Guns Across The Border
What The Lawdogs Used A Century Ago
The group enjoyed hearing about and shooting historic shotguns. Top to bottom:
Winchester Model 1887, Winchester Model 1897 and 1905 vintage Remington Model 11.
Twice a year gun writer Dick Williams organizes a three-day theme shoot and I recently attended one of these events at Gunsite. The theme for this event was the handguns peace officers working on the Southern border used in the period of 1900–1917. The class would cover single- and double-action revolvers and semiautomatics from the time period (or modern variations) with a different platform used each day.
Retired Border Patrol officer Ed Head (right) back in his element, protecting the border from banditos. Photo: Mike Detty
The Old Warhorse
For “double-action day” I used my Colt New Service, chambered in .45 Colt, made in 1907. Two years after this one was made, the U.S. Army adopted this large frame revolver as the Model 1909 — two years before the 1911 became the standard-issue sidearm. A while back I had it expertly refinished for both recreational use and self-defense.
Although not as light and easy to conceal as almost any modern pistol, there is something comforting about a big heavy revolver launching a 250-grain Black Hills Ammunition’s RNFP semi-wadcutter at 900 feet per second.
Gunsite Chief Executive Officer Ken Campbell cuts loose with a Remington 11. Photo: Mike Detty
Load And Shoot
In the movie The Shootist with John Wayne, when giving a shooting lesson, J.B. Books tells Gillum to leave the hammer down on an empty chamber for safety. When asked what if you’re expecting trouble, he says, “load six if your insides tell you to.” Trying to keep the event as true to the period as possible, this became difficult on “Single-action day” as the guns were to be kept with the hammer down on an empty chamber. Easier said than done.
The revolver I took to Gunsite was my Uberti reproduction S&W Model 3 Schofield. The unique top-break sixgun is always sure to attract interest and curiosity. Due to the top-break action, it’s easy to load and unload.
Major George Schofield, serving with the 10th Cavalry in Kansas, learned of the No. 3 and became S&W’s sales agent for Colorado and Kansas. He later made some design changes and was granted patents including a different latch and an improved extraction system. Hence the name Schofield was forever associated with the Smith & Wesson revolver.
The No. 3 has four hammer positions. After pulling the trigger, the hammer is all the way forward at rest with the integral firing pin protruding from the breech face.
Cocking the hammer to the first click retracts the firing pin, and the cylinder remains locked. This actually allows the Schofield to be carried fully loaded, although I’ve always been a bit wary about any “half-cocked” position — there is a good reason for the old saying, “Don’t go off half-cocked.”
Another click back unlocks the cylinder so it rotates freely. In either one of these partially cocked positions, the latch can be activated and the barrel and cylinder rotated down to simultaneously eject the shells.
The fully cocked hammer position is all the way back ready to make a loud noise.
While the Uberti reproduction will also chamber .45 Colt, I used authentic .45 Schofield ammo from Black Hills Ammunition.
Denny’s Model 3 Schofield (top) and Colt New Service — two
proven performers from the turn of the century.
Coming To America
For the “semi-auto day” I took another reproduction — a 1911A1 imported by SDS Imports. Made in Turkey by TISAS, it is the closest reproduction of the gun used by the U.S. Army I have found. About the only thing different from the original is the magazine well is slightly beveled, and it has a polished feed ramp and barrel lip.
I didn’t just want to compete with the 1911A1, I wanted to give it as much of an evaluation as I could during the short time I had. Over the day I fired in excess of 200 rounds of mixed ammunition including 230-grain full metal jacket, 228-grain cast round nose lead and 200-grain cast semi-wadcutters and did not experience a single malfunction.
Since I wanted to remain pure to the “period correct” theme, I used a GI flap holster on a web belt and web magazine pouches. I knew full well this would leave me out of the running in any man-against-man contests, but I did manage a respectable third place. Considering the flap was secured by the stud/hole arrangement on the holster I was quite content with my placing.
One of the differences between the 1911 and 1911A1 is the longer spur on the grip safety to avoid hammer bite. And although I was not bitten by the hammer, the narrow hammer spur caused enough discomfort to the web of my hand to make me appreciate the wide beavertail on modern 1911s.
One thing all three handguns had in common were the small and narrow front sight with matching small rear sights. As expected, as distance increased, accuracy decreased even more than usual.
At the Gunsite event Denny used an M1911A1 with a period-correct GI flap holster and web gear.
Lawdog Scatterguns
For a break from the late July Arizona sun, we had a show-and-tell session planned. When my turn came, I brought out three shotguns used by lawmen — and outlaws — in the early 1900s. All three were John M. Browning designs I have covered extensively in my GUNS Magazine shotgun columns.
The first was a reproduction Winchester 1887 lever-action. This was a gun Browning really didn’t want do design, but Winchester insisted on it for brand identity. Up next was an original Model 1897 made in 1907. This pump gun is probably the most identified shotgun used by U.S. troops in the trenches of World War I.
Finally I presented the Remington Model 11. Introduced initially as the Browning Auto-5, Remington purchased the rights to produce it starting in 1905. My Rem 11 is part of the first production run by Remington in 1905.
An interesting side note on the Remington 11 is by rearranging friction rings on the magazine tube and recoil spring, it can be set for either light or heavy loads. I demonstrated to the class how to accomplish this.
All attendees were given the chance to shoot each shotgun.
All shooting does not need to be tactical, or even practical for that matter. An event like this gives us the chance to kick back, reflect on our heritage and just have fun.
