Next thing is that you'll tell me that Santy Claus ain't real.
In the movie Clint Eastwood lugged them pistols around all day. Of course he was payed pretty well for it. Saw the movie in '76 and have been a fan of the character ever since.
From what evidence I've been able to find, "those big pistol fighters" as "Lidge" called Josey, would arm themselves with as many as they could carry. That much is pretty well accepted.