Old West Shooting Methods and Eyewitness Accounts Shed Some Light on the Truth Hidden Behind Hollywood Myth
Dave Rodgers is Chief Editor of the Frontier American Illustrated News. He is a tribal member and westerner descended directly from Squire and Edward Boone (father & brother of Daniel Boone). With an old-west family lineage of farmers, ranchers, railway men, lawmen and desperadoes, he takes pride in the rich story of the land his family came from. As a resident of rural Arizona, he continues in the traditions of the American West and promotes the western culture as it continues on today.
“Cowboy shootouts” have become such a cliché that when people think of the old west, their first thoughts are of jingling spurs marking the cadence as two dangerous men close in and face each other down at high noon. So many western films have their climactic gunfight that it takes some talented writing to avoid retelling a banal tale heard so many times before. On rare occasions, films like Unforgiven or The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, explore the anticlimactic reality of what actual gunplay is like and how hearsay and legend, quickly erases the unpleasant facts.
THE ROMANTICIZED HONOR OF A GUNFIGHT
Like a medieval joust or a Samurai duel, single combat is seen as the apex of manly valor. Two warriors standing on the knife edge between life and death. We romanticize it because through their stories we can stare our own mortality in the eye from a comfortable chair in complete safety. They step up and take the cards that the reaper deals with cool determination, either to enter into the annals of legend, or be hurled into eternity. While other cultures have their castles and enchanted lands, we have dangerous towns on the desert plains. They have their chivalry and we have our pistoleros.
But is it "Honorable"? Truthfully, honor has nothing to do with a gunfight. People killed each other back then for the same reasons and in the same ways that they still kill one-another today. Cheating at cards, unprovoked attacks, an illicit transaction gone bad, or just a petty grudge, especially when someone is intoxicated, are all likely excuses for the occasion. Sometimes, a minor disagreement may have been solved with fists, but whiskey and common sense cannot exist in the same place at the same time when it comes to the human brain. The more it flows in an armed man’s veins, the more that knife or revolver becomes lighter in its scabbard.
Code Duello and “The Code of The West” – The biggest myth of the old west frontiersmen is that they were all fearless duelists who stood their ground and traded shots as part of some sacred code. First of all, there was no “Code of the west”. It was a 1934 invention by famed author of western fiction, Zane Grey. The book was based on a series of unwritten but widely accepted rules of etiquette that not only existed among 19th century frontiersmen, but are still applicable to modern day cowboys, outdoorsmen, and bikers here in the 21st century. It was and is really just a set of guidelines that involves showing respect for others and their property, self-reliance, rugged individualism, and polite but assertive professionalism.
Did duels happen? Yes, but it was vastly different when facing down a drunken desperado in the amber firelight of a dingy saloon. Dueling, as it is traditionally known, occurred more as part of European and the Eastern US tradition. In the US, dueling was and still is illegal, but that did not stop it from happening on occasion. Many consider "the last notable American duel" to be the Broderick - Terry Duel near San Francisco in 1859 using traditional single shot dueling pistols. Broderick was mortally wounded and became a martyr for the cause of Abolition. Terry was arrested but later, acquitted. Here are some observations on dueling below the 19th century illustration of two duelists standing at an unrealistically close distance.
There Are Actual Guides for Proper Conduct in Dueling – According to “The Only Approved Guide Through All the Stages of a Quarrel Containing the Royal Code of Honor” by Joseph Hamilton (1829), a whole process of attempting reconciliation must be performed before swords are crossed or pistols are fired. Regarding the use of pistols, the British Royal Code of Honor states the following:
(XLV) “The parties should never be allowed to fight at less than ten yards distance…”
(LIV) “The parties should present and fire together, and at the signal previously agreed on, without resting on their aim, or they shall lose their right to fire; and firing by word of command, should be invariably avoided…”
Although there were some ‘walk up and draw’ fights, early western writers took many liberties by equating the ‘gunfighter’ with being a noble duelist, rather than the proverbial ‘violent nomad’ whom is more a product of a wild and lawless land than a noble lord of the plains who abides by a strict code of conducting a ‘fair-fight’.
