The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post - Two clips of my special draw for my 1860 Colts. A little fun gunplay.

Bill Akins · March 15, 2011, 12:37 AM

Glad you fellas liked it. In addition to shooting them, I get a lot of fun out of twirling and quick drawing my BP revolvers. My daughter in law (who knows of my quick drawing penchant) got me a present for my 57th birthday and she found the perfect rope handle bag to put it in that had a pic of one of my favorite heroes (Roy Rogers) on the bag and the text line below the pic was perfect. I was delighted to say the least!
Needless to say, I kept the bag.

Here's a scan of the bag.....

p.s. Look at the barrel lengths of Roy's Colts. He usually had 4 & 3/4" barrels on his t.v. series (like the Lone Ranger did) but not in this pic. Those appear to be 7 & 1/2 inch barrel '73 peacemakers.

Roy and Dale were not just my heroes because of their western fame. There was that to be sure, but they were also both philanthropists who adopted a whole group of kids and raised them as their own. They also did a lot for charities and children's hospitals. When Roy died there was only a small article and pic in my newspaper. Shameful. But what can you expect from a liberal media who doesn't want people to remember heroes who were popular in the movies and t.v. for carrying guns and righting wrongs as INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS who were not portrayed as government sanctioned agents or peace officers.

I remember seeing their very last t.v. performance together a few years back with them both very elderly and dressed in their western outfits singing "Happy Trails".

After Roy died, the IRS raped his estate. Dale died shorty thereafter. I've called and spoke with their son Rusty Rogers at the Roy Roger's museum a while back, and they had to sell a lot of stuff like Roy's saddles and guns to pay off the draconian IRS. I'm not even sure if the museum was able to stay open. Haven't spoken with Rusty Rogers in a while. The media can downplay gun carrying Roy Roger's significance if they want, but he will always be a hero to this babyboomer. Roy's appearance in commercials helped sell a lot of Mattel shootin shell western toy guns back in those days too. (I had a couple of Mattel shootin shell fanners) Which influenced a lot of us towards real guns later. Something the media today wouldn't like and no doubt resents what Roy stood for. So it's no wonder the press downplayed the news of his death. This man was a MAJOR western movie and t.v. star. At one time the highest paid t.v. actor and most popular western star of that era. Him and his wife were wonderful, Christian, charity giving people. And the press just gave a tiny blurb to his passing. Even less of a blurb to Dale's passing shortly thereafter. Again, shameful. I truly hate the times we live in. I really do.

When I was very small, maybe 5 or 6, Dale Evans visited our Seminole Heights Baptist Church in Tampa, Fl. Yes, THE Dale Evans. When mom introduced her to me, I didn't recognize her without her cowgirl outfit on! Lol.
I asked her where Roy and trigger was and she told me they were at home. I remember she was wearing a 50's era hat and had a fox or some kind of fur wrapped around her shoulders. Very UNwestern garb. I was disappointed, as a child I expected her to ALWAYS be wearing her cowgirl outfit! At that young age it never occurred to me that she wouldn't! Lol.

When I was 12 in military school (Sanford Naval Academy, Sanford, Fl.) at a field trip to six gun territory, I also met and spoke with Kirby Grant (Sky King) who was performing in the shootout at the now defunct western theme park "Six Gun Territory". He gave me one of his spent blank shells. Kirby Grant died in an accident where he somehow drove off the interstate and his car landed in a water filled ditch upside down and although the crash did not kill him, he drowned. For those of you who remember "Sky King", the pretty girl "Penny" died last year. The old 50's western stars are starting to rapidly thin out.

I miss those old days and our old western stars. Sitting in my car one evening at Parris Island, I even wrote a song about missing them when I was in the Marines back in 1972. It's words are kind of dated today though. I've strummed the guitar and sang it a lot over the years but never recorded it. Just a simple guitar chord progression of G, C, and D. Let me know if you want to read the lyrics and I'll post them.

.

