Did Cowboys Carry Pistols?

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Old Bill Dibble

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I don't know that much about the Old West frontier era, or honestly much about pistols of that time.

The movies would have us believe that a man wouldn't even take a bath without a gun. Everyone seemed to carry one; in town, in the saloon, on the range... everywhere (except Tombstone). I find it tough to believe that pistol usage was that widespread given the cost of the guns, ammo and overall capabilities of the side arms of the day.

If anyone in the know could direct me to some solid historical evidence I would be curious to see it.

ETA- Not just "cowboys" that would seem to limit it to ranch hands, but overall gun carry during the frontier era is what I am curious about.
 
I've got nothing historical, but I've got a pretty good idea that most didn't.
I work a very physical job, and I'll tell ya it's a real pain in the butt to pack ANYTHING that isn't absolutely necessary to the job at hand.
In the daily life of the average cowboy, a three pound revolver isn't gonna be very useful, handy, or necessary. jd
 
In the daily life of the average cowboy, a three pound revolver isn't gonna be very useful, handy, or necessary
Click to expand...

Except for snakes, cougars, coyotes, wolves, black bears, grizzly bears, two legged predators and any food animal when they get hungry.

They're paid to move and protect the herd, not just watch them.
 
Many old photos are in existence that show the carrying of holstered handguns.

I remember seeing a photo of an old time peace officer wearing a buscadero rig, obviously made for a Colt revolver, but in the holster was a Luger pistol? And the Texas Ranger museum in Waco has some rigs worn by latter day rangers for the Colt Government Model .45 pistol.

As "civilization" progressed, many towns prohibited the open carry of revolvers, so the more discreet practice of pocket revolvers was the vogue in the day.

Bob Wright
 
Many ranches banned their employees from carrying any personal weapons; if a man who carried a gun was hired, his gun was kept for him until he left. If there was a need to have a gun, the ranch issued one for as long as needed, which usually meant when the employee was working cattle away from the home ranch.

Many of the "cowtowns" with railheads to which the cattle were driven had strong gun laws and guns were collected by the town lawmen when the "cowboys" came into town, then returned when they left.

As you might imagine given the wide variety of conditions, there was little uniformity about gun rules and laws, but the totally lawless, free-wheeling, no law kind of community was pretty rare even in the so-called "wild west." And, of course, laws were often violated (shock and surprise!).

Of course, the gunfights and gangs make the best stories, so that is what the writers on the age gave out, then and now.

But that particular combination of historical circumstances was one that will probably never be repeated. The end of a massive civil war with tens of thousands of young men at loose and armed; a wide open area of millions of square miles with little or no law; recent gold and silver finds; a newly wealthy populace in the east who wanted cheap steaks; and few laws or rules on the exploitation of natural resources. That makes for the massive growth of a country, but also for a lot of trouble.

Jim
 
According to Elmer Keith cowboys in the 1900-1930 period sure carried handguns. If nothing else to shoot their own horses if they spooked, threw you off and your foot hung in the stirrup as they dragged you across the countryside to your death.
 
I will suggest that carrying a handgun on the belt while out in open territory was almost universal in the uncivilized areas, area full of wolf, coyote, civil war renegades, even an occasional angry redskin. As time passed and the cowboys riding the range became less common and it got a bit safer, things would have changed, and maybe revolvers gave way a bit to only rifles.

I don't believe that open carry in town was as common as shown, not in places where there was order and civilization. Out on the genuine frontier, yes, carry in town took place.

This discussion about open carry in town begs the question, what else would you do with it? Imagine owning a gun, staying in a stable or shack, would you leave it there if you left for the day? No, you'd hang it on your belt, since it is easier to carry and the risk of theft is diminished. Sure, a guy could put it in his rucksack, but whY carry an extra few pounds in the pack? A guy could leave his pack anywhere, all it had was some clothing and necessities.
 
Assuming that you were not required to check your gun with the local badge you could leave it with the innkeeper if you were staying somewhere reputable. In those days I do know that the standard of care that an Innkeeper had to to observe with the safety of you and your personal items was a bit higher.

