Watched the great movie True Grit today. John Wayne, in his only Oscar winning performance, as U.S Marshall Rooster Cogburn, I noticed that on Rooster's cartridge belt between evenly spaced Colt 45 cartridges was one rifle round. The rifle round was positioned in the center of Wayne's lower back. There must be a reason for this. Would members please enlighten me, Thank you.
Rooster Cogburn's cartridge belt
- Thread starter sonora
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robvious
Member
many reasons are given online... but supposedly according to JW it was to let people know they were half out of ammo... and out of respect for the "real" cowboys that did this, he did the same...
Aircrewman
SWCA Member
I read another explanation many years ago which was that the rifle round was a .45/70 (which was a "45" caliber bullet / case diameter) that was worn in the 7th position loop from the gun holster side indicating that the wearer of the gun belt had 6 revolver rounds remaining on his supply of the belt. Made sense to me because that was the amount of rounds that the revolver held when fully loaded. Also, I don't remember that Wayne wore the belt configuration as described but as I have noted it. I could be wrong but in all the movies that I remember seeing where Wayne wore that particular belt (his relatively famous rolled suede leather with belt billets and ammo loops in top grain leather) it was in the 7th loop from the holster side and in this case the right side since Wayne was right handed. Very interested to know if anyone remembers or knows the same as I do or differently.
bigwheelzip
Absent Comrade
A lot of fun facts in the archives regarding the props used in this movie.
True Grit (1969 - Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games)
This is Wayne's personally owned leather belt and gun used in the movie.
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Alk8944
US Veteran
A lot of fun facts in the archives regarding the props used in this movie.
True Grit (1969 - Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games)
This is Wayne's personally owned leather belt and gun used in the movie.
If you will look more closely at the belt, not the billets, you will see there is a pattern to the material and a seam on the bottom. This is a canvas web belt just as Sonora said, not leather.
bigwheelzip
Absent Comrade
I can't see the pattern in that low-res photo, but I believe you. I'm just going by several websites that called it rough-out leather.
Additionally, I found another explanation for the rifle bullet, that make sense, since he carried 2 caliber's of firearms.
From True West:
Most folks usually carry different caliber ammunition in separate belts. For his movies, John Wayne wore a gunbelt that centered the .45-70 long rifle bullet in order to separate the other two similarly-looking bullets. Historian Jim Dunham says that one side (probably the right from the buckle, around to the long case) was filled with .45 long Colt ammo that fit the Duke’s revolver. On the other side were .44-40 caliber bullets that fit his Model 1892 Winchester carbine. The two bullets look identical; if one got mixed up with the other, it would easily jam the firearm.
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BearBio
Member
I heard the 6 round remaining story and that he learned it from his mentor, Yakut Canutt.
rednichols
Member
A lot of fun facts in the archives regarding the props used in this movie.
True Grit (1969 - Internet Movie Firearms Database - Guns in Movies, TV and Video Games)
This is Wayne's personally owned leather belt and gun used in the movie.
The belt is indeed LEATHER, not cloth or webbing. It was Andy Anderson who made Wayne's original set, and we at Bianchi who made his subsequent ones including the commemoratives. The two John's (John Wayne and John Bianchi) met often, and subsequently his son Michael was an absolute p-i-t-a (in a good way) about the sets being accurate down to the tiniest detail -- including using roughout leather for the belt.
The folded construction of the leather belt was to create a tunnel inside (a slot or slit was included on the underside near the buckle) for money and documents; most especially the receipt for the horse because horse thieving was a summary execution offense in the West, because to leave a man without his horse was to leave him to die in those day.
By the way, the long rifle round indeed was to indicate that there were only 6 rounds left for the revolver (or companion carbine).
The belt is "rough out leather". El Paso Saddlery has been making a copy of this design for years.
StakeOut
US Veteran
I don't know about this thinking.If your life depended on more 45 Colt cartridge in the belt and you reached back only to find a 45-70 that's an Oh **** moment.
Maybe he never saw an S&W "Last Cartridge" poster.
Maybe he never saw an S&W "Last Cartridge" poster.
Here is the El Paso Saddlery "The Duke" in Left Hand version that I've had since the mid-eighties.
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In the real world; rather than a 45-70 why not just put a "usable cartridge" in........... bullet up??
Alk8944
US Veteran
Well, for whoever is still insisting the belt is leather look at this close up. Now can you see the obvious weave of the webbing, and the multiple layers on the edge below the holster? Two are web and the belt lining is leather, notice the difference in texture and color?
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jimwilkes
Member
Sorry, I only see well worn rough out leather, not canvas.
BigMuddy
Member
Same here, plus I would never question Red on facts when it comes to leather history, reel or real.
Dan
