paladin's gun?
- Thread starter laktrash
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I believe it is a Colt Single Action Army (SAA) - aka 1873 or informally "Peacemaker" - of 7.5" or "Cavalry" length--probably in .45 Colt (aka .45 Long Colt or LC). Although--over the years and currently--most are/were purchased in the other/shorter standard 4-3/4" and 5-1/2" lengths, 7.5" is not uncommon. It was the initial length adopted by the US Army in 1873 for the gun. This basic gun (w/o the fancy grips) is still produced by Colt--or obviously in the used market--for about $1200, available through Colt (new) and any number of vendors or private parties (new/used), or American-made replicas by USFA www.usfirearms.com. from $700-1200 (various finish levels) and Italian-made (Uberti via www.cimarron-firearms.com or www.taylorsfirearms.com among others or Pietta via www.emf-company.com and others)--for $400-700. Gripmakers such as www.gunfighter928.com and others can replicate the grips with the signature silver "knight" inlay. And a number of gun leather makers have "Paladin" or "Have Gun Will Travel" replica rigs.
More than you asked for, but hope it helps.
Later Edit: Unless someone knows specifically otherwise, there is a chance that the specific gun used by "Paladin" for TV purposes was a Great Western, a US-made replica of the Colt SAA. GW came about originally in the mid-fifties to fill a void--especially for Hollywood--left by Colt which had ceased SAA production at the start of WWII. A lot of westerns (movies and TV) used these GWs. Colt re-started production in 1956, and by the early 60s, GW was history-- though I'm sure some guns lived on on Hollywood movie sets. (The name "Great Western" was resurrected by EMF for its Pietta-made guns several years ago). In any event, the Paladin gun was--or was "intended" to be--a Colt.
More than you asked for, but hope it helps.
Later Edit: Unless someone knows specifically otherwise, there is a chance that the specific gun used by "Paladin" for TV purposes was a Great Western, a US-made replica of the Colt SAA. GW came about originally in the mid-fifties to fill a void--especially for Hollywood--left by Colt which had ceased SAA production at the start of WWII. A lot of westerns (movies and TV) used these GWs. Colt re-started production in 1956, and by the early 60s, GW was history-- though I'm sure some guns lived on on Hollywood movie sets. (The name "Great Western" was resurrected by EMF for its Pietta-made guns several years ago). In any event, the Paladin gun was--or was "intended" to be--a Colt.
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aarondhgraham
New member
You and me Laktrash,,,
Click here for the intro,,,
I still have trouble with the "1 ounce trigger",,,
But what the heck anyways,,,
I loved that show.
I too had the complete rig,,,
Even had the belt buckle with the trick derringer.
Push out your belly and it actuated a spring trigger,,,
The derringer would swing out on a hinge,,,
and shot a cap and a plastic bullet.
Click here for the intro,,,
I still have trouble with the "1 ounce trigger",,,
But what the heck anyways,,,
I loved that show.
I too had the complete rig,,,
Even had the belt buckle with the trick derringer.
Push out your belly and it actuated a spring trigger,,,
The derringer would swing out on a hinge,,,
and shot a cap and a plastic bullet.
Interesting show, that was. Somehow I don't think it was meant to be so authentic, which makes some of the technical howlers it contains a little easier to take.
As I recall, they usually started with a closeup of the eponymous Gun, with Paladin talking about it in a voice-over. I remember him saying it was custom made with rifling in the barrel to make it more accurate. Apparently in Paladin's world revolver barrels aren't rifled as a matter of course. It probably turns out that rifling is not compatible with whatever tech allows a 'six-shooter' to fire forty or fifty times without reloading...
As I recall, they usually started with a closeup of the eponymous Gun, with Paladin talking about it in a voice-over. I remember him saying it was custom made with rifling in the barrel to make it more accurate. Apparently in Paladin's world revolver barrels aren't rifled as a matter of course. It probably turns out that rifling is not compatible with whatever tech allows a 'six-shooter' to fire forty or fifty times without reloading...
