[Im283]

Okay, first off I know it is immature to want to do this. but I am fascinated by the spinning of revolvers.

Where do people learn this? Anyone have any tips?

Personally I think my fingers are too fat for it and when I do try I always do it over the bed because it always ends up flinging off my finger.

Do actors in movies learn this skill or do they use special "stage" revolvers to do it?

Anyone have any input?

[ArmedBear]

It is not immature. In fact, one can apparently make a living at it. It's a niche market, to be sure.:)

http://www.pistolpackinpaula.com/allaboutpaula.asp

http://www.pistolpackinpaula.com/images/picture_allaboutpaula.jpg

It's fun. I bought a $50 non-firing replica SAA for practice, since I knew I would drop it. I might buy a rubber one next, since I drop it more often than I expected to and it can really hurt your foot!

Here's where to get rubber prop SAA's, as well as cast aluminum, dry-firing and blank-firing replicas:
http://www.westernstageprops.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=WSP&Category_Code=NFR

[Im283]

Thanks for the link to Paula's website. I saw the episode of Wild West Tech with her on it.

I did not realize it is called "twirling" Going to goole that later and see what I can find.

Rubber gun might be a good idea.

[scrat]

hahahaha tried it so did my daughter. it seems as though it sure would be a heck of a lot easier if you removed the trigger. otherwise ouch.

[ArmedBear]

Helps to do "wrist roller" and other exercises with heavy weights to strengthen the forearms. Finger strength and control, without fatigue, is not something that those of us who aren't serious musicians have to develop, normally.

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

There's a movie out there somewhere called 'Tombstone'. I'vd never had the occasion to watch it and probably never will because I understand that in the movie Doc Holiday killed Johnny Ringo, and that has been proven to be patently false.
Anyway, I think there's a scene where Ringo did some twirling to impress Holiday. I have read that even though the 'gun' he was using was nothing but a stage prop and made out of lightweight aluminum, the actor who played Ringo had to practice hard every day for over 5 weeks to get it down. I don't know. It's just what I read.
Also, in case anyone is interested, years ago when George Hamilton played Hank William Sr. in a movie about Hank's life, Hamilton wore out 9 diamond tipped needles learning the song's so he could lip sync.
Just thought somebody might be interested in knowing that....Alright!! Damn! I'm sorry!..

[scrat]

Just for you GOC.
you have to watch it about the 2.17 mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwEIkXMfL1E&feature=related

[ArmedBear]

I have read that even though the 'gun' he was using was nothing but a stage prop and made out of lightweight aluminum

No doubt. You can buy them (and the rubber ones) at the link posted above.

Paula, above, does it with real guns, and sometimes fires shots (blanks) as she spins them. Her show is pretty impressive. But she's been practicing for many, many years. Apart from the old Western specialist actors, I doubt that any Hollywood types have ever been as good as the people who twirl for audiences these days.

[Jamie C.]

There's a movie out there somewhere called 'Tombstone'. I'vd never had the occasion to watch it and probably never will because I understand that in the movie Doc Holiday killed Johnny Ringo, and that has been proven to be patently false.

Gent o' the C, you ain't one'a those folks that watch movies for a history lesson, are ya? :scrutiny:

"Tombstone" is one of those classics for folk that like Westerns. No, it ain't how the west actually was... but it's kind'a hard to argue that it ain't how it should'a been. ;)

Anyway... if you get the chance to see Tombstone, give it a look. I can't remember if it's Thell Reed or Phil Spangenberger who was the firearms coach, but one or the other also did a bit of "Hand doubling" for Michael Biehn (Johnny Ringo) during filming. Michael supposedly did train a fair amount with the guns, and was able to do quite a bit on his own.

Another good bit of gun twirling can be seen in the Sharon Stone movie The Quick and the Dead. Russell Crowe is apparently a pretty good hand with a six-shooter. You seriously don't wanna watch this movie for any sort of historical context though, even if there are a crap-load of "Old West" six guns other than the usual Colt SAA.



J.C.

[sundance44s]

I remember reading years ago Sammy Davis JR. was taught the art of fast draw and pistol twirling , by one of the HollyWood teachers . They said he really enjoyed it and was considered quite fast .

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

I thought I heard somewhere that Sharon Stone was a porn queen.
Wasn't The Quick And The Dead a novel by Louis La'Mour? If it is then I probably read it at one time or the other. Probably a good story. Most of his were when you're a young man....

[Jamie C.]

