Looking for historical info

[Bottom Dealin Mike, SASS #22273]

I wonder if any of the knowledgeable history buffs in the group can tell me of any actual western gun men who used five and a half inch barreled Colt SAAs?

 

I'm doing an article on that barrel length.

 

Thanks in advance.

[J-BAR #18287]

Guns of the Old West, an illustrated History; Dean K. Boorman; The Lyons Press,, 2002, ISBN 1-58574-702-5

 

Bisley 5 1/2 inch used by Pancho Villa, Page 81.

 

5 1/2 inch pearl handled SAA used by the Dalton gang, page 91

 

Firearms of the American West 1866-1894; Louis A. Garavaglia & Charles G. Worman; University Press of Colorado, 1997.

 

Engraved 5 1/2 inch SAA used by John Heath in a robbery in Bisbee, AZ, December 8, 1883, page 324.

 

5 1/2 inch Colt SAA used by John Selman to kill John Wesley Hardin in El Paso; Page 321.

 

 

gimme a footnote, OK??!!

[Willy B.SASS#26902]

Howdy Mike

You're probabally well aware of this but a goodly amount of 7 1/2" calvary SAA's were cut to 5 1/2" for use in the Spanish American war, I believe they called them the artillery model.

Willy B'

[Sgt. John Campbell, SASS #58165]

5 1/2" SAA's were the preferred pistols of the Arizona Rangers. Sgt. Jeff Kidder was well known for his nickel plated, engraved, mother-of-pearl gripped SAA that he carried, and used quite well.

[EL NEGRO GATO]

Howdy Mike, didn't George Patton carry a ivory handle 5 1/2 colt?

ENG

[Bottom Dealin Mike, SASS #22273]

Guys thanks for the input.

 

J-Bar, Thanks for the references. I actually had forgotten that I own the Boorman book until you mentioned it...I pulled it off the shelf as soon as I read your post.

 

The Garavaglis & Worman book, is by far the best overall firearms reference book for the era. I've had mine since it came out in 1985, and I refer to it all the time. The first volume, covering 1800 to 1866 is excellent as well.

 

My only issue with the Selman gun shown in Garavaglia & Worman is that it doesn't jive with the excellent photograph of Selman's gun on pages 54-55 of "Age of the Gunfighter" by Joseph Rosa. Rosa stated that Selman's gun was cut down to five inches, and it certainly looks like that's the case in the picture.

 

I appreciate all the help.

[Bottom Dealin Mike, SASS #22273]

The same picture of the Selman gun from Rosa's book is also on page 89 of Boorman's book...

[J-BAR #18287]

More:

 

The Peacemakers, Arms and Adventure in the American West, R. L. Wilson, Page 157:

 

5 inch SAA #53684 ordered from Colt by Bat Masterson. Pretty close, looks like a 5 1/2 in the photo.

 

Page 173, the Bisley Colt used by Cole Younger appears to be a 5 1/2.

 

The Selman Colt and the Dalton Colt also show up on pages 176-77. Emmett Dalton's old 5 1/2 inch is shown on page 178.

 

Black Jack Ketcham's 5 1/2 is on pages 182-83.

 

 

Sixguns by Elmer Keith contains several photos of 5 1/2 inch slip guns owned by John Newman.

 

And finally Elmer's own #5 custom SAA was a 5 1/2 incher.

 

Enjoy!!

[Bottom Dealin Mike, SASS #22273]

J-Bar, if I had a budget I'd hire you as a researcher...LOL

 

This is the second time today that you've pointed me towards a book I own, but hadn't checked.

 

I'm tempted to use Ketchum as my hook into the article on Century International Arms' new Pietta-built SAA clone. I like his Jeff Milton connection.

 

But I've decided that either Arizona Ranger Sgt Jeff Kider will be my primary historical hook (Thanks to Sgt John Campbell), or it will be Wells Fargo agent Fred Dodge.

 

I'm kind of leaning towards Kidder...

[The Yankee Bandit, SASS #59258]

Oops. I gave you bad info. Deleted

[Sgt. John Campbell, SASS #58165]

Sgt. Jeff Kidder would be a great one to use for the historical hook. There is a lot of information available on him, "The Arizona Rangers" by Bill O'Neal" has a lot of info on Sgt. Kidder (as well as a full detailing of the famous Naco shootout where he was killed), as does " Images of America Arizona Rangers" by M. David DeSoucy.

 

Oh, and I was in error in my earlier post. I stated that Sgt. Kidder's Colt SAA was nickle-plated, it was in fact silver-plated.

[Sgt. John Campbell, SASS #58165]

Oh, and my alias, Sgt. John Campbell was also one of the original Arizona Rangers.

 

On an interesting side note, I too served as a Sergeant in the modern Arizona Rangers, Huachuca Company, from 1991 to 1992., but I carried a S&W 4566 for my duty sidearm (i do use 5 1/2" New Vaquero's now).