Western Fast and Fancy Pistol Draws

While almost every westen movie or television show at some point has a showdown with a fast draw, the truth of the matter is that in the old west such face-to-face draw and shoot scenes were few and far between. That's not to say that shootists were not talented or fast. Quite the contrary, the shooting skills of Hickcock and Cody are proof enough of that. Hickcock could walk a can down the street shooting it from the hip with a pistol in each hand and Buffalo Bill Cody spent half his life putting on exhibitions of pistol and riflecraft all over the world.

The fast draw however requires the right type of weapon and the right type of holster. Enter the Colt Peacemaker (or at very least the earlier 1860's Army and Navy Colts and Remingtons) and the Hollywood fast draw rigs. That's not to say that the older Slim Jims or Santa Fe holsters weren't fast, it's just that they were not as efficient as Hollywood has led us to believe. In fact, in order to gain extra speed, instead of using a holster Western shootists often resorted to tricks such as installing a bolt on their pistol which slipped into a bracket on a belt. The pistol could then be swiveled from this bracket arrangement and fanned from the belt without even drawing. They didn't even use a holster for this rig. Some pistoleros carried pocket guns and shot right through their clothing

Anyone who has ever seen the opening segment of Gunsmoke will immediate remember the fast- draw -in the-street made legendary by Hollywood directors. Every movie and television star who ever strapped on a holster from Tom Mix to Sharon Stone all had their gimmicks and their fast draw scene. I once heard Michael Landon who while talking about his early days on Bonanza described how the studio's cafeteria often had "shootouts" where the actors from different westerns would call each other out to see who was fastest.

There are three classic Hollywood Western fast draws that to this day still impress me. While I'm sure there are hundreds of other scenes and thousands who will disagree with my selection of favorites the following are my choices.



Number one has to be from the movie "The Magnificent Seven". No, it's not the Yul Bryner scene, that comes later. The fast draw scene I refer to happens when Steve McQeen is sneaking back into the little Mexican town towards the end of the film. After checking his pistols he slowly starts walking along an old adobe wall until he comes to a doorway. Suddenly an outlaw appears to his left in the doorway and McQeen wheels and draws with unbelieveable speed. I have replayed this scene hundreds of times and am convinced it was not edited for speed. The draw, even for an actor who knows it is coming is as fast as greased lightning.

I have since learned that when Steve McQueen was filming the "Wanted Dead or Alive" television series he took things so seriously that he practiced with both pistol and with that cut down Mare's Leg rifle of his until his hands bled. The 7.5 inch Colt that he used in the "Magnificent Seven" was a rental gun from the Stembridge Gun Rental collection. It had a missing front sight for speed and was carried in a Walk and Draw Rig by Andy Anderson which had a steel lined hip plate on the backside of the holster shank which locked the holster barrel forward and in in a butt back position. It was made for the shorter 5.5 inch Colt and so McQueen's pistol barrel stuck out the bottom which added to the visual effect.



The second scene I remember best was Yul Bryner's moment when he was interviewing pistoleros for a job protecting a small Mexican village from outlaws. He tests a young and overeager boy by having him clap hands and then beating the handclap with a fast draw. This scene is one of the most memorable in western folklore and everyone instantly remembers it. (I still think McQueen was faster however.)



The last one on my top three list is from another Steve McQueen film "Nevada Smith". Before you think I am too big a fan of McQueen's this time the award goes to Brian Keith, a true westerner. The scene I refer to occurs after Keith has finished spending months teaching the Smith boy all about gunplay. Keith plays a western firearms salesman and pistol expert. After the lessons are finished and McQueen's cocky character feels he has learned everything he needs Keith says goodbye and walks away. With his back to McQueen Brian Keith tilts his holster backwards and fires off a shot right at McQueen's feet as if to say "there's always someone a little faster or a little wiser so watch out." It was a priceless trick and clever moment. A picture says a thousand words.