Wasn't The Quick And The Dead a novel by Louis La'Mour?

There are 2 movies with the title The Quick and the Dead.

The one based on the Louis L'Amour story has Sam Elliot in it.

The one Sharon Stone is in bears no resemblance to that story at all. It's more like the old "Spaghetti Westerns"... only with better guns. :D


J.C.

[JCT]

You got to see Tombstone, great movie, great actors. It's right up there with Lonesome Dove for me.
My to watch list of some more recently made movies:
1: Lonesome Dove
2: Return to Lonesome Dove
3: Broken Trail
4: Dances with Wolves
5: Open Range
6: Quick and the Dead
7: 3:10 to Yuma

[hildo]

I tried to 'twirl' my Walker.
Not very succesfull yet...

[ArmedBear]

I've been able to twirl an 1858, but not very well and not very fast. I think that a short barrel is ideal, since the gun's balance around the trigger guard is symmetrical.

[scrat]

I tried to 'twirl' my Walker.
Not very succesfull yet...



ya what the heck you trying to break your finger off. use a 1851 or 1860. probably 2 1/2 lbs lighter and balanced a little easier

[GENTLEMAN OF THE CHARCOAL]

Well, I do watch a movie every once in a while. I thought the movie 'The Last Outlaw' was a good story. I think that was the name of it. A western, set right after the War Between The States. Weapons were time period for the most part. Starred somebody named 'Mickey' I believe his first name was. Supposed to be a real popular movie star.... Of course that was a few year's ago. Damned good story though. Extremely real life seeming....

[sundance44s]

I want to twirl a 92 carbine ...and say fill yer hands ya so and so .

[bigbadgun]

I can spin my '58 with the 5.5 barrel not very good at it yet but when I grab it i always give it a spin or 2

[Macmac]

I always like that Well's Fargo pass off. One secind it appears you are surrendering the fire arm, the next the bad guy is a gonner..

Not any too sure I could text that one.

[J.T. Gerrity]

:) Jeez, didn't any of you guys ever watch "Wyatt Earp"? "Bonanza"? "The Rifleman"? "The Big Valley"? (And, to really date myself) "Wild Bill Hickok"? I started twirling when I was about eight years old and got my first cap gun. I never got extreme, but I could twirl forwards and backwards pretty good. I got out of guns for a few years, but the next time I tried it with a gun (many, many years later) I was pleased that I still had the knack, after I got used to the weight.

Start out with a fairly light pistol, like a brass-framed 1851 Navy, and just practice doing one backwards twirl (spin the gun so that the barrel twirls up towards you). Twirl the gun once, then catch it. Then twirl it again and catch it and so on until you get good at catching the gun on that one twirl. When you get one twirl down, Grasshopper, go on to two twirls, then three twirls, etc., etc. Just start out slow, and your speed will come as you develop your technique.

A forward twirl, where the barrel spins away from you and down, is a little more difficult; the grip is coming up into your hand as opposed to the more natural feel of the grip falling down into your hand. Just practice it the same way as described above.

Those fancy twirlers in the movies use eight ounce aluminum and plastic guns; they wouldn't be quite so sassy if they used a real two-and-a-half pound BP pistol! (and, yes, I did try spinning my Walker once. Just once). :)

Now if I could just get that trick down where they spin the gun into their holster, I would be a happy man...

[ShunZu]

Surprised the thread isn't locked. I asked about twirling a year ago and got hammered saying it wasn't safe. :) Glad to see it's not locked.

5: Open Range


Gotta love the SxS at work near the end of the movie. Must have been shooting bricks, but it sure looked good. :)

[JCT]

a 1849 colt .31 is a good one to work on twirling. I can twirl the walker a few times, forward and back, but I fear dropping that 5 lb cannon on my foot!
I've seen people twirl, throw it in the air and catch it with the other hand to continue the twirl. I don't even know where to begin to figure that one out.

[Im283]

I am amazed at all the responses to my query.

nothing anymore unsafe about gun twirling than any kind of gun handling.

A single action revolver has a very slim chance of a ND just from touching the trigger like this. Heck it takes effort to cock the hammer on any of my revolvers, NO WAY is the hammer going to get cocked from gun twirling.

I am having no luck at all twirling it away from me. And as for trying it with the '58, mine is a pietta and the trigger does not come close enough to the trigger guard. I try to spin that and the trigger digs into my finger, no hope with that. I have been using a Ruger single six to try it with. I can get a spin or two with the barrel towards me but no luck with spinning away from me.

