Trivia question: What did Wyatt Earp carry in that movie?
For Fun: Wyatt Earp's Semiautomatic
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Trivia question: What did Wyatt Earp carry in that movie?
KodiakBeer
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This!
SharpsDressedMan
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Earp lived long enough and lived his later life in urban areas, and had opportunity to own the semi-autos of the day. I could see him packing a Colt .32 or .380 under his suit coat.
gordy
Member
Oh I see the man with a Sig 229.
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
SharpsDressed...I could see that...and a sign over the door:
"Wyatt Earp Detective Agency."
"Wyatt Earp Detective Agency."
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
FTG...Probably his favorite...a .44 caliber Merwin and Hulbert. Conflicting stories indicate that his OK Corral gun may have been a No 3 Schofield...but his favored sixgun was the Merwin. At a distance, the two looked enough alike that it could have been a case of mistaken gun-dentity.
Maple_City_Woodsman
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Wyatt Earp lived until 1929. By the time he died, semi-autos had already been on the market for 40 years, with reliable models widely available for at least 30.
I don't think anyone here can say that he did or didn't own one? He certainly had plenty of time to try them out.
I don't think anyone here can say that he did or didn't own one? He certainly had plenty of time to try them out.
Old thread but just came across it...
Regarding the Buntline controversy: Lee Silva makes a good argument in favor of Wyatt owning a Buntline. I am not in either camp at this time but I think it is impossible to say its not fact.
Regarding Earp being anti-2nd: I dont think so. In fact, I know thats not true. Earp owned guns, carried guns both as an officer and as a civilian, and was known to have certain favorites. Never met an "anti" like that before. Would you label security personnel at an airport as "anti-gun" because they are doing the job that the citizens have paid them to do? Of course not. The business owners of that time did not want their customers being shot because they snickered or said the wrong thing to a drunken cow boy or card shark. As a side note, I could see Wyatt enforcing the weapons laws with rowdy characters, and turning his head to the law abiding citizens who were known to carry. Most people dont realize what LE had to deal with back then. Lee Silva also does a good job of explaining this in his book "Wyatt Earp A Biography of a Legend: Volume I The Cowtown Years"
Source? I've read some books on Holliday (Gary Roberts and Karen Tanners among others) and have never even heard of this. I did a search for this and found there is a TV episode called "Death Valley Days - Doc's Gold Bars" that Im guessing portrays this event happening, but most of those old westerns were about 96% fiction (or more). Its those old TV shows and dime store novels that have gotten history so twisted up in my opinion.
Where?
Regarding the Buntline controversy: Lee Silva makes a good argument in favor of Wyatt owning a Buntline. I am not in either camp at this time but I think it is impossible to say its not fact.
Regarding Earp being anti-2nd: I dont think so. In fact, I know thats not true. Earp owned guns, carried guns both as an officer and as a civilian, and was known to have certain favorites. Never met an "anti" like that before. Would you label security personnel at an airport as "anti-gun" because they are doing the job that the citizens have paid them to do? Of course not. The business owners of that time did not want their customers being shot because they snickered or said the wrong thing to a drunken cow boy or card shark. As a side note, I could see Wyatt enforcing the weapons laws with rowdy characters, and turning his head to the law abiding citizens who were known to carry. Most people dont realize what LE had to deal with back then. Lee Silva also does a good job of explaining this in his book "Wyatt Earp A Biography of a Legend: Volume I The Cowtown Years"
Source? I've read some books on Holliday (Gary Roberts and Karen Tanners among others) and have never even heard of this. I did a search for this and found there is a TV episode called "Death Valley Days - Doc's Gold Bars" that Im guessing portrays this event happening, but most of those old westerns were about 96% fiction (or more). Its those old TV shows and dime store novels that have gotten history so twisted up in my opinion.
Where?
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TexasBill
Member
Virgil Earp was the real lawman in the family; he spent the largest portion of his life as a marshall, sheriff, constable or railroad agent. Even after he was crippled in Tombstone, he worked as a lawman. In fact, he was a deputy sheriff almost up to the time he died. Because of his law enforcement and military service, Virgil actually had more experience with firearms than Wyatt did.
