1870's Period Correct Cowboy Boot Source

[Delmonico]

The long arm has an octagon barrel and the hole is a bit small for a shotgun.  No one has yet been able to fully indenify it.....yet.  John Carter called it a shotgun in the notes, but he will admit to being a little less the a full expert on firearms.

Dr. Bob, do you see anyting the pistol is lacking?

[Dr. Bob]

The revolver:  without being able to see the part under the rather narrow belt, can't say for sure that anything is missing.  The shape of the action would lead me to think that it is some type of break top.  It could also be some type of "Bull Dog", both of which would hot have a ejector housing.

Based my comment of it being a shotgun on the semi-pistol grip stock which is way more common on shot guns than rifles.  Can't tell if the bbl is octagon.  I a quick look through my very old Flayderman's I didn't find any long guns that seemed very similar.  Some of the Remington Hepburn rifles had the same pistol grip, but not the round action that shows in the picture.  Both firearms are interesting!

[River City John]

No hammer on the revolver, bore looks like it could be .22 - .38cal.on the rifle?

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[Will Ketchum]

I don't think it is a breaktop in fact it doesn't appear to have a top strap nor a hammer.  Also the rifle (I'm sure it's a rifle) has a strange trigger guard.

Will Ketchum

[Delmonico]

Give John a seegar, somebody done stole the hammer.



My thought on the rifle and several others also is that it is some type of muzzle loader that has been restocked in a later style, most likely in my thoughts a full stock at first.  Some one with simple hand tools can make a stock, not everyone can solder/braze on thimbles or make them.  Nothing says you have to carry the ramrod under the barrel.  I'll play with the rifle a bit.

[Will Ketchum]

I thought it might be a muzzle loader but the lack of a ramrod convinced me otherwise.  It might be a breech loader made up with parts.  I had once.  The belt the pistol is stuck through is also curious.

Perhaps the guns are photographer props.  They must have brought the camera and gear in a wagon.  Could also have had some props along.  Also I don't see any evidence of a rifle scabbard or saddle bags so if it were a muzzle loader where did he carry the fixins? 

Will Ketchum

[Will Ketchum]

Heck, I just noticed the knife!  Now I am pretty sure these are props.  No one in their right mind goes horse back with a knife stuck through their belt like that. If the horse spooked it would be a good chance you wouldn't have any off spring

Will Ketchum

[Delmonico]

Those guns show up in none of the other Butcher photos and he was trying to be somewhat careful about recording history so I don't think props.  I would guess young Charlie took his rifle for the photo and left the rest behind in the house thats shows.  I believe St. George said the pistol was a Forehand and Wadsworth if memory serves me right.  The belt is a hunk of harness, or so it appears.  Oh and the knife is a cake and bread knife, I think young Charlie wanted to look fierce like Wild Bill in his photo's.  Maybe he even had a couple of the Wild Bill Dime Novels.

[Irish Dave]

The belt the pistol is stuck through is also curious.

As Del believes, I agree that the belt is most likely a piece of harness of some kind. Note the roller buckle. Not a common style for garments, even in that period of the West, when even the vast majority of gun rigs utilized a center post buckle, sans roller, of course.

[Will Ketchum]

I still think their props.  Perhaps not supplied by Bucher but by the young man himself.  The revolver doesn't appear to be functional.  What I mean by props is that he didn't ride around the hills like that but had them in the picture for affect.  He probably played with the gun as a toy.

Will Ketchum

[Black River Smith]

The rifle is a 'Flobert' gallery rifle which were not produced until the 1890's.  I have two with the same side plate and the same scrolling trigger guard.

I wish I have a better photo program in order to see more detail within these pictures.  That would help a lot.

I do think this is a stage or prop'ed photo.  The saddle is the real thing.  Definitely worn and used to pieces but then put back together for more need use.

[Delmonico]

Oh yes, we know most photos used props, Butcher used what people had on hand for his photos that they paid for and saved the negatives to preserve what he could of history to become rich and famous, he made it to the latter.  I'm having trouble with what I could do to upload to load into photo bucket, but the hole in the end of the rifle is to large to be a Flobert which were 22 or 6mm as far as I know. 

[Delmonico]

Here is what I could do with the long gun, I do see some sort of horizonal break in the wood between his hand and cuff like it could be a break action.  Perhaps something Belgum made in a 9mm rimfire?



As I said this pictures has some rather unusual things in it.

[DArchangel]

Del, look at the cinch. Isn't that the off side of the saddle?

[pawnee jim]

 The rifle looks very much like a Ballard. There was a lot of them around in this time.

[Delmonico]

The trigger guard does not look like any Ballard I've seen, but i am open to any ideas on this gun. 

Dave, I'm going to do a bit more checking on that cinch, don't think it's to wrong.

OK back to boots, this one was sent to me, picture 12972 on the site.

The boots look like a full vamp with scalloped tops and stiching on the tops also.

[Silver Creek Slim]

 

Slim

[Delmonico]

In the same 12972 photo we have another guy that is wearing what appears to be a lace up work boot similar to the guy branding the calf, but he has his bloused.  I am not going to stick my neck out and call him a cowboy but our term "Cowboy" simpley means someone who works cattle off horseback in "The Old West."  No union card was needed then or even now.  Besides that if he does fit the term he wouldn't be the first one to hang around the Livery Stable in town in the off season.

[Delmonico]

One other one cropped out of picture 14288 up in Cherry County has an interesting boot, appears to be a full vamp slit in the front and laced.  I've seen and read about guys doing this with boots, sometimes it was slit in the back and laced.   This was often to get it over a damaged foot, even today with modern orthopedic surgery there are guys who have trouble with these type boots because of old injuries. 



This also is only one of two pictures in the collection I have a problem with the date on.  Since part of the negative is missing this could be the reason.

[Books OToole]

I'm intrigued by the guy in the background of 12972 with the tall crowned derby and what appears to be a Haversack.

Books