WHAT WAS AN ACTUAL OLD WEST SHOOTOUT LIKE?
So, were there ever any walk-up & shoot it out "quickdraw" gunfights?!
Actually yes, most "gunfights" were just pure chaos then as they still are now. Modern writers of western fiction have greatly overblown quickdraw shootouts but even legends have the facts upon which they stand. Guns stayed holstered until one member of the party chose to commit to the fatal game. This can be seen in famous fights such as the Hickok-Tutt fight in Springfield, Missouri (1865), the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, AZ (1881) or the Gabriel-Phy gunfight in Florence, AZ (1888). There are many other gunfights to mention here and none of them looked like modern fiction as seen in in the 1995 film "The Quick and the Dead" where there is a yearly battle royale of desperadoes, 'slappin leather' on main street once the town clock chimed the hour.
When Wild Bill Hickok's highly sensationalized story appeared in the February, 1867 edition of Harper's New Monthly Magazine, it thrilled readers and captured imaginations around the world. The Hickok-Tutt shootout set the template for the classic frontier duel. Since then, various pulp novels and western films have doubled-down on the esoteric tales of desperadoes, their duels and other wild deeds.
Here are first-hand accounts of both how a gunfight was fought and how a pistoleer handles a revolver.
Horace Bell was a resident of gold-rush era California and his first-hand accounts provide a fascinating insight into the life in what was arguably, the most dangerous place in American history. He was a member of the Los Angeles Rangers, soldier, adventurer, lawyer, and writer who documented much of life in the southwest during the 1850-70s. In his 1881 book Reminiscences of a Ranger, he describes how a gunfight began. It was hoped that the attacker's warning of “Draw and Defend Yourself!” would possibly sway a jury to rule in his favor seeing that this shootout was a fair fight rather than a cold-blooded ambush and murder.
“Mike (Chevallier) drew from the hip. Mike's tactics were common to desperadoes, to approach Bill (William Reynolds) unseen, and say, "Draw and defend yourself," and turn loose on him.”
Wyatt Earp is easily the most recognizable Old Western personality. Numerous books, films, and TV shows have contributed greatly to his legend as the archetype frontier 'gunslinger' ( 20th century term). Regardless if you love or hate him, he retains the most recognizable name in western lore and much of his life is heavily documented by numerous historic writers. According to his account, he was employed as a saloon keeper, deputy sheriff, and detective. Here is an excerpt from his court testimony describing the moment that the famous gun battle off Freemont street started as recorded in the Tombstone Epitaph - "I had my pistol in my overcoat pocket where I had put it when Behan told us he had disarmed the other party. When I saw Billy and Frank (Clanton) draw their pistols, I drew my pistol. Billy Clanton levelled his pistol at me but I did not aim at him. I knew that Frank McLowry had the reputation of being a good shot and a dangerous man, I aimed at Frank McLowry." According to Wyatt's further testimony, He and Billy fired at the same time. Billy missed his mark but Wyatt hit Frank in the belly. The rest of the gunfight now belongs to the ages.
Stuart Lake on Wyatt Earp (1929) - Stuart Lake's work on Wyatt Earp is very controversial due to his heavy embellishments that have been exposed as fiction by numerous historians. For this reason, I recommend reading his text like a dime novel and take it with a grain of salt. That said, there is some sound advice on gunfights that is attributed to the famous lawman's alleged testimony.
“From personal experience and numerous six-gun battles which I witnessed, I can only support the opinion advanced by the men who gave me my most valuable instruction in fast and accurate shooting, which was that the gun-fanner and hip-shooter stood small chance to live against a man who, as old Jack Gallagher always put it, took his time and pulled the trigger once.”
