New video. The Bill Akins draw.

B

Bill Akins

New member
Thought some of you black powder revolver users would enjoy this video. I'm using twin nickel plated, Pietta .44 cal, 1860's, with
stainless, fluted, cylinders. The shorter barreled 1858 Rem Uberti .44, you can see (once) flipped in the air but mostly in my shoulder holster.
I recommend watching it in full screen.

I taught my draw to the actor in the pre production, upcoming spaghetti western called "Fist of Guanto". He contacted me due to my earlier other YouTube videos of my special draw and gives me credit for the draw technique in his film. They also have a facebook, Twitter and YouTube page for their "Fist of Guanto" spaghetti western which I include the links of below, and are currently in editing for the preview short (to gain financial backers) the preview which is called "Shoot in any direction and you'll hit a bastard" and the planned full length film will be "Fist of Guanto".

I am not a spokesperson for the proposed preview short nor feature movie and I am not IN the movie (although I'd luv that! Lol), and
I do not receive any payment in any way for inventing and inspiring the butt forward draw from the holster directly.
I am honored someone liked it enough to want to put it into a movie and I was glad to advise and help with the draw technique.

First below, my latest video that I AM in and hosting.

http://vimeo.com/118555330

Below, the e mail from the actor using my draw technique in the film short and feature, as well as links to their social media sites about the
upcoming spaghetti western.

"Hey Bill thanks for swapping emails with me.

So once we began actually shooting the movie the decision was kind of made to take down a lot of the behind the scenes "footage" as to not discourage anyone from how the actual finished product will look (vastly superior than the test footage in theory).

We are now deep in post production, been editing for what seems like months... oh wait... it has been months... and to think this is only the "short" film which is supposed to ignite a feature (aka some financing).

The short is titled "Shoot In Any Dircetion And You'll Hit A Bastard" and the proposed feature is called "Fist Of Guanto"

There will be a couple of good draws in the completed short, including the Archimedes Screw which I will personally confirm at any given moment was directly inspired by the Bill Akins draw as our screen test video proclaimed. Let me know if there is anything specific I can do for you along these lines my friend.

In the meantime please feel free to follow our progress at the following links, in fact we would appreciate it!"

http://www.guantomovie.com
http://www.facebook.com/guantomovie
http://www.twitter.com/guantomovie
http://www.youtube.com/guantomovie
 
Hartcreek, I have owned 1847 Colt Walker repros. I have spun and twirled Colt Walker repros. I can do the "Curly Bill" spin with them (just not as fast as that fake speeded up footage Eastwood's character did in the movie). I am very familiar with the Walker's twirling and spinning qualities or difficulty thereof in doing. The Colt Walker weighs 4.5 lbs and is very heavy for a revolver. It is 15.5 inches overall in length and has a 9 inch barrel. For you to say it is not "that" heavy is incorrect. To most people it is. I can spin and twirl them, but how many people can? For that matter how many people can effectively spin an 8 inch barrel 1860 or 1858 Remy? Let's see a video of you using a Walker and twirling and spinning, and flipping it up into the air and catching it like I do my 1858 Remy and 1860 Colts. Let's see how fast you can draw and cock the Walker Colt butt first from your holster using my draw technique. I'd like to see video of your expertise on that Hartcreek.

It is obvious that in the movie "Josey Wales" that particular segment of film was speeded up to make it appear Wales spun them much faster than he really did. Here is the segment in question.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5gFrB_ldhk

Anyone who is truly familiar with the 1847 Colt Walker, will agree that Eastwood's character could not have done the "Curly Bill" spin "that fast" given the weight and length of those revolvers.

Also, if one were to listen to what I actually said in my video, I never said the Colt Walker could not be spun and twirled. It can be. I can do it. What I said was it could not be spun "like that". The "like that" that I was referring to, was the fake speed they were spun at by Eastwood's character in the movie.

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Bill,

Did you polish the triggers and triggerguards to keep from sawing your fingers off? I would bet your fingers are nothing one big callous. I just think it is cool to be able to do that spinning stuff.:cool:
 
Thanks rodwhaincamo, glad you enjoyed it. How did that work out for you doing the Curly Bill spin with your ROA? Did you get it down successfully?

