Good, the bad, and the ugly

[magnumwheelman]

Mexican gun fight rig…

Saw it several times in the movie… but the last gun fight of the movie, was a 3 way, and included a gun that looked like it had a lanyard with a shoulder loop of leather thong, for gun fighting… gunfighter took it out of his belt, and it hung roughly where he wanted it for gun fighting

Was this actually a traditional gun fighting rig, if stuffing the gun in a belt, for regular carry, without a holster, or something hollywierd???

[500fksjr]

Not sure but I carry a few that way when woods walking or running to the store in cooler weather with a jacket or vest on...Normal is a 32 S&W long// positive police. or a Bearcat 32 H&R mag

[drycreek]

In my humble opinion, and from all I read on the subject, almost everything you see in the movies about “gunfighting” or “gunfighters” is a Hollywood invention. We know for a fact that the buscadero rigs weren’t the holsters of the cowboy era. Gene Autry and Roy Rogers types were nothing close to real life. Did men have gunfights ? Yes, but I wonder how many were “showdowns” as the movies portrayed. Most were probably literally hit and miss affairs and not near as glamorous as movies portray. 

[leadhound]

If I am picturing this right, it would be similar to a single point sling on an AR?

Seems like a decent way to carry light and maybe carry a couple. No belt weight, also no extra cartridges though. Always be in the same place and no leather to snag or clear. Improvised form. Hope your lanyard ring is stout and secure.

[magnumwheelman]

that's kinda what it looked like... kept it stuck in his belt ( Mexican carry ) most of the time but had the lanyard around his neck ( used it that way in a bubble bath one scene )

don't think I'd like belt carry myself, just wondering if that was based on reality, or just Holly weird??? can't think of a close up of the lanyard ring...

[greenchile]

Don't know how historical it was but it's a good movie! On real world lanyard use, cavalry of course. When ordering my Bowen Nimrod .500 many years ago for daily carry in Alaska on the rivers, Bowen strongly suggested a lanyard ring and I went with it. It saved me a few times around different boating, fishing, wading scenarios.

[nicholst55]

May 9, 2022 15:32:07 GMT -5 greenchile said:

Don't know how historical it was but it's a good movie! On real world lanyard use, cavalry of course. When ordering my Bowen Nimrod .500 many years ago for daily carry in Alaska on the rivers, Bowen strongly suggested a lanyard ring and I went with it. It saved me a few times around different boating, fishing, wading scenarios.

My Ruger Bisley .480 that I had Hamilton work over sports a lanyard ring.  It just makes sense, to me.

[patrick1948]

NO Not even close. More Hollywood fiction

[junebug]

Tico carried his that way in the movie A Clint Eastwood spaghetti western. But it makes sense on a horse so you don't loose a weapon.

[squawberryman]

I know storm troopers are terrible shots.

[sixshot]

Eli Walach (Tuco) played a great part in that movie, maybe even better than Clint Eastwood in my mind. I've had a visual of Fermin in the tub with his gun under water in the bubbles...... haunts me, he couldn't put a lanyard around his neck, he doesn't have a neck, his shoulders are just haired over. Plus I'm not sure the powder would stay dry. But, a lanyard would be very handy on any big bore six gun in Alaska for sure. You wouldn't want to get separated from your gun if you were arm wrestling with a bear.

Dick

[bigbore5]

Thanks for that visual sixshot

[taffin]

When those who grew up in my era hear the words “gunfight” or “gunfighter” we immediately get a vision of something that never existed. Spending much of my Saturdays in the late 1940s at the West Theater to watch two Western movies with the likes of Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy and a whole lot of others embedded visions in our mind of what a gunfight is. This was followed by the same old movies on TV in the 1950s as well as an almost endless string of TV Westerns. A perfect example of a gunfighter was such as Marshall Matt Dillon or Paladin. The gunfight took place on Main Street as the good guy and the bad guy faced each other. Or there were gunfighters like the Lone Ranger who always shot the gun out of the hand of the bad guy.
All of this is pure fantasy! Finding a documented historical reference to a gunfight which took place with two gunfighters facing each other is harder to come up with then winning the lottery without buying a ticket. The closest thing ever probably is Wild Bill Hickok shooting at David Tutt at a distance of 75 yards while bullets were whizzing around him. Hickok took his time, aimed carefully and put up .36 caliber ball in Tutt’s heart. There was no fast draw involved. Consider the pure hokum involved in shooting a gun from someone’s hand with a maximum speed draw from leather. And in the movies the fellow who has had the gun shot from his hand just shakes it off. In reality it would destroy the gun and hand and probably the bullet would ricochet into the body.
I have met several of the movie/TV Westerns stars such as James Arness who portrayed Matt Dillon, Clint Walker who was Cheyenne, James Drury, The Virginian and Buck Taylor who was Newly O’Brien. All seem to be especially nice fellows who filled a role. I have also met and in a couple of cases got to know several real gunfighters quite well. These include Col. Charles Askins who when I as a young gun writer found myself paired up with at an industry function was treated like an old friend. It was my privilege to present the Outstanding American Handgunner Award to Col. Walter Walsh who was an FBI agent responsible for capturing a gang in the 1930s and then served his country in WWII. Two who became special friends were Bill Jordan who was Border Patrol Chief Inspector and Col. Rex Applegate who was a member of the original OSS and held the rank of colonel in both the United States and Mexico militaries. Both of these men called me frequently and Col. Applegate shared much information with me after it was declassified. Jordan was, of course, responsible for Smith & Wesson bringing out the .357 Magnum Combat Magnum which he called “The Peace Officers Dream”. When the snub-nosed .38 S&W failed him in a gunfight in Mexico Col. Applegate called upon Smith & Wesson for something better and the result was the .38 Special J-Frame line of small double action revolver.
We can argue forever whether gunfighters are made or born. There are many opportunities for training of gunfighting techniques with valuable knowledge provided and honing of shooting skills. However, more important than this is attitude. None of us can perfectly predict what we would do if we find ourselves in a gunfighting situation. I would think most of us would go into a survival mode and do everything we could to save family, friends, and self. However, I have talked to several men told me they would not fight back even to protect their family. I find this idea abhorrent. My first thought is God gave me my family and he expects me to protect them and provide for them anyway I can.

[longoval]

Great post by Mr. Taffin.

I would like to add that John Westley Hardin was known to practice his quick draw skills daily. It paid off for him. He modified his clothing and experimented with different fire arms and holsters.

Of course, as mentioned above, he probably wasn't engaged in showdowns on main street. But his skills were used when ambushed by law enforcement and in bar rooms, etc.

I'm sure he wasn't the only gun fighter of the old west to practice quick draw techniques.

[sixshot]

I think in real life most gun fights in the old west were settled with a shot in the back.

Dick