Gonna keep trying. Going to check out the walmart toy section and see if they have anything cheap and suitable there to practice with.

[nascarkent]

Here is a link to Sammy Davis twirling You have to down load the clip. There are others on the site also.
http://gunfightergulch.com/Gulch/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownloaddetails&lid=5&ttitle=Sammy_Davis_Jr.

[hildo]

Tried to twirl the Walker again.

The barrel keeps hitting my forearm and my finger is really getting sore now, kind of swollen feeling.
My middlefinger is stronger and one twirl backwards works ok. Need more practice. The hammer is rather sharp, got some cuts already

Scrat, I think you have a point there that a 2 1/2lbs lighter gun twirls better.
Still, I'm stubborn and twirl along as soon as my finger has recovered.
Maybe it's time to get a 1851 one of these days...

But... If twirling a gun looks good, twirling a Walker can only look better!

Check out this Cactus Kid guy on u-tube. No Walkers but he seemes to have been a world champion twirling. Amazing gun control.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEbncEiN_44

Hildo

[BlackJackal]

I can twirl my friends colt SAA replica really good, as well as mostly all pistols, but i can only catch the revolvers correctly.. its kinda easy for me i dont have any trouble going really fast :)

[Rachen]

I tried spinning my pair of 58' Remingtons. Not very good at it, and I had to try slowly so I don't drop the guns.

Personally, I think that other than for show, guns are best not spinned. They are meant to be used to hit your targets, and I am starting to become very good at accuracy while using both revolvers at the same time.

If there is something I spin with ease and skill it is probably my Da Dao broadsword, the weapon of Chinese resistance against Japanese fascism. I especially like practicing with the sword while wearing Chinese Communist uniform.

[Jamie C.]

Just remember, Rachen, that those who live by the sword are often shot by those that don't. :p ;) :D


J.C.

P.S. Anybody else notice that the guns with a brass trigger guard put a black ring around your finger when you twirl them? :mad:

[Rachen]

LOL Jamie:D:D

I am just as good with my pistols as with my sword. However, I prefer the Da Dao in close range combat. The hacking power of the Da Dao is tremendous, and it has been the weapon of Chinese peasant armies from the Zhou Dynasty to the 1940s. With practice, and Wushu martial art training, the Da Dao becomes second hand.

I have used my Wushu training with the pistol too, hence, I always practice with doubles, using my right hand as well as left, and being able to focus concentration into both. It's difficult but you must practice.

The manual of martial combat that I adhere to is: Kan Zhun Sun Li. Victory in the War of Resistance. It is a manual developed by the 8th Route Army for use in fighting the Japanese.

[scrat]

Tried to twirl the Walker again.

The barrel keeps hitting my forearm and my finger is really getting sore now, kind of swollen feeling.
My middlefinger is stronger and one twirl backwards works ok. Need more practice. The hammer is rather sharp, got some cuts already

Scrat, I think you have a point there that a 2 1/2lbs lighter gun twirls better.
Still, I'm stubborn and twirl along as soon as my finger has recovered.
Maybe it's time to get a 1851 one of these days...

But... If twirling a gun looks good, twirling a Walker can only look better!

Check out this Cactus Kid guy on u-tube. No Walkers but he seemes to have been a world champion twirling. Amazing gun control.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEbncEiN_44

Hildo

Hildo you must really like pain.

funny thing is i keep on looking over at my safe wanting to take out the walker.

[Im283]

been practicing getting one twirl down. i seem to be getting the nack of that.

I have no luck at all throwing the barrel forward though. Gun hits my fingers and its starting to hurt.

Gonna work on it some more later.

[Chazz]

The first time I tried to twirl my Pietta 1851, the trigger stabbed into my finger about .3 cm deep...:banghead:

Have since filed the trigger down, and now up to date on my tetanus shots.:)

[Jamie C.]

Once you guys get your spinning down pat, you'll have to work on your quick-draw.

Here's a little of both:
Fast Draw - 5 shots off an assistant in less than a second (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzv6AK7fFgY)

And then there's always Bob Munden (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZDXeDldiKk)....

( A side note here: We just got a hi-speed connection through our cable company the other day, and I haven't quite quit doing the "Happy Dance" over finally getting off of dial-up and being able to watch some of the clips people have posted on the forums without waiting all day for it to load. )


J.C.

[bigbadgun]

This thread has had me spinning like a mad man for the last couple of days and I found this video.
Now this guy can spin.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBQPQPGJCoU