Is fanning a SA revolver real?

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jski

jski

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When you see people in movies fanning a single-action (SA) revolver, is that real or Hollywood BS? Is there any record they did that in the real Old West? Would Jerry Miculek fan a SA revolver?
 
mcb said:
Jerry Miculek wouldn't but Bob Munden would have.
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Truth.

I think slip-hammering was probably more common.

You only had 5 or 6 rounds. I don't see as how emptying your revolver for a VERY short "SUPPRESSING FIRE!" moment would help you as much as controlled fire.

But, maybe if you are carrying 3-6 revolvers, that begins to become an option. IDK.
 
It could have been done, for fun. I have read enough material about the "great" gunfighters, and the typical Hollywood scenario that we see in every movie, was in fact rare. Some of the names we recognize, John Harding, shot in the back of the head through a dark door way, his killer, John Selman, he was shot in the dark. Hitchcock, shot through the back of the head playing cards, and Billy the Kid shot in the dark. His last words were "quien es?" That is, who is it? Pat Garret was shot in the back while urinating. I did read Pat Garret's book on Billy the Kid. Billy and a friend were on foot, but managed to be picked up by two Indians who were going to town to trade. These Indians had goods and extra horses, on which they let Billy and his friend ride till they got into town. Billy and friend did not have any money, but wanted the Indian horses they were on. The two of them dropped back, and shot the Indians from behind. By doing so, they acquired the Indian's trade goods and horses. These are the psychopathic types that movies make into hero's.

The psychopathic killers back then, took every advantage they could to kill, they did not want a fair fight. They would bushwack their victims. These guys were not knights errant jousting in some tournament, they were killers who made sure they had the advantage when they struck.
 
I fanned my SA revolvers every once in a while when I was a young man, just because I'd seen it on tv so much. I can't even remember if I could actually hit anything by shooting them that way.
 
I used to practice drawing my Uberti clone and fanning from the hip into a silhouette target from seven yards just for fun. I could get 3 shots off quickly into an area between the shoulders and above the belt but always fumbled on 4 and or 5 with a short stroke. With a 5.5" in 32-20 recoil wasn't an issue. The challenge was muscle memory on the aim through trial and error (lots of rounds figuring that out). The next big hurdle was keeping my wrist locked in place as I fanned the hammer. I imagine fanning five shots with the recoil of a 45 on a full charge of BP would be very difficult to master, and an expensive lesson at that.

Having practiced fanning as well as Munden's way, I doubt fanning was popular. The slip hammer method has a leg up on accuracy without giving too much in the way of speed if your draw is decent. I'd be interested in knowing if it was done it all.
 
Never, ever, try to fan a Ruger Blackhawk.

Hard on the gun. Even harder on the hand.

As to slip hammering, I've only seen one gun set up for slip hammering, and Elmer Keith wrote of some who practiced slip hammering in the old West. Strictly a close-up in your face action. The gun I saw had toe trigger tied back with a rawhide tube, sort of like heat shrink tubing today. And the hammer spur needs to be lowered and trimmed.

Blue32:

The slip hammer method has a leg up on accuracy without giving too much in the way of speed if your draw is decent. I'd be interested in knowing if it was done it all.
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Are you talking about thumbing the hammer like action shooters, using two hands? True slip hammering has no kinship to accuracy, is fired from the hip one-handed.

Bob Wright
 
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One school of competition fast draw used the fan-cock. Just for one shot, but hard on the gun. Bob Munden said his major overhaul would enable a SAA to hold up.
 
Slamfire said:
It could have been done, for fun. I have read enough material about the "great" gunfighters, and the typical Hollywood scenario that we see in every movie, was in fact rare. Some of the names we recognize, John Harding, shot in the back of the head through a dark door way, his killer, John Selman, he was shot in the dark. Hitchcock, shot through the back of the head playing cards, and Billy the Kid shot in the dark. His last words were "quien es?" That is, who is it? Pat Garret was shot in the back while urinating. I did read Pat Garret's book on Billy the Kid. Billy and a friend were on foot, but managed to be picked up by two Indians who were going to town to trade. These Indians had goods and extra horses, on which they let Billy and his friend ride till they got into town. Billy and friend did not have any money, but wanted the Indian horses they were on. The two of them dropped back, and shot the Indians from behind. By doing so, they acquired the Indian's trade goods and horses. These are the psychopathic types that movies make into hero's.

The psychopathic killers back then, took every advantage they could to kill, they did not want a fair fight. They would bushwack their victims. These guys were not knights errant jousting in some tournament, they were killers who made sure they had the advantage when they struck.
Click to expand...
In what may be the first true western showdown, Wild Bill Hickok shoots Dave Tutt dead in the market square of Springfield, Missouri.

Hollywood movies and dime novels notwithstanding, the classic western showdown–also called a walkdown–happened only rarely in the American West. Rather than coolly confronting each other on a dusty street in a deadly game of quick draw, most men began shooting at each other in drunken brawls or spontaneous arguments. Ambushes and cowardly attacks were far more common than noble showdowns.
Click to expand...
 
To define "slip shooting" or "slip hammer shooting": A Colt Single Action, or similar revolver, is modified by either removing the trigger, or tying it back with rawhide. The hammer spur is lowered and bobbed and smoothed off. As the gun is drawn the web of the hand, between thumb and forefinger, is used to cock the revolver and as the gun is leveled the hammer is allowed to slip from under the web firing as the gun comes level.

Some proponents used long barreled (7 1/2" guns) and held the barrel with the off hand and fired with the gun hand. Notice that in old photos, those who fired this way use a leather wrist cuff to protect from the blast between barrel and cylinder.

This is slip shooting.

Bob Wright
 
Old Ruger2

Old Ruger2

I wore the hammer/trigger out on this old girl in the late sixties. I removed the trigger totally and fired it as a "fanner" for several years. I could put 4 out of 5 in a paper plate at 25 yards from the waist or all 5 every time back then. I didn't modify the hammer but occasionally wore a glove. I did slip shoot it also.
 
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