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I'm gonna get me a Big Iron


H. K. Uriah, SASS #74619

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I have pondered this on the Wire in the past, but now it is official.   I am going to get a Big Iron into my collection.   A "Big Iron" is a gun designed to be like the one that inspired Marty Robbins to write the song, Big Iron.

To quote Wikipedia...

 

The Ranger's "Big Iron" was a one-off custom handgun chambered in .45 Colt and featured a Great Western copy of the Colt Single Action Army frame, Colt 1860 Army backstrap, grip frame and grips, and a cut down 9 1/2" Marlin rifle barrel. Marty Robbins saw it in Andy Anderson's famed North Hollywood gun shop in the late 1950s and wrote the song around it. Its current whereabouts are unknown

 

I have already in my possession an Armi San Marco clone in .45 Colt.   There is nothing special about it, but it has served me well over the years.  I got it used for 250 bucks, so it's a prime candidate for the "conversion."    Last time I mentioned this, someone suggested that the Pietta's and the Armi's are very similar, to the point where parts may interchange.   Well last night I took my Pietta 1860 and tried to swap the grips.   They fit perfectly.   So today, I ordered the needed parts to start the project. 

 

I have spoken to a local gunsmith, and he has expressed interest in doing the barrel work.   Now, I have always assumed, even though the description doesn't say so, that the original Big Iron had an octagon barrel, so that's what I am gonna do.   I don't necessarily think I need to chop a Marlin's barrel, to me the shape and length are the main things.   As the time get's closer, I'll discuss the project with the gunsmith again and see where it goes.

 

In many ways, this is an exercise in silliness.   I fully recognize that.    But it just seems to me that it'll be a fun little project and will give me a good novelty gun to take out from time to time.   And in the end, it'll clearly be less expensive than trying to get a new gun in this configuration or have one built from the ground up.

 

Wish me luck.   As the work progresses, I'll post some pics if people are interested. 

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4 hours ago, Grizzly Dave said:

Speaking of big irons...

 

I have thought of getting a Colt's Dragoon and naming it 'Puff'

I think there would be something magical about it.

 

 

 

Nothing quite like a Walker on your left hip and a Dragoon on the right.   

 

Or a Walker on the left and a "milspec" SAA on the right cuz the conversion cylinder for the Dragoon hasn't arrived yet.

 

 

 

 

 

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ya , i thought he was talking a walker - its a big one , i just picked one up , a lot more than my hand will handle in a main match revolver but i needed one in my accumulation , already have the 1860 but ill need to check out what he is talking about here - fun to learn new stuff every day , 

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2 hours ago, watab kid said:

ya , i thought he was talking a walker - its a big one , i just picked one up , a lot more than my hand will handle in a main match revolver but i needed one in my accumulation , already have the 1860 but ill need to check out what he is talking about here - fun to learn new stuff every day , 

 

With a little work, a Walker can be a very handy gun...

 

This one is named "bad medicine"

IMG_20191006_004313.jpg

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I added Uberti 1860 Army grip frames to a pair of USFA SAAs a couple of years ago and, although the metal to metal fit is not perfect the screw holes are all in the right places.  I'm thinking of doing the same to a pair of Colts and possibly using Pietta grip frames, although I haven't researched the subject.

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