It does make for sound advice when compared to the modern warfighter proverb, "Slow is smooth; smooth is fast." Lake's work has other nuggets of good advice on quick-draw, such as using the lower thumb and palm instead of the thumb-pad so that the hammer may be cocked as the pistol is drawn from the holster. Many historians feel that Wyatt may likely have said this but there are skeptics and in some circles, the controversy is up there with politics and religion.
Bat Masterson spent much of his youth on the frontier. He started out in his late teens as a buffalo hunter on the great plains and he fought at the Second Battle of Adobe Walls. He served as a scout with the US Army, operating out of Fort Dodge. Later, he would serve as a lawman and Sheriff in Dodge City. Bat Masterson knew a who's who of famous western personalities like the Earp Brothers, Ben Thompson, Charles Bassett, Bill Tilghman, and Buffalo Bill to name a few. He worked as a gunman, and gambler across the west. He was a City Marshall in Colorado and was part of the famed Dodge City Peace commission. Masterson had many more adventures before shifting his career to journalism where he sometimes wrote about his time in the west.
In the January, 1907 edition of Human Life Magazine, he mentions three-qualities a gunfighter (as 'man-killers' are called in the west) must have. Courage, Proficiency, and Deliberation were all necessary or they would be unable to survive in such a lifestyle.
"Then again, he may possess both courage and experience and still fail if he lacks in deliberation. Any man who does not possess courage, proficiency in the use of firearms, and deliberation had better make up his mind at the beginning to settle his personal differences in some other manner than by an appeal to the pistol. I have known men in the west whose courage could not be questioned and whose expertness with the pistol was simply marvelous who fell easy victims before men who added deliberation to the other two."
Samuel Clemens (aka. Mark Twain) traveled the American West in his youth before he became the beloved American novelist known as Mark Twain. He wrote extensively on what life was like in the American west. This excerpt is from his book 'Roughing It' in which the winner of the draw was beguiled and murdered by a treacherous man. “One day on the plains (Slade) had an angry dispute with one of his wagon-drivers, and both drew their revolvers. But the driver was the quicker artist, and had his weapon cocked first. So Slade said it was a pity to waste life on so small a matter, and proposed that the pistols be thrown on the ground and the quarrel settled by a fist-fight. The unsuspecting driver agreed, and threw down his pistol—whereupon Slade laughed at his simplicity, and shot him dead!” Clearly, Slade was a scoundrel but the incident does relate to how the man who was quicker at the draw gained the advantage, but still lost his life in the encounter because he hesitated to follow through and instead, trusted a man who wanted him dead. This is a good example of what happens when you don't follow Bat Masterson's three elements of winning a gunfight.
COMMON WEAPONS of WESTERN GUNFIGHTS
Guns of the Frontier Pistoleer - Frontier gunfights happened with a variety of weapons but this topic is only about revolvers and the classic western 'showdown'. There were literally countless varieties of revolvers on the American Frontier, so I chose either groundbreaking arms like the Patterson or more iconic arms such as Colt's, and Remington, rather than rare arms like LeMat, or Griswold and Gunnison to feature here.
Colt’s First Patent Revolvers
Colt's Patterson (top), was never a common item on the frontier but it was the very first Colt production revolver and it broke ground on the Texas Frontier. The rangers and travelers who could obtain them became the first practitioners of carrying Colt's iconic arms. Patterson revolvers packed a relatively anemic (.28-.36 cal.) round that was still deadly enough in close engagements, but it did not match the power of the traditional big-bore horse pistols. The new five-shot revolvers were also expensive and relatively delicate.
Samuel Colt was on the brink of failure when he got an opportunity to create a new design for the Texas Rangers. The results would be the Colt Walker (Dragoon) Revolver (Below the Patterson). This new design was .44 caliber using up to a 60 grain powder charge which is more than capable of killing an enemy horse and rider in one shot. It ranked among the most powerful handguns on earth. The Walker revolvers were extremely rare then and are even more rare today, but they did pave the way for the various "Dragoon" model .44 revolvers that stayed in production through the 1850s.
