What revolver for Roland of Gilead?

[squidsix]

Reading the 5th of 7 "Dark Tower" books by Stephen King, and wondering what you folks would choose as Roland Deschain's six shooter?

[blackcloud45]

Wait till you get to the last book I love this series!

[CAJUNLAWYER]

I would reccomend a 4" stainless revolver-it's what Boudreaux of Coteau uses.

[Gunslinger808]

Colt Peacemaker in .45LC with Sandalwood grips.

[squidsix]

It's becoming obvious that King doesn't know anything at all about guns. Roland's revolver is chambered in ".45 Winchester". And the cylinder "swings out" but it must be cocked to fire. Lovely.

[bloo]

Originally Posted by squidsix

It's becoming obvious that King doesn't know anything at all about guns. Roland's revolver is chambered in ".45 Winchester". And the cylinder "swings out" but it must be cocked to fire. Lovely.

So you can believe all the parts about finding a door on the beach and walking into a parallel universe, a land that has a cowboy and knights of old mixed, not to mention vampires and all the rest but you have a problem with his revolver! Sounds like the guy that stopped reading the series because Roland found a gun shop in New York city. The Sullivan act you know. Sit back and enjoy the book. Look at all of the mistakes in Clint Eastwood's westerns. Drago buying a cap and ball revolver and then telling the shop owner to toss in a box of cartridges. Give King a break.

Ted

[squidsix]

Ok, ok. I'm not exactly upset, just find it interesting when any author does what amounts to a huge pile of research on many, many details of their story, but can't Wiki a pistol.

[RonJ]

Webley Fosbery. Kind of suits the tone of the books.

Edit: Something about .45 Winchester rang a bell so I googled it. Winchester did make a lengthened version of the .45 ACP and called it the .45 Winchester Magnum. I doubt that's what King was thinking of though.

[speedyquad]

when king wrote the the dark tower, the gunslinger, there was no internet(back in the 70's). i love this series read each at least twice...working through the third now...my first snake was named roland...

[RightArm]

Intrested. Are these sci-fi or horror. The only sci-fi I've read are the Butcher Dresden Files. I recently started reading horror, due to John Connolly's Charlie Parker series. You should read these. Parker carries a 1076 which started my love of Smith's.

[RonJ]

Originally Posted by RightArm

Intrested. Are these sci-fi or horror. The only sci-fi I've read are the Butcher Dresden Files. I recently started reading horror, due to John Connolly's Charlie Parker series. You should read these. Parker carries a 1076 which started my love of Smith's.

More like scifi/fantasy. Lots of anachronisms. Good reading.

[speedyquad]

Originally Posted by RightArm

Intrested. Are these sci-fi or horror. The only sci-fi I've read are the Butcher Dresden Files. I recently started reading horror, due to John Connolly's Charlie Parker series. You should read these. Parker carries a 1076 which started my love of Smith's.

Roland of Gilead is the last gunslinger on an "alter earth" in what may be considered another dimension. there is dimension jumping that causes, or is a result if time travel, magic, and basically anything that could be thought of in a horror/sci-fi/fantasy story. to sum up the whole story would take forever. it is a 7 part series with the shortest being no less than 600 pages if i remember correctly. there are references to many of kings other books, but none need to have been read to understand. it just makes you realize his skill in writing to cross genres and characters. great reading.

if you like these books, read "under the dome". it has replaced this series as my favorite king work.

[David LaPell]

It's an interesting series, but I would have Roland carry an engraved Model 27 with a 6 1/2 inch barrel with an ivory insert in the front sight and a pair of elephant ivory grips that were scrimshawed with a dragon on one side and a sword on the other. Now that's a gun for the ages.

[G.T. Smith]

I read the gunslinger series and loved it. I hated it when it ended, but I don't read a book twice. Same with movies once is enough for me. I'm not sure, but I think I have read all of King's and maybe all of Koontz' novels.
As far as a gun for Roland, I like the one King gave him. I don't know enough about different types of revolvers to notice anything wrong with it. I guess ignorance is bliss in my case.
keep on reading,
gordon.

[dsbock]

I remember an article in one of the gun magazines back in the 1970s where the writer suggested that the best revolver would be a swing out cylinder for loading speed and single action only for accuracy.

On another note, there are ways in which a double action revolver could go wrong leaving the shooter with only the single action option.

And, of course, it's an alternate Earth. Perhaps no one developed a double action revolver or the knowledge was lost.

David

[monet61]

Very appreciative of the sci fi posts. I have just started the Dark Tower books. Started to read them years ago, but life happened and I lost interest. Having been an admirer and a critic of King, I must say that I have read more of his work than any other author. Someone said his new favorite was "Under the Dome". I really enjoyed that one too, but my absolute favorite is "The Stand". Good versus evil, supernatural stuff, stupid government projects that get loose, it has it all.

