Alamo Fast Draw Episode 28, Jimmy Stewart

18 August, 2008 (20:11) | Contests, Fast Draw, Fast Draw Talk Show, Gunfighter, History, Western Movies

Winchester "73

Alamo Fast Draw Episode 28, Jimmy Stewart, Western Movie Star, and one of my favorite Gunfighter movie star's.
Lledslinger: Tonight we're talking about Jimmy Stewart guys.
Jim Martin: When we first got on I thought were on the air but we weren't. I was recently reading an article I believe it was in the Rifleman or it might've been in Shoot Magazine I can't remember which about Tom Selleck movie (Quigley Down Under) and the Sharps rifle. The Sharps companies had a hell of an increase in business the orders for the Sharks rifle just went through the roof and I think now there are about two years behind. The Point I'm trying to make, when Jimmy Stewart made that one about the Winchester "73 one in 1000 ( Winchester '73 (1950) ) that did a hell of a revival for that rifle at the same time just like Tom Selleck's the movie did for the Sharps. Everybody and their brother wanted the Winchester 73 and of course everybody wanted a one and 1000 and so forth. You know there just wasn't that many around it was a neat rifle and everything, I know it peeked my interest back then. I think I'm not sure it was around 1954 (1950) that movie came out was that it. But I know it really piqued my interest and the rifle at that time of course I've always been into guns every sense I can remember. I was really unfamiliar about that particular model of gun up to that particular point, then after I got my interest going I decided I would look into it and do some research and find out more about it. Of course the whole theory was that the 1000th gun that was made, the tooling was finally perfect and that was the best one of the original 1000 that was manufactured because of the way the tooling wore, at least that's what they put out in their information. In recent times going over to a little slightly different subject, several years ago Ruger changed over the bore of their 4440s. To 429 rather than a 427 like the old Colts and the reason they did it again goes back to the tooling. Now all they have to do is buy one sized tooling and they make the 4440 in the 44 magnums the same bore diameter because it's cheaper for them to buy the tooling. When the tool wear's quite obviously that's when the dimensions change, that was the whole point I was trying to make their was Ruger changing over. The other gun companies have followed suit, one of the problems I have is when I buy my bullets I have a hell of a time finding my 427s now because of this conversion and the Colts' I have are 427 bore and I can't be shooting 429s through that bore. So these are the little changes they've made in the manufacturing and I don't know what that's got to do with the Jimmy Stewart but that's where I ended up!
Lledslinger: (laughing) I told you at the beginning we were just going to see where things go, because sometimes it's just nice to let the show go just talk and visit. I think sometimes that makes for a good show. How about the scene at the contest were they throw up in the air and shoot. I know I've seen people do that on TV and am not saying it's wrong but I'm saying it would be very difficult to get to be that good.
Blackbird: If I could say something about that. Herb Parsons along on that set, and Herb Parsons you probably know it's a great shotgun and rifle man. He coached people in how to carry the rifle and how to handle it generally. I think myself from what I've heard from these exhibition shooters, and I have not done that much exhibition shooting but I have really followed it as a fan. What they say is you can hit just about anything out of the air if you have a good thrower or if you have somebody you're working with who can throw it just so every time, you can hit it. That goes for following a bullet or a pellet up in the air, a small a target as you can see you can hit.
Jim Martin: That's very true. Neither one of you ever knew Bill Waller but we used to do shows together and what we did, we took some heater hose and made it into about a 10 inch circle and put a 12 inch balloon in it. I had to teach Bill how to throw that and he would throw two of those in the air, one by the other. As Blackbird said without the good thrower you can't hit it and so I showed Bill how to do that to do that and we did a number of shows where he'd throw those balloons in the air and I would draw from a holster and break both of them. He had to time his throw so that I was able to tie my two shots so I could get both of those targets without missing them. When you're doing a show you don't wanna be up there making a fool of yourself, you want everything to be positive. But it's true about the thrower once you get that throw in their there's a certain peak in the arc of your target, this is when you want to be shooting it. The speed of the fort travel has diminished and the speed of the upward travel has diminished and that's where you want to shooter your target right there.
Blackbird: What about that point Jim when this thing you have thrown reaches its apex and slows down about to go through a little metamorphosis, was done at that time?
Jim Martin: Thats when you want to hit it right there was almost stopped. That's where you've got to time your shot. If you've got the good in hand it's easier to do it then it is if you're trying the gun from the holster you have to time it differently you have to draw the gun before it reaches its apex. If you've got the gun in hand you can wait for it to reach its apex and then you can just point shoot it and get it most of the time.
Blackbird: Steve you were saying some things in the movie couldn't relate to and I do agree with that. I couldn't understand why they did this business of suddenly tipping the rifle upright and then come on sight.
Jim Martin: That was Steven Mcnally that did that. That was strictly done for filming for the movie affect. It makes no sense whatsoever because of course the more you move the gun to order it is to hit.
Lledslinger: That would have been my question to but after the show the other night when we were talking about how a lot of the old cowboys would kind of snap that gun. I thought that was just done for the movies and I found out that wasn't true that so they were doing it.
Blackbird: Well there are Fellows who will snap the gun to their shoulder that's for certain. There are a shotgunners that can be very fast and snapping their gun around, it's the style I think. Harry Carey in the movies used to snap his gun around, I think he's the one who started that tipping and snapping for movie effects to make it look like your something unique, your own style and that your special style is going to win the day. I think the fans like that.

Jim Martin: Your talking about Harry Carey Sr. He was very good with a rifle.

If any of you Gunfighters would like to hear more of this interveiw you can listen to episode 28 on the audio player(red) on the right side of this page. If you would like to join in the show live or listen live to the Alamo Fast Draw show or call 1-724-444-7444 show#16056. Whether you are a gunfighter or not its a fun show.

Gunfighter Gulch Is a great place to get a lot of info on Fast Draw History.
Jim Martin: Your talking about Harry Carey Sr. He was very good with a rifle.

Jimmy Stewart Western Movies
The Shootist (1976)
The Cheyenne Social Club (1970)
Firecreek (1968)
Cheyenne Autumn (1964)
How the West Was Won (1962)
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
Two Rode Together (1961)
The Man from Laramie (1955)
The Far Country (1954)
Bend of the River (1952)
Broken Arrow (1950)
Winchester '73 (1950)
Destry Rides Again (1939)
This is just the one's I can think off just now thier are more.