 Maximum
brass. It is time consuming, but once
done you have the brass to handload
your own cartridges. Careful load practice will produce safe, economical loads.
Magnus Bullets (Magnusbullets.com)
offers good quality cast bullets that I
have used often in all of the popular
cowboy action calibers.
81
GNSL-FALL-YARDS-82-87.qxp 9/15/16 1:09 AM Page 82
The Traditions revolver proved

accurate and reliable as well as
comfortable to use and re.
82
The Single
Action Army
At Long Range
o matter how intriguing

the history of a particular
rearm, I want to see how
it performs.
The Colt Single Action
Army, also known as the Model P and
the Peacemaker, is among the most
interesting of rearms and a handgun
rich in military history.
In warfare of the day, horses were
an important part of the equation. In
many of the battles on the plains,
more horses than men fell. Long
range accuracy was important.

Colonel Benet of Army Ordnance
wanted his men to have the best
possible cartridge. An important
consideration for the military in
adopting any gun/cartridge
combination was the ability to drop
an Indian war pony at 100 yards.
I decided to put the pistol and its
traditional .45 Colt cartridge to the
test to see how it would perform at
that distance. Was the Peacemaker
up to the challenge?
83
That is a lot of shooting for a single action revolver.
MY TEST GUN
An original SAA, while quite
expensive, might also be well
worn. A modern clone seemed the
best test mule. A Pietta revolver in
.45 Colt with 7-inch barrel was
obtained from Traditions.
This revolver is well nished
with a blue grip frame, cylinder,
ejector rod and barrel, and case
hardened hammer and frame. The
revolver uses a modern transfer
bar system that allows carrying six
cartridges. Just the same, I adhere
to the old rule: load one cartridge,
skip a cylinder, load four cartridges,
cock the hammer and lower on an
empty chamber.
EFFECTIVE AT 100 YARDS

To see how effective the .45
Colt would be at 100 yards, I conducted an experiment with water
jugs and an HPR 250-grain loading.
Water jugs are 6 inches wide, so
84
At a long 100 yards, the .45 Colt proved effective.
Every load tested slid smoothly from the Traditions cylinder.
penetration is easily tabulated. The

HPR loads 750 fps would be similar to 100-yard velocity with my
heavier handloads.
The HPR load penetrated 42
inches of water. I am certain that
the original .45 load remained a
formidable threat to man or beast
at 100 yards. Another note on the
.45 Colt: No matter how well balanced the load, after 100 cartridges, unburned powder results
in the cylinder becoming more difcult to index, all SOP for a tightly
PROVEN THROUGH HISTORY

The effectiveness of the SAA would not be
news to those who used such guns in the late
19th century. Troopers charging across the
Western desert, lawmen taming the cattle
towns and gamblers in smoke-lled saloons
playing deadly games of pride are part of the
lore of the Peacemaker. While much of the action took place around railheads, an equal
number of actions took place on the trail.
The Colt SAA was designed about 1872
and delivered the next year. The SAA was designed for greater strength that the previous
Open Top, a transitional model between capand-ball and cartridge revolvers. The top
strap was added and the now-famous loading gate was part of the new design. The
Strap Pistol, as it has also been called, was on
its way to a date with history.
The .44 Russian

The rst prototypes were chambered for
the .44 Russian. The .44 Russian is accurate,
but none too powerful. On the plains, men
used what they could, and Colt chambered a
good number of the SAA revolvers for the .44
Henry, an underpowered rimre cartridge. I
am certain that this was for sales to those
still using the Winchester 1866 rie.
Colt designed a new revolver and chambered it for the most powerful handgun cartridge of its day. After all, the earlier 1860 Colt
Army percussion revolver, ring a .457-inch
ball, enjoyed an excellent reputation for
wound potential on both men and horses.
The .45 Colt was a good replacement.
The standard loading used a nominal 250grain bullet over 40 grains of black powder.
(There were other combinations.) This loading generated 900 fps from the Colts standard 7-inch barrel.
made modern SAA.

85
Even standing and ring the Traditions revolver was a joy to use.
HITTING AT 100
Once I was convinced the .45
SHORT-RANGE SHOOTING RESULTS
Colt had enough power to be effec-
Initial testing showed the following results at 25 yards:
tive at 100 yards, the question re-
Ammunition
mained about whether I could hit
Black Hills Ammunition 250-grain
763 fps
2.25 inches
Winchester 250-grain
707 fps
2.6 inches
Fiocchi 250-grain
715 fps.
2.0 inches
HPR 250-grain JHP
755 fps
2.25 inches
Handloads Unique Powder,
860 fps
1.9 inches
250-grain Magnus hard cast
900 fps
2.25 inches
anything at that distance.

The Pietta locks up tight and
seems well made of good material.
I have red the revolver extensively
Velocity
Group in inches
at close range and ranges of up to

25 yards with good results. A group
of 2 inches with Black Hills Am-
modern revolver and the original is
presented a fair aiming area. I used
munition cowboy loads was aver-
sight regulation. Most revolvers
a realistic eld shooting position,
age. While hardcast bullets do not
were sighted to strike high at 25
keeping my back against a heavy
lead and deliver good accuracy,
yards to give troopers a fair chance
post and setting the revolver be-
original conical soft lead bullets
of connecting at longer range.
tween my knees in a solid sitting
are well suited to personal de-
Today we like revolvers sighted to
position. (Be aware of cylinder
fense. Testing shows that they
strike to the point of aim at 15 to 25
ash!) I held at the top of the steel
tend to tumble in media. For this
yards. The Traditions revolver is
plate to compensate for drop.
test I was leaning toward hand-
well regulated in that regard.
loads.
Calculations showed that a
The rst shot struck the plate

with a resounding clang. I red
250-grain bullet at 900 fps that
three full cylinders of 250-grain
rate than the factory ammunition,
strikes 2.5 inches high at 25 yards
handloads at the plate at 50 yards
but statistically that did not mean
will be about 7 inches low at 100
and connected with each. I was
a lot. What mattered was velocity.
yards. The handgun holding a 2.5-
feeling pretty good about my com-
There are factory loads geared to-
inch group at 25 yards should
ward defense use, with 185- to
group into 10 inches at 100 yards,
TIGHTEN THE SCREWS
225-grain bullets, that are quite
but it isnt always that simple.
speedy. But a light bullet sheds ve-
Some handguns fall apart after 50
locity more quickly over long range.
yards, while others hold their accu-
The problem would be trigger
racy better than expected.
Watch those screws! It is SOP to check

the small screws in the grip frame and
trigger housing for looseness. The SAA
especially with heavy loads tends to
work itself loose. I knew that, but somehow forget. I usually check the screws
every couple of shooting sessions. One
hundred heavy loads accelerate the action. No problem; simply tighten the
screws and you are back in action.
The handload was more accu-
press and sight picture, the human

element.
A difference between the
86
I began with an Innovative Targets registering steel target set up

at 50 yards. The 7.5-inch target
Some loads are smoky with a bit of blow by.
An important consideration was the

ability to drop an Indian war pony
at 100 yards.
I red well over 120 cartridges

that day. These experiments conrm that the .45 Colt is plenty accurate for 100 yard anti-personnel
and anti-war horse work. The 250grain bullet retains a degree of au-
bination. I set up a Tactical Target
keeping the sights aligned and
thority as well. While the practical
Systems target at 50 yards to con-
working the trigger becomes tiring
merits of the shooting are debat-
rm zero, then set it at 100 yards.
at this level of concentration. I red
able, the fun factor was huge. The
three cylinders at the target. The 15
good old Peacemaker has legs and
held on the neck and carefully
shots were clustered near my point
can be useful at longer range than
pressed the trigger. After ring a
of aim and fell into a 16-inch group.
most would credit it. GNSL
Using the PPC shooters trick, I
cylinder of loads, I began the long

walk to the target. I had struck the
target ve times. The group was
about 8 inches below the point of
aim and measured 9 inches.
Next I tried another long range
handgun trick. Because holding
over obscures the target, it is best
to hold the front sight high, providing you know how high, which
means eld work. Holding at the
middle of the target, the front sight
was raised as high as possible. I
kept my concentration on the front
sight and carefully pressed the
trigger.
A MILITARY AND
COMMERCIAL SUCCESS
The Colt SAA was a success in both military and commercial sales. Besides many
thousands of civilian and overseas sales, the
revolver was purchased by the U.S. Army in
over 37,000 examples by 1890. Many went
to the cavalry but the state guard, U.S.
Treasury and the Post Office also were
armed with the Colt SAA.
These revolvers were delivered with onepiece wood stocks and a nicely blued nish.
Rubber grips were being used by the early
1880s, but military Colts used wood grips
until the last delivery in 1890. Civilian users
had a choice of many barrel lengths and calibers, but the army kept the .45 Colt.
The Colt .38 caliber double-action revolver with swing out cylinder was adopted
in 1892. The action was not particularly robust and the caliber proved decient in combat. Colt SAA .45s were broken out of
storage and rushed to the Philippines and

into action after the failure of the .38 caliber
cartridge in combat but that is another
story.
Many gunghters of the day had their
SAA revolvers barrel cut, re-crowned, and a
new front sight tted. The 4-inch SAA was
often called the Gunghters Gun. The 5inch barrel revolver was seen as an allaround compromise.
But some lawmen favored the long hog
leg. If the situation called for fast handling
at close range the long barrel pointed like a
nger once it cleared leather. If the adversary was at a distance and the pistol was
forced to substitute for a rie, then the long
barrel and sight radius were an advantage.
In modern times I have mostly carried the
4-inch barrel revolver. My rst SAA was a
7-inch barrel revolver I later had cut to 4
inches, even with the ejector rod, as Bat
Masterson specied to Colt.
Recoil wasnt a real factor but

