Patton's Revolver

[dirty & hairy]

Over Memorial Day weekend I ran across a lot of interesting WWII images on the interweb. This one caught my attention. The caption reads "Patton watching tanks battle in Tunisia".

I'm curious about his revolver, don't know much about it other than the fabled "ivory handles".

Anyone care to enlighten me?

Thanks.

 

[Bullet Bob]

Here's the first of many links from my old pal Google:

The Known and Lesser Known Carry Guns of George S. Patton - Guns.com

 

[Bajadoc]

He was more of a Colt guy, that dirty rotten #####. Sarcasm.

 

[TheHobbyist]

Hi D&H,

Someone more informed than me can be more specific, but it is my understanding that he carried a Colt SAA (which is pictured); and a RM .357 S&W.

 

[DWalt]

Here's the first of many links from my old pal Google:

The Known and Lesser Known Carry Guns of George S. Patton - Guns.com

That's at odds with other descriptions of Patton's handgun use. There are also pictures of Patton carrying a holstered Colt Woodsman while on maneuvers in California.

 

[crazyphil]

In the photo above Lt. General George Patton is wearing his Colt's
Single Action Army .45 in a Border Patrol Holster made by Sam Myres
of S. D. Myres Saddle Co. That was before the Jordan Border Patrol, so
it's an Askins Border Patrol.
He probably has his Registered magnum on his left side as he usually
carried both.

 

[italiansport]

Patton owned and carried many guns including the Colt SAA pictured but he also carried a S&W Registered 357 Magnum. I believe several of his firearms were donated to museums, the Smithsonian among others, by the family after his untimely passing.
Jim

 

[DWalt]

"He probably has his Registered magnum on his left side as he usually carried both. "

Not usually. I believe there is only one known photo which shows him carrying both the SAA and the RM.

 

[Dennis The B]

In the photo above Lt. General George Patton is wearing his Colt's
Single Action Army .45 in a Border Patrol Holster made by Sam Myres
of S. D. Myres Saddle Co. That was before the Jordan Border Patrol, so
it's an Askins Border Patrol.
He probably has his Registered magnum on his left side as he usually
carried both.

Actually, he rarely carried both revolvers. I've seen numerous pictures of him at the Patton Museum, and there are only two or three of him carrying both.

His "killing gun" was the Registered Magnum, and the Colt Model P has ivory grips notched with the kills he made on the Mexican Punitive Expedition.

I had the honor to handle the Registered Magnum a number of years ago while visiting the Patton Museum. It's seen quite a bit of use, and the ivory stocks show quite a bit of crazing, indicating a lack of oiling.

 

[Abbynormal]

But he ALWAYS packed a belly gun under his Ike jacket! Usually his Rem M51.

 

[les.b]

The last I heard, and the only time I ever saw them personally, the most famous of his sidearms, the Colt SAA and the Smith .357 RM were still at the Armor Museum at Ft. Knox. These photos are from other forum members, mine are still on film, not digital.

Here is the Colt...Silver plated, engraved, ivory stocks:



Here is an excellent photo that I "borrowed" from John M., AKA "PALADIN85020" here on the Forum. This is the best photo that I have ever seen of the Smith. Patton special ordered it from Smith and Wesson when they first offered it, in 1935 IIRC.

This is as close as I'm likely to get...same caliber and barrel length, ivory stocks, but it's a 27-2, not a Registered Magnum. Still, it is a sort of low budget tribute gun in the "sprit" of the original.




Best Regards, Les

 

[Onomea]

Bullet Bob's link, above, says that he carried two revolvers as a matter of course after a run in with Pancho Villa's guys during which he found his SA inadequate (tho sufficient enough to plug one of Villa's lieutenants.)

(Hmm. So maybe that's a "Patton reload.")

But after viewing photos of Patton on the web, I think Dennis the B is most likely correct, and that he normally carried only one revolver, and that on his right hip. Judging by the photos.

 

[les.b]

I have read the article that Bullet Bob linked before, and have also read other authors who stated that Patton originally had matching Colt SAAs, and that he subsequently gave one away to a Hollywood star that he admired. I have never seen or read any evidence to substantiate this allegation. But when ever I see it included in an article, I question any other statements that might be referenced.

I have read and own many biographies detailing the life of Patton, and although I certainly don't hold myself up as any sort of expert, I believe that there have been quite a few exaggerations made in recounting the number of and character of the weapons owned and used by an admittedly flamboyant historical figure. The documented guns are certainly colorful and plentiful enough, without exaggerating in any manner.

Also, although I enjoy the movie "Patton" tremendously, and the technical advisors (including Omar Bradly, IIRC) did a great job in creating the prop guns that Patton carried in the film, we must remember that there was a degree of "poetic license", and that although the film may have captured dramatic image of the man, that we must still view it as semi-fictional.

