Posted on 05/18/2007 5:41:57 AM PDT by Hank Kerchief
In the frontier times the “frontier” was actually west of Eastern mountains
Between the Civil War and 1900 there were less firearms killings than in just one year in New York City had back then
“The Wild Wild West” is mostly early novels, TV, movies
People carried firearms yes
But numbers killed by certain outlaws was most times inflated
When Bat Masterson moved to New York City to become a sports repoter for a newspaper he kept a drawer in his desk full of old beatup wood Colt grips with notches cut into them
He sold those to the city dudes!
He would buy “takeoffs” (old worn out or cracked grips) from gunsmiths
Cut notches in them
Rub tobacco juice and dirt in the notches and oil the grips
Nobody cut notches in their own grips
Or some drunken idiot would try to prove he was better
Bat Masterson could shoot a running rabbit from horseback with his Colt revolver - An impossible shot to make
He was an expert sharpshooter
His reputation kept him alive
Even in NYC!
Interesting about Masterson, lol, he was CHEATING way back before “the good ol’ times’!!!
The actual way the Town Marshall or Sheriff handled outlaws:
A good 12 gauge shotgun
Catch them on horseback on main street
Shoot them in the back with both barrels
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“Duels” were dangerous
—
Gambling get you killed
Even James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok was shot at a poker table
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Names were changed often when people moved west
Completely changed
“A new start” was what many were looking for
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Lol, think we have gone way back beyond the good old days of the ‘50’s.
If we keep on we will be discussing the Gold Rush!!
I’ve got a “Gold Rush” Colt revolver!
An 1847 .31 percussion - used in the Civil War years later - converted to .38 rimfire in 1972
I know about you and antique guns!!
And my Civil War sabres
They are great for setting the mood for visitors
A calming influence on the wall
[They are great for setting the mood for visitors]
Lol devolve!! What a welcome for guests!
Next we will be into swords and storming English castles like Hagar!
Makes the 1950’s look even more wonderful. Perhaps history does ‘go around’ in cycles. If so, we are due for some good times.
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