Colt's .44 Dragoon and .36 "Ranger" Revolvers
Colt's "Navy-Six" or Navy Revolver was originally branded the "Ranger" as a scaled down variant of the Dragoon's pistol. It is meant to be worn on the belt and therefore it was designated as a "Belt Revolver". The larger Dragoon pistols were intended more for saddle holsters, while the smallest version (.31 cal.) was called the "Pocket Model". Colt's Belt Revolver was introduced during the early days of the California Gold Rush and over the following decades, it earned legendary status in conflicts around the world. The Colt's Navy Revolver left its mark on western lore in the hands of dangerous men with names like Bill Hickok, John Coffee Hays, ‘RIP’ Ford, and Jonathan R. Davis.
Foreign Revolvers
Foreign revolvers were abundant and often of superb quality. Once the Colt foreign patents ran out, arms manufacturers across Europe developed their own variants. Great Britain developed arms such as the Adams, Beaumont-Adams, and Kerr revolvers, of which all were renowned for their quality. Many were used in the American Civil War and continued their service in private hands across the post-war west.
Surplus Civil War Revolvers
There were many types of revolvers issued during America's Civil War. Some were superbly designed while others such as the Savage Revolver here, were a bit more tricky in their operation. For example, the Savage's lower ring trigger cocked the gun while the trigger above the ring, fired the weapon. It was awkward to handle when compared to other arms but was comparatively affordable as it was among the flood of surplus arms sold off cheap after the war.
To this point, all the arms mentioned here were "cap & ball", meaning that each chamber had to be hand loaded with powder & ball, then primed with a percussion cap. Smith & Wesson changed all this with the introduction of the metallic cartridge (bullet), which remains the same general bullet design that we still use today. Soon, there would be a rush for the whole industry to change to a newer, better design.
Cartridge Conversions
When Smith & Wesson's metallic cartridge patent expired, other arms makers immediately came out with their own new cartridge-firing designs. Colt, Remington, and Starr were the three largest producers of sidearms for the Federal Government during the war and they converted thousands of their now obsolete "cap and ball" revolvers.
Many of these were of such high quality, that they were kept and used well into the next century. Cartridge conversion arms such as these marked the evolutionary transition into a whole new era of firearms design.
Metallic Cartridge Arms
Colt's model 1873 Single Action Army Revolver is the most iconic gun of the American West and its use has been legendary. This gun has been featured on the silver screen in more westerns than any other weapon. It was even used as the standard arm in movies about time periods that occurred years before the gun was even introduced. The design is so proven and beloved, that various arms manufacturers still make this model over a hundred and fifty years after its introduction.
Double Action Cartridge Revolvers
Double-action revolvers existed in the days of cap and ball ammunition but metallic cartridges made reloading a lot faster and easier. It also made rapid-firing designs somewhat more practical. Colt's Double Action Revolvers were one of many designs used in the 19th century west, but to date, double-action cartridge revolvers are still made and used in the 21st century and will likely continue in production for many generations to come.
MEANS OF CARRYING ARMS
Carrying Arms - Walking down the street in 1867 with a pistol in your hand would have gained you a lot of negative attention; the same could be said if you did this here in 21st century rural Arizona. Other armed citizens and law enforcement members will agree that it was and is better to carry your handgun either safely concealed or in a holster.
That said, the moment someone decides to draw their weapon from the sleeve, coat, pocket or belt, the other guy has some catching up to do. Gunfighting wasn’t about giving the other guy an equal chance at killing you; it was about gaining the upper hand and hopefully, not getting hanged or imprisoned for it afterward. The holster plays a big part here and there is variety in design and how to wear them.
THE VARIOUS HOLSTERS of the WESTERN ERA
Origin of Holsters - Previous to belt holsters, pistols were commonly carried in pommel holsters on the saddle. When one preferred to carry their sidearm on their belt, they were either thrust under the belt and held snugly against the carrier's body, or a plain 'pistol scabbard' was used. These pistol scabbards were typically unadorned and easy to make either as an open-topped holster similar to the California pattern, or even as a common frog which serves as a holster but does not cover the pistol's barrel like the holsters featured here do. Above are the five most common types of western revolver holsters along with the dates when they were known to have come into common use.
