Wyatt's Buntline

[jimmyj]

Hi:
On a rainy Saturday I am reading my second favorite magazine "Guns Of The Old West".
An article on the "Buntline Special" made me recall that in 1951 a Junior High classmate's last name was "Earp". I inquired and found that his great (?) grandfather was in deed "Wyatt Earp"!
I inquired about the "Buntline" and he reported that a relative had taken the revolver to war (WW II). During the crossing the ship was sunk by the enemy (Jap or German?) and the "Buntline" went down with the ship.
I have wondered if this story was "Fact" or "Tall Tale"?
Jimmy

 

[Wyatt Burp]

In all the stuff I read on this guy I've never heard of Wyatt Earp having any kids. The existance of the Buntline is debatable but I believe he actually owned one with a ten inch barrel. The writer who supposedly made the gun up also had in his possesions after death copies of letters to people asking about the wherabouts of the gun but got no responses. It seems unlikely that a guy would try to hunt down a gun he knew didn't exist. And the letters mentioned a 10" barrel even though he stretched it to a foot in his book Frontier Marshall that made Earp famous. He was far from a household name prior to the release of that book.
I think that kid was pullin' your leg, too.

 

[Texas Star]

I read that Earp loaned his Buntline Spcl. to a friend in Alaska and that it was lost when a boat capsized.

I think the author of the Earp book was Stuart Lake.

The late author Peter H. Capstick knew a South African general named Earp, who was somehow related to Wyatt.

 

[PA Reb]

Hi:
On a rainy Saturday I am reading my second favorite magazine "Guns Of The Old West".
An article on the "Buntline Special" made me recall that in 1951 a Junior High classmate's last name was "Earp". I inquired and found that his great (?) grandfather was in deed "Wyatt Earp"!
I inquired about the "Buntline" and he reported that a relative had taken the revolver to war (WW II). During the crossing the ship was sunk by the enemy (Jap or German?) and the "Buntline" went down with the ship.
I have wondered if this story was "Fact" or "Tall Tale"?
Jimmy

Wow, someone really has / had a vivid imagination. As stated above already, Wyatt Earp never fathered any children "that he owned up to." There is rumor that his first wife, Urilla Sutherland died while carrying their child but this has never been proven either way. He also never had any children with his second "common law" wife Mattie Blaylock or his third and final wife Josephine (Josie) Sarah Marcus.

By the way, here's a neat site to visit and see the graves of Wyatt, Josie, and many family members Find A Grave - Millions of Cemetery Records

 

[Wyatt Burp]

I read that Earp loaned his Buntline Spcl. to a friend in Alaska and that it was lost when a boat capsized.

I think the author of the Earp book was Stuart Lake.

The late author Peter H. Capstick knew a South African general named Earp, who was somehow related to Wyatt.

When I wrote about Lake (I had forgotten his name) writing to someone about the gun, it was in fact to Earps freind/partner in Alaska. Lake also asked Bat Masterson's brother what became of the long barreled Colt Bat supposedly got at the same time but his search didn't pan out.

 

[Armyphotog]

Texas Star seems to be on the right track. I heard that same story, but a little different. It was a raft and they were trying to lighten it in bad weather and were tossing everything overboard. Must have not been a Colt lover. How much could that have helped "lighten" the load? Oh, well. I don't even know if the story about Ned Buntline presenting it to him for allowing him to write a couple of dime novels about him, are true. I guess it's true about legend becoming fact if told enough times. Ned Buntline made a lot of legends.

 

[Moonman]

I thought the old rumor was that after Ned Buntline left town, Wyatt sawed the barrel off to a shorter length.

 

[walnutred]

I heard the Earps Buntline is sitting in a case next to Hovers RM and Yorks 1911. Read it doing some internet research so it must be true, though I seem to have lost the link.

 

[bobsdad]

From the NRA Museum sight:

The National Firearms Museum: Colt Buntline Special Single Action Army (2)

 

[amazingflapjack]

I don't know about the gun, but a quote attributed to Mr. Wyatt that I like was supposedly in response to a question regarding the most important aspect of gun fighting, or somethink of the like. His response was one I would expect from someone who had been there. He said. "You need to take your time, real fast."

 

[Alpo]

I thought the old rumor was that after Ned Buntline left town, Wyatt sawed the barrel off to a shorter length.

I heard that Bill Tilghman did that to his. Never heard that about Earp.

 

[smokey04]

I'm absolutely sure that there are as many "stories" as there are"tellers".We don't know for sure that there ever was a Buntline in Wyatts history,only some more stories.If I had one given to me in those days I would've leaned toward cutting the barrel down or replacing it with a shorter barrel.But that's just me, Nick