The Other Cowboy Revolvers

[Grayfox]

I've mentioned before how a touch of arthritis in my right hand makes it difficult for me to shoot the traditional Colt/Ruger style SA revolvers. Simply put, the shape of the plow handle grip causes the back of the trigger guard to beat the holy hell outta my middle finger knuckle. It only takes about one cylinder full to have me bleeding.  So, in order to get my Cowboy fix, I've turned to other revolvers common in the old west.

According to TV and movies, you'd think that every cowboy in the old west carried a Colt SAA. Not exactly true.  The Colts were indeed quite popular, they weren't the only revolvers used by a long shot. For my needs, I've settled on the Remington Model 1875 and the Smith & Wesson Schofield both in .45 Colt caliber.  

You will note that the grip frame on both guns sits just a little bit further back on the frame that the traditional Colt style. This gives my poor knuckle just enough space to avoid damage. 

I might also mention that both of these guns originally came with 7-7.5" barrels. I have opted for the more modern 5-5.5" lengths as they just handle better for me. 

The Remington Model 1875 was their answer to the Colt SAA. Its really just their extremely successful  Model 1858 Percussion Cap revolver fitted with a bored through cylinder.  Its just a tad bit bigger, beefier and heaver than the Colt, but proved to be very popular in the old west. Many preferred its slightly more "heft".  The Remington was known to be favored by Buffalo Bill Cody and outlaw Frank James among others. 

The big bore S&W break tops were also quite common in the old west. The Number 3 American in .44 S&W was very popular. Colonel George Schofield  modified the latch mechanism to make it easier for mounted troops to unload and reload the revolver with one hand.  The U.S. Army purchased around 8000 Schofield revolvers for their troops. S&W chambered the Army guns in .45 S&W Schofield caliber as the cylinder was just a bit too short for the standard .45 Colt cartridge. The two cartridges are identical except for length with the colt being just a tad bit longer. Little known fact: to simplify the supply chain, most ammo issued to troops was .45 S&W Schofield as it worked in either the Colt or S&W guns. Most modern reproductions, such as mine, have a slightly longer cylinder and are chambered in the more common .45 Colt caliber. 

Well, there you have it. Other revolvers popular in the old west. There are others as well such as some of the early DA revolvers. Show 'em if ya got 'em! 

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Some fun remarks for you in re Old West revolvers.

When I was shooting cowboy action I almost wound up with a brace of 1875s. I forget why I didn't so I wound up using original Vaqueros. I have issues with them now in re the hammer, as you described.

Personally, I think that the Remington 1875 is the most beautiful handgun ever made, period. YMMV

Not even the stunning "automatic" pistols such as the Mauser HSc or the SIG P230 can match the 1875. Again, YMMV as always.

The Schofield is ungainly looking to me but it is a great gun and was popular in the "Old West". I believe that Jesse James was reputed to have carried a Schofield.

But the older muzzle loader guns didn't disappear magically in 1873 or 1875. The Colt Paterson, Colt Navy (Wild Bill Hickock's guns), S&W Russian (reputed to be the gun that Pat Garrett used to kill Billy the Kid), all soldiered on. I think the 1877 Colt Double Action was carried by Billy the Kid and John Wesley Hardin. Although I do recall reading that the Kid carried a Lightning or Thunderer.

Let's not forget the Colt Walker, the Confederate LeMat, Merwin-Hulbert, and Starr revolvers.

Lots of stories out there from the Old West........................

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Speaking of show'em if you got'em, I can show you some modern guns, replicas of days gone by, and maybe some oldies as well:

This one is a genuine Old West handgun:

Remington .41 rimfire derringer Illion NY

Vaqueros - .45 Colt:

Just for the fun of it - after all, Bill Ruger brought back the interest in single action revolvers with these:

3 Ruger .22s (a) Single Six .22 Magnum with transfer bar modification (b) Old style Bearcat not modified (c) Single Six .22 not modified

As I understand it, the Bearcat is similar in size to a Colt Paterson.

This one could be an Old West survivor - I've never dated it:

Harrington & Richardson pocket pistol 38 S&W

And, as a final piece of Old West revolver hilarity, we have this antique:

Forehand & Wadsworth antique .38 S&W

DO WHAT??!!

By way of explanation, this particular gun was pretty messed up in my 2018 house fire so, as opposed to the snub-nosed S&W collection that I liquidated for the same reason, I had its blemishes covered up by powder coating.

