5 guns!

Z

ZVP

New member
In the big shootout in the Movie near the end, Josie is outside, shot in the side, and has 5 different guns in his holsters!
I have herd that
Bloody Bill wanted his troops to carry 4 revolvers, so Josie might be right historically!
BPDave
 
Confederate guerrillas carried 2 to 8 revolvers. This is George Maddox. He rode with Bill Quantrill. He is carrying four Remington new model revolvers.
Maddox_George_JPG_650x500_upscale_q85_zps95f16412.jpg
 
Don't want to miss the fun here. I can't find where Josey was carrying 5 on his person, only 4. Those 2 Walkers in over the coat holsters, an 1860 in his belt and his His shoulder holster pistol alternated between a:
Colt 1849 pocket model pistol (.31 cal)
Colt 1962 Pocket Navy revolver (.36 cal)
and an 1860 Army with a cut down barrel, according to those who seem to know these things. I thought it was a 1849 the whole time, Oh well.

When I saw the movie in 1976, I had no idea of the anachronism of all these different pistols. Of course now, I cringe and smile and keep watching one of the greatest westerns in history. Of course IMHO :p
wales1.jpg


In this shot he has 6, with 2 of them on the horn and the shoulder holster not seen.

8x10_clint%20eastwood%20outlawjoseywales2.jpg


clint-eastwood-the-outlaw-josey-wales.jpg


Josey Wales is SO good, he doesn't even need front sites on his pistols.

Here's a good shot of what he carried in the movie:
600px-TOJWWALESARMORY.jpg


Lastly, a nice shot of the 1849:
600px-TOJWColt1849Pocket-4.jpg
 
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As I recall, when I counted the shots, it was 'correct' for the pistols upon his person...

Anyone else look at it from this angle???
 
Most of the reenacting community seems pretty much in agreement that the idea of soldiers being routinely festooned with pistols is pretty much a Hollywood creation. You see it sometimes in period staged photographs but they say that these were mostly props.

Steve
 
Perhaps as far as soldiers, enlisted men are concerned. Yes, one or more revolvers would be an expense they most likely could not afford. As civilians, like we are for the most part, or guerrilla fighters, why not carry as many as you could afford? The fastest reload (excepting freaks of nature like Munden or Miculek) is still dropping one gun and picking up another.
 
This was going on 150 years before the Civil War.

Back in the slow-to-reload days, it was pretty common practice to carry more than one. This goes back to BlackBeard's days even. From what I've read, when he was in battle dress, he would carry three braces (pairs) of cocked-and-primed pistols strapped across his chest and more at his sides.:eek:
 
Deerslayer, not counting holsters and belts I'll bet the loaded guns would run 9-10#... Men were tougher back in Josey's day.. :cool:
 
That's a load of metal, for sure.

A Walker weighs 4-1/2#
An 1860 (not sawed off) weighs 2#-11oz.
The 1849 weighs a pound and a half.
They would add up pretty quick!

**I didn't even count the lead in em,
**and the extra for reloads, but then probably the horse would carry that.
 
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Heck, everyone was tougher then.
Most everything was done manually.
By comparison, we are wimps.
Of course they died much younger, too.
 
I love how folks say this and that was never done during the civil war and how photos were all 'staged' showing men 'festooned' with pistols.

There is a tintype I have seen in my Grandad's collection of a dead Confederate with at least 4 pistols on his rotting person.

Oh, wait...that just couldn't happen!!!!!
 
I might not have been "festooned" in the first skirmish, but if I survived it and my side won that one, I sure would have been, in the second! ;)
("festooned", that is...)
 
Little doubt...

... in my mind affordability had little to do with it. I'm sure many pistols were pilfered from the dead. I'm sure cylinders were as well.

Birch
 
From what I've read. There were instances where a brace or more were holstered and attached to their horses saddle itself. I guess back in the day one could never have enough firepower at hand. Just a thought here: if your going to run out of ammo in a battle situation. You'd hope to be the last one and not the first one. Am I right about that ZVP?_:)
 
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