Trampas

[Old Doc]

Anybody know any specifics about Trampas's gun on The Virginian ? I got a brief glimpse yesterday but it seems like most of the time when I remember to watch the show, Trampas isn't in it. I know the holster rig is an Andy Anderson design with the high riding holster. Jim Lockridge of Legends in Leather makes the holster rig but I need to know what gun is authentic to go with the holster. Blue/CH ?, nickel ?, and what barrel length, 4 5/8 or 5 1/2. Caliber assumed to be .45 or thereabouts. Any Trampas fanatics out there?

[The Elderly Kid]

Are we talking here about the "Virginian" tv series with Doug McClure as Trampas?

[Old Doc]

Are we talking here about the "Virginian" tv series with Doug McClure as Trampas?

Yes. Did I not make that clear?

[Advertising]

[Johnny McCrae]

There was an article in the "Guns of the Old West" Spring 2005 issue about the Rig used by Doug McClure on the Virginian.
I scanned a picture from that issue. If you wish, I could make a copy of the article and mail it to you.

[Old Doc]

There was an article in the "Guns of the Old West" Spring 2005 issue about the Rig used by Doug McClure on the Virginian.
I scanned a picture from that issue. If you wish, I could make a copy of the article and mail it to you.

Thanks much, Johnny. I think I have almost all the back issues so I will check. If not I'll get back to you. Thanks again.

[Old Doc]

There was an article in the "Guns of the Old West" Spring 2005 issue about the Rig used by Doug McClure on the Virginian.
I scanned a picture from that issue. If you wish, I could make a copy of the article and mail it to you.

Johnny, thanks so much for the lead to the magazine article. I managed to dig out my copy and from there on, things just got curiouser and curiouser. With all due respect to Bob Argabright, whose articles I have enjoyed, I think he got this one wrong. The holster pictured appears to be the rig worn by James drury, not Doug McClure. Both were rigs designed by Andy Anderson and and later reproduced by Gordon Davis, Victor Perez and currently by Dave Cox. Note two things about the rig in the picture, the holster lacks the small belt and buckle usually seen on this type holster and the gun butt rides at the level of the belt. The rig worn by Trampas has the belt and buckle around the holster and the gun rides higher with the butt actually above the belt. For further delineation, go to www.spaghettiwesternreplicas.com and click on the Andy Anderson holsters. The illustrations are obviously old and probably from Anderson's original catalog. The model noted as the "Walk and Draw Standard" is the one in Arganbright's photo and if you watch the show, you'll agree that it is the holster rig worn by James Drury. The rig worn by Trampas is the model marked "AA". For another reference, try www.legendsinleather.com, the site hosted by Jim Lockridge, who specializes in reproducing famous rigs worn by various western movie and TV heroes. Click on his version of the "Trampas" rig and you'll see the difference. It is definitely the "AA" rig and not the "Walk and Draw" used by Drury and pictured in the magazine article. Further explanation of the two models can be found on Dave Cox's Cedar Ridge Saddlery website. What I'm trying to determine is what gun he used and it looks like I'm just going to have to keep watching. Right now, the episodes they are showing on the Westerns channel are ones that only infrequently feature Trampas. Thank again for the lead.
Doc

[Old Doc]

OK. Yesterday's episode was all about Trampas. Problem is, in the last 2/3 of the show I saw, he never pulled the gun. The gun appears to be blue/ case-hardened with two piece wood grips. Nothing fancy. Probably 5 1/2 in , as that looks like the holster size. Bullets and loops on holster look smaller than .45

[Russ T Chambers]

I watched the Virginian yesterday, and got a peek at Trampas’s gun.  He had it out doing a little target practice. As you said it is a blued CCH with wood grips.  It is a 5 ½ inch barrel.  As to caliber, I would guess it is either .45 or .44/40.

[Old Doc]

Thanks, Russ. every bit of info helps. As I said, hard to tell but the shells in those 6 bullet loops, looked a little thin to be 45's or 44's but, of course, it's Hollywood, so the bullets in the loops need not fit the gun.

[Old Doc]

OK. Got a good look at it during today's episode. Trampas gets attacked by some guy who knocks the gun out of his hand with a bullwhip. There follow two closeups of the gun lying in the sand. Wish I had been taping it and could do freeze-frame. It was a 5 1/2in single action (Colt ?) with two piece wood grips and what appeared to be an all blue frame. The gun was fairly well-worn and I did not see anything that looked like the remnants of case-hardening.