California Holster - (1850s) These are the original civilian revolver holsters for travelers during the pre-Civil War era of "Manifest Destiny". It features an open top and form fitting long, slim case that holds tightly to the gun so that it won't be lost while riding. To fast draw, it should be loosened in the holster first.
Flap Holster - (1850's) This is a common military design that adapts the concept of a pommel-type holster that may be worn on the hip. The flap protects the pistol from the elements and many civilian versions of this design were adopted as well. This is not the best for fast-draw but it is serviceable for warfare and travel through dust, rain and snow. For this reason, it is the most practical holster type for use on the open frontier.
Half-flap "Transitional" Holster (1860's) - This is an attempt to combine some of the protection that a flap holster has, with the easier access of a California holster's design. These were common with civilians and later adopted by the US Army to some degree in the decades following the Civil War.
Spanish Loop Holster (1870s) This became a post Civil War design for metallic cartridge revolvers. The a long strip of leather folds under the 'sheath' but is cut forming a 'loop' for the sheath to fit through. It's rugged design protects your revolver and rides high on the belt which is ideal for use either from the saddle or on foot. These remained in popular use with western revolvers well into the 20th century. Modern day cowboys and outdoorsmen (including myself) still prefer this design for use with either traditional Colt SAA style or modern day revolvers.
Buscadero Rig (approx. 1920) This is the Hollywood rig for 20th century cowboys, trick shooters and western performers. The 'tied down and slung low' design is not at all authentic for the 19th century even though it appears in more western films than any other holster pattern. That is the only reason why I featured it in this article. All that said, it still plays a valued role in continuing the western gun culture. Buscadero rigs are still a favored design for modern day western performers, Cowboy Action Shooters, and modern fast-draw competitors.
THE METHOD OF CARRYING HOLSTERED ARMS TO BE DRAWN AND USED
Standard Hip-draw - This is the method where the pistol is carried with the 'butt' facing to the rear. It is the the most common way for modern fast-draw artists including the legendary Bob Munden, who remains the fastest documented quickdraw artist in history. This method came into greater popularity with the Spanish loop design but there are period photos from the 1850s showing that civilians sometimes used this method to carry. If the holster is on your right hip, you simply reach down with your right hand and draw out the weapon.
"Twist-draw" (Cavalry Draw) - Since the military's primary occupation is combat, it makes sense for civilians to adopt the military armament methods that are tested and proven to work. The 'twist' or Cavalry draw is when the pistol's butt faces forward and the shooter's hand reaches down to draw on the same side of the body. For example, the right hand draws from the right waist holster while twisting the wrist to turn their little-finger facing forward with the palm facing away from the body. The hand is between the coat and gun. Seize the pistol handle and draw while twisting your wrist back to re-establish proper aim for your shot. This is useful for mounted cavalrymen to manage the saber on the left side of the saddle or their pistol on the right hip with the right hand as the left-hand manages the reins, hence the name.
Cross-draw - This is set up with the pistol butt forward just like the twist draw but the holster tends to lean slightly inward toward the navel so that the shooter can reach across their belly to draw the weapon from the opposite hip. This is a good option that many experienced shooters like to use. It is comfortable in the saddle and is especially useful for carrying with a rifle into hostile country.
Draw from the sleeve – Horace Bell gives account of carrying concealed arms in a way that is not commonly known. It is an ideal for carrying small 5-shot revolvers like Colt’s Pocket model. “Bill had a Colt fiveshooter, which he carried in his sleeve—a most beautiful way to carry a knife or revolver, so convenient-like, you know. Reader, if you want to be sure of getting the draw on a man, then learn to draw from the sleeve.”