87
GNSL-FALL-CUSTOM-88-95 9/19/16 11:30 PM Page 88
Custom
Classic
GARY REEDERS DOC HOLLIDAY CLASSIC

REVOLVER BRINGS BACK THE SPIRIT OF
OLD WEST GAMBLERS AND GUNMEN
TEXT AND PHOTO BY LEROY THOMPSON
hen I was a youth

watching
Westerns on TV,
Bat Masterson
was always one of
my favorites. His short-barreled,
fancy Colt single action,
especially, drew my attention.
Many years later, I bought one
of Colts Third Generation Sheriffs Models to satisfy my
88
decades-long yearning for a Bat

Masterson-type revolver. I liked it
and shot it a bit, but it wasnt
really like Bats. Then, some years
ago I spotted an ad for Gary
Reeders Doc Holliday Classic. It
had a 3.5-inch barrel and was
shiny and fancy. I had Reeder
build me one, and Ive been
occasionally shooting it now for
quite a few years.
GNSL-FALL-CUSTOM-88-95 9/19/16 11:30 PM Page 89
The Doc Holliday Classic

conjures images of sitting
at an Old West poker table
with the revolver under
ones arm.
89
GNSL-FALL-CUSTOM-88-95.qxp 9/15/16 2:12 AM Page 90
Thompsons Doc Holliday Classic is chambered for the big .45 Long Colt cartridge.
CUSTOM FEATURES
My revolver was custom built
by Gary Reeder on the Ruger Old
Model Vaquero, but Reeder tells
Reeder will build it with a 2-inch
cluding white or black pearl and
barrel and no ejector rod if so de-
polymer ivory. Mine has stag grips.
sired.
Adding to its appearance, the ham-
The Doc Holliday is engraved
mer and trigger are fully jeweled.

For enhanced performance,
me most of those he builds today
with scenes relating to the gun-
are on the New Model Vaquero.
ghting dentists life, including
Reeder does a full action job for
Otherwise, the same basic revolver
playing cards, dice and a whiskey
what he terms a super-slick ham-
is still available.
bottle. Scroll engraving is also an
mer and trigger pull. The barrel
Among the operations per-
option. Another option, which I re-
formed by Reeder are rounding the
quested on my Doc Holliday, is my
butt to his Gamblers Grip and
name engraved on the barrel. My
shortening the barrel to 3.5 inches.
stainless example is polished to re-
With the 3.5-inch barrel, it still has
semble nickel. High-polished Black
an ejector rod for faster and easier
Chromex is also an option. Reeder
extraction of shells. However,
offers an array of grip choices, in-
90
MORE CUSTOM REVOLVERS

Gary Reeder offers other custom
Vaqueros themed to the Old West. Given
their quality, they are quite reasonably
priced. Id recommend having a look at his
website, whether to purchase or just ogle.
http://www.reedercustomguns.com
/revolvers/
The Vaqueros loading gate and reverse indexing pawl allow the revolver to be quickly and safely loaded without
placing the hammer on half cock.
Deep-dished barrel crown enhances accuracy of the Doc Holliday Classic.
has a deep-dish crown and a
hammer-forged barrel with precise
heavy hunting loads are available
maxi-throat job. The revolver is
riing enhances accuracy, barrel
in .45 Colt, but I view my Doc Holli-
then sighted to be on at 20 yards.
life and ease of cleaning. And, as to
day as a fun gun, so I usually shoot
be expected with a Ruger, the Va-
Black Hills cowboy loads or equiv-
quero is built to last.
alent in it.
As the Doc Holliday is based

on the Ruger Vaquero, it has all of
Ruger also makes the Vaquero
the safety and performance features Ruger builds into that platform. A reverse indexing pawl
MADE TO SHOOT
Im a traditionalist, so I ordered
in .357 Magnum, but I think most

who would want this gun will want
it in .45 Colt.
allows easier loading and unload-
my Doc Holliday in .45 Colt. When I
ing, and the transfer mechanism
rst started shooting, there really
and loading gate interlock add se-
werent many loads available for
carry or use in cowboy shooting
curity against an accidental/negli-
the .45 Colt, though the standard
events. I bought it because I liked it
gent discharge.
255-grain load with a slight at
and it brings back memories of
was a good man-stopper. Today,
watching old Westerns in my
various combat loads, as well as
youth. However, that doesnt mean
A beveled cylinder allows easier one-hand holstering. The cold
I didnt buy my Vaquero to
91
The ejector rod allows cases to be pushed partially out of the cylinder.
The 3.5-inch barrel is a good compromise between ease of carry, ability to have an ejector and ability
to shoot at longer ranges.
The Doc Holliday is engraved with

scenes relating to the gunfighting dentists
life, including playing cards, dice and
a whiskey bottle.
that I dont shoot it. I take it out
does on the Doc Holliday makes it
however, I really appreciated the
once or twice a year and put 100
very shootable. I have to admit that
smoothing of the hammer for
rounds through it. The rest of the
it hadnt occurred to me that an
quick cocking. I dont fan my single
time its in my safe, but it seems to
action job on a single action re-
actions; I just cock them, and this
gravitate toward the top of the pile
volver doesnt just entail smooth-
one is the quickest and smoothest
as I take it out and handle it every
ing the trigger, but also the
to cock Ive ever owned. The trigger
couple of months.
hammer.
pull is very smooth as well.
The custom work Gary Reeder

92
Once I shot the Doc Holliday,
Although the action job makes
Thompson uses the Black Hills 250-grain .45 Colt Cowboy Action loads in his Doc Holliday.
shooting the Doc Holliday much
that I shoot when I want real accu-
smoother and aids accuracy, the
racy.
sights are still a good-sized post
Speaking of accuracy, when I
and a notch rearusable but not
took my Doc Holliday out to the
great. Thats OK, as I prefer that it
range to shoot for this article, I was
look as a short-barreled SAA
reminded of something I have no-
should look. I have a 5-inch Colt
ticed before with this revolver.
New Frontier with target sights
Shooting at 25 yards with Black
CUSTOM TOUCHES REEDER

DOC HOLLIDAY CLASSIC
Rounded gambler grip butt
3.5-inch barrel with deep crown and throat
Special engraving
Polished stainless or black chrome nish
Grips of white or black pearl or polymer ivory
Beveled cylinder
Jeweled hammer and trigger
Action tuned
93
With the Black Hills 250-grain cowboy action loads, the Doc Holliday is quite pleasant to shoot; the tuned hammer allows easy re-cocking for follow-up shots.
Hills 250-grain cowboy action
table, so Im ne with the accuracy
and drop the hammer on the
loads, my group broke into three
of my Reeder revolver.
empty chamber, but I like the fact I

can safely load six in the Vaqueros
mini-groupings of two shots each.

A friend who was shooting
with me tried and found the same
thing.
On a humanoid target,
LOAD IT WITH SIX

being a Colt SAA purist and want-
shots would still have been placed
ing the old style single action, I like
in the torso. Bill Hickok made shots
that on my Vaquero I can load six
across the Springeld, Mo., town
rather than ve rounds.
square, but Doc Holliday was more
I grew up with the mantra,
likely to make shots across a poker
Load one, skip one, load four, cock
94
chambers. I also like the ejector rod
Although I can understand
THE MAN HIMSELF

John Henry Doc Holliday was a dentist, gambler, gunghter, friend to the Earp
brothers and participant in the gunght at
the OK Corral.
Born: Aug. 14, 1851, in Griffin, Ga.
Died: Nov. 8, 1887, at age 36 of tuberculosis
in Glenwood Springs, Colo.
The Doc Holliday is accurate, though Thompson did nd that it shot into three distinct groups of two at 25 yards.
The custom work Gary Reeder does on the

Doc Holliday makes it very shootable.
on the 3.5-inch barreled revolver. I
empties will usually fall out.
Generation Colt Sheriffs Models

and punching the empties out with
to visit him in the 1950s, they still

had hitching posts for horses in
had one of the 3-inch barreled 3rd
SIX-SHOOTER APPEAL
Ive always been especially en-
front of the casinos. He didnt carry

a short-barreled Colt, though. In his
a stick took some time. The ejector
amored of the shorter barreled
pocket was a Beretta .25 auto. Of
rod on the Doc Holliday doesnt
gamblers single actions. Maybe
course, there are also those TV
punch the empties out all of the
its because I grew up in St. Louis
Westerns of my youth. Thanks to
way, but it gets them started
where the riverboats used to roam.
YouTube and Starz Westerns chan-
enough that the case heads may
At least partially its because my
nel, I can still watch them and con-
be caught with a ngernail. With
dad was a faro dealer in Reno and
tinue to picture myself with an SAA
the Black Hills loads I use, the
later did oor security. When I used
instead of a 1911 or a Glock. GNSL

