Whats to know about clone guns of the old west?

Spitpatch · Sep 16, 2020

Uberti is the best quality. Cimmaron and Taylor contract to Uberti and frequently their offerings have features/enhancements/configurations not available on a "garden variety" Uberti. Pedersoli has done wonders with their Sharps replicas, even winning matches. Quality, barrels and finish are superb.

.44-40 or 38-40 or 32-20 are the "authentic" calibers for a pistol/rifle combo using the same ammo. My favorite is the .44-40.

I shoot and hunt with my antiques (one of which has provenance that is frightening and gets better with more research). My collector buddies shudder.

I shoot and hunt with my replicas more:

Uberti:

Winchester 1866 Sporting Rifle (engraved in Nietzsche pattern by Barry Lee Hands).
Winchester 1866 Carbine
(for these '66's, some understandable cartridge "allowances" made: they are .44-40 instead of .44 Rimfire.)

Winchester 1873 One of One Thousand (A striking piece from Uberti with all correct markings and engraving and wood).
Remington M1890 "Outlaw". Factory engraved on every surface.
Colt Pocket Model (percussion). In a shoulder holster, this is an attention-getting "Barbecue Gun".
Colt SAA 1874 "Custer Battlefield" with blackpowder configuaration and all markings correct for an issue gun to the soldiers.
Springfield M1873 Trapdoor Officers Model Rifle (all markings and engraving correct).

Garate Antigua (Eibar, Spain):

Winchester 1892, "El Tigre" Carbine. Made for the South American market, widely used by law enforcement there as well as insurgents
.44-40 and finished better than an original Winchester.

Shiloh Sharps:

Model 1874 "Montana Roughrider". French Gray receiver, Extra Fancy wood, and highly engraved. .45-70
Model 1874 Sporting Rifle. 40-50 Sharps Bottleneck.
Model 1874 "Jaeger Rifle", A personal rifle of Wolfgang Droege, and purchased from him at the factory. Caliber .30-40 Krag. (Old meets "new" for hunting).

I'd suggest a '73 and a SAA in .44-40. That'll get you started in authentic fine form. Later you can get in trouble like I did.

wired · Sep 16, 2020

Someone say Barbecue?

Spitpatch · Sep 17, 2020

Andy54Hawken said:
Well since I shoot original guns , fairly often , which were made well before the guns of the era in the OP ,
I may be the wrong guy to ask...
But if the original is in safe firing shape...I would shoot it , maybe not in a "Cowboy Action" style of shooting match...but just for fun or when hunting....yep I would shoot it.

That said...my originals are not what I would call my "everyday" shooters.
I have some nice copies for that task.

For a Winchester copy...again I would suggest Uberti.
Speaking of Winchester...in the movie Tom Horn...McQueen did indeed use a '76 Winchester.
But from what I read....in real life tom Horn used 1894 Winchester rifle during the later part of his life.
( The time period that , the above mentioned excellent movie , takes place. )
Andy

It is true that Tom Horn was seen first in Wyoming with a '95 Winchester (Krag) and later with a '94 Winchester (30 WCF), during his time as a Cattle Detective for the Wyoming Stock Growers Assn.

It is also true that upon capture, amongst his inventoried belongings was a "charm bracelet" (but NOT as depicted in the movie).

Tom Horn's "Charm Bracelet" (available for view in the Wyoming State Museum) is a leather (buckskin?) lanyard approximately 3/8" wide material and complete with its "Charms" laced in, about 6-8" long. It was located in his shirt pocket and inventoried at arrest.

...the "Charms", carefully woven into the split-braided thong are cartridges.

There are three: .38-40 Winchester, .30-40 Krag and .45-60 Winchester.

It is also true that Tom Horn was convicted of the murder of Willie Nickell in 1901 with a .30-30. He was hanged for it in '03.

It is also true that TWO Medical Examiners (the only two) that examined the boy's body agreed that the entrance diameter of the bullet holes were in the range of .40 caliber or more. Prosecution dismissed the discrepancy by claiming deformation of the wounds in the time it took to get the Examiners to the body.

Lucien Haag (former President of the Forensics Society) was working with Chip Carlson (author) on some Horn matters and they asked me (as a hunter and shooter and horseman) what the motivation for the bracelet might be?

I speculated in Tom's mind might have been, "These are cartridges that have served me well. With this bracelet I will never be out of ammunition."

The movie makers (Thomas McGuane was writer) actually went to the Wyoming Museum and saw this lanyard. Hollywood fixated on the BIG BULLET.

And so, Steve McQueen got to do drills with a '76.

But wait!

It is also true that in Horn's biography, he states that upon his promotion to Chief of Scouts (Al Sieber had retired), and during outfitting for the Geronimo Expedition into Mexico, "I bought a new Winchester rifle." This was 1884.

Al Sieber carried a '76 in .45-75. Tom made use of it more than once and admired it.

Goes to follow that Tom might buy a '76 as well. And THAT explains the cartridge on the bracelet.

But about those bullet holes...