[leverite]

ANy of you guys see the recent "Deadman's Walk" series...a Lonesome Dove prequel.

Took place in 1841 and seemed pretty accurate for firearms as well as I could tell. Except there were some later generation Colt revolvers being carried. Not the 1873 PEacemaker, but some Navies and maybe a Walker.

THis got me wondering about the Colt Gus (Robert Duvall) carried in the original Lonesome Dove. APpeared to be a Colt Navy...or maybe an Army model. No top strap. A bit dated for the post civil war period of LD. SUppose it could have been a cartidge conversion.

ANy of you notice?

 

[pisgah]

Believe that big ol' hogleg was a 1847 Walker with cartridge conversion.

 

[jodum]

I do believe it was a Walker that he whacked the surly bartender with.

 

[Hair smoker]

Yes it was a Walker.

 

[fcfirearms]

most likely a Walker or Dragoon, if the guns were historically accurate. Gus was an old Texas Ranger and the Walker was popular with that group when the Walker came along. They also preferred the Patterson until the Walker was introduced. The Rangers stayed on the cutting edge of technology.

 

[oloutlaw]

yep, it was a Walker....never saw him load, or re-load it, so don't know about the cartridge conversion, but it sure would have been possible, I'll have to watch the series again now to check... I watch it at least twice a year anyhow

some folks think the Godfather was the best series-movie ever made, some think Shogun was. There was only one Lonesome Dove, and with career performances from most of the players, it will live forever as the greatest entertainment ever put on film. in my opinion anyhow. Got a problem ? just ask yourself what Cap'n Call or Gus would do, you'll figger it out

 

[CoyoteJoe]

If you read the original books you might think Larry McMurtry about the most "gun ignorant" of all the gun ignorant writers. In "Deadman's walk" he has rangers buying Winchesters 25 years before the first were made. In "Streets of Laredo" he has Call remove the triggerguard from his Winchester because his knuckles were so swollen with arthritis his finger would not fit in. As if removing the triggerguard from a lever action rifle were something one could do with only a pocket knife and a camp fire.

 

[leverite]

It's tough to think of Gus as a fictional character and I suppose it's a little weird to wonder about his hypothetical choices of firearms.

In my mental image, Gus would have been more up to date in his sidearm than carrying an old Walker, even if it had been converted to cartidges. Although he was getting older and had retired...maybe those old boys would not have been able to afford a newer revolver.

I never read the books, but per CoyoteJoe we can't rely on McMurtry for the answer.