95
GNSL-FALL-REMINGTON-96-101.qxp 9/15/16 2:20 AM Page 96
SIX FOR
REMINGTON IS CELEBRATING ITS 200TH ANNIVERSARY.

HERE ARE SIX OF THE COMPANYS GUNS THAT MADE
AN IMPACT IN THE OLD WEST
BY GUNSLINGERS STAFF
hen you think of Remington

rearms, it would not be uncommon for the image of a Model 870
shotgun or Model 700 rie to come
to mind. But 2016 marks the 200th
anniversary of Remington Arms Big Green as the
company is known in the industry. The company
might not have matched Colt or Winchester in
sales, but nonetheless it was a major factor in the
rearms industry during the Old West era.
96
SURE
Remington is celebrating its 200th

anniversary with some special
rearms, including this 1911R1, embellished by master engraver Jesse
Kaufman. Amanda Young photo
97
The Remington 1875 was a wellbuilt single-action revolver and is

easily recognizable by the web of
metal between the barrel and
frame. Rock Island Auction photo
Eliphalet Remington II made
ton historian and the immediate
ler. There were some civilian
his rst rie barrel in 1816 in his
past president of the Remington
pieces, but the vast majority man-
fathers blacksmith forge and
Society of America. He provided
ufactured were for the military.
soon demand for his barrels got
Gunslingers with his thoughts on
the business going. In 1828, the
some of the more signicant
were second in number to those
company moved its manufactur-
Remington rearms of the Old
made by Colt and far greater than
ing to Ilion, N.Y., at a 200-acre
West era.
those made by any other manufac-
site along the Erie Canal. Some

of the companys operations
continue there today.
In 1845, Remington made its
turer for Civil War use. Most peo-
1. NEW MODEL ARMY

AND NEW MODEL NAVY
(Due to their similarity, weve
rst complete rearms Model
lumped two early Remington re-
1841Mississippi ries and Jenks
volvers under one section.)
carbines under a U.S. govern-
These Remington revolvers
Remington's New Model
ple, especially soldiers, felt the

Remington revolvers were superior
to Colt's, but Colt was a far better
marketer than Remington.
The Remington top strap
made its frame stronger and more
ment contract. But it was the
Army (.44 caliber) and New Model
durable than Colt's open top
companys own designs over the
Navy (.36 caliber) were the nal
frame. But more important, the
next 50 to 60 years that we re-
evolutions of its large frame re-
Remington large-frame Civil War
member best.
volvers manufactured for the
revolvers' cylinders could be easily
Union for the Civil War, said Shep-
and quickly removed and were in-
Richard Shepler is a Reming98
their large frame percussion revolvers, said Shepler, Colt's 1873
one could carry multiple

Remington cylinders and quickly
and easily swap out an empty one
for a loaded one.
introduction of its Single Action

Army beat Remington by two
years. During that time, Colt obtained a hold on U.S. military contracts, which Remington was never
able to unseat.
Colt had adopted a frame top
terchangeable. In the heat of bat-
its name. But it later succumbed to
strap to strengthen its cartridge re-
tle, other revolvers were good for
the popular misspelling of der-
volver, but the Remington's under
only ve or six shots whereupon
ringer.
barrel web still made it somewhat
they essentially became short
Its production lifespan of 69
more durable. While popular, there
clubs because of the time to reload
years, 1867 to 1935, made it the
were more Colts made than Rem-
and vulnerability a soldier was
longest running production hand-
ington's estimated 25,000 Model
subjected to while reloading.
gun in the world until surpassed by
1875 production. Then as now,
the Colt Model 1911 design. An es-
many civilians wanted what the
loaded Remington cylinders and
timated 112,000 (Model 95 der-
Army was using. Remington never
quickly and easily swap out an
ringers) were made and its
received a U.S. government mili-
empty one for a loaded one. This
concealability did make it one of
tary contract for the Model 1875,
could even be done by a cavalry-
the favorites of gamblers and
though a small number were pur-
man on horseback during a battle,
ladies of the night, as well as those
chased by the government to arm
making the Remington guns much
of more respectable
Indian Police on reservations.
favored by them. You could say
professions. This makes it one of
that these Remington percussion
the few rearms usages Holly-
Remington caliber, Model 1875s
revolvers were the rst magazine-
wood actually got historically cor-
were later chambered for the im-
fed handguns in the world.
rect.
mensely popular .44-40 caliber,
But one could carry multiple
Initially in the proprietary .44
While production stopped in
2. OVER/UNDER DERRINGER
The over/under .41 short rim-
1935, ammunition was easily obtainable long after that and it con-
re derringer (aka Model 95) was
tinued to be considered to be
the rst successful large caliber
viable for some uses for a long
multi-shot derringer, said Shepler,
time. I knew LEOs who carried one
albeit the .41 short rimre car-
as a backup gun as late as into the
tridge was not a powerful car-
1970s.
tridge. Note that Remington

initially spelled it deringer, the correct spelling of Deringer's name
from which this rearms type got
3. MODEL 1875 REVOLVER

While both were making
NOT ALL REMINGTON

PRODUCTS WENT BANG
During peacetime when government
rearms contracts were difficult to secure,
Remington expanded into other manufacturing and marketing areas. It marketed
the worlds rst commercially successful
typewriter. That QWERTY arrangement of
keys on your computer today was introduced on that rst Remington typewriter.
The company also manufactured
sewing machines, cash registers, farm
equipment, bicycles, cutlery and steampowered street cars among other things.
metallic cartridge conversions of

99
The Model 95 double derringer wasnt very powerful, but it remained popular for many years because it was easy to conceal. Rock Island Auction photo
allowing the same cartridge to be

used in one's revolver and Winchester rie. Later yet a small
number were produced in .45 Colt
caliber.
You can see many Remington
Model 1875s in movies alongside
Colt SAAs, in spite of the fact that
many of those Hollywood Westerns were set in timeframes which
preceded introduction of both revolvers. Hollywood frequently gets
ries wrong, too.
4. ROLLING BLOCK RIFLE

While only modestly used by
the U.S. military, said Shepler,
Remington's rolling block rie
was the most widely used military
100
A close-up of this rolling block shows that even something designed for a serious purpose can have a touch of
beauty. Rock Island Auction photo
While only modestly used by

the U.S. militaryRemingtons
rolling block rifle was the
most widely used military rifle
in the world post-Civil War
until about 1900.
Although not as well known, Remington did

make a single shot handgun using the
rolling block action. NRA Museums photo
rie in the world post-Civil War
tion ran 66 years to 1933. There
until about 1900.
were also rolling block pistols, ini-
6.Model 11
Manufacture of the Remington
tially in .50 caliber for the U.S. mili-
Auto-loading Shotgun began in 1905
strong for the time, was simple to
tary and later in smaller calibers
and it was renamed the Model 11 in
make and operate, and it contin-
for target shooting.
1911, said Shepler. Production contin-
Its action was incredibly
ued to work even when not well
At the beginning of the 20th
ued until 1948. Another John Browning
cared for or even abused by com-
century, when the days of the Old
design, it was the rst successful auto-
mon soldiers. Some South Ameri-
West were coming to an end, these
loading shotgun manufactured in
can armies even gave their troops
last two guns on our list helped to
America.
bandannas with comic book type
usher in the era of modern
instructions for operation of the ri-
rearms.
es. They were manufactured by

some European countries, which
paid royalties to Remington for use
of the design.
So together with the Model 8 rie,

it established Remington as the undisputed leader for American-made auto-
5.Model 8
Remington introduced its rst
loading long guns. A later variation

called the Sportsman limited capacity
semi-automatic centerre rie in
to three shells (one in the chamber and
In addition to military use, the
1906 and named it the Model 8 in
two in the magazine), thus ensuring
ries were used for target shooting
1911, said Shepler. A John Brown-
compliance with migratory bird hunting
(especially long range competi-
ing design, it was the rst practical
laws. GNSL
tion) and hunting (sporting as well
auto-loading centerre rie in the
as slaughter of bison during the
world. As such, it was a new con-
SOURCES
period when the U.S. attempted to
cept for sportsman and law en-
Remington Arms
www.remington.com
eliminate that species as a way to
forcement and established
subdue the Native Americans)
Remington as the industry leader
well into the 20th century. Produc-
in the eld.
Remington Society of America

www.remingtonsociety.org
101
GNSL-FALL-SHARPS-102-108.qxp 9/15/16 2:30 AM Page 102
OLD
RELIABLE
LYMANS MODEL 1878 RECREATES THE
LAST OF THE MIGHTY SIDE-HAMMER,
SINGLE-SHOT SHARPS RIFLES
The Lyman Model 1878 rie is pleasantly adorned in a

combination of blued metal, polished metal and a
nicely gured walnut stock. Lyman photo
102
TEXT AND PHOTOS BY THOMAS C. TABOR
inchester is known by
many as "the gun that
won the American West.
But if that is the case, then
Sharps should
legitimately be able to lay claim to the
title of "the gun that made long range
shooting possible."
The founder of the Sharps Rie
Company, Christian Sharps, patented his
rst rie in 1848, which was manufactured two years later by A.S. Nippes in Mill
Creek, Pa. In the 31 years that followed,
more than 120,000 ries were built under
the Sharps name. That in itself is a
phenomenal accomplishment considering that the U.S. Census Bureau in 1850
reported there were only a little over 23
million people residing within the United
States.
Over the years Sharps produced several different rie designs. Some saw
service during the Civil War, and many
became favorite choices of the buffalo
hunters of the 1800s. The hide hunters
particularly liked the ries built by Sharps
due to their propensity for long range
shooting accuracy and their big bore

