Question about Western Movies

[JohnLM]

I have a question I would like to as the forum. As a kid I loved watching "Cowboy Movies". I was fascinated with gun slingers doing all those wonderful tricks with their guns. You know, twirling them, flipping them in the air and all that. My question is, Was that a myth? What little I know of guns I would think it would be impossible to do all that without killing yourself. I want to be perfectly clear, I don't ever intend to do any of this or suggest that anyone try. I just want to know if that was just "Movie Stuff"?? Thanks for any response.:happy:

 

[The_Outlaw]

I have a question I would like to as the forum. As a kid I loved watching "Cowboy Movies". I was fascinated with gun slingers doing all those wonderful tricks with their guns. You know, twirling them, flipping them in the air and all that. My question is, Was that a myth? What little I know of guns I would think it would be impossible to do all that without killing yourself. I want to be perfectly clear, I don't ever intend to do any of this or suggest that anyone try. I just want to know if that was just "Movie Stuff"?? Thanks for any response.:happy:

Check this guy out......

 

[mmckee1952]

From what I’ve read, the movie westerns were mostly faked as far as gun items are concerned. In real life back in the old west there wasn’t hardly any shootouts on main street, most of the time it would happen in bars over cards or women and it would happen rather quickly, one guy would accuse another of something, they would jump up and start blasting at each other and any other poor sole who was in the way.

 

[The_Outlaw]

This guy 'Howard Darby' is pretty impressive imho........Check him out at the 2:23 mark.

 

[lilmule]

Think the average guy would end up shooting something he didnt want to,movies are blank guns.
Speed draw artists are quicker than the eye can follow or the ears can hear,they are real,weapons are specialized,they are specialized,they are exceptional,learning could be a one mistake kind of thing.IPDA matches would be more realistic for the speed part,twirling is best left to cheerleaders.
A movie like the shootist(John Wayne) was more realistic than 20 paces and draw.
Ok coral the erps used shotguns to show up at a gunfight.The opposition wanted no part of that yet got it anyway.No glory,just killing or being killed any which way they could,and get away with.

 

[patnesbit]

Simple answer is what you see in the movies is purely for show and never for practical useful purposes. It makes for good theatrics but really has no useful application in real life situations. In most cases the average real life cowboy would keep his pistol under cover in a saddle bag. It was for close range pest control. When it came to a shootout it was usually done in a covert in the back from cover sort of thing. This is why Wild Bill always chose a chair facing the door or window backed up to a wall whenever he would go to a saloon or eating establishment. He understood the whole back shooting method. The one time he did not follow his rule was the time he got himself shot and killed. Here is the info, Wild Bill Hickok - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So long answer short yes it was fantasy to make the movies more interesting, real life cowboys and gunslingers kept it real and practical, if one did try these tricks with loaded pistols they would hurt and or kill themselves or someone else. Triggers are easily touched and pulled during these stunts. Especially the newer pistols with double action. The whole "do not try this at home" tag applies to this sort of thing me thinks.

 

[50SR9]

As stated in previous posts....most of the gunfights that are in the movies, on tv didn't happen that way back then. Now the acrobatics that were performed were real. These actors were trained and practiced practiced practiced practiced (you get the idea there) to get these right. One actor that comes to mind is the late Sammy Davis Jr. He was actually a very good shot, quick draw and acrobatic gun handler. I wish I could remember where I read the article on him that told about his gun handling prowess. It was very interesting.

 

[NavyLCDR]

What little I know of guns I would think it would be impossible to do all that without killing yourself.

You have to remember the guns were single action only. The hammer had to be cocked first in order for the trigger to discharge the gun. In order for the gun to fire two things had to happen - the hammer pulled all the way back and the trigger pulled all the way back. When you see a single action revolver being rapid fired, the trigger is held to the rear, and only the hammer is cycled with the opposite hand.

 

[golocx4]

This guy 'Howard Darby' is pretty impressive imho........Check him out at the 2:23 mark.

I shoot PPC and NRA match in rim and center fire. Plus Trap and some Skeet.
Keeps me busy about 50 weeks a year and helps me spend my kids inheritance.
Been thinking lately of trying out 3 gun cowboy.
But there is also black powder, and high power rifle and CMP and I went to a bench rest match the other day.(just to watch)
Then low and behold I win a Goose Gun at a Gun Raffle last week. Never hunted water fowl before. Hmmmmm.
Lord help me.

 

[fuhr52]

Movies and TV programs are made for entertainment. If they made movies depicting true factual events, they would sell many of them. Most of the gunslingers of the old west didn't want to face their victims. They would most likely be ambushed. As was stated Wild Bill always sat with his back to the wall when he could. The one time he didn't, well we know what happened that time. Keep in mind there is the truth and there is Hollywood.

