Author Topic: The Fast Draw. Reality vs. Hollywood  (Read 2897 times)

Offline Doug.38PR

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The Fast Draw. Reality vs. Hollywood
« on: December 10, 2014, 12:43:10 AM »
It has been said that the idea of the fast draw in the old west is a myth.  Gunfighters didn't "do the fast draw." 

Well, I can certainly believe that to the point that the image of, say, Matt Dillon approaching somebody on the street and at a set time good guy "lets" bad guy go for his gun first (after giving fair warning) and then good guy still manages to outdraw bad guy because good guy is just that good.    Nobody, good or bad, would approach a situation in that way and expect to live long.

It is said the closest thing to that happening was not a "fast draw" situation but rather a face off or shoot off between Wild Bill Hickok and a Confederate.  Hickok managed to place a .36 caliber bullet in the Confederate's heart at something like 50 yards away from his 1851 Navy pistol. 

HOWEVER, all that being said, a true gunfighter or lawman would definitely need to be "fast on the draw" or (more to the point) quick with his abilities just as anybody today carrying a handgun would want to be proficient with their weapon.   Modern gunfighters stress this such as Bill Jordan, Jelly Bryce and Ed McGivern.   Men of the Old West knew were aware of this too.   If you realize you're in a bad situation, you need to get that gun out as quick as you can to respond to the threat (not wait for the bad guy to draw either). 

Offline Shotgun Franklin

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Re: The Fast Draw. Reality vs. Hollywood
« Reply #1 on: December 10, 2014, 03:04:01 PM »
I've been in several gunfights, one of which was a stand up shoot out. We did not square off and wait for the other guy to make his move or count to three but, speaking for myself, I did my best to get my gun into play as quickly as I could.
There are circumstances where you might need to get to work as fast as ya could so, in that you draw as quickly as possible, it happens.
Yes, I do have more facial hair now.

Offline nagantino

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Re: The Fast Draw. Reality vs. Hollywood
« Reply #2 on: December 17, 2014, 06:27:09 PM »
The quick draw scenario is great but how real..??? Well I geuss if two men confront one another, over anything, and it comes to shove, then someone must draw a pistol and then the other guy must respond. Sounds painfully obvious but I would never deny it never happened. Move to 21century Saturday night.....if a guy draws back his fist you react.....wouldn't it be great to carry a holstered colt. The old west must have had plenty of scenarios where one guy drew on another.

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Re: The Fast Draw. Reality vs. Hollywood
« Reply #3 on: Today at 02:47:29 PM »

Offline TUCO-the-ratt

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Re: The Fast Draw. Reality vs. Hollywood
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2014, 09:32:41 PM »
I find fast draw as a western movie presentation and as a sport very fascinating. I have dabbled in it as a hobby over the years. (with dry-fire or blanks of course)

From a tactical perspective in a modern gunfight if one needs to "fast draw" to engage a threat the chances are we let our situational awareness drop at a critical moment. In other words we are starting from a disadvantage and that is a situation an experienced shooter would avoid if at all possible. I'm sure it was that way in the old west too. If you had the slightest hint that danger was near you'd have your gun out or at least a hand on it already.

I've tried fast draw with several different holsters including a fast draw rig that I built myself with special clearances that allow the thumb and fingers to not snag the holster during the draw. Every authentic western holster I've tried fast draw with is a painfully slow and or fumbling process. In the old west I'm sure the primary function of the holster was to keep the gun in it while riding a horse or bouncing on a rough wagon thus it draws slow. That being said I believe there were several real fast draw type gunfights in the old west. In addition to the Hickok vs Davis Tutt gunfight that you mentioned, Luke Short was in a shooting that could be classified as a fast draw when he shot Jim Courtright in Fort Worth Texas in 1887.  

Offline Stillwater

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Re: The Fast Draw. Reality vs. Hollywood
« Reply #4 on: July 19, 2015, 05:41:17 PM »
The gunfight at the OK corral in Tombstone, AZ was a classic confrontational gunfight.

Bill

 

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