 

[30-30remchester]

Little known facts about the old west and cowboys. Not every person out west was a cowboy. There were very few cowboys. Those that were, worked daylight to dark for poverty wages. Most that went on actual cattle drives went only once because of the hard work and low wages. Drowning on river crossings was the most common cause of death for trail hands. Most trail hands carried no guns as a gunshot would stampede the herd. The iconic "cowboy hat" was more likely to be a bolor style. Two real life cowboys I knew well that lived for months on end watching cattle in the high country, one carried no gun and the others only gun was a single shot 22 Savage rifle with a repaired firing pin. Now the ghastliest fact about old west handguns, the most common was the dime a dozen British Bulldogs. About every famous person caried one including Billy the Kid, George Armstrong Custer, John Tungstell to name just a few. Cheap and easy to conceal and carry. An interesting photo of the old west cowboys around the coral showed half wearing bib overalls and a vast array of odd hats and the only gun that can be seen appears to be a cheap, nickel-plated double action H&R type of "ladies" gun.

 

[.357magger]

I went in the same direction you did. Just wanted something a little different than the Colt SAA clones.

What surprised me the most (besides the impeccable fit and finish of the Uberti Schofield) was the handling of the longer barrel 1875 Remington. You wouldn't think so to look at them, but they're very nimble in the hand and naturally point in a way that's unexpected. I now know why they had their fans.

And the Uberti Schofield? I don't care what your area of collecting or shooting might be, but this is a superbly fitted revolver. Also a delight to handle. If I were to find myself transported back in time before the turn of the 20th Century and into the Old West (or even LE "back East ") I would choose this model even above the SAA.

Here are my "Spaghetti Westerns".

 

[Ivan the Butcher]

The 600,000 Colt Army's didn't all get converted to cartridge guns (In 44 Colt not 45 Long Colt!) They road West and North and South and even East and are fairly common at shows like the OGCA to this day! There were lots of other Cap and Ball revolvers still in state Malita use until WWI!

Ivan

 

[BSA1]

I've mentioned before how a touch of arthritis in my right hand makes it difficult for me to shoot the traditional Colt/Ruger style SA revolvers. Simply put, the shape of the plow handle grip causes the back of the trigger guard to beat the holy hell outta my middle finger knuckle. It only takes about one cylinder full to have me bleeding.  So, in order to get my Cowboy fix, I've turned to other revolvers common in the old west.

According to TV and movies, you'd think that every cowboy in the old west carried a Colt SAA. Not exactly true.  The Colts were indeed quite popular, they weren't the only revolvers used by a long shot. For my needs, I've settled on the Remington Model 1875 and the Smith & Wesson Schofield both in .45 Colt caliber.  

You will note that the grip frame on both guns sits just a little bit further back on the frame that the traditional Colt style. This gives my poor knuckle just enough space to avoid damage. 

I might also mention that both of these guns originally came with 7-7.5" barrels. I have opted for the more modern 5-5.5" lengths as they just handle better for me. 

The Remington Model 1875 was their answer to the Colt SAA. Its really just their extremely successful  Model 1858 Percussion Cap revolver fitted with a bored through cylinder.  Its just a tad bit bigger, beefier and heaver than the Colt, but proved to be very popular in the old west. Many preferred its slightly more "heft".  The Remington was known to be favored by Buffalo Bill Cody and outlaw Frank James among others. 

Well, there you have it. Other revolvers popular in the old west. There are others as well such as some of the early DA revolvers. Show 'em if ya got 'em! 

I brought a Pietta 1858 C&B with 8” barrel in .44. I had a half flap holster made for it. The half flap is a period correct design I saw in the book “Packing Iron”. It covers the caps and back of cylinder keeping it from getting wet while allowing for a good grip when drawing the gun.

I have a lot of doubts of it being carried as a belt gun at least when walking. It is a heavy and long pistol to carry. When mounted on a horse the weight would not matter as the horse is carrying all of the weight.

Anyway I wanted a period correct gun and holster combination. It is a FUN gun to shoot. Big boom, lot of smoke going down range and a more gentle recoil. Both the 1858 and 1875 with the 5.5” barrel in 45 Colt would be a great belt guns.

Your choice of the short barrel 1875 Schofield is correct for the Wells Fargo version.

 

[BSA1]

Another piece of trivia is being a lawman in the Cowtowns was seasonal employment. Extra officers were only needed when when the cattle herds came in from Texas. After the cattle drives ended for the year the towns settled down and got pretty quiet. I read a comment in a Dodge City newspaper thanking Wyatt Earp for being a Officer and wished him luck where ever he was headed.

The 1858 and 1875 were ideal for “buffaloing” drunken cowboys. Dead cowboys were bad for business and would make their partners very angry. A cowboy that was “buffaloed” would wake up more or less sober, taken before a Judge, fined and released to go get drunk again the next night. Everybody made money off of the Cowboys until they spent all of their money and went back to Texas.

 

[Shrek Of The Arctic]

Very nice guns! I love the look of the 1875 Remingtons. Something about that sail just gets me....

I also love the old Schofields. Prolly just for it's more unique lines?