Wyatt, who was younger and outlived Virgil by 24 years, got the good press and notoriety but likely never owned a Buntline Special because there probably never was a Buntline Special. Ned Buntline, the supposed donor, wrote only four Western-themed stories and they were all about Buffalo Bill Cody. In addition, Colt doesn't have any record of Buntline (or anyone else) ever ordering revolvers with 12-inch barrels in this time period. Historians now believe the Buntline Special was a product of Earp biographer Stuart Lake's highly embellished prose.
I find it hard to believe Wyatt Earp would choose a Glock. Glocks are ugly and Earp was a bit of a dandy. The engraved, nickel-plated .44 S&W American he used at the OK Corral was a gift from Tombstone's mayor and the publisher of the Tombstone Epitaph.
A scandium S&W .357 would probably be too unpleasant for a sidearm that saw frequent use (Earp was definitely not a masochist). Besides, shoulder holsters were reputed to be more Doc Holliday's style.
Where serious power was needed, Earp preferred a shotgun.
According to most reliable sources, Wyatt Earp seldom wore a gunbelt and it's a bit hard to imagine him in uniform with the standard duty rig.
It is easy to imagine Earp with a big S&W N-Frame, but it's easier to imagine him with a handgun he could drop in a pocket or tuck in his waistband, his preferred method of carry. IMHO, a .45 auto, perhaps a Colt Commander, would be the likely choice.
Wyatt, who was younger and outlived Virgil by 24 years, got the good press and notoriety but likely never owned a Buntline Special because there probably never was a Buntline Special. Ned Buntline, the supposed donor, wrote only four Western-themed stories and they were all about Buffalo Bill Cody. In addition, Colt doesn't have any record of Buntline (or anyone else) ever ordering revolvers with 12-inch barrels in this time period. Historians now believe the Buntline Special was a product of Earp biographer Stuart Lake's highly embellished prose.
I find it hard to believe Wyatt Earp would choose a Glock. Glocks are ugly and Earp was a bit of a dandy. The engraved, nickel-plated .44 S&W American he used at the OK Corral was a gift from Tombstone's mayor and the publisher of the Tombstone Epitaph.
A scandium S&W .357 would probably be too unpleasant for a sidearm that saw frequent use (Earp was definitely not a masochist). Besides, shoulder holsters were reputed to be more Doc Holliday's style.
Where serious power was needed, Earp preferred a shotgun.
According to most reliable sources, Wyatt Earp seldom wore a gunbelt and it's a bit hard to imagine him in uniform with the standard duty rig.
It is easy to imagine Earp with a big S&W N-Frame, but it's easier to imagine him with a handgun he could drop in a pocket or tuck in his waistband, his preferred method of carry. IMHO, a .45 auto, perhaps a Colt Commander, would be the likely choice.
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1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
It's buried in some of the biography. I've read several, and don't remember where it is...but it's there if ya look hard enough. I do remember that it was in Leadville, Co.
Very likely one of the Earps, and most likely from Wyatt, who apparently wasn't above running a scam.
Shienhausser
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Coonan .357
I can't believe he'd use anything weaker then a .44 Magnum, or .45 Colt.
WHY would you step down in power as better technology came along? .45 ACP
was designed to be equal to the .45 Colt, but failed in it's final presentation, unless you are using Buffalobore 255 grain LFN ACP ammunition.
At LEAST a .45 Colt Vaquero...
Since one gets hooked on SAA pistols, how about a .45 Colt revolver, with a reasonable length barrel, like 5"?
As for a semi-auto, the only reason for that would be a backup gun. I'd pick a Detonics Combatmaster. You can load it with rounds that come close to the .45 Colt, and, it's controllable, if a little heavy
for a BUG these days.
WHY would you step down in power as better technology came along? .45 ACP
was designed to be equal to the .45 Colt, but failed in it's final presentation, unless you are using Buffalobore 255 grain LFN ACP ammunition.
At LEAST a .45 Colt Vaquero...
Since one gets hooked on SAA pistols, how about a .45 Colt revolver, with a reasonable length barrel, like 5"?
As for a semi-auto, the only reason for that would be a backup gun. I'd pick a Detonics Combatmaster. You can load it with rounds that come close to the .45 Colt, and, it's controllable, if a little heavy
for a BUG these days.