knock-down power for beasts that sometimes tipped the scales at over a ton.
But as the buffalo hunting era began
reaching its conclusion, Sharps envisioned a need for a lighter, more streamlined rie, which would be better attuned
to the needs of the normal hunter and
could take advantage of the growing
interest in target shooting.
That need inspired the
development of Sharps' last side
hammer rie, the Model 1877, which
was the most advanced single-shot rie
of its day.
Due largely to the Model 1877's rened
styling and its English-built barrel, it
became known by many as the "English
Model" and was produced up until early
1881 when the company was forced to
declare bankruptcy.
During that three-plus year span of
production, 22,500 Model 1877 ries were
built and sold to shooters who found
them to be extremely dependable,
earning them the reputation and
nickname of "Old Reliable."
103
ENTER LYMAN
more or less successful. But when
was mounted on the tang of a 30-
it came to Lyman's Tang-mounted
inch barreled Sharps rie, it re-
of the Sharps Model 1877 rie,
Peep Sight, it essentially set the
sulted in stretching out the sighting
William Lyman of the new and
standard for the shooting accuracy
plain by about 8 inches, or approxi-
promising Lyman Gun Sight Com-
of that era.
mately 30 percent. Aside from the
One year after the introduction
pany made the Model 1877 Sharps
To a large degree, the accuracy
advantages associated with this
even better when he introduced
of ries that possess iron sights is
longer sighting plain, the design of
the Lyman Tang-mounted Peep
controlled by the distance be-
the new sight was far better than
Sight.
tween the front and rear sights. As
most other iron sights when it
those distances increase, so does
came to adverse light conditions.
Unlike Lyman's production

today, which consists of a variety
the ability of the shooter to accu-
of shooting and rearms related
rately place his shots. Lyman's new
products, in the early years Lyman
tang-mounted did just that and, as
was known primarily as a rie sight
such, it became a rousing success
designer and manufacturer. The
for both the shooters and the com-
1877 Sharps, Lyman came out with
company produced several models
pany.
their own very good rendition of
of rear aperture sights, which were
When this new Lyman sight
TODAY'S LYMAN MODEL

1878 SHARPS
In 2013, to celebrate the Model
this phenomenal rie, which they
I don't believe anyone

could argue that the Lyman
Model 1878 isn't an absolute
gorgeous reproduction of
this classic era rifle.
The Lyman Model 1878 Sharps rie is an accurate representation of the original Sharps Model 1877, but
comes with enchancements only made possible by the 21st century technology. Lyman photo
104
GNSL-FALL-SHARPS-102-108 9/19/16 11:24 PM Page 105
The Lyman Tang-mounted Peep Sight that is supplied

with the Lyman Model 1878 rie comes with a selection
of front sight inserts to match whatever best ts the
shooting situation.
named the Lyman Model 1878.

That rie is manufactured for
Lyman by Davide Pedersoli &
Company of Italy and is chambered in .45-70 Government. It includes the company's signature
Lyman Tang-mounted Peep Sight
and is stocked in a high grade of
nicely gured walnut. The stock
comes with an ebony forearm cap,
very nice checkering on the pistol
grip and forearm, as well as a shotgun-styled metal butt plate.
The butt plate and rie receiver are laser engraved in a font
The Lyman Tang-mounted Peep Sight on the Lyman Model 1878 rie provides a real advantage in shooting accuracy and literally set the standard for long range shooting accuracy of that era. Lyman photo
of that historic 1870s era, and the

exposed metal surfaces have been
nished in a pleasant blend of
blued and polished steel. And to
further enhance its shooting accuracy, the rie comes with fully adjustable double set triggers and a
heavy 30-inch barrel.
While all of Lyman's classic
series ries, including the Model
1878, are designed to be accurate
CIVIL WAR FIREARMS

The Civil War was at the forefront of the
rearms technological revolution. Change
was underfoot, moving away from muzzleloaders that were equipped with smoothbore barrels and moving toward
breech-loading cartridges and ried barrels.
Not all shooters accepted this trend
wholeheartedly, at least partly due to these
latter ries being considerably more expensive to build and to purchase than most
muzzleloaders. Nevertheless, this movement wasn't to be stied. Most of the
breech-loader ries were single shot designs, but repeating weapons such as the
seven-shot Spencer and the 16-shot Henry

ries and carbines were used as well during
the war.
Other primary rie producers included:
Springeld, Lorenz, Colt, Smith, Burnside,
Tarpley, Whitworth and, of course, Sharps.
About a half a million breech-loading ries
and carbines were purchased and used for
the war effort, which were supplied by a
total of 20 different arms manufacturers.
Of those, about 20 percent were built by
the Sharps Rie Manufacturing Company.
The only other manufacturer to produce
more ries for the Civil War was the Spencer
Rie Company of Boston.
reproductions of the original modFIREARMS OF THE OLD WEST / FALL 2016 I GUNSLINGERS
105
GNSL-FALL-SHARPS-102-108 9/15/16 4:07 AM Page 106
The Lyman Products Corporation today produces a wide variety of shooting related products including the Model 1878 rie. Lyman photo
els, they come to the market with
The double triggers were fairly
other hand, as the rie came from
the benets inherent in the leading
typical in their design with the rear
the box, I found after presetting the
edge technology and advance-
trigger being responsible for set-
trigger the pull weight came in at a
ments of the 21st century. That
ting the front trigger to the lighter
very pleasant average weight of 1
being the case, the Lyman Model
pull weight. You can still re the
pound, 6.7 ounces.
1878 is capable of ring the tradi-
rie without presetting, but when I
tional black powder ammunition
checked the factory setting using
as well as modern day smokeless
my Lyman trigger pull gauge, I
powder ammo of the same caliber.
found it to possess such a heavy

pull weight that on most occasions
HOW IT WORKS
Having a propensity for high
it didn't even register on the digital

display of the gauge. I would esti-
quality rearms of our past, I was
mate that weight however to be
drawn to the Lyman Model 1878 by
about 12 pounds.
its overall attractiveness, inherent
Obviously, ring the rie in that
quality and the historic reputation
way would not encourage a high
behind the Sharps ries. And once I
degree of shooting accuracy. Just
was able to have a closer look, I be-
thinking about it makes me start
came quite pleased with this rie.
twitching and inching. On the
106
The trigger is fully adjustable.

If those factory settings aren't
THE SHARPS MODEL 1877

The original Model 1877 Sharps rie
was designed to conform to the rules of
the Creedmoor match competitions. As
part of those requirements, the rie
could not weigh more than 10 pounds
and it could only be equipped with a
single trigger.
Christian Sharps was the founder of
the Sharps Rie Manufacturing Company, which began production in 1848
and ended in 1881. But it was Hugo Borchardt who was responsible for actually
designing the Model 1877, which in turn
was produced by Sharps.
was, however, quite pleased by the

shooting accuracy of the Model
1878.
For my testing I chose to shoot
modern day Federal Premium factory ammunition loaded with
smokeless powder rather than the
more traditional and historic cartridges loaded with black powder.
That ammunition came from the
factory loaded with 300-grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullets.
On the box, the factory purported that this ammo should produce 1,850 feet per second and
2,280 foot pounds of energy at the
muzzle, but checking the muzzle
velocities myself using my Caldwell G2 chronograph, I found the
average of 12 rounds of ammunition to be 1,822 fps.
After ring many three-shot
groups off the bench at 50 yards, I
found my best group measured a
mere 1 inch and my overall average
group size to be 2.4 inches.
After that, I decided to put the
rie to a real test by taking careful
what you are looking for, you can
which in turn engages the extractor
aim at a couple of metal silhou-
always adjust either or both of the
pushing any cartridge in the cham-
ettes I'd strategically located on
triggers. The rear trigger is adjusted
ber rearward for easy removal.
the hillside at a distance of 250
based on the tension applied to
While the Sharps Model 1877
and 300 yards. At only about a
the main spring. The front trigger is
and the subsequent Lyman Model
foot in diameter, those targets pro-
adjustable by turning the screw lo-
1878 were designed to be light-
vided a signicant shooting chal-
cated between the two triggers
weight, by today's standards they
and extending below the trigger
aren't really all that light. Once I
guard plate. Turning this screw
got the rear sight mounted, I found
clockwise lessens the pull weight,
the rie tipped the scales at 9
Model Lyman Model 1878
and turning it counterclockwise in-
pounds, 6 ounces. Typical of these
Caliber .45-70 Government
creases the weight of the pull.
early big bore ries, I found it to be
Weight 9 pounds, 6 ounces
The falling block action of the
quite barrel heavy.
Lyman 1878 opens by moving the

hinged trigger guard lever forward.
Doing so lowers the action block
ON THE RANGE
I will be the rst to admit that
and opens chamber breech. As the
my eyes aren't what they once
lever reaches the forward most
were and shooting iron sights does
point, it becomes spring loaded,
nothing to improve that situation. I
SPECIFICATIONS
Manufacturer Lyman Products Corp.
Sights Lyman tang and globe sights with

front sight inserts
Action Falling block, side hammer
Barrel 30 inches with a 1:18-inch twist
Stock Figured walnut with ebony cap
Stock Length Overall Length, 47 inches;
Length of Pull, 14 inches
Price MSRP $2,350.00
107
lenge for any open sighted rearm. I

won't tell you that I hit those targets
with every shot I red through the
Lyman 1878, but I will tell you that I
was surprised at how often I heard the
characteristic "gong" as the 300grain bullet struck its mark.
THE WAY I SEE IT

Even though the Lyman Model
1878 rie design deviates slightly in a
few areas from the original Model
1877 Sharps, those points of variation
in my opinion only enhance the worthiness of this ne rie. In all likelihood, if Hugo Borchardt, the original
designer, had access to the technological advancements of the 21st century, he would surely have taken full
advantage of them when designing
his Model 1877.
I very much like that Lyman saw
t to construct its rie to be safe for
ring modern smokeless powder
loads as well as the traditional black
powder loads. And even though few
.45 caliber Model 1877 Sharps ries
were ever built, the Lyman chambering of .45-70 Government clearly
makes good sense today. That ammo
At 50 yards, the Lyman Model 1878 shot excellent groups.
is readily available from a variety of

cartridge manufacturers and comes
fairly reasonably priced.
And when it comes to appearance, I don't believe anyone could
argue that the Lyman Model 1878 isn't
an absolute gorgeous reproduction of
this classic era rie. GNSL
SOURCE
During the era of the Sharps ries, a wide variety of cartridges were used, but not all were available in the
Sharps, line. A few of the more popular cartridges of this era are shown: (L-R): 38-56, 40-82 WCF, 45-70
Gov., 50-70 Gov. and 40-50.
108
Lyman Products Corp.