Carrying concealed - This is extremely common and practical for people going about town who need to be 'heeled'. Arms may be carried in a shoulder-holster, waistband or in a leather-lined pocket just as Wyatt Earp commonly did. This allows you to carry arms conveniently without drawing attention to the fact that you are armed.
SHOOTING
Colt's Revolvers are Accurate - Contrary to popular internet myth, old west handguns such as Colt's revolvers are quite accurate. If they were so 'inaccurate' as some say, there would not be a worldwide CAS (cowboy action shooting) movement that holds regular competitions using these arms. Modern shooters will readily identify the ballistic difference between black powder cartridges and modern loads, BUT the rifling, balance and design allows a shooter with status quo experience to easily hit the mark out to 50 yards and even further. The main cause for people believing that the guns can't hit the broad side of a barn comes from accounts of gunmen missing their target at close quarters in a fight. However, there are also numerous accounts of modern law enforcement and military personnel still missing their mark at close range using modern firearms. The reason for this is that shooting a paper target is a lot easier than engaging a target that shoots back. It is difficult to maintain steady focus on a target when you just became one yourself and our old western ancestors were no exception to this fact when firing under such extreme circumstances.
Finding Your Dominant Eye - Before you even shoot, hold both hands out before you with your palms facing forward. Touch your thumbs and forefingers together to create a triangle-shaped window between your hands. Close the ‘window’ to about one inch across and sight on a target with both eyes open. Alternate winking your eyes. Whichever eye still sees the target through the hand window is your dominant eye and is best suited to aiming.
Sighting - The common design of most 19th century revolvers is to act as an extension of your finger. You can sight with one eye but these firearms are typically designed for point-and-shoot operation. Point & Shoot takes a lot of practice to dial in but it is more common than not for experienced western shooters to keep both eyes open.
Regardless if you sight with one eye or allow your dominant eye to project your sighting into your binocular field of vision, here is the proper way to sight. Make sure that your front sight is perfectly centered in the notch of your rear site. Keep the front blade site of a Colt level with the tops of your rear-sight notch. This means tipping your muzzle a touch lower toward the ground but the recoil of the shot will correct this. At ranges of about 15-25 yards, aim so that the bullseye sits right on top of your front sight.
Ranging - Notice that with Colt's black powder revolvers, the ball hits high of the mark at close distances and that you'll need to adjust your aim accordingly out to 25 yards where the ball should hit about 1-inch high from the aim point. Level line of sight will occur after about 30-50 yards (depending on your loads) beyond before the trajectory begins to drop.
Rise-not-Fall- Raise your pistol up to the aim point. Avoid dropping your gun hand down into position while aiming. It looks dramatic to drop your arm into the aim position like a duelist but your shot will likely hit low.
Finger Placement - (see finger illustration) The goal of proper finger placement is to pull the trigger straight-back, not to the side. Traditionally, the middle of your finger-pad (A) should rest on the trigger and pull, don't jerk. Jerking the trigger will destroy your aim. Pulling with the fingertip or from the bend of your first-joint (distal phalange) will deviate your ball to the right or left of its mark. There is another way to pull the trigger straight back when firing old revolvers. Stick the entire distal phalange of your finger through the trigger guard and allow your middle phalange (B) to draw the trigger back. Whether you pull the trigger using points A or B on your finger is entirely up to your hand size and how well your fingers fit the trigger guard. It isn't a case of right or wrong; it is a case of what works best for your personal anatomy.
SHOOTING STANCE
Shooting skills had been passed down for generations by the time of the mid-1800s. With all that said, there is not much for branding the various shooting stances like we label them today. In many cases, it is best to shoot from an asymmetrical position since most shootouts occur without warning and the guy shooting at you tends not to be that interested in allowing you to assume the perfect match stance for optimal accuracy. Here are a few elements on how to stand and hold your firearm when practicing your marksmanship.
