GUNS Of The OLD WEST

[Pete44ru]

FWIW, I received my latest issue (Spring 2010) of Harris Publications GUNS OF THE OLD WEST - which has a very comprehensive selection of articles this issue:

* The Uberti/Colt-Burgess 1883 Lever Action riefle & carbine

*The Marlin M1895 Cowboy .45-70

* The Legacy Bounty Hunter/Mare's Leg M92 pistol

* The .45 Colt version of the S&W #3 Schofield top-break revolver

* The new Uberti Chisolm .45 SA revolver

* The new Peabody .44-95 rifle

* The IAC/Winchester M1887 12ga pump shotgun

* The EMF Hartford Sharps M1874 rifle

* The Cimmarron "Man With No Name" SAA

* Tom Horn's SAA

* Hopalong Cassidy bio



.

[AJMD429]

FWIW, I received my latest issue (Spring 2010) of Harris Publications GUNS OF THE OLD WEST

I guess it is sort of "Reproductions of Guns of the Old West" and "Guns sort of like the Guns of the Old West".

I'm NOT criticizing, mind you, the list of guns reviewed includes many of interest, several I know about, and several I'd like to know MORE about!

Especially a .45 Colt Schofield... I didn't think the action was that strong.

Is this something to be found at a bookstore or large 'magazine' rack?

[Pete44ru]

I found my first issue, several years ago in a store's magazine rack - Border's Books, IIRC - but the reapearance is so spotty, since it's a quarterly, that I now subscribe.

The Tom Horn SAA article, at least, is about his personal gun - back from when he was jailed - along with an appropriately "antiqued" repro/clone.

.

[AJMD429]

The Tom Horn SAA article, at least, is about his personal gun - back from when he was jailed - along with an appropriately "antiqued" repro/clone.

Huh..? JAILED...? Tell me more...

[Griff]

Since originals are in finite, ever diminishing supply; are not replaceable, the vast majority of us MUST be satisfied with reproductions and copies. For one, I'm very thankful for this magazine... it provides very needed information about these clones or near copies. Sounds like another good issue.

[JerryB]

Wal- Mart usally carries this magazine.

[Barcelona Rick]

The Tom Horn article was pretty interesting....read his memoirs several years back....in the movie he used a 45-90 if I remember correctly.....the article discusses his '94 30 WCF. Old Tom got hung for being too good at his job (though he was pretty darn quick to shoot someone)....not for the boys death....did enjoy the pics of his actual SAA....this brings up something I have wondered about for a long time....the imports are getting really $$$$....I guess I have always enjoyed the old stuff which is sometimes about the same $$$$$....what is the draw toward the reproductions ??

jumbeaux

Griff I didn't read your post well enough....you answered my question before I asked it...

[mescalero1]

I am not sure,
but to the best of my knowledge, him and I; were the only Americans ever charged with " armed invasion of Mexico "

[Barcelona Rick]

mescalero1...we are sure glad you came out better than Tom did....did ya buy the 375 ??

jumbeaux

[mescalero1]

After much thought,
I decided that having offered it to the membership, the membership should have first shot at it.
It is the morally correct thing to do.

[Barcelona Rick]

A true man of honor !!!!

jumbeaux

[mescalero1]

I am humbled.

[Joe Reilly]

On page 76, the article about the Marlin 1895, is the cowboy on the ground holding a Winchester?

[Pete44ru]

Yep - Looks like a Model 1894 Rifle.

"Artistic license", one presumes.


Nice "cowboy" pic, though.

.

[Ysabel Kid]

The Tom Horn SAA article, at least, is about his personal gun - back from when he was jailed - along with an appropriately "antiqued" repro/clone.

Huh..? JAILED...? Tell me more...

AJ, you got to get on the "distribution list" for the Tom Horn movie over in the classified section!