I'd have a terrible time choosing just one of the two. I'm real proud that you ain't gotta!

 

[GypsmJim]

Speaking of show'em if you got'em, I can show you some modern guns, replicas of days gone by, and maybe some oldies as well:

This one is a genuine Old West handgun:

Remington .41 rimfire derringer Illion NY

Vaqueros - .45 Colt:

Just for the fun of it - after all, Bill Ruger brought back the interest in single action revolvers with these:

3 Ruger .22s (a) Single Six .22 Magnum with transfer bar modification (b) Old style Bearcat not modified (c) Single Six .22 not modified

As I understand it, the Bearcat is similar in size to a Colt Paterson.

This one could be an Old West survivor - I've never dated it:

Harrington & Richardson pocket pistol 38 S&W

And, as a final piece of Old West revolver hilarity, we have this antique:

Forehand & Wadsworth antique .38 S&W

DO WHAT??!!

By way of explanation, this particular gun was pretty messed up in my 2018 house fire so, as opposed to the snub-nosed S&W collection that I liquidated for the same reason, I had its blemishes covered up by powder coating.

The picture of your Bearcat piqued my interest. I had been looking for one a few years ago and saw one in the rack at my LGS. When I inquired about it he brought out the original box and papers. Also included in the deal was a pair of sambars and a holster. For 300 bucks I figured the extra grips were probably worth more than the gun itself.

As a matter of fact, just had her out at the range this past weekend. Mine dates to 1972, and is also an unmolested old model.

Still hits the bullseye at my home 50 foot range.

 

[LostintheOzone]

I knew a few old cowboys when I was in high school. I lived down on the AZ/MX border. Both of the old timers I knew were around 80 in 1965. That would make them born around 1885-1890. They both had lived in the area most of their lives. Both still owned horses and tack but not sure if they still rode. I cared for their horses a few times.

I was interested in firearms at an early age. I purchased my own revolver when I was 16. I had several rifles that were given to me. I talked to those old timers about being a cowboy as they both had been cowboys and doing cowboy things in AZ. One had owned a ranch near Apache AZ. Marion Fairchild was his name. I asked them if they had ever owned a revolver and neither had, although they owned some old Winchester lever rifles.

That leads me to believe that cowboys who always carried a revolver is mostly a myth propagated by Hollywood. Ranching and herding cattle just isn't a gun fighting situation. Now playing poker for a living, being a horse soldier or keeping the peace in a town like KC or Tombstone would require a revolver of some sort.

Tombstone was about 35 miles from where I lived when I was in HS. Bisbee about 20. I never knew Wyatt Earp.

 

[StrawHat]

I very much enjoy shooting the Colt 1860s and 1861s. I started out with originals and when the Italians began offering their versions, they were more expensive than originals! Eventually, replicas were cheaper to use so I started with those. When these two came available, separately, I grabbed them. Both are the Armi San Marco version of the Richards Conversion of the 1860 Colt revolver. ASM got many things right on these revolvers but at least two things wrong. The conversion ring lacks the lip that covered the back end of the cylinder and while it is chambered for the 44 Colt cartridge, it utilizes the modern 44 Colt with the inside lubed bullet not the heeled bullet or the original. This means the bore is not .45 caliber like the originals but .43 caliber. What the got right is the dimensions of the revolver, the retractable frame mounted firing pin, the rear sight location on the conversion ring, the length of the ejector shroud and some stuff
I no longer remember!

I enjoy shooting these, quite a bit.

Kevin

 

[StrawHat]

Fun fact,

The U S Army protected the ownership of the Springfield Single Shot Rifle and the Colt Model P the way the current military protects the M16 and probably the M1911. All sales were to the Army and very limited sales to the general public.

Kevin

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

The Version I Heard was that S&W was busy fulfilling orders for the Russians, hence Colt pretty much had the domestic market cornered.
Frederick Russell Burnham carried a Remington M1875 in 44-40 with a cut down Indian Head Cent for a front sight.

 

[30-30remchester]

I knew a few old cowboys when I was in high school. I lived down on the AZ/MX border. Both of the old timers I knew were around 80 in 1965. That would make them born around 1885-1890. They both had lived in the area most of their lives. Both still owned horses and tack but not sure if they still rode. I cared for their horses a few times.

I was interested in firearms at an early age. I purchased my own revolver when I was 16. I had several rifles that were given to me. I talked to those old timers about being a cowboy as they both had been cowboys and doing cowboy things in AZ. One had owned a ranch near Apache AZ. Marion Fairchild was his name. I asked them if they had ever owned a revolver and neither had, although they owned some old Winchester lever rifles.