Thanks g.willikers. Glad you enjoyed it. Yeah I can't wait to see the actor I showed my draw to, use it in the spaghetti western movie. Yes I dropped revolvers quite a few times learning to spin and twirl them. But very very seldom drop any now. I started working on my spin draw from the holster, waaaay back in the early 1980's using my G&G (Confederate copy of the 1851 Colt, only with a half round barrel). When I was first learning, I'd practice over the bed or couch so if the revolver fell, it wouldn't hurt it. I highly recommend that to twirling and spinning newbies.

No DoubleDeuce 1, I didn't have to polish the triggers and triggerguards. They are already slick and nickel plated. Actually they are so slick I only get a very slight hardly noticeable callous on my twirling/trigger finger.

Thanks Trum4n1208, glad you enjoyed it. You shouldn't have any problems doing it with your '75 Remys. Just remember and practice over the bed or a couch or some kind of cushion to protect the revolver in case you drop it. And everyone drops it when they are first learning. I did.

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Mr Akins: I did indeed get the spin down fairly well, though I'm not as smooth as you. And I also dropped mine. Should have thought of the bed trick...

Making me want to try it again (been a couple of years)!
 
I had to figure that out with my ROA after seeing Clint do it.
Click to expand...

I seriously doubt Clint did that move.

Also, I thought that was called the "road agent spin". Anyway, well done Bill! I bet a lot of us are going to try that out. I can do a pretty good road agent spin with my remmy. I don't have anything as heavy as a walker, but would have to agree that it would be a stretch to make that work with one.
 
I can't get my 7.5" ROA moving very fast. I would have been shot in that scene... I also haven't tried cocking it. I was having enough fun just spinning it.
 
noelf2 wrote:
I seriously doubt Clint did that move.

I agree with you Noelf2. I don't think Clint did that spin either. And despite whoever DID do it, it is obvious the footage was speeded up to make it appear a faster spin.

Noelf2 wrote: Also, I thought that was called the "road agent spin". Anyway, well done Bill! I bet a lot of us are going to try that out. I can do a pretty good road agent spin with my remmy. I don't have anything as heavy as a walker, but would have to agree that it would be a stretch to make that work with one.
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Correct Noelf2. It is known as "The Road Agent spin", "The Curly Bill Spin" and possible several other names,...all meaning the same thing. I also agree with your assessment of the difficulty of doing it with a Walker. I can and have done it, but it is heavy and fairly difficult to do and simply can't be done at the speed it was done in the movie with a Walker (the footage of which was obviously sped up).....unless perhaps one is Jerry Miculek world renown fast draw artist. Jerry MIGHT be able to do it, but the average person could not.

rodwhaincamo wrote:
I can't get my 7.5" ROA moving very fast. I would have been shot in that scene... I also haven't tried cocking it. I was having enough fun just spinning it.

Rod when you spin and cock it, practice having your thumb out ready and in position to cock the hammer as soon as the revolver finishes its spin. It's quicker to cock that way. Caution, on 1858 Remys, you have to be more careful fan cocking than with the Colts, because the colts don't have a projection on the hammer to cut you badly, but the Remy has a sharp projection that if you fan cock it incorrectly, you can split your cocking hand wide open. So be careful if you try the spin and cock with an 1858 Remy and only thumb cock it until you get real good and confident you won't catch your palm and split it open in fan cocking it. Can't stress that enough. Hasn't happened to me, but I'm experienced and it could STILL happen to me if I'm not careful fan cocking an 1858 Remy.
 
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I may just have to begin trying the spin and cock. I do have a Remington as well, but I doubt I'll ever try fanning any of my revolvers.

One never knows though... Thanks for the heads up!

The gar seemed fitting as well!
 
Right now all my BP revolvers are loaded including the Uberti replica 1847 sitting in my lap. It is heavy yes but spinning it is not a problem just not so great an idea with it loaded as it is now. I practice with it when it is empty because it makes spinning with lesser revolvers that much easier.

As for the segment in the video there was a segment from the NRA museum featuring one of the Walkers from the film and the rubber molds made from it. The rubber guns are so close you can read the serial number. I have no doubt that the spin in Josey Wales is pieced together from segments with the rubber guns and cocking and fireing the original.
 
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