[Ysabel Kid]

FWIW, I received my latest issue (Spring 2010) of Harris Publications GUNS OF THE OLD WEST - which has a very comprehensive selection of articles this issue:

* The Uberti/Colt-Burgess 1883 Lever Action riefle & carbine

*The Marlin M1895 Cowboy .45-70

* The Legacy Bounty Hunter/Mare's Leg M92 pistol

* The .45 Colt version of the S&W #3 Schofield top-break revolver

* The new Uberti Chisolm .45 SA revolver

* The new Peabody .44-95 rifle

* The IAC/Winchester M1887 12ga pump shotgun

* The EMF Hartford Sharps M1874 rifle

* The Cimmarron "Man With No Name" SAA

* Tom Horn's SAA

* Hopalong Cassidy bio



.

I think I just got out the drool 55-gallon drum for that one. Needed it too!

[Pete44ru]

BTW - BEFORE any questions about legality, the tang is stamped:
"Model 92 PISTOL".

.

[RIHMFIRE]

Wal- Mart usally carries this magazine.

at 8 bucks a copy
way way over priced!

[Buck Elliott]

In the Movie, Steve McQueen used a model 76 in .(EDIT: .45-60), "with a trajectory like a rainbow," to do his work...

In reality, Horn used a Model 1894 Winchester, in .30WCF, because of its flatter-shooting attributes.

IMO, GOTOW is seriously overpriced, and for the most part under-written. It targets the wannabes and the armchair Walter Mittys of the world as its audience. There are a couple of very good writers on the masthead, but the editorial direction seems to handicap even them, at every turn.

[AJMD429]

AJ, you got to get on the "distribution list" for the Tom Horn movie over in the classified section!

Oh - THAT Tom Horn. I didn't make the connection - I'd assumed it was entirely a fictional story. Cool...

[KirkD]

In the Movie, Steve McQueen used a model 76 in .56-60, "with a trajectory like a rainbow," to do his work...

That can't be a Winchester Model 1876 .56-60 ..... or did Hollywood mess up?

[Buck Elliott]

In the Movie, Steve McQueen used a model 76 in .56-60, "with a trajectory like a rainbow," to do his work...

That can't be a Winchester Model 1876 .56-60 ..... or did Hollywood mess up?

should have proofed that better... .45-60

[Streetstar]

In the Movie, Steve McQueen used a model 76 in .(EDIT: .45-60), "with a trajectory like a rainbow," to do his work...

In reality, Horn used a Model 1894 Winchester, in .30WCF, because of its flatter-shooting attributes.

IMO, GOTOW is seriously overpriced, and for the most part under-written. It targets the wannabes and the armchair Walter Mittys of the world as its audience. There are a couple of very good writers on the masthead, but the editorial direction seems to handicap even them, at every turn.

agree on the overpriced part --- but only 4 times a year , what the heck. I like to keep up with the new stuff thats out there.

You hit the nail on the head with "wannabe and Walter Mitty" remark though --- as that describes me to a tee when it comes to Old West styled firearms

[mescalero1]

Why is it that whenever we discuss Tom Horn, no one ever mentions Mickey Free?

[Buck Elliott]

different breed of cat...

[336A]

I guess that I will be the first to admit that I was more than a little miffed after I bought this magazine, and got time to sit down and actually read it. When I noticed that they were doing a piece on Billy the Kid's last revolver (Colt 1877 .41 LC) and Tom Horn's gun I had to get it. I was hoping that I get to read up on the details of the 1877 Colt DA Thunderer and the .41 Long Colt cartridge. Instead it ended up being a short and brief biography of the "Kid". After getting over being steamed a little I turned to the article about Tom Horn's Colt SAA .38 WCF. I have always been intrigued with this cartridge and with Tom Horn. Again I was hoping that I may learn more than what I now know about the .38 WCF and how the cartridge performed when shot from the replica fire arm.