If you were poor I think you most likely would not have a pistol.
 
I guess you could ask yourself what the term "cowboy" means and in what time period cowboys stopped being a thing.

Some say the cowboys are all dead.

Some say they're still out there, their horses are now pickups, but they still do the same thing and many dress traditionally and it's not uncommon for them to carry traditional "cowboy" guns as well because a good single action revolver is still a great thing for out on the trail.

JMHO.

YMMV.
 
The new range or ranch rifles aren't just toys, they're tools in the hands of the new"cowboy," even if he's just a guy in a truck who drives all over the place look in at cell towers. When my friend down in Texas goes out and mows his acres, he puts on belt and pistol, and winds up shooting a few cottonmouths every year.

Don't have to work with cows to be pretty much like a Frederick Remington cowboy.
 
I have a well worn 1903 Colt SAA 4 3/4" in 32-20 that came off a ranch in Texas and certainly did not spend it's days languishing on a peg in the gun cabinet. As i have read history of the indian wars and cattle drives most cowboys did their best to own a handgun and a rifle for self protection and preservation of their life and the herds they were guarding. If my pistol is any indication some of the cowboys spent a great deal of their income on ammunition and hopefully became good shots.
 
The rifle would have been essential for a real range rider, at least a few in a crew, a colt couldn't drop a deer or wolf beyond a short distance.
 
Yip, a lever action rifle (often in the same cartridge the revolver used) was a welcome friend for sure. Some single shot designs typically chambered in larger rounds also saw use.
 
If you look at pics of cowboys lounging around a bunkhouse they're usually wearing guns. If you look at pics of them actually working or on a trail drive they are not. Methinks the bunkhouse pics are set up by the photographers.
 
Many of the photos i recall in publications reflect the man, horse, belt gun and rifle. Non cowboy types on the frontier relied primarily on the shotgun.
 
A whole lot of civil war veterans had cap and ball revolvers.
Not every "cowboy"gun was a Colt Peacemaker.
By 1892,the US Gov't had purchased 37,000 SAA's.Production was 144,000.
First Gens ceased production 1940,with over 357,000 produced.

I wonder what the "Outwest" population was in the cattle drive days?

I'd agree,maybe more urban folks would not carry a heavy handgun.But the break top 38's and 32's,among other firearms were carried as we might carry today,no "CCW" required.

Not just the Cowboy,but people traveling long distances on a horse ? Would you ride a horse through "outback" Arizona,Texas,New Mexico,Wyoming or Montana unarmed today?

I do not suggest the average range Cowboy was a "Gunfighter" But look at old,historic photos.They often did pack iron.
Look at the book "Packing Iron",a study of holsters.

Then there is Elmer...

http://americanhandgunner.com/exclusive-web-extra-the-first-generation-colt-single-action-army/
 
A lot of "cowboys" carried guns but darned few carried Colt SAA's. A cowboy got paid $.50 a day and his meals. Clothes and "found" were on him. A Colt SAA cost around $16, plus another buck or so for a box of ammo. After a couple of months looking at the wrong end of a cow, a cowboy hit town wanting a lot of things, and an expensive gun that would cost his whole pay was not high on his list.

Not a lot of "real cowboys" carried SAA Colts. A U.S. Marshal would have carried an issue SAA, since he worked for the Army, but his sheriff friend might have had anything from a .32 teat fire to a .450 Webley.

They mostly carried the same kind of guns folks carried elsewhere - .32 and .38 pocket revolvers, old percussion guns or conversions, and other guns of the same kind and caliber as were carried by more "civilized" Easterners. Look at the catalogs and go toward the cheap sections. That is where the "cowboy" was looking.

Jim
 
I've never been out west but I grew up on and around farm in the 50s and 60s in the east. Firearms were not a priority to farmers or farmhands. They were simply tools. Being deep in the mountains with a lot of trees, long range shooting was not needed or possible. The standard firearm of the farmer was a 12 gauge single shot shotgun with 00 buckshot with a full choke and the kids got a 22 single shot rifle as their first gun.
 
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