[Agarbers]

I am working on an article and found an interesting newspaper feature from 1889, well before Hollywood was altering our history.

 

[Mikebiker]

Trick shooting in the wild west shows altered history long before Hollywood

 

[LeverActionBill]

Great find Alan!

 

[MarkInTx]

Really cool discovery! You sure won't find an article like that in any newspaper these days.

 

[togglelink]

Newspaper accounts of the crime (it was widely reported) note "Both shots were fired in quick succession."

Of note is The Triggerless Gun's statement that "for a short time the self-cocker had a great sale on the frontier ... no Texas cowboy or ranger ... considered himself correctly dressed unless he had a double-action frontier six-shooter or two at his belt. But time developed the imperfections and shortcomings of the self-cocker."

Referring to the Colt Model1877, maybe the Model 1878?

At one time David Nagle had been Chief of Police in Tombstone according to the Epitaph's coverage of the affair.

 

[Fast enough]

Supposedly you could get a Colt SAA fixed in old West most towns. Both the S&W #3 and the double actions were more of an issue. Had a taste of it when I took a pair of Ruger Vaqueros to an old timer / antique specialist gunsmith for a trigger job when they first came out. Opened them up, closed them up and gave then back to me. Part of it, I'm sure was the don"t want to factor.

 

[jcmh1]

I am working on an article and found an interesting newspaper feature from 1889, well before Hollywood was altering our history.

Interesting that the illustrations are of an 1851 Navy. The article is written in that colorful style that was popular in its day. It does point out that it is very unlikely that you will hit anything using these techniques.
Jim

 

[hgaytan]

You’re the man.. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Agarbers]

Interesting that the illustrations are of an 1851 Navy.
Jim

Well, the guy was a gun writer so that was most likely all he could afford!

 

[Fast enough]

Less I'm mistaken, Hickock most often carried those in preference to more modern guns that were available. Must be something!

 

[SnidelyWhiplash]

Mattel had to get the idea for their “Fanner 50” from somewhere.

 

[Walter Rego]

I read somewhere that Hickock preferred the 1851 Colt Navies as he didn't trust the new fangled cartridge revolvers. And he must have felt that moving up to a .44 caliber Colt 1860 Army wasn't important since he knew a well placed .36 caliber ball would do the trick. It was said that he would fire off all the rounds in the cylinder(s) each day and then reload with fresh powder and cap just to be sure that each chamber would be reliable should the need arise.

 

[Jimmy2Dogs]

I haven't read the article in the OP yet, so don't know if this "trick" is mentioned or not. But didn't some of the old guys just tie the hammer back on their SAAs? Using a rawhide thong, maybe...wetting it, doing the tie-back, and as the rawhide dried, it became tighter and more secure. Sounds plausible to me.

 

[Fast enough]

One of Keith's books, maybe Hell, I was there talks about an old slip hammer expert. Worth a look.

 

[azshot]

I haven't read the article in the OP yet, so don't know if this "trick" is mentioned or not. But didn't some of the old guys just tie the hammer back on their SAAs? Using a rawhide thong, maybe...wetting it, doing the tie-back, and as the rawhide dried, it became tighter and more secure. Sounds plausible to me.

Tie back the hammer? For some kind of early safety zip-tie so it won't fire? !

 

[up196]

Tie back the hammer? For some kind of early safety zip-tie so it won't fire? !

I think he meant to say trigger, not hammer.

 

[Jimmy2Dogs]

Oops. Yes. I meant the trigger.

 

[dfariswheel]

One funny "fanning" account was written in the 1930's.

An article related how there was a question as to how a then-modern cop would fair against an old Western Sheriff in shooting skills.
The test apparently had a newly trained rookie police officer against an old Sheriff and the Sheriff using two guns at the same time.
The article said the rookie out-shot the Sheriff, with the Sheriff "Fanning both guns at the same time".

 

[MarkInTx]

Oops. Yes. I meant the trigger.

Phillips (Jack Elam) wired the triggers back on his shotgun in "Rio Lobo" if that counts.

One funny "fanning" account was written in the 1930's.

An article related how there was a question as to how a then-modern cop would fair against an old Western Sheriff in shooting skills.
The test apparently had a newly trained rookie police officer against an old Sheriff and the Sheriff using two guns at the same time.
The article said the rookie out-shot the Sheriff, with the Sheriff "Fanning both guns at the same time".

Maybe he was one of those 4-armed Sheriffs from "Cowboys and Aliens."

 

[Jim Martin]

I haven't read the article in the OP yet, so don't know if this "trick" is mentioned or not. But didn't some of the old guys just tie the hammer back on their SAAs? Using a rawhide thong, maybe...wetting it, doing the tie-back, and as the rawhide dried, it became tighter and more secure. Sounds plausible to me.

If u tied the hammer back the gun couldn't be fired