That leads me to believe that cowboys who always carried a revolver is mostly a myth propagated by Hollywood. Ranching and herding cattle just isn't a gun fighting situation. Now playing poker for a living, being a horse soldier or keeping the peace in a town like KC or Tombstone would require a revolver of some sort.

Tombstone was about 35 miles from where I lived when I was in HS. Bisbee about 20. I never knew Wyatt Earp.

This post got me remembering a few old timers. One rancher here in Colorado said he bought a 38 Special when he bought his remote ranch in the 50's. Said he bought a box of cartridge to go with it. In his nineties now he said he was unsure where it was but that he had never shot it, nor had he ever loaded it. Another rancher lives far from a small remote town. When he carries a gun in his truck on his far-flung trips, he carries a 22 rifle. Never even heard him mention a handgun. Many old timers, if they had or carried a handgun, it was a 22 caliber.

 

[.357magger]

IMHO there seems to be a bit of a disconnect regarding the usage of handguns by "cowboys". That disconnect is regarding the time periods in question.

The "Wild West" was a different place with different needs depending on if you're referring to the period immediately following the Civil War or the 1890s. And the exact areas pre statehood impact on usage as well.

Meaning working cowboys on an established ranch in say Montana around the turn of the century had different protection requirements than those in Arizona in the early to mid 1880s when the Army was still hunting Geronimo.

Just saying, while the job of working cattle didn't change much during 1866 to 1900, civilization or the lack thereof did. While the rifle was a primary tool for cattleman and settlers alike, handgun ownership was more prolific per capita than anywhere back East.

 

[Warren Sear]

...Lots of stories out there from the Old West........................

Some of them are even true!

 

[walnutred]

While not a "cowboy" my grandfathers uncle homesteaded in Kansas after the Civil War. He had served in an Illinois Cav troop and we always liked to think the Spencer carbine and Bacon revolver he took to Kansas with him were the ones he carried during the war. Although they certainly could have been purchased surplus. They are mentioned in the letter he wrote home describing the attempted Dalton raid in Coffeyville. A cousin still has those two firearms. The one picture I've seen of him and the rest of the family in front of a soddy also includes what looks like a sporterized Springfield rifle. I've no idea what happened to the Springfield but I suspect if it was one of the 10000's that were converted into shotguns after the war it saw a lot more use in Kansas that either the Spencer or Bacon ever did.

 

[Warren Sear]

I have this Model 1883 German Reichsrevolver that I inherited. My understanding is that my grandfather brought it here with him when he emigrated from Germany. I would be surprised if at least a few of these were not brought out to the "Old West".

 

[BKLooney]

I've mentioned before how a touch of arthritis in my right hand makes it difficult for me to shoot the traditional Colt/Ruger style SA revolvers. Simply put, the shape of the plow handle grip causes the back of the trigger guard to beat the holy hell outta my middle finger knuckle. It only takes about one cylinder full to have me bleeding.  So, in order to get my Cowboy fix, I've turned to other revolvers common in the old west.

According to TV and movies, you'd think that every cowboy in the old west carried a Colt SAA. Not exactly true.  The Colts were indeed quite popular, they weren't the only revolvers used by a long shot. For my needs, I've settled on the Remington Model 1875 and the Smith & Wesson Schofield both in .45 Colt caliber.  

You will note that the grip frame on both guns sits just a little bit further back on the frame that the traditional Colt style. This gives my poor knuckle just enough space to avoid damage. 

I might also mention that both of these guns originally came with 7-7.5" barrels. I have opted for the more modern 5-5.5" lengths as they just handle better for me. 

The Remington Model 1875 was their answer to the Colt SAA. Its really just their extremely successful  Model 1858 Percussion Cap revolver fitted with a bored through cylinder.  Its just a tad bit bigger, beefier and heaver than the Colt, but proved to be very popular in the old west. Many preferred its slightly more "heft".  The Remington was known to be favored by Buffalo Bill Cody and outlaw Frank James among others. 

The big bore S&W break tops were also quite common in the old west. The Number 3 American in .44 S&W was very popular. Colonel George Schofield  modified the latch mechanism to make it easier for mounted troops to unload and reload the revolver with one hand.  The U.S. Army purchased around 8000 Schofield revolvers for their troops. S&W chambered the Army guns in .45 S&W Schofield caliber as the cylinder was just a bit too short for the standard .45 Colt cartridge. The two cartridges are identical except for length with the colt being just a tad bit longer. Little known fact: to simplify the supply chain, most ammo issued to troops was .45 S&W Schofield as it worked in either the Colt or S&W guns. Most modern reproductions, such as mine, have a slightly longer cylinder and are chambered in the more common .45 Colt caliber. 

Well, there you have it. Other revolvers popular in the old west. There are others as well such as some of the early DA revolvers. Show 'em if ya got 'em! 

I've always wanted a Schofield, one of these days!