Nice old Lever rifle photo, what do you think?

[rangerider7]

[jnyork]

What do you make of that pistol belt, where is the buckle, did someone pose him and put it on backwards? Hat and pants look like the real deal, boots are maybe a little cleaner than what you might find on the average buckaroo. Neat old pic, thanks for posting.

[Blaine]

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Nice old photo.
Notice the floor bracket for the "no move" neck brace. On our right you can see the end of the brace.
For sure he was not riding drag that morning.
Mike in Peru

[MrMurphy]

If he was expecting a fight, I can see him putting the belt on "backwards" to have more ammo up front.

That's actually a somewhat common practice among cops today so the belt buckle area space is not wasted. I don't run my duty belt that way, but I've known a couple who do.

[Twodot]

loading gate on wrong side?
..

[Griff]

loading gate on wrong side?
..

As the original was probably a dagguerotype or tintype, there's no negative, so the resulting images are reversed.

[Washita]

loading gate on wrong side?
..

As the original was probably a dagguerotype or tintype, there's no negative, so the resulting images are reversed.

Yes--just like the famous photo of Billy the Kid that caused him to be called "the left handed gun" even though he was actually right handed.

[Pete44ru]

.

I think that either the photographer was smart enough, or the subject used his own gear - that the belt cartridges look to match the rifle - apparrently a nice Winchester M1876.

.

[vancelw]

I thought that picture looked familiar.....so I Googled "Ranger with lever rifle"


I was right.....














I found it....






...

[pwl44m]

loading gate on wrong side?
..

As the original was probably a dagguerotype or tintype, there's no negative, so the resulting images are reversed.

Yes--just like the famous photo of Billy the Kid that caused him to be called "the left handed gun" even though he was actually right handed.

A reversed image would only make Him right handed and Not show the back of the Gun. Need a better explanation for the Loading Gate.
Perry

[vancelw]

loading gate on wrong side?
..

As the original was probably a dagguerotype or tintype, there's no negative, so the resulting images are reversed.

Yes--just like the famous photo of Billy the Kid that caused him to be called "the left handed gun" even though he was actually right handed.

A reversed image would only make Him right handed and Not show the back of the Gun. Need a better explanation for the Loading Gate.
Perry

Hold your laptop up to the mirror

[Griff]

.
I think that either the photographer was smart enough, or the subject used his own gear - that the belt cartridges look to match the rifle - apparrently a nice Winchester M1876.
.

I'm thinkin' those are pistol caliber cartridges... appears to be a double row cartridge belt, (top & bottom don't quite line up). And, going by the span of his hand, (ave adult male = 4"), the width of the carrier mortise, appears less than ½ that, I'm guessin' an 1873.

[bmtshooter]

With all that lead strapped around his waste, I hope he stayed away from water deeper than he could stand up in.

[earlmck]

A reversed image would only make Him right handed and Not show the back of the Gun. Need a better explanation for the Loading Gate.
Perry

Here ya' go, Perry -- a little inverting in Photoshop. That's better, isn't it?

invertedoldlever1.jpg

[pwl44m]

Now even His Fly is right.
Perry

[hayabusa]

earlmck, you are " the man''.

hayabusa

[M. M. Wright]

Guys, gettin' your picture taken was a big deal! He prob'ly spent hours gettin' ready. I wear my ammo belt with the buckle in back so I can grab shotgun ca'tridges by twos to reload my sxs. Lots of SASS folks do.
Love those "California pants".

[getitdone1]

My guess is the gun is an 1876 Win and the cartridges appear too long for pistol cartridges. The gun looks too big for an 1873.

Don

[Malamute]

I believe it's a '73 with a special order longer barrel. Look at the action, the proportion is correct for a 73, and the real tell, look where the rear end of the action is. On a 73, its behind the hammer, and slightly behind the front of the finger part of the lever, on a 76, the rear end of the receiver is in the middle of the hammer arc, and ahead of the front of the finger part of the lever.

Many older pics have guys wearing the buckle in the back, and they are often out in the field, real deal types. As mentioned, it puts the cartridges where they do the most good. I do it with rifle belts. I attach my holsters to the pistol cartridge belt, so I'd have to put it on backwards all the time, or have the holster on the wrong side.

I think the gun and cartridges look large because the guy isnt that big.

Edit: Thought about this some, and why it may be causing some confusion about their size. The cartridges may look big because theres two rows of them, hes either wearing two belts (I think most likely because they don't line up consistently) or its a double row belt.

[Dusty Texian]

That is a very nice photograph Rangerider7. Any idea where it was taken. Look's like the background is very similar to the background behind the famous photo of JW. Hardin. Both seem to have the same stand behind the subject,also.That is an 1873 Winchester pictured not a 1876 . Very nice Thank's for sharing.Dusty Texian.

[twobit]

.

[C. Cash]

What is the loop for on his belt(the single little loop dangling down)?

[donw]

very interesting.

i wonder if he normally wore his hat like that?

[Griff]

What is the loop for on his belt(the single little loop dangling down)?

I'm wondering if it isn't attached to his watch?

[MrMurphy]

With all that lead strapped around his waste, I hope he stayed away from water deeper than he could stand up in.

He's not wearing that much. A modern cop wears more weight on his waist. Being a machine gunner is worse.

[C. Cash]

What is the loop for on his belt(the single little loop dangling down)?

I'm wondering if it isn't attached to his watch?

Could be indeed Griff. Maybe also some piping sewed onto a pocket flap?

[Malamute]

very interesting.

i wonder if he normally wore his hat like that?

Probably not. In most of the studio pictures and posed outdoors pictures the photographer has the subject push their hat back so their face is evenly lit and show up well in the picture. Some have mistakenly concluded that that's how they actually wore them back in the day, but if you see actual real life outdoors pictures as opposed to posed pictures, nobody wore them that way, and you cant see their eyes or most of their face worth a hoot in the pictures.