475 Smith St.
Middletown, CT 06457
Telephone: 1-800-22-Lyman
(1-800-225-9626)
On the Web:
www.lymanproducts.com
GS_FALL16_109 9/13/16 12:59 AM Page 109
Double Down
& Save Big
It doesnt get better than
this. Get 2 Great Magazines
at 1 Great Price. Combine
1 Yr subscription to
Gunslingers along with 1
Yr subscription to Modern
Pioneer and save 59% off
the cover price.
ONLY
$32.95
DONT LET THIS OFFER EXPIRE. ACT NOW!
Fill out the order form below and mail it with your payment information to
Engaged Media Inc., Lockbox # 70253, Philadelphia, PA 19176-9883
IT
STIT SEND
U
J
CUT
YES! Sign me up for a subscription to Gunslingers and Modern Pioneer for $32.95 only
That is a total of 8 issues for a total savings of $46.97 off the cover price
FILL I
Method of Payment
Check enclosed
Payment through credit card
Visa
Credit Card
MC
Money Order
AMEX
Discover
Name on credit card

Expiration date
Credit card number

Subscriber name
Bill me Later
First
Middle
/
Last
Address
City
State
Phone
Email
Signature
Date
Alternatively, Log on to www.engagedmediamags.com/combo_gsmp and use Promo code A86GS4X1

or call our toll free no 800-764-6278

Outside US, add $35 per year for postage. Pay in US funds only.
GNSL-FALL-RANGER-110-115.CX.qxp 9/19/16 10:44 PM Page 110
THE LONE
Generations of Americans grew up with the

Lone Ranger, rst with the radio show, then as a
movie house serial, television show and feature
lm. Getty Images
110
RANGER
RIDES AGAIN
WAS THE LEGENDARY LAWMAN BASS REEVES
THE REAL LIFE INSPIRATION FOR THIS
FICTIONAL WESTERN HERO?
BY THOMAS C. TABOR
rowing up in the 1950s on a small

dairy farm in the state of Washington,
our familys form of entertainment
lacked much of the dramatics and
amboyance that families frequently
enjoy today.
After the cows had been milked, the barn cleaned
out and our supper dishes washed and put away,
our entire family could be found huddling around
our huge towering radio to listen to the nightly
broadcast of The Lone Ranger.
Then as the show would reach its conclusion, we
would all listen for the masked man's trademark
Hi-Yo, SilverAway as the Lone Ranger and Tonto
would ride off into the sunset to look for
another wrong to right.
The Lone Ranger radio show was rst
broadcast on Detroit radio station WXYZ in 1933,
and later that same theme moved to the movies
and eventually even to television. But did that
inspirational hero have any basis in reality?
111
Reeves embodied
the same right from
wrong characteristics
that made the show
The Lone Ranger so
popular
Speaker of the House in the Texas
Legislature. It is believed by some
that Bass Reeves and the Colonel
eventually parted ways after he
beat the Colonel in a card game.
The story goes that a heated
argument ensued where upon Bass
Reeves beat the Colonel within an
inch of his life then ed capture to
take refuge within the Indian Territory to the north. Due to the U.S.
laws not being as consistently enforced within those boundaries, it
provided sanctuary for Reeves as
well as for many of the most hardened criminals of that time.
At the end of the Civil War,
after having lived for several years
with the Seminole and Creek Nations, Reeves emerged a free man
with a thorough understanding of
The sound of Hi-Yo, Silver still lives on in the minds and hearts even today, depicting a simpler time when right and
wrong seemed to be more easily dened. Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
the Indian Territory. That expertise

served him well in the early years
BASS REEVES
Today many believe that it did,
and they claim an African Ameri-
popular and worthwhile to listen to
by providing him a way to earn a
and watch.
substantial living working as a
Reeves was born into slavery
scout and tracker.

Then, in 1875, when Judge
can man by the name of Bass
and wore a trademark black hat,
Reeves was that factual and leg-
not a white one. And rather than
Isaac C. Parker took over the Fort
endary lawman who spawned
handing out silver bullets as a
Smith Federal Court, Parker com-
those shows. While seemingly no
means of identication, Reeves
missioned Reeves as one of his
one knows for sure whether
was said to hand out silver dollars
200 Deputy U.S. Marshals. That
Reeves life was the inspiration for
as a way to remember him.
made Reeves the rst black man to
the legendary Lone Ranger, one
Like was often the case in the
ever hold that position west of the

Mississippi River.
fact is very clear: Bass Reeves em-
days of slavery, Reeves took the
bodied the same right from
last name of his master, who hap-
Judge Parker didnt show a
wrong characteristics that made
pened to be Col. George R. Reeves,
great deal of patience for lawless-
the show The Lone Ranger so
who later went on to become the
ness and the criminal element that
112
went along with it, and as such he

quickly became known as the
hanging judge. But while that title
may not have been totally justied,
both Parker and Reeves shared a
common desire to eliminate that
segment of the population and to
bring peace and serenity to the
West.
AN IMPRESSIVE MAN
Bass Reeves appearance was
both imposing and impressive with
some folks believing he possessed
almost super human strength.
While most men of that era stood
on average of only about 5 12 feet
tall, Reeves towered above them at
the unusual height of 6 feet, 2
inches, and was further endowed
with broad shoulders and narrow
hips.
Like his ctional radio counterpart, Reeves carried on his hip a
pair of matched .45 Colt Peacemaker revolvers, but rather than
wearing them in the traditional
manner he carried them in a crossdraw fashion.
Over time he became well
known for his unrelenting pursuits.
Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger and Jay Silverheels as Tonto. During the 1950s, 221 television segments
were produced. Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Even though he was red upon on

many occasions by the criminals
cumstances. He does not know
THE REAL LONE RANGER ON TV
he pursued, he was never struck by
what fear is.
In the recently released Fox Television

Network series Legends & Lies: The Real
West, there is an episode entitled The
Real Lone Ranger, which essentially asks
the question whether Bass Reeves could
possibly have been the man that inspired
the Lone Ranger series of shows.
In that television broadcast, Bass Reeves
was played by D.L. Hopkins. Though I wasnt
personally all that impressed by that show
or its coverage, it did show some of the aspects of Reeves life and portrayed him as
the American hero he really was. The show,
like the vast majority of researchers, concluded that there simply wasnt enough irrefutable evidence to sustain that Reeves
was in fact the inspiration behind the Lone
Ranger. Nevertheless, it went on to say that
there could not have possibly been a man
more deserving of the title The Lone
Ranger than Bass Reeves himself.
a single bullet. Because of that he
Reeves once in pursued three
was sometimes called The In-
bandits who happened to get the
domitable Marshal, so tough he
drop on him. The leader of cut-
could spit on a brick and bust it.
throats began mocking him and or-
Newspaper accounts of his exploits were frequent. One of those

read, Place a warrant for arrest in
dered him to dismount his horse,

telling him he was about to die.
Reeves calmly removed the ar-
his hands and no circumstances
rants from his pocket, and then
can cause him to deviate.
asked the men what the date was.
The Oklahoma City Weekly

Times-Journal reported, Reeves
was never known to show the
slightest excitement, under any cir-
The puzzled thuds jokingly replied,

What difference does that make?
Reeves calmly explained that
he needed a date to place on the
113
arrest warrant when he took them

in either dead or alive. As the
mockery continued, Reeves used
the distraction to his advantage.
He rst grabbed the barrel on the
leaders gun swinging it away from
him. Guns began blasting, but the
marshal drew his own sidearm,
shot one man dead, and then
bashed the leaders skull in with it,
instantly killing him. The last
member of the gang threw up his
arms in surrender and was taken
off to jail.
DISGUISES AND CRAFTINESS

John Reynolds Hughes (right) was a renowned Texas Ranger whose career in some ways parallels that of
the ctional Lone Ranger. Hes shown here with some of his colleagues. LegendsofAmerica.com photo
JOHN REYNOLDS HUGHES