Straight Arm - This is a very comfortable stance when shooting, especially with single-action revolvers. The shooter's lead foot will be on the same side as the gun-hand. The other foot is near-perpendicular to the lead foot at 70-90 degrees. The muzzle dips slightly lower to align the top of the front blade-sight with the top of the rear sight as seen in the illustration here. The recoil will bring up the muzzle to put your bullet on target. Shoot one-handed and elevate your free hand to serve as a counterweight as needed. This image comes from Ira L. Reeves' 1913 publication detailing the particulars of 19th century and early 20th century shooting methods.
Bent Arm (Bisley Stance) - 'Bisley Stance' was branded by the British National Rifle Association as an ergonomically superior way to shoot. Putting a bend in your arm adds leverage in holding your sights and managing recoil. Personally, I like using it when firing higher recoil loads and since it's still out of my 'straight-arm' muscle memory comfort zone, I find myself being more aware of my overall posture when firing Bisley Stance. Bent arm shooting methods existed long before receiving its British name. Existing images from the Old Western era confirm this. The conclusion is that both straight and bent-arm methods are documented to the 19th century and if you are interested in recreating period shooting conditions, use either way to accommodate your muscular comfort zone as a shooter.
Holding your pistol
Double-action Grip - The harder trigger pull of a double-action revolver has a real negative effect on accuracy. To gain leverage over this, by placing the little finger under the pistol-butt. This will enhance accuracy. Note the "Bird-head" grips accommodate the small finger under-position making this kind of hold easier for this type of gun.
Single-Action Grip - There are two ways to do this. First, notice that your small finger wraps around the grip along with the others, not under it. The barrel should run with your body's ergonomics and point like an extension of your finger in each case. From there, you can either close your thumb, touching your forefinger for a firmer grip, or you can press your thumb against the back of the frame. I prefer extending my thumb but recommend using the closed thumb method until you are comfortable with the recoil.
WHAT ABOUT FANNING YOUR GUN?
Fanning was not unknown in the old west but it really gained in fame through 20th century cinema. Some gunmen who carried single action arms would modify their revolvers to fire by simply thumbing back and releasing the hammer but most shooters don't find this to be an efficient method. A 19th century six-shooter cannot easily reload in the middle of a fight so throwing out all 6 rounds as fast as possible is not a good plan. Also, if you really want to rapid fire with greater ease, buy a double-action, but with rare exceptions, you still typically have 6 shots per gun. In the old west, it would make sense for a career gunman to carry more than one gun but consider this; most people either then or now, will never find themselves in a gunfight so a firearm serves more as a visual deterrent against bad people than as a regularly used tool of warfare. In conclusion, I recommend paying greater attention to the regular methods of shooters like Earp, Hardin, Pistol Pete, and Bat Masterson than fanning off all your shots in a semi-random spray.
Unless you are a superstar shooter like Bob Munden, fanning is not accurate at any significant distance, and that goes double for when you are using original guns with historic factory loads. The video above was of me shooting ballistic duplicates of 1874 Army loads (.45 Colts) through an original (1880) Colt SAA. The recoil is too high to fan with any real accuracy. We duplicated a 'card table shootout' at a distance of not more than 6 feet and this was the fastest our group of seasoned shooters (each with a minimum of 20 years experience) could put out and stay on target.
THE AMERICAN WEST SHOOTING CULTURE SHOULD BE CELEBRATED!
The American West was and still is a beautiful land where traditions run deep. Rugged individualism means self reliance and personal responsibility. These are necessary assets to a shooter and the armed law-abiding citizen remains the backbone of our shooting culture. As much as I appreciate modern arms, I still think it best to master the weapons of our ancestors as well. They fed our families and kept both the four and two-legged predators at bay. Today, there are various organizations such as Cowboy Action Shooting to keep the tradition alive. The participants wear everything from modern western clothing, to cinema-costumes, and museum quality historic garb while competing in a variety of categories using the same types of guns that were so common to our ancestors. Regardless if you kit up for a SASS match or just meet up with your rural buddies for a day of shooting like I do, the sound of these old guns and the smell of black powder is a nostalgic way to rekindle the spirit of the Old West once more.
-DR