[Old Doc]

Update: My apologies to Bob Arganbright. The last few shows I have seen show Trampas with what I believe is a different rig. In these recent shows, the butt of his gun is riding lower putting it at the same level as the one worn by Drury. That would agree with the picture in the Old West Magazine article except that the one I have seen recently does have the small belt and buckle around the holster. My conclusion is that at one point he had the Walk and Draw model but at another point in time he was using the AA rig where the gun butt is above the level of the holster. I just love trivia!

[Major 2]

The gun is most likely a Great Western

Great Westerns were offered in the standard barrel lengths of 4.75", 5.5" and 7.5" and mostly in calibers .45 Colt, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special and .22 Long Rifle. They looked so much like Colts that an original Colt was used in the early advertising. There are subtle differences in the shape of the trigger guard and overall grip frame, while the front of the hammer, when cocked, looks like an upside-down "L" since the firing pin is mounted in the frame. Great Westerns were very popular in both movies and TV shows, and used extensively by fast draw artists of the time.
It is well know the Arness "GunSmoke" revolver was a Great Western and Sternbridge had hundreds of them, as did Hollywood Costumes both Hollywood Rental gun lockers

[Old Doc]

The gun is most likely a Great Western

Great Westerns were offered in the standard barrel lengths of 4.75", 5.5" and 7.5" and mostly in calibers .45 Colt, .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .44 Special and .22 Long Rifle. They looked so much like Colts that an original Colt was used in the early advertising. There are subtle differences in the shape of the trigger guard and overall grip frame, while the front of the hammer, when cocked, looks like an upside-down "L" since the firing pin is mounted in the frame. Great Westerns were very popular in both movies and TV shows, and used extensively by fast draw artists of the time.
It is well know the Arness "GunSmoke" revolver was a Great Western and Sternbridge had hundreds of them, as did Hollywood Costumes both Hollywood Rental gun lockers

Could be but I haven't seen a Great Western with two piece wooden grips. Most of them had the fake stag, which I actually like. As for Arness's gun, it surely looks like a Great Western but somewhere, either on his website or in his new autobiography, he denies using anything but a Colt on Gunsmoke.

[Old Doc]

Update: My apologies to Bob Arganbright. The last few shows I have seen show Trampas with what I believe is a different rig. In these recent shows, the butt of his gun is riding lower putting it at the same level as the one worn by Drury. That would agree with the picture in the Old West Magazine article except that the one I have seen recently does have the small belt and buckle around the holster. My conclusion is that at one point he had the Walk and Draw model but at another point in time he was using the AA rig where the gun butt is above the level of the holster. I just love trivia!

In the show today, Trampas is wearing a rig identical to the Walk and Draw of James Drury except for the belt buckle. I may have been wrong about the small belt around the holster becasue the one I saw today, like Drury's, has no belt and buckle around the holster. As for his gun or Arness's gun being a Great Western, one way to tell is what it looks like when cocked. The Colt has a visible firing pin. The Great Western, like a Ruger had a transfer bar system and therefore, the hammer face was flat.

[heyjoe63]

Great Westerns could be ordered with two piece (or one piece) wooden grips.

I have one NIB.  It also came with original "fake stag" grips.

[Crossdrawnj]

There was an article in the "Guns of the Old West" Spring 2005 issue about the Rig used by Doug McClure on the Virginian.
I scanned a picture from that issue. If you wish, I could make a copy of the article and mail it to you.

Johnny McCrae:
I realize this post is over a year old, but is it possible to get a copy of this article? I thought I had most of the GOTOW issues, but this one must have gotten away. I called the piblisher and they don't have it either. Thanks in advance.

Crossdraw

[Johnny McCrae]

Howdy Crossdraw,

Sent you a PM.

[Crossdrawnj]

Responded this morning. Hope you got the message.

Crossdraw

[Crossdrawnj]

John:
Sent you a PM earlier.
Crossdraw.

[Crossdrawnj]

There was an article in the "Guns of the Old West" Spring 2005 issue about the Rig used by Doug McClure on the Virginian.
I scanned a picture from that issue. If you wish, I could make a copy of the article and mail it to you.

Forgive me for beating this to death: but I just ordered a copy of this rig from Dave Cox at Cedar Ridge Saddlery. I have been looking for an AA W&D standard for a long time. Can't wait!

Crossdraw