While many believe that Bass Reeves is
the man behind the Lone Ranger legacy, a
few people think there is a possibility that
John R. Hughes could have been that inspiration.
John Reynolds Hughes was born on Feb.
11, 1855. His law career began somewhat on
a freelance basis in 1886 when several
horses were stolen from a neighboring
ranch. Hughes tracked the horse thieves
down after a pursuit lasting several months.
Most of the horse thieves were killed by
Hughes, and the ones who remained were
captured.
In July of 1887, he assisted the Texas
Ranger Iva Aten in tracking down and killing

an escaped murderer by the name of Judd
Roberts. As a result of that and his growing
reputation, Hughes was offered a position
with the Texas Rangers and eventually
made Captain in the Frontier Battalion Company D. When that Battalion was abolished
in 1901, Hughes was selected as one of the
four captains of the new State Rangers.
In a ght Hughes right arm was partially
disabled, but he quickly adapted to shooting
with his left hand. His law enforcement career lasted 28 years and included a long
string of successful captures, which included
such criminals as silver thieves, cattle
rustlers, horse thieves and murderers.
Much like the Lone Ranger,

Reeves would sometimes take on
different personas to fool those he
pursued. On one such occasion, it
was said that he tracked a couple
of hardened criminals to a remote
cabin that seemed to be unapproachable without being detected.
After mulling the situation
over for a time, Reeves shot three
holes in his hat, changed into tattered clothes, hid his horse and
handcuffs, and then simply
Guns began blasting, but the marshal

drew his own sidearm, shot one man dead,
and then bashed the leaders skull in with
it, instantly killing him.
114
walked up to the cabin in plain

sight. Taking on an exhausted and
disheveled appearance, he told
the lawbreakers a story of how he
had miraculously escaped capture
by the U.S. Marshals.
While Winchester is said to have

been responsible for "winning the
West," certainly the Colt Peacemaker handgun had a great deal to
do with that objective as well. Most
deputy marshals, like Bass Reeves,
carried Colt Peacemakers on their
hips and relied on them to maintain
justice in the wild American West.
Geoff Brightling/Getty Images
Bass Reeves was a lawman in the

Southwest during the Old West era.
Some believe his exploits inspired
the writers who created the character
of the Lone Ranger. Legendsof
America.com photo
with murder for killing a posse
that role before becoming severely
inals that his tale was real by
cook, but rather than eeing prose-
ill, which forced him into retire-
showing them the bullet holes in
cution Reeves turned himself in
ment. Shortly thereafter Reeves
his hat, where upon he was invited
and was tried in Judge Parkers
passed away.
to join the gang and presented
court. Upon hearing all of the evi-
with the opportunity to participate
dence, however, the judge found
more than 3,000 captures, ranging
in their next planned robbery.
Reeves not guilty on all charges.
in charges from bootlegging and
He convinced the gullible crim-
That night as the men slept,
Another instance that literally
In all, Reeves is credited with
selling alcohol to the Indians to
Reeves quietly handcuffed both of
shook Reeves to his very roots
murder. Most of those men were
them, but allowed them to sleep
came when one of his own sons,
brought in alive, but possibly as
through the remainder of the night.
Bennie Reeves, was charged with
many as 14 met justice slung over
The next morning, Reeves told
murdering his wife. Bass Reeves in-
the saddle of their horse.
them that he hadnt awakened
sisted that he be given the respon-
them because they would need
sibility for bringing his son to
Reeves was the inspiration behind
their rest for the long ride to Fort
justice. Eventually he tracked Ben-
the Lone Ranger, no one can cast
Smith where their jail cells
nie Reeves down and placed him
dispersions on his noteworthy ca-
awaited.
under arrest. He was then tried,
reer and his reputation as a law-
found guilty of the charges and
man. But is the tying of these
sentenced to jail in the Fort Leav-
individuals together really all that
enworth, Kan., prison.
important?
NOT ALWAYS EASY

But Reeves life wasnt without
More signicant is the fact
a signicant amount of turmoil. As

a black man emerging from a life in
slavery and then given the respon-
But no matter whether Bass
THE AGING OFFICER
that both the Lone Ranger and

Bass Reeves bestowed on every-
After Oklahoma became a
sible for enforcing the laws of the
state in 1907, Bass Reeves at the
one they came into contact with
territory, he often ran into racial
age of 68 became an officer of the
the difference between right and
prejudice.
Muskogee, Okla., Police Depart-
wrong. I believe we could all do
ment, but served only two years in
with more of that today. GNSL
At one time he was charged
FIREARMS OF THE
FIREARMS
OLD WEST
OF THE
SUMMER
OLD WEST
/ SUMMER
/ FALL 2016 I GUNSLINGERS
115
GNSL-FALL-WCF-116-121.qxp 9/15/16 2:57 AM Page 116
Best
Bullet
THE .44-40 WCF IS A

LEADING CANDIDATE FOR
THE BEST ALL-AROUND
CARTRIDGE OF THE
OLD WEST ERA
The Navy Arms .44-40 revolver is well made

of good material and also nicely nished.
116
GNSL-FALL-WCF-116-121 9/16/16 5:18 AM Page 117
TEXT AND PHOTO BY BOB CAMPBELL
t is easy to sing the praises of a particular

cartridge based on a sense of history and
emotional attachment. It is quite another
to engage in an extensive loading program
and then retain the same respect and
affection.
Such is the case with the .44-40 Winchester
Center Fire (WCF) cartridge. When overall
performance, accuracy and killing power are
considered, the .44-40 WCF is a great all-around
cartridge.
The .44-40 WCF was introduced along with
the new Winchester 1873 rie. The cartridge was a
considerable improvement over the previous .44
Henry and .44 Winchester rimre cartridges. The
ballistics were better and the centerre cartridge
proved more reliable and better able to withstand
both rough handling and the elements.
Colt chambered the Single Action Army for

this cartridge around 1878. Quite a few doubleaction revolvers were later chambered for the .
44-40. The history is satisfying to research.
The .44-40 WCF and the .45 Colt are similar
cartridges in some ways. The pistol is more about
short range power, and the .45 Colt had this with a
250-grain bullet at about 900 fps.
The .44-40, with the original 40-grain black
powder load, will approach 1,000 fps from a 7.5inch barrel revolver. The .44-40s sectional density
gave it good penetration on game when red from
a rie at 1,200 fps.
The .44-40 WCF, with its 200-grain at point
bullet (demanded by tubular magazines, with the
bullet nose resting on the primer of the cartridge
leading) held its velocity and energy better to 100
yards and beyond.
117
Thumbing the cylinder is a joy;

the revolver indexes positively.
FIREPOWER AND UTILITY

The Winchester rie wasnt
about power or even accuracy, but
Overall, I find the .44-40 WCF an interesting

cartridge and my first pick if I had to use
an Old West cartridge for everything in both
the pistol and rifle.
and pistol chambered for the same
any range you can connect are fair
cartridge.
game.
The .44-40 looks much like a
The limiting factory is accu-
about repower. Against Apache,
necked-down .45 Colt. They are
racy. With careful load develop-
Comanche, rustlers and outlaw
similar in size and, in the original
ment, the Winchester 1892 or a
gangs, the repeating rie gave a
loadings, took the same 40 grains
modern clone may group three
good shot with a cool head an ad-
of powder. Firing the cartridges
shots into 3 inches at 100 yards.
vantage.
gives a different sensation. With
That is a little more accurate than
full-power loads, the .44-40 recoils
the average AK-47 rie. For its de-
for long-range use and buffalo ri-
less. Accuracy seems better, al-
signed purpose, the Winchester
es were necessary for hunters.
though this depends upon the
was a great rie.
But the Winchester 73 and the
handgun as well. The .45 Colt is
.44-40 WCF were of great use for
sometimes smoky and not as well
easy-kicking big bore with good
everyone.
suited to modern powders, al-
comparative accuracy. Colt made
though it is quite useful.
more than 150,000 revolvers in
The Armys .45-70 was needed
Colt revolvers chambered in

.44-40 were marked FRONTIER
As a rie cartridge, the .44-40
In a handgun, the .44-40 is an
.44-40, so they must have had

something going for them.
SIXSHOOTER. They proved popu-
WCF shines. In a strong Winchester
lar with Western lawmen, scouts,
1892 or one of the Rossi replicas,
farmers and outlaws. While quite a
top .44-40 handloads will break
few packed a .45-caliber handgun
1,800 fps with a 200-grain bullet.
and .44-caliber rie, many others
That is a useful level of power.
Navy Arms Deluxe with a 5-inch
took advantage of the economy
Deer-sized game to 150 yards,
barrel. This is a beautiful revolver,
and utility of owning both a rie
hogs a bit closer and varmints at
smooth with the updated WC
118
FAVORITE GUNS
My favorite .44-40 revolver is a
The .44-40 is an accurate number by any standard.
Beartooth Leather Company supplied this rst quality holster for the Navy Arms revolver.
LOADING THE HENRY REPLICA IN .44-40

Loading the rie is interesting even an experience. There is a tab on
the magazine spring that normally rides near the receiver when the rie
is unloaded. To load the rie, the tab is pushed forward where it runs into
a release button near the end of the barrel. There a cover that is twisted
to one side and locked. Thirteen cartridges may be loaded. The magazine cover is then moved back in place. The tab holding the magazine
spring snaps sharply into place, so be certain to control this tab as you
load the rie.
Operation of the rie is smooth, very smooth. Run the lever forward
not down and it is smooth in operation. The bolt is light and leverage
with the toggle link set up is excellent.
When we term the action as weak, perhaps we should rephrase the
description. Not well suited for powerful cartridges would be better.
The Black Hills Ammunition 200-grain at point is a high quality loading
that is accurate and clean burning. It isnt underpowered by any means.