Instead it ends up being another short biography type article and nothing to do really with the gun or the cartridge I already knew about the stuff that was regurgitated in that article from reading the articles here, and at Wyoming tales and trails. All I got out of both articles was Lip Service in the form of the Dag Blasted pictures and losing good money. I did think that it was interesting though that Tom had dang near filed that front sight down to almost nothing. Oh and I really wish that they would test all the fire arms with full powered ammo and not that sissy watered down CAS ammo too. At least one author went to the trouble of duplicating and shooting full powered Black Powder .45 Colt ammo. So to did the guy who tested the 44 WCF in the last issue, that is the info that I really like to see and read about. Not how they perform with watered down stuff but how they perform with their real loadings.

[blueroan]

I subscribed to it pretty early...some cheaper that way. Dennis Adler has a bit of ego and loves costumes, but at least he has some halfway researched gear to go with the guns. The limited amount of comments on what they did to restore the Billy the Kid photo will probably make me buy the book it is from. There is a reading list on Tom Horn and I think I'll do some looking.

While it wasn't a Holiday Inn, I stayed at the Cassidy Inn in Kaycee Wyoming a couple years back. The restaraunt/saloon next door was the Invasion Bar. Those folks in Johnson country got a long memory.

[bdhold]

when Steve McQueen swallowed the prawn whole in the SF reception being given for him (Tom), he gulped and turned to the guy next to him, "Biggest bug I ever et."

[gak]

I also wondered about the picture of the cowboy with the 1894 Win in a Marlin article!

I generally have always enjoyed the magazine, though, for a quarterly, it could perhaps be a little thicker of content for the price. I too wished for less "true story" backround of Billy the Kid and Tom Horn, etc., as interesting as they were, and more on the guns themselves. One thing that has always bugged me--and continues with this issue--is the tendency of the author(s) to characterize a particular type of product reviewed, like reproductions, as having only one (or two max, see Eastwood rig comments) manufacturers or vendors, where many others may make the same or like items.


The articles seem to be driven--and perhaps paid for--by specific purveyors of the (type of) goods discussed. I understand that those who cooperate in an article's make-up naturally might get the most kudos, and this magazine is not unique in that regard--probably also the case with some car mags with their advertisers, etc?...as a tendency it's still a little off-putting.


Such is the case of the Eastwood gun rig. Great to finally see a good--and detailed--write up on the Eastwood Anderson rig and its history. But the two makers noted are neither the only makers nor the cheapest by far. The two noted also may--or may not--indeed be the best; at least note that there other makers of these rigs, even if not mentioned by name. The information provided further is not particularly complete. Mention should be made that there is another Eastwood gun--as in, the Model P shown should not be confused by the neophyte as the other "Man With No Name" gun distributed by Cimarron in the form the 1851 Navy "conversion" replica of the one Eastwood used in Good, Bad and Ugly, where its 7.5" barrel, humorously to me, stuck out of the same 5.5" Anderson rig. (Actually pretty cool to me; I've thought of re-creating the same effect!)Also no mention is made that Eastwood continued to use the Anderson rig in more westerns, including Two Mules For Sister Sara. If that was, literally, the same rig he started with in Rawhide, it had quite a run!


Picky picky I know, but just can't stand generally good stuff tainted by incomplete information or vendor bias (by complete omission of others). If folks (including myself!) recognize and remember this commercial/vendor orientation, and its resulting incomplete nature--just entertainment, at times very informative...but it's no documentary--we're still far better off for having the magazine than not!

[Jacko]

Wal- Mart usally carries this magazine.

at 8 bucks a copy
way way over priced!

I gotta pay $20 for my issues and am not offered the luxury of subscription, thats way overpriced and unreasonable, but unfortunately typical of all the pastimes I enjoy as the USA is the lions share of the world market in old style rifles and Archery equipment and the associated magazines

Looks like a great issue, cant wait for it to come into the Newsagent - 6 weeks after you lucky folks get it! Forgive me, whinge over

regards Jacko