March 15, 2011, 12:37 AM	#9
Bill Akins Senior Member Join Date: August 28, 2007 Location: Hudson, Florida Posts: 1,135	Glad you fellas liked it. In addition to shooting them, I get a lot of fun out of twirling and quick drawing my BP revolvers. My daughter in law (who knows of my quick drawing penchant) got me a present for my 57th birthday and she found the perfect rope handle bag to put it in that had a pic of one of my favorite heroes (Roy Rogers) on the bag and the text line below the pic was perfect. I was delighted to say the least! Needless to say, I kept the bag. Here's a scan of the bag..... p.s. Look at the barrel lengths of Roy's Colts. He usually had 4 & 3/4" barrels on his t.v. series (like the Lone Ranger did) but not in this pic. Those appear to be 7 & 1/2 inch barrel '73 peacemakers. Roy and Dale were not just my heroes because of their western fame. There was that to be sure, but they were also both philanthropists who adopted a whole group of kids and raised them as their own. They also did a lot for charities and children's hospitals. When Roy died there was only a small article and pic in my newspaper. Shameful. But what can you expect from a liberal media who doesn't want people to remember heroes who were popular in the movies and t.v. for carrying guns and righting wrongs as INDIVIDUAL CITIZENS who were not portrayed as government sanctioned agents or peace officers. I remember seeing their very last t.v. performance together a few years back with them both very elderly and dressed in their western outfits singing "Happy Trails". After Roy died, the IRS raped his estate. Dale died shorty thereafter. I've called and spoke with their son Rusty Rogers at the Roy Roger's museum a while back, and they had to sell a lot of stuff like Roy's saddles and guns to pay off the draconian IRS. I'm not even sure if the museum was able to stay open. Haven't spoken with Rusty Rogers in a while. The media can downplay gun carrying Roy Roger's significance if they want, but he will always be a hero to this babyboomer. Roy's appearance in commercials helped sell a lot of Mattel shootin shell western toy guns back in those days too. (I had a couple of Mattel shootin shell fanners) Which influenced a lot of us towards real guns later. Something the media today wouldn't like and no doubt resents what Roy stood for. So it's no wonder the press downplayed the news of his death. This man was a MAJOR western movie and t.v. star. At one time the highest paid t.v. actor and most popular western star of that era. Him and his wife were wonderful, Christian, charity giving people. And the press just gave a tiny blurb to his passing. Even less of a blurb to Dale's passing shortly thereafter. Again, shameful. I truly hate the times we live in. I really do. When I was very small, maybe 5 or 6, Dale Evans visited our Seminole Heights Baptist Church in Tampa, Fl. Yes, THE Dale Evans. When mom introduced her to me, I didn't recognize her without her cowgirl outfit on! Lol. I asked her where Roy and trigger was and she told me they were at home. I remember she was wearing a 50's era hat and had a fox or some kind of fur wrapped around her shoulders. Very UNwestern garb. I was disappointed, as a child I expected her to ALWAYS be wearing her cowgirl outfit! At that young age it never occurred to me that she wouldn't! Lol. When I was 12 in military school (Sanford Naval Academy, Sanford, Fl.) at a field trip to six gun territory, I also met and spoke with Kirby Grant (Sky King) who was performing in the shootout at the now defunct western theme park "Six Gun Territory". He gave me one of his spent blank shells. Kirby Grant died in an accident where he somehow drove off the interstate and his car landed in a water filled ditch upside down and although the crash did not kill him, he drowned. For those of you who remember "Sky King", the pretty girl "Penny" died last year. The old 50's western stars are starting to rapidly thin out. I miss those old days and our old western stars. Sitting in my car one evening at Parris Island, I even wrote a song about missing them when I was in the Marines back in 1972. It's words are kind of dated today though. I've strummed the guitar and sang it a lot over the years but never recorded it. Just a simple guitar chord progression of G, C, and D. Let me know if you want to read the lyrics and I'll post them. . __________________ "This is my Remy and this is my Colt. Remy loads easy and topstrap strong, Colt balances better and never feels wrong. A repro black powder revolver gun, they smoke and shoot lead and give me much fun. I can't figure out which one I like better, they're both fine revolvers that fit in my leather". "To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target". Last edited by Bill Akins; March 15, 2011 at 11:12 PM.