Matt Dillon's gun

A hogleg a some kind.

Maybe a Colt’s?

I have read that it was a Great Western.

I've read he used Colts, but I also saw a later colored episode where his revolver had no firing pin; I suspect that was a Great Western. BTW, one could buy Great Westerns with no hammer mounted firing pin (it was a spring loaded frame mounted pin) or hammer mounted firing pins like Colts.
https://www.greatwesternfirearms.com/history/

deadeye dick said:

Big fan of Gunsmoke. Anyone know what he shot in the show? By that i mean what was the brand.

Click to expand...

This from the Internet Firearm Database. They are generally pretty accurate but probably not as discerning as some of the members here:

Single Action Army US Marshal Matt Dillon Gunsmoke 7.5" barreled "Cavalry Model" 1955-1975
Winchester Model 1873 US Marshal Matt Dillon Gunsmoke 24" Barrel Rifle 1955-1975

https://www.imfdb.org/wiki/James_Arness

The data base is wrong about the rifle. I don't think I ever saw him use a '73 Winchester. In seasons 1-2, his rifle rack held a number of full length 1892 rifles, along with some long double barrel shotguns. After that, the rifles became carbine 1892s with correct carbine buttstocks. Then later, the carbines had rifle buttstocks (which are longer than the carbine buttstock); probably because the rifle length stock fit him better.

Sacramento Johnson said:

The data base is wrong about the rifle. I don't think I ever saw him use a '73 Winchester. In seasons 1-2, his rifle rack held a number of full length 1892 rifles, along with some long double barrel shotguns. After that, the rifles became carbine 1892s with correct carbine buttstocks. Then later, the carbines had rifle buttstocks (which are longer than the carbine buttstock); probably because the rifle length stock fit him better.

Click to expand...

I'm sure you are correct. As I said the members here are much more discerning about such things. That database tends to be more correct on movies and TV shows of the last 20 years than the older movies and shows. Just like Wikipedia, I sometimes use it as a starting point.

There were several made for tv movies he made after the series ended and in the promo poster for one he had a Blackhawk with adjustable sights. I choked, but at least it was a 7 1/2".

I was referring to the TV series. In the later TV movies he used a Winchester '73 and even a Henry 1860 in one, if I recall correctly.

I believe but I'm not positive, that his revolver and rig (at least one) are in a display case in the Cody Firearms Museum, in Cody Wyoming. I visited there earlier in the summer. I'm quite sure there was a "Gunsmoke" display, along with "Have Gun, Will Travel", "Wanted Dead Or Alive", and a few others.

The only movie I'm aware of that had an unwavering commitment to historic accuracy was "SHANE". Even the clothes they wore and the sound made by black powder cartridges to the layout of the town. All researched and reproduced in detail. If you look at my avatar, that's Jack Wilson, hired gunfighter.

Sacramento Johnson said:

I've read he used Colts, but I also saw a later colored episode where his revolver had no firing pin; I suspect that was a Great Western. BTW, one could buy Great Westerns with no hammer mounted firing pin (it was a spring loaded frame mounted pin) or hammer mounted firing pins like Colts.
https://www.greatwesternfirearms.com/history/

Click to expand...

The standard model as furnished had the Christy type firing pin. For $8.00 more a Colt hammer could be substituted. And those early hammers were in fact made by Colt and bore the rampant colt trademark.

And, the successor to the Great Western, the Hy Hunter, also had the Christy firing pin.

Bob Wright.

Identifying his TV guns are easy.

What did he use for the 9 year radio run?

jski said:

The only movie I'm aware of that had an unwavering commitment to historic accuracy was "SHANE". Even the clothes they wore and the sound made by black powder cartridges to the layout of the town. All researched and reproduced in detail. If you look at my avatar, that's Jack Wilson, hired gunfighter.

Click to expand...

Jack Palance...the perfect bad guy. As I recall he was a WW2 vet and was burned about the face...I'd cast him to be a hired gun, too.

Hollywood typically gets a lot wrong with anything to do with firearms.

eddiememphis said:

Identifying his TV guns are easy.

What did he use for the 9 year radio run?

Click to expand...

It was probably a big stick hitting a table in the radio series for the main shot sound, no need for an actual gun although people weren't as stupid back then as they are now. Knew that a gun was made to kill people, not for testing a vest on your best friend, to see how well it will protect!
FYI William Conrad of Cannon fame played Matt Dillon on radio.
https://ia-petabox.archive.org/details/OTRR_Gunsmoke_Singles

eddiememphis said:

Identifying his TV guns are easy.

What did he use for the 9 year radio run?

Click to expand...

I don't know what gun he used, if any at all. But he would have had to have a larger gun belt!

Bob Wright

Just4FunOldGuns said:

It was probably a big stick hitting a table in the radio series for the main shot sound, no need for an actual gun although people weren't as stupid back then as they are now. Knew that a gun was made to kill people, not for testing a vest on your best friend, to see how well it will protect!
FYI William Conrad of Cannon fame played Matt Dillon on radio.
https://ia-petabox.archive.org/details/OTRR_Gunsmoke_Singles

Click to expand...

I don't think a stick and box would have produced the sound of gunfire. My guess is that it would have been some kind of compressed air device, as radio gunshots never sounded like gunshots, that is, no sharp report.

Bob Wright

In an early radio show, or so I'm told, an
opening sound was of Matt's footsteps
on a stairway after saying "bye" to
Miss Kitty.

I'm guessing she was sick that day
and he had paid a "get well" call.

Gunsmoke is one of several westerns on XM 148 Radio Classics. It's fun to listen to them and imagine a family sitting around a big old console radio.

The audio chain in radio stations use an electronic device known as a compressor/limiter. It will level out high peaks in the sound to keep modulation from going over 100%.

The ones from that era tended to make the outcome of a sharp crack (like a stick hitting a flat surface) into a thump like dropping a fat book on a desk. Also, in those days, everything was on AM radio, with it's lack of the higher frequencies found in loud, percussive sounds.

At least that is something I've learned in 60 years in the broadcast business.

Kind of like banging 2 coconuts in sand to simulate hooves of the horse's.



A 10 minute 1938 short.

Matt's gun and belt were on display last summer in the Buffalo Bill Museum in Cody, WY...we saw it t here along with Paladin's gun & holster as well as many others. A search will turn up a pic of the display. Rod