Best Regards, Les

 

[LoboGunLeather]

Don't remember the author's name right now, but one biography of George Patton clearly indicated that he was not impressed by the (then new) Colt 1911 service pistol due to issues of reliable feeding, etc. While serving under General Pershing during the Mexican Punitive Expedition he reportedly purchased a .45 Colt Single Action Army revolver for his own use, and there are at least two reported incidents in which he used it to deadly effect (in one he ordered the bodies of several Mexican bandits strapped to the fenders of a Dodge touring car that he was using, then was driven back to the command post through several villages; not a particularly pleasant thing to consider).

Patton was also the only serving US Army cavalry officer to ever earn the status of 'saber master', having been detailed to France for more than a year to study the art of saber fighting on horseback. He was reportedly devastated when informed that the Expeditionary Forces deploying into Mexico would not be taking their sabers with them.

Interesting man with a lot of readily available history. Worth reading up on General Patton.

 

[les.b]

Don't remember the author's name right now, but one biography of George Patton clearly indicated that he was not impressed by the (then new) Colt 1911 service pistol due to issues of reliable feeding, etc. While serving under General Pershing during the Mexican Punitive Expedition he reportedly purchased a .45 Colt Single Action Army revolver for his own use, and there are at least two reported incidents in which he used it to deadly effect (in one he ordered the bodies of several Mexican bandits strapped to the fenders of a Dodge touring car that he was using, then was driven back to the command post through several villages; not a particularly pleasant thing to consider).

Patton was also the only serving US Army cavalry officer to ever earn the status of 'saber master', having been detailed to France for more than a year to study the art of saber fighting on horseback. He was reportedly devastated when informed that the Expeditionary Forces deploying into Mexico would not be taking their sabers with them.

Interesting man with a lot of readily available history. Worth reading up on General Patton.

Yes!! The man was certainly a unique and colorful character without a doubt. I'm glad you brought those issues up. I'm on vacation, and may have to drag out some of my Patton books and reread them.

I also have the three volume biography of Montgomery, another character, and one who in real life was not quite the way that he was portrayed in the Patton movie. Another good read (if you have time on your hands!). Nigel Hamilton was the author, IIRC, and though long out of print, available on Abebooks.

Best Regards, Les

 

[Cyrano]

There's a really good account of the incident during the Punitive Expedition in a book called "Chasing Villa" by Colonel Frank Tompkins. It was written in 1934 before Patton became famous. Tompkins, incidently, was not only on the Punitive Expedition, but was a major in the 13 Cavalry on the night of March 8-9, 1916, when Villa attacked the town of Columbus, NM, where the 13 Cavalry was stationed.

 

[Kernel Crittenden]

I see Patton favored a custom Patridge sight with gold bead on his Registered Magnum. Gotta respect the choice of a man who shot a .38 pistol in the 1912 Olympics.

 

[LoboGunLeather]

A little more thread drift:

Several factions of revolutionary forces were active in Mexico during that time period, with the two principal groups being the Zapatistas (under putative general Zapata) and the Villistas (Pancho Villa's forces). All were heavily influenced by German military and intelligence officers with an eye on keeping US forces occupied and thus unable to respond to events in Europe (now commonly referred to as World War One), with both financial and arms assistance.

Cross-border raids into the United States (such as the Columbus, New Mexico event) were essentially large scale armed robberies to provide funding for the Mexican insurgent groups.

Another tidbit is the fact that this conflict was the first combat to involve the use of powered aircraft. Pancho Villa employed a US aviator and maintenance crew with an airplane, using it for surveillance and communications tasks. General Pershing also utilized aviation assets.

Villa is at least as interesting as George S. Patton. Pancho Villa was a 'nom de guerre', disguising his actual identity. Villa reportedly was married to at least three different women in different towns, as well as keeping a dozen or more mistresses (one of whom was a German intelligence operative). Several years after the end of that particular Mexican Revolution, Pancho Villa was rudely assassinated by multiple gunmen while travelling between various wives' and mistresses' locations by automobile, in areas where he was well known (and perhaps not very well loved by the locals).

History! It calls out to us! I wonder why none of this shows up in public school curricula.

 

[Walkingwolf]

Most of the images I can find of Patton he wore his Colt SAA on his right side. It is the gun I most have seen, he may have just wore it for photo ops. But his carry rig had the Colt on the right(right handed), and the Smith on the left. I think he really favored that old Colt.

 

[les.b]

In case this thread seems like "deja vu all over again", check out the thread: General Patton's 357.

Here's Patton's order for the RM:

Since the Wesson grip adaptor did not work with the magna stocks, when Patton had ivory magnas fitted to the gun, he had to have had them specially fitted to the flanges of the adaptor. Also had to have the screw located lower on the grips in order that his initials would be properly centered.. (John Marshall pointed this out in an earlier thread).

Best Regards, Les