[nawilson]

Originally Posted by squidsix

It's becoming obvious that King doesn't know anything at all about guns. Roland's revolver is chambered in ".45 Winchester". And the cylinder "swings out" but it must be cocked to fire. Lovely.

Ahhhh, but there are worlds other than this...

Keep reading. There are lots of little inconsistencies, but there is a perfectly good explanation for all. I have read the series twice. One of my favorite quotes, "First come smiles, then the lies, last is gunfire."

[elm_creek_smith]

Merwin-Hulbert .44 Winchester Third Model Single Action.

ECS

[geoff40]

Originally Posted by squidsix

It's becoming obvious that King doesn't know anything at all about guns. Roland's revolver is chambered in ".45 Winchester". And the cylinder "swings out" but it must be cocked to fire. Lovely.

I think he knows quite a bit about guns, based on his other books. To the T in others. I think sometimes he just fictionalizes stuff, including the gun Roland uses.

[CAJUNLAWYER]

This came up on diary today and it appears that a consensus still has not been formed as to what kind of revolver for Roland of Gilead.

[mc5aw]

A Chiappa Rhino. Hard chromed model in .357.

http://chiappafirearms.com/product/2443

[David LaPell]

Another gun would be an engraved Smith & Wesson .44 Russian with that nice spurred trigger guard with the standard length barrel and ivory grips.

[therevjay]

Having always been a big Steve King fan. I tried to read a "Roland" story, once. I don't think it really matters, as long as he puts the muzzle in his mouth before firing.

[egressman]

I have read the entire series about 6 times now working on book 3 of the 7th time, and what I havent seen anyone mention is the fact that these guns are made from the steel of king Arthur's sword Excalibur. Second point is that true sandalwood will keep its fragrance for decades, look it up. So its fitting to have a regal wood on regal steel (not ivory as some have mentioned). Third point that someone has touched, Iis that the world he comes from isn't ours, its very close, close enough to share a wall with each other, but still not ours. That being said, with him not being from our world isnt it possible that someone made the exact gun that he is using? A Winchester .45 with a long barrel and a cylinder the kicks out to the side? With all the descriptive texts that are in these books abiut the guns I think it would be fantastic to have someone attempt to smith a gun. With all if the scroll work, the grips, the mark of eld and so forth. I would buy that gun.

[walkin jack]

Walker Colt .45s w/6" bbl. Antique blued steel w/ironwood grips. Those pesky Lobstrosities were a real nuisance and required some serious firepower.

I always envisioned a young Clint Eastwood in that role. Too bad it never made the silver screen. Some big-shot Hollywood producer missed a good bet on that one. come to think of it Clint could have done it himself.

[Gunslinger808]

How do you guys find these old threads?

[wheelyfun66]

old thread, but resurrected!
I would have Sir Roland carry an 1858 Remington (conversion!)
or a Colt SAA
or a....shoot, what do you call those Civil War-era revolvers with a shotgun barrel in the middle of the cylinder?

[lawandorder]

Type "Stephen King Anti gun" in your Google search bar and you will see what he is.

[shouldazagged]

Originally Posted by squidsix

It's becoming obvious that King doesn't know anything at all about guns. Roland's revolver is chambered in ".45 Winchester". And the cylinder "swings out" but it must be cocked to fire. Lovely.

Could be worse. Margaret Truman Daniel, old Harry's daughter, wrote several spy novels in which she called all semi-auto pistols "revolvers", and designed one that was all plastic and wouldn't show up on metal detectors. Apparently she thought even the ammo wouldn't...

[Jyezahn]

Isn't King an anti-gunner? Yes, yes he is.

Anyway, I loved those books and we named our son, Roland. She says it's after Roland of the Knights Templar, but secretly, in my mind it was after Roland Deschain.

[walkin jack]

Originally Posted by shouldazagged

Could be worse. Margaret Truman Daniel, old Harry's daughter, wrote several spy novels in which she called all semi-auto pistols "revolvers", and designed one that was all plastic and wouldn't show up on metal detectors. Apparently she thought even the ammo wouldn't...

Affectionately referred to as the "glock-7"

[Gunslinger808]

what do you call those Civil War-era revolvers with a shotgun barrel in the middle of the cylinder?

Le Mat revolver.

[Shorter102]

I'd definitely say Colt Python, but one that is 45.

[Murcus]

Originally Posted by squidsix

Reading the 5th of 7 "Dark Tower" books by Stephen King, and wondering what you folks would choose as Roland Deschain's six shooter?

Colt 44. (:-

[PatAz]

No breaks for King he is disgustingly anti gun.