This is the recommended load for this rie. This is not the rie to hot rod
or even modestly attempt to improve ballistics.
This Black Hills load wont break 800 fps from most single-action revolvers, but it will clock a solid 1,100 fps from the Ubertis 24-inch barrel.
If you wish to carefully work up a load with more power, then FFFG or
Pyrodex P and the Oregon Trail hardcast 200-grain bullet will serve.
With 36.5 grains of FFFG, I was able to get a safe 1,500 fps. (Modern
solid head cartridge cases will not hold 40 grains of powder.)
The factory loaded .44-40 smokeless powder load is clean-burning
and accurate. It would be a disaster to experience a blown cartridge case
close to your face when ring this rie.
Here is a tip: Obtain a good supply of modern Starline Brass. This
brass is high quality, dead on specication, and will survive many loadings at cowboy action pressure levels.
119
The Henry has been called Americas rst assault rie. It was also called, That Damn Yankee rie loaded on Sunday and shot all week.
Wolff springs from the maker and

well nished in bright blue. This is
as nicely nished a revolver as I
have ever owned. Accuracy has
been excellent.
You cannot fault the .44-40 on
accuracy compared to any other
cartridge. It isnt the most powerful
cartridge, but then who needs a
Magnum for everyday use? The
.44-40 is a pleasant cartridge to
re and use. Yet if you need respectable power, the .44-40 will
deliver with the proper loads.
My rie isnt the usual lever action rie you see at SASS matches,
Left to right: .44 Russian, .44-40 and .45 Colt cartridges.
ACCURACY RESULTS
From a solid bench rest, 25-yard results with the revolver:
Black Hills Ammunition
Factory Load
Velocity
Average 5-Shot Group
200 grain FP
810 fps
2.0 inches
200-gr. FP 6.0 Titegroup
779 fps
2.4 inches
8.0 Unique
820 fps
2.25 inches
5.0 Bullseye
790 fps
1.9 inches
35 grains Black Powder
990 fps
2.5 inches
1,144 fps
1.5 inches
1,251 fps
1.2 inches
Handloads
Oregon Trail
(Maximum load with modern solid head brass versus the old Balloon Head brass.)
Rie, red at 50 yards:
Black Hills Ammunition
Oregon Trail
120
200 grain FP
200 grain FP 8.0 Unique
but it isnt a rarity either. Many
The Henrys ladder sights offer real precision to 100 yards and a good chance of connecting to 500 yards.
shooters appreciate the lines of

the original Henry rie. My example is modern replica by Uberti. No
one wants to scrounge up .44 rimre ammunition, and Uberti wisely
chambered this rie for the .44-40
WCF, a winning combination.
In common with other brass
frame replicas, this is not the rie
to hot rod. Loads that are safe in
the Winchester 92 would wreck
The loading gate is elegantly made but probably would not be durable during wartime.
the Henry rie and quite possibly

injure the shooter. This is a pleas-
striking an adversary to 500 yards
lar to the modern .40 caliber hand-
ant rie for informal target practice
or more using these sights.
gun, and that isnt a bad place to

be. Overall, I nd the .44-40 WCF
and SASS matches. The barrel

length is 24 inches, hardly a carbine, but shorter than many ries
CONVINCED AFTER SHOOTING

I red each of the replica
an interesting cartridge and my rst

pick if I had to use an Old West car-
rearms with a good supply of fac-
tridge for everything in both the pis-
tory loads as well as my personal
tol and rie. No, I am not that
made stock with a crescent butt
handloads. My impression is that
smart. Thousands before me came
plate. There is no forend. The t,
the .44-40 WCF is more accurate
to the same conclusion. GNSL
nish and smoothness of opera-
than most Western era cartridges.
tion are impressive. The octagon
Snugging the semi-bottlenecked
barrels ats are very well turned
cartridge into the chamber may
out. The receiver, follower and butt
have something to do with this, but
plate are brass; other parts are
the ballistics are also ideal for long-
highly polished.
range use within the limits of a
of the period.
The rie features a beautifully
I particularly like the ladder

sights. The sights are graduated to
short "pistol" cartridge.

Also, this semi-bottleneck is
an optimistic 800 yards. During
probably more feed reliable than
the Civil War or facing warriors on
modern straight walled revolver
horseback, there was a chance of
cartridges. The performance is simi-
RUGER VAQUERO
I have owned a pair of Ruger Vaquero
revolvers chambered in .44-40. These are
strong revolvers. With a supply of modern
Starline brass and careful load technique,
I worked up to a hardcast 200-grain bullet at 1,200 fps. The .44-40 in modern revolvers can be an even better cartridge.
A big advantage with modern smokeless loads is clean-burning powder. After
20 to 30 rounds of black powder, accuracy
is degraded due to fouling. Not so with
smokeless powder.
121
GNSL-FALL-NAVY-122-129.qxp 9/15/16 3:08 AM Page 122
LIGHTNING
STRIKES TWICE
NAVY ARMS INTRODUCES ITS VERSIONS OF THE
FAMED, FAST-HANDLING PUMP-ACTION RIFLE
The new Navy Arms Lightning ries are well

made, attractive and just plain fun to shoot.
122
ts satisfying when actual experiences live

up to expectations.
I always look forward to reviewing guns
from Navy Arms with great anticipation
because I know they will be well made
and beautiful rearms that are a pure pleasure to
shoot.
Recently, the company sent two of their new
Lightning slide-action (pump) ries to me to test.
The rst featured a 24-inch barrel and was
chambered in .357 magnum/.38 Special. The
second was a very handy 20-inch barrel model
in .45 Colt.
So that I dont keep you in suspense, both
performed awlessly and the only difficulty I found
was in choosing which one Id prefer to own
123
GNSL-FALL-NAVY-122-129 9/16/16 5:27 AM Page 124
...from my experience with the two

new Lightning models from Navy
Arms...I have to believe that
these...replicas are better than the
originals.
An original Colt Lightning might bring a hefty sum from

a collector, but the Navy Arms versions are perhaps
even better performers. NRA Museums photo
THE ORIGINALS
Colt manufactured the original
Lightning ries between 1884 and
that used this gun. It purchased
buckhorn adjustable for elevation
401 ries in .44-40 with 26-inch
and drift adjustable for windage.
barrels.
The tang is drilled and tapped,

however, if you want to add a Mar-
1904. They were rst chambered

for .44-40 WCF, which made sense
because the cartridge was very
FEATURES
These new Lightning ries are
ble Arms tang peep sight. The front

sight is dovetailed and features a
popular at the time and many ries
made to order by Pedersoli and
gold bead. The longer model has
and handguns red it.
then are sent to Navy Arms, which
an additional ip-up front sight to
directs some special touches. The
be used with a tang sight.
Eventually, Colt offered the
The ries utilize a special coil
Lightning in three different frame
receivers are bone-charcoal color-
sizes and a multitude of calibers
case hardened in the U.S. The full
spring extraction system designed
from the .22 Short rimre to the
octagon barrels are high-polish
to enhance reliability. It works. The
.50-95 Express and many in be-
blued. Screws are nished in a bril-
trigger of each rie broke cleanly at
tween.
liant nitre blue. The stocks are
three pounds according to my trig-
Grade 1 American Walnut, beauti-
ger pull gauge. Theres a small ac-
were especially handy as they were
fully checkered on the wrist and
tion release device in front of the
chambered in .32-20, .38-40 and
forend. The longer model features
trigger guard similar to those found
.44-40 all popular cartridges for
a pistol grip stock. The carbine has
on pump shotguns. If youre famil-
handguns as well. These ries
a straight stock. The results are ex-
iar with pump shotguns, youll feel
could be purchased with either a
tremely attractive rearms with a
right at home with the Lightning.
26-inch barrel with a 15-round ca-
solid high-quality feel. Yes, its a
pacity or a 20-inch barrel with a 12-
pleasant experience just holding
round capacity.
one of these guns in your arms.
The medium frame models
The San Francisco Police De-
As for the functional features,
partment was one agency of note
the rear sight is a traditional semi-
124
RANGE ENVY
Whenever you take a Navy
Arms rearm to the range, plan on
taking a little extra time. People
will inevitably come over to you

and want to talk about these special guns. Theyre not the run-ofthe-mill hunting or tactical guns
most shooters are used to seeing.
Other shooters will thank you for
the privilege of handling it and, Do
you mean it? Youll let me shoot
it?
FUN TO SHOOT
I found myself smiling through
each range session with these
guns. The ries come to the shoulder and get on target naturally, the
triggers are good and because they
re pistol cartridges, recoil isnt an
Ejection of spent casings is through the top of the receiver. The author found both models of the Lightning
the .357 and the .45 Colt to be completely reliable.
issue.
Accuracy was good. At the
bench, most ve-shot, 50-yard
groups were smaller than 2 inches.
Off hand, these ries were at their
best. Slide action ries and shotguns in general provide for very
fast follow-up shots. The Navy
Arms Lightning is even faster than
most because youre cycling short
handgun cartridges.
That means theres a very
short distance that slide has to
travel when ejecting a spent casing and chambering a live round.
Ive always found that a pump gun
is faster than a lever action and
easier to keep on target shot to
shot.
The semi-buckhorn rear sight is adjustable for elevation and drift adjustable for windage. The tang is also drilled
and tapped for the addition of a Marble Arms peep sight.
125
GNSL-FALL-NAVY-122-129 9/19/16 9:34 PM Page 126
Shooting the Navy Arms Lightning was pure pleasure. Here the authors son takes aim.
When I was a rearms instructor for the police agency where I

