I am sure authors have help the story along but the fact still remains, he was a true gunfighter and kill more men than most. Earp try to settle things first with his fists, but Bill went for his guns first.
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Hickok and His .36 Navy Revolvers
- Thread starter Loyalist Dave
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I am sure authors have help the story along but the fact still remains, he was a true gunfighter and kill more men than most. Earp try to settle things first with his fists, but Bill went for his guns first.
kansas_volunteer
45 Cal.
Pretty sure Big Nose Kate was never in Hays City, but Calimity Jane was. I think it was anout the same time as Wild Bill.
The documentary I watched on The History Channel, said WBH liked the 1851 because, for follow-up shots, the .36 cal. recoiled less. And he could bring it back into aim faster. Also he liked the 1851 because (and I've experienced this myself) the 1858 Remington can get jammed up with spent percussion cap fragments between the cylinder and top-strap.... and the 1851 design didn't.
Now, I'm not saying the '58 Rem. is any less of a gun, but this was the reason stated in the documentary.
Now, I'm not saying the '58 Rem. is any less of a gun, but this was the reason stated in the documentary.
rodwha
58 Cal.
I find the cap jam issue odd. I have no clue as to whether or not the originals suffered as we see with the repros, but it’s always the Colt models we hear about jamming issues and not so much with the Remington. The NMA, we often read, suffers from binding up with fouling on the cylinder pin.
My NMA has run flawlessly once I used Ballistol on the cylinder pin. I’ve never had a cap jam and I’d venture to guess its put about 400 shots through it easily.
Odd how both these characters ,Wild Bill and Big Nosed Kate, got their nicknames about their noses. Kate was nosey and Hickock had a nose like a bill ( as in duckbill) His name was James wasn't it
But you're right bullet placement wins over speed.
But you're right bullet placement wins over speed.
drobs
32 Cal.
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Few years ago I took a road trip out to Tucson AZ and stopped in the Chrystal Palace Saloon in Tombstone for a bite to eat. I ignored the sign on the outside of the bar stating "No Firearms Allowed."
Those are historical right?
The story I've always heard is it was the Colts that did the jamming, the Remingtons had a reputation of NOT jamming??? Maybe it was the technique of the shooter and not the gun itself?
Elkeater
45 Cal.
What barrel length did Bill prefer?
In my opinion true gunslingers were few and far between. Only a couple of real ones come to mind. The rest are figments of some Hollywood writers. Wild Bill was the Real McCoy.
Cruzatte
50 Cal.
Standard, unmodified, factory issue barrel length was 7.5 inches (19.1 cm). The ivory grip twin navies you see in photos of JBH were presented to him about 1869 as a gift for guiding some rich sportsmen on a buffalo hunt. (see Joseph G. Rosa "They Called Him Wild Bill.")
Are his guns on display in some museum somewhere?
Rat
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I don't question your post, but my experience has been that the Colt is more prone to cap-jams than the Remington. ?? My Remington Navy has never had a cap jam. My Colt has, and one time a long time ago, I took the gun apart just for a good cleaning, and found chunks of caps inside the frame. !!! Then I learned how to operate/shoot the Colt so that caps don't fall into the action.
Having said that, if one flips the Colt up and back, when re-cocking the gun, that will throw the caps and it won't jam. However, that does not bring it back on target very fast. Or fast at all. But neither is it super slow...but a bit slower than bringing a .44 back down from recoil. ??? I wonder if the purpose of two guns wasn't more because of the possibility of cap-jams, than more firepower.
Rat
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Don't ask, don't tell.
Any kind of jams or misfires I would imagine!
Cruzatte
50 Cal.
I found an old Reuters news story from Nov. 2013 that reported a failed auction sale in San Francisco. They might still be in private hands. I don't know.
Cruzatte
50 Cal.
[QUOTE="Rat, post: 1526563, member: 872"
I wonder if the purpose of two guns wasn't more because of the possibility of cap-jams, than more firepower.[/QUOTE]
Or was it left over tradition from the days of single shot pistols which were customarily sold and carried in pairs?
I wonder if the purpose of two guns wasn't more because of the possibility of cap-jams, than more firepower.[/QUOTE]
Or was it left over tradition from the days of single shot pistols which were customarily sold and carried in pairs?
Rat
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That could be, although I think that except for military use, the cap and ball six shooters were usually not carried in pairs, except by those who considered themselves bonified "gunfighters", like Wild Bill, or wanna-bees. ?? Don't think it would be common for cowboys, trappers, back-woodsmen, etc. ?
Rabbit Ears
Pilgrim
I personally, had BOTH 1851 navies (still do) and Remington .44. The Remington WAS a fussier revolver and had chain fire TWICE. If indeed, Mr. Hickok had experienced BOTH revolvers; I can certainly see him choose the Navies over Remington's. Well, do I own a 1858 Remington .44??? Nope!! I now have two 1851 navies. Merry Christmas!!
Rat
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Did some googling, seems no one really knows what happened to the Navy Colts, by the time he died (1876) he probably was not using them anymore. There is one gun in a museum in Deadwood SD, which may or may not really be one of his Navy Colts, and some evidence points to it being a fake from the beginning. (his name being miss-spelled engraved on the back-strap, and then corrected/re-engraved at a later, probably much later, date.
But I did see that quote from him/by him, saying how important it was not to hurry one's shot, and take one's time when shooting at a man....which for me, dispels the notion that he preferred the .36 over a .44 because he could get back on target quicker. He does not seem to believe that speed is important, in fact the very opposite. I think the handling and balance of the Navy Colt was his preference.
But I did see that quote from him/by him, saying how important it was not to hurry one's shot, and take one's time when shooting at a man....which for me, dispels the notion that he preferred the .36 over a .44 because he could get back on target quicker. He does not seem to believe that speed is important, in fact the very opposite. I think the handling and balance of the Navy Colt was his preference.
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