"The" Paladin gun was actually more likely four Colts, and possibly a fifth.
There's info available that indicates four Colts were used on the show, one sold several years ago that traced back to Boone himself, and there's a fifth one in the Cody museum in Wyoming. The Cody gun may possibly have been one of the four.
Most of the people who could tell us which was what are dead.
But, safe to say that any & all were First Gen Colts, in various conditions.
Denis
There's info available that indicates four Colts were used on the show, one sold several years ago that traced back to Boone himself, and there's a fifth one in the Cody museum in Wyoming. The Cody gun may possibly have been one of the four.
Most of the people who could tell us which was what are dead.
But, safe to say that any & all were First Gen Colts, in various conditions.
Denis
SilentHitz
New member
I proudly admit I got the same thing, and another year, got the Mattel Rifleman set that fired the hard plastic bullets...I felt like the kewlest 'cowboy' in the neighborhood. LOL
aarondhgraham
New member
There was this old SASS cowboy,,,
I met him when I was doing Cowboy Action Shooting in Riverside, CA in the early 90's.
He was a wrangler/stuntman for Have Gun Will Travel, The Deputy, and a few other shows I can't remember,,,
He said that on the HGWT set, there was one young kid whose responsibility was to follow Richard Boone around, pick up his gun, and hand it back to him whenever he dropped it,,,
Which apparently happened a lot.
He did say it wasn't Boone's fault so much as the extreme cutaway holster they had made for the show.
He had some great stories about the filming of those old series',,,
He even had an original Arvo Ojala gunbelt and holster set,,,
He said it was one of the rigs made for James Arness,,,
It did have Mr. Ojala's maker mark tooled on it,,,
And also has a J. A. on the lining in pen.
One time I think he was taking grief from the non-believers of his stories,,,
He brought a huge photo album with a much younger him,,,
And just about every 1950's cowboy star I ever saw,,,
I loved having a beer with him after the shoots.
I met him when I was doing Cowboy Action Shooting in Riverside, CA in the early 90's.
He was a wrangler/stuntman for Have Gun Will Travel, The Deputy, and a few other shows I can't remember,,,
He said that on the HGWT set, there was one young kid whose responsibility was to follow Richard Boone around, pick up his gun, and hand it back to him whenever he dropped it,,,
Which apparently happened a lot.
He did say it wasn't Boone's fault so much as the extreme cutaway holster they had made for the show.
He had some great stories about the filming of those old series',,,
He even had an original Arvo Ojala gunbelt and holster set,,,
He said it was one of the rigs made for James Arness,,,
It did have Mr. Ojala's maker mark tooled on it,,,
And also has a J. A. on the lining in pen.
One time I think he was taking grief from the non-believers of his stories,,,
He brought a huge photo album with a much younger him,,,
And just about every 1950's cowboy star I ever saw,,,
I loved having a beer with him after the shoots.
Info from someone who worked in a shop in California dealing with TV & movie guns at the time was that two of the four that came through were "A" guns (nice) and the other two were beaters. The A guns would have been used for close-ups & so on, the other two for long camera shots, backups & scenes where Paladin deliberately dropped the gun.
Denis
Denis
aarondhgraham
New member
He was my hero for other reasons as well,,,
A majority of his episodes started with him in his hotel lobby,,,
Usually with a lovely lady (or two) on his arm.
This was not a "Leave the girl and kiss the horse" cowboy,,,
Paladin knew how to live life large.
In 20 years of television episodes,,,
I'm not sure Marshal Dillon ever kissed Miss Kitty.
What a fool!
A majority of his episodes started with him in his hotel lobby,,,
Usually with a lovely lady (or two) on his arm.
This was not a "Leave the girl and kiss the horse" cowboy,,,
Paladin knew how to live life large.
In 20 years of television episodes,,,
I'm not sure Marshal Dillon ever kissed Miss Kitty.
What a fool!
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