Deaf Smith
Member
Due to the Earps propensity to using their guns as clubs to 'buffalo' drunks I'd have suggested an Automag in .44.
It makes a nice club that can still shoot after being used on the noggins of drunks.
Deaf
It makes a nice club that can still shoot after being used on the noggins of drunks.
Deaf
If you ever find the source let me know.
That is one theory, although I would argue it's fully speculative one. He was a flawed human being, no doubt. Nevertheless, I would be interested to hear a documented case of Wyatt pulling a "scam." The closest thing I have heard of a "scam" (my definition of scam is deliberately tricking people for your own profit) is speculation that he sold old pawn store Colts to unsuspecting journalist types who sought him out looking to "own a piece of history." I could see him doing that, although I could also see him doing it because he was tired of being hounded and figured if they were silly enough to assume it was what he used in his gunfights then so be it. He was not a publicity hound.
Gambling was viewed as a legitimate past time and even occupation in those days. Prostitution, although frowned upon, was rampant.
There is a lot of anti-earp literature out there. There is also a lot of Earp worship. They cant both be right. The truth usually lies somewhere in the middle, although I tend to lean towards the belief that in general he was an overall honorable man who did a heck of a job enforcing the law in a time which is hard for us to understand. Yes, I am pro-Earp.
Regarding Wyatt's image and Stuart Lakes Book: Between an aging memory, wanting to make himself look a little better in histories eyes, and Stuart Lakes writing aspiration, there were probably things that got glossed over or highlighted in the wrong ways. I would concede this and I think most historians would accept that as a minimum starting point. In most cases, much of what Stuart said was at least grounded in the truth.
Now back to the gun stuff:
Lake did write a letter to Colt inquiring about the "Buntline Special." In my opinion there can be only three possibilities as to why he would do this. Either A) Wyatt owned one and told Lake about it B) Wyatt exaggerated or lied about having one and told Lake about it or C) Earp never told Lake he owned one and Lake did it just so he could add legitimacy to his story.
I dont think C is likely cause Lake also wrote other people about it trying to track down the elusive Buntline, and thats just too much work when you dont believe in something. So that leaves A and B. I guess I dont really see what Earp had to gain by exaggerating the length of a barrel.
The Colt factory DID write back to Lake and said they found no record of such a gun, but were very honest in admitting that the record keeping was terrible back then. By no means did Colt definitively say that it wasnt made.
This is an endless controversy, much more than can be discussed here, but is studied in great detail in the book I mentioned earlier by Lee Silva (I recommend buying his book to anyone interested in this topic).
I think Earp would carry a govt sized 1911, to answer the OPs original thread
Lake did write a letter to Colt inquiring about the "Buntline Special." In my opinion there can be only three possibilities as to why he would do this. Either A) Wyatt owned one and told Lake about it B) Wyatt exaggerated or lied about having one and told Lake about it or C) Earp never told Lake he owned one and Lake did it just so he could add legitimacy to his story.
I dont think C is likely cause Lake also wrote other people about it trying to track down the elusive Buntline, and thats just too much work when you dont believe in something. So that leaves A and B. I guess I dont really see what Earp had to gain by exaggerating the length of a barrel.
The Colt factory DID write back to Lake and said they found no record of such a gun, but were very honest in admitting that the record keeping was terrible back then. By no means did Colt definitively say that it wasnt made.
This is an endless controversy, much more than can be discussed here, but is studied in great detail in the book I mentioned earlier by Lee Silva (I recommend buying his book to anyone interested in this topic).
I think Earp would carry a govt sized 1911, to answer the OPs original thread
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KodiakBeer
member
Good point Shaky! Even with a .22, I'd still stay off his lawn....
gyvel
Member
More than likely he would work for some agency of the Federal government and carry whatever the the duty weapon du jour was. He would be working for the Feds so he could cash in on loot from the RICO statutes.
Buck Kramer
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1911 long slide...
memphisjim
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Didn't he have a buntline in his pocket whe he entered the ring to referee snarky vs fitzsimmons? It was taken by police and he had to see a judge. He also intentionally robbed fitzsimmons of his victory so he and his friends could win their bets. Earp was not the great man most think him to be
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