worked, I made it a point to em-
SHOOTING RESULTS
Navy Arms Lightning, .357 Lightning, 24-inch barrel
phasize to shooters not to baby
Ammo
the pump shotguns. The same is
PMC 158-grain JSP
true with any slide-action mecha-
Federal 158-grain JSP
nism.
Fiocchi 125-grain SJSP
1748 fps
1.31
1.0
Federal Classic .38 SPL +P 125-grain JHP
1238 fps
1.47
1.125
With the Lightnings, I made
Avg Velocity
Avg Group
Smallest
1646 fps
1.63
1.25
1789 fps
1.63
1.5
sure I worked the actions with authority, all the way in and all the
way out. The original Colt versions
Rounds ejected through the
had a reputation for not being 100
top of the receiver and landed as
percent reliable. There was no
much as 18 feet away. I made it a
such problem with these Navy
game to cant the ries away from
Arms guns. There were no mal-
me slightly when ejecting casings
functions of any kind.
to see if I could get them to land in
126
a nearby garbage can used for

collecting brass.
MANY USES
I wouldnt rave about a gun
simply because it looked pretty.
I found myself
smiling through each
range session...
The rifles come to the
shoulder and get on
the target naturally,
the triggers are good
and...recoil isnt an
issue.
These are versatile rearms made
to shoot, not just to hang above
the mantel.
On the Lightning with the 24-inch barrel, there is a ip-up front sight in addition to the standard gold bead.
Would it be a great gun for

cowboy competitions? Of course it
would, and Im guessing thats the
end use most purchasers will have
in mind for it. Would it be a great,
low-recoil casual plinker? Obviously. Moderate range hunting
arm? Dont overlook this possibility, especially in thick cover where
a fast-handling rearm excels.
While the Lightning isnt apt to
make the cover of a glitzy tactical magazine, the shorter model
would be very effective as a home
defense weapon. Low recoil that
anyone in the family can handle,
fast follow-up shots, shoots effective cartridges with a wide range of
available bullets, 10-round capacity, familiar pump action thats
easy to use under stress these
are all qualities of a good defensive arm and the Lightning has
them all.
In some jurisdictions, where
semi-auto rearms are difficult or
impossible to own, the Navy Arms
Lightning would be a logical choice.
The Grade 1 American Walnut selected for the stocks is just one of several features indicative of the high
quality of these ries.
127
Because they are chambered for short handgun cartridges, the action of each gun cycles over a short distance, enabling multiple rounds to be red very quickly.
SHOOTING RESULTS
SPECIFICATIONS
Model: Navy Arms Lightning
Navy Arms Lightning, .45 Colt, 20-inch barrel

Ammo
Type: Slide-action (pump) rie
Avg Velocity
Avg Group
Smallest
1109 fps
1.6
Blazer 200-grain JHP
1161 fps
1.4
1.25
Winchester 250-grain Lead Flat Nose
920 fps
1.15
.75
Hornady 255-grain Lead Flat Nose
981 fps
1.5
1.25
Caliber: .45 Colt or .357 magnum

/.38 Special
Barrel: 20 or 24
Overall Length: 36 11/16 or 40 7/8
Capacity: 10
Weight: 6.39 lbs, 6.83 lbs.
MSRP: $2499.95
THEYRE BETTER
Ive never had a chance to
shoot an original Colt Lightning.
replicas are better than the
heirloom quality piece that
originals.
will be enjoyed for
While the $2,499.95 price tag
generations. GNSL
Judging from my experience with
doesnt put this gun in the entry-
the two new Lightning models from
level bargain category, remember,
SOURCE
Navy Arms, however, I have to be-
youre getting a rearm that lls
lieve that these special-edition
several long gun roles and will be an
Navy Arms
www.navyarms.com
128
Either of these Navy Arms ries would make an heirloom-quality rearm that could be
handed down through generations.
129
GNSL-FALL-CLOSING-130-C3.qxp 9/15/16 3:23 AM Page 130
PARTING SHOT
Hulton Archive/Getty Images
WHO DO YOU 3
RECOGNIZE?
Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Silver Screen Collection/Getty
ow big of a Western movie fan are you?

Before looking at the answers on the
next page, see how many of these
Western movie stars you can name.
John Springer Collection/Getty Images
"How many of these Western

movie stars you can name?"
130
5
Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
GNSL-FALL-CLOSING-130-C3.qxp 9/15/16 3:23 AM Page C3
6
7
Bettmann/Getty Images
Paramount Pictures/Getty Images
Silver Screen Collection/Getty
Popperfoto/Getty Images
Answers: 1. William Boyd (aka Hopalong Cassidy), 2.Gregory Peck,

3. Randolph Scott, 4. James Stewart, 5. Alan Ladd, 6. Audie Murphy,
7. Roy Rogers, 8. Gene Autry, 9. Joel McCrea
EARLY & MODERN FIREARMS COMPANY, INC.

GUNSLINGER

SPECIALS!
THE
BEST

1851 Navy Brass Hartford Model

.44cal, 7 Barrel, Reg. $199.99
Sale: $155.00
IN
1858 RGT Steel Hartford Model

COWBOY
GUNS
SINCE
1956!
Sale: $215.00
1860 Army Steel Hartford Model
Sale: $200.00
#%,%"2!4).'/52
4(!..)6%23!29
WWW.EMF-COMPANY.COM (800) 430-1310
GS_FALL16_C4 9/9/16 4:59 AM Page C4
150 th Anniversary
Engraved, Limited-Edition
1866 Flatside Short Rifle
SINCE 1959
From Western movie classics to modern working ranches,
we have been there to keep the saga alive. Uberti todays

Uberti.com

GunWorldGunslingers2016 PDF

Încărcat de

Informații document

Titlu original

Drepturi de autor

Formate disponibile

Partajați acest document

Partajați sau inserați document

Opțiuni de partajare

Vi se pare util acest document?

Este necorespunzător acest conținut?

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

GunWorldGunslingers2016 PDF

Încărcat de

Drepturi de autor:

Formate disponibile

GUNSLINGERS.

qxP 9/20/16 12:19 AM Page US_C1

Engaged Media Inc.

GS_FALL16_C2 9/9/16 4:57 AM Page C2

1892 WINCHESTER SHORT RIFLE - 45 LC

1892 WINCHESTER COYOTE KILLER

54 Dupont Rd., Martinsburg, WV 25404 ph - (304) 274-0004 info@navyarms.com

GS_FALL16_3 9/9/16 4:49 AM Page 3

GNSL-FALL-TOC-4-5.qxp 9/19/16 9:29 PM Page 4

52 MARES LEG MATCHUP

The James and Younger boys are gone, but their

Comparing a pair of these handy lever actions

Uberti has updated the old Winchester 1885 high

Great exhibition shooters then and now amaze

By Steven Paul Barlow

By Ryan Lee Price

Taylors & Co. offers a handy Bootleg version of

The quest for a special, engraved single action

76 FEEDING THE BEAST

Ubertis Cattleman II revolver with retractable

Ammunition for Old West rearms can

By Steven Paul Barlow

Winchester commemorative lever actions

The Single Action Army revolver can be effective

GUNSLINGERS I FIREARMS OF THE OLD WEST SUMMER / SUMMER 2016

GNSL-FALL-TOC-4-5.qxp 9/19/16 9:29 PM Page 5

96 SIX FOR SURE

102 OLD RELIABLE

110 THE LONE RANGER RIDES AGAIN

116 BEST BULLET

The .44-40 WCF is a leading candidate for the best

FROM THE EDITORS OF WORLD OF FIREPOWER

Engaged Media Inc.

122 LIGHTNING STRIKES TWICE

By Steven Paul Barlow

GNSL-FALL-EDIT-6.CX.qxp 9/19/16 10:05 PM Page 6

Whenever someone I know is

me to scope a rie or safely carry

EDITORIAL, PRODUCTION & SALES OFFICE

ENGAGED MEDIA INC.

Steven Paul Barlow, Editor

Philip Trinkle Newsstand Sales Director

Bob Husly Director of Business Development

GUNSLINGERS I FIREARMS OF THE OLD WEST / FALL 2016

GS_FALL16_7 9/9/16 4:53 AM Page 7

GNSL-FALL-OPEN-8-9.qxp 9/14/16 10:10 PM Page 8

fed, defended him against enemies and wild

GUNSLINGERS I FIREARMS OF THE OLD WEST / FALL 2016

offered enhanced models with intricate,

GNSL-FALL-OPEN-8-9.qxp 9/14/16 10:10 PM Page 9

Dakota Arms in Sturgis, where he

gravers must spend many years

rearms, including the Model 700,

rich brothers Herman, Conrad

perfecting their art. One such

Model 870 and 1911 R1, for the com-

and John turned out exquisite

master is Jesse Kaufman of Black

panys bicentennial in 2016.

pieces, some inlaid with gold, that

Hills Gunstocks and Engraving in

are now highly prized by collectors.

For most of us, rearms arent