 

[Bob_M]

Howard Darby and Bob Munden.......Whew!! That's some shootin! :smile:

 

[BC1]

I sure wouldn't recommend imitating the moves with your revolver.

 

[tcox4freedom]

As stated in previous posts....most of the gunfights that are in the movies, on tv didn't happen that way back then. Now the acrobatics that were performed were real. These actors were trained and practiced practiced practiced practiced (you get the idea there) to get these right. One actor that comes to mind is the late Sammy Davis Jr. He was actually a very good shot, quick draw and acrobatic gun handler. I wish I could remember where I read the article on him that told about his gun handling prowess. It was very interesting.

Link Removed

I've always love old westerns. Even today my favorite channel is "Starz Westerns".

 

[JohnLM]

Totally awesome!! THANKS

 

[Dennis1209]

I must say... The old western cowboys in the black and white movies (not to be confused with in color versions) were very inventive and took full advantage of their six guns, for instance...

Back in the day they didn't have smokeless gunpowder and the .45 cal. round was subsonic. Al Gore invented the Internet and the Lone Ranger invented the worlds first super sonic .45 revolver ammo while chasing Tonto when he caught him drowning his sorrows with Fire Water.

LR discovered when he was riding High Hoe Silver at 35 M.P.H. and he held his pistol barrel at 12 o'clock and slung his wrist forward as fast as he could while pressing the trigger (not to be confused with Roy Rogers), he realized his ballistics were exceeding 721 M.P.H. and was much more accurate.

I never did figure out how they squeezed high capacity 50 round magazines into a 6 shot revolver though? Most every old western I've seen had an unlimited supply of ammo in them six shooters so, I suppose the "Six Shooter" was a brand name like S&W, Colt, etc.?

In addition, and there's always an addition, most times the bad guy would throw the revolver at the good guy after he fired his 30 or so rounds. I suppose baseball was not invented back then as not one, not even ONE, Six Shooter ever directly hit the good guy. I was able to determine who the good guy was all the time because he always wore a white cowboy hat and Bad Bart always wore the black one.

Problem solved.

 

[K7lvo]

From what I’ve read, the movie westerns were mostly faked as far as gun items are concerned. In real life back in the old west there wasn’t hardly any shootouts on main street, most of the time it would happen in bars over cards or women and it would happen rather quickly, one guy would accuse another of something, they would jump up and start blasting at each other and any other poor sole who was in the way.

Gosh... Kind'a reminds me of NYPD... ;-)

 

[dcselby1]

Sometime around 1972 or so I was at a VFW sitting next to this very old gentleman. I remember him turning to me and saying something to the effect of, "Son, the last time I wore that uniform, I was on the way home from the Great War." I remember we talked a while. His voice was a little raspy, I thought because of his age, well into his nineties, but he said that, "I got a touch of mustard and it still bothers me." We talked quite a while. I always enjoy talking to older people and I remember asking him if he ever saw a "gunfight" because he said he lived "out West" as a young man. He said, "Yeah, I saw one once. Guy walked into a bar I was at, walked up to a guy at the bar and shot him dead right in the back." I remember him telling me not to believe what I saw in the movies. All the "gunfights" he heard about growing up were similar to what he saw that night. I do know of several historical figures who died in a similar manner so I always tended to believe him.
Recalling that reminded me of an old guy I knew while tending bar at a VFW in Traverse City about 1990. He was a life member of the VFW and was about 95. His eligibility was a result of his Mexican service when he was involved in going after Pancho Villa about 1914 or 1916! A very sharp, fascinating old guy. He was in a Cavalry soldier. I still remember him talking about the three horses he had while in the Army. It had been about 75 years or so and damned if he didn't get tears in his eyes when he spoke of them after all those years! He also claimed to have shaken hands with Pancho Villa in the middle of the Rio Grande River on horseback. I'm not so sure about that but Bill wasn't the type to make things up. Interesting tales, though.

 

[mmckee1952]

Link Removed One of my best movies ever, "Outlaw Josey Wales"

 

[The_Outlaw]

Another Clint Classic!

 

[Blackthorn]

This I would say is probably the best representation of a Western style gunfight.... These men didn't train like you and I. Most of them probably only fired their pistols a few times if ever. Some might have seen action during the Civil War but few used a sidearm unless they were a non commision officer or an officer. Remember the NRA was founded to promote shooting skills in 1871. Bill Hickock was killed in 1876 as was Custer. The gunfight at the OK corral took place in 1881. Billy the Kid was killed in 1881. I'm sure if there were any holster drawn the Texas Rangers were probably the ony officionados....