Have Gun Will Travel

Prof Young · October 22, 2011, 09:32 AM

Shooters:
What kin of gun is it that Paladin used in the old Have Gun Will Travel TV show?
Both the six shooter and the derringer?
Thanks
Live Well, Be Safe
Prof Young

shafter · October 22, 2011, 11:47 AM

Don't know about the derringer but the six gun looks like an 1873 Colt Peacemaker.

Hardy · October 22, 2011, 07:37 PM

It was a piecemaker with brown grips made either by Pietta or Uberti or some Italian Comp--I think-- because there was an article about it a year ago in the mag "Guns of the Old West" which I gave away. Now I have CRS

BUT it was not a black grip!

Hardy · October 22, 2011, 07:44 PM

I meant peacemaker. Hawg/Fingers/Mckeal and other greats here probably read it and still have the info. They will clarify I'm sure
WBH

Old Grump · October 22, 2011, 08:11 PM

It was a Great Western made here in the states. It was a replica of the Colt SAA. There were 4 guns known to be made for the show, and some talk of a 5th gun. The Pietta gun came later and was a replica of the shows gun. He used a Arvo Ojala gunbelt and holster set, a cutaway holster specially made for fast draw but unfortunately not to good for retention during normal use.

mykeal · October 22, 2011, 08:20 PM

I believe there were either 4 or 5 guns used by Boone as the primary revolver; all were either replicas of or actual .45 Colt Single Action Armies, aka the 1873 Peacemaker. Two or three were kept pristine for use in closeups and two were beaters used in action scenes where they landed on the ground or the floor, etc. One is supposed to be in the Cody museum.

I've never really seen any definitive data as to who the manufacturer(s) of the guns were. Both Great Western and Colt have been mentioned; I don't recall the magazine article.

The color of the grips is also something I can't recall - the show was in black and white. But, there's no doubt the Peacemaker was the design.

Edit: For you trivia fans, Richard Boone was a 7th generation cousin of Daniel Boone; he was descended from Daniel's younger brother, Squire Boone.

Hellgate · October 22, 2011, 08:39 PM

I thought the derringer was a Remington double barrel. 41 cal?

Hawg · October 22, 2011, 09:08 PM

I think it was a Hawes but I can't find anything to prove it.

RonC · October 22, 2011, 10:36 PM

This is the one in the Cody museum in Cody, WY:

Ron

DrLaw · October 22, 2011, 10:57 PM

Paladin, Paladin, where do you roam
Paladin, Paladin, far, far from home

Have gun, will travel, reads the card of a man
A knight without armor in a savage land
His fast gun for hire heeds the calling wind
A soldier of fortune is the man called Paladin

Paladin, Paladin, where do you roam
Paladin, Paladin, far, far from home

He travels on to wherever he must
A chess knight of silver is his badge of trust
There are campfire legends that the plainsmen spin
Of the man with the gun, of the man called Paladin

Paladin, Paladin, where do you roam
Paladin, Paladin, far, far from home
Far from home
Far from home

The Doc is out now.

(great theme song

)

Prof Young · October 22, 2011, 11:21 PM

Cowboy Shooters:
Thanks for the info.
So, question two: Is there a modern made equivalent that I can buy new?
Prof Young

kwhi43 · October 23, 2011, 01:27 AM

And I believe the caliber was a 44-40 as I remember.

**Aguila Blanca** · October 23, 2011, 08:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Prof Young

So, question two: Is there a modern made equivalent that I can buy new?

How authentic are you looking for, and are you looking for authenticity to the movie gun, or to what it was supposed to be?

What it was supposed to be was a Colt SAA (Model 1873) with the 7-1/2" "Cavalry" barrel. There are probably a dozen or more companies currently selling reproductions of it. Most are made by Uberti and Pietta Arms in Italy, but they sell to other companies who rebrand them, such as Cimmaron, EAA, and others.

Lee McNelly · October 23, 2011, 09:02 AM

Arvo Ojala

IN SOME OF THE GUNSMOKE OPENINGS IT IS HE WHO DRAWS DOWN ON MATT DILLON IN THE OPENINGS REMEMBER SOME

Prof Young · October 23, 2011, 10:28 AM

Thanks for the info.
I see Colt still sells a Peacemaker p1870 with an MRSP of over $1200. If that's the kind of price I'm looking it . . . it may be a while!
Thanks again.
Prof Young

Hawg · October 23, 2011, 01:12 PM

You can get a Uberti Cattleman for less than half that. It's a realistic clone right down to the firing pin on the hammer and patent dates. Or for a little more you can get the same gun sold by Cimarron but it's hand picked and the Uberti markings are hidden. It has Cimarrons address on the barrel like Colt did in the same style. It will have wood grips tho.

Lemmon · October 23, 2011, 10:04 PM

When I was a kid, Dad bought me the Paladin toy set that included the pistol, holster, derringer and the Have gun will travel business cards. That was my favorite TV show. Wow Not sure how old I was but I just turned 60 this past May. Not sure what ever happened with that set up but I loved it.

Lemmon

BillCA · October 23, 2011, 10:59 PM

Typical of Hollywood, one of the earliest shows indicated that his revolver was a custom job to Paladin's specifications with a "one-ounce trigger" pull. Hollywood hype at it's best (such a trigger would be dangerous in his line of work).

One of the guns used for close-ups was a Genuine Colt SAA, beautifully finished with a deep bluing. Other guns used in the series, as mentioned, were Great Westerns for general scenes and where he might be required to drop/lose the gun.

IIRC from an article on the show, the original Derringer was a .41 Rimfire Remingtion double derringer. The problem in the show was that even blank ammo was hard to find or make and expensive when found. One solution was that they used a .38 Special Derringer, bored out the muzzle to .41" for appearances and fired a .38 Special squib load to emulate the .41 short. Boone only carried the derringer when a scene required him to use it because it was uncomfortable after a while.

More Trivia:
Most of the 1st Season of the show was directed by Andrew McLaglen - son of movie actor Victor McLaglen whom many of you have seen in John Wayne movies as the Irish Sergeant Quincannon.

Some of the other shows were directed by actress Ida Lupino, a close friend of Boone's and one of the earliest successful woman TV directors. William Conrad (Cannon; Jake and the fat man) also directed half a dozen episodes.

A fledgling script writer named Gene Roddenberry wrote 24 scripts for the show as well.

Boone really was fast on the draw. Since he rarely had to draw & shoot, he'd practiced his draw until it was very fast. When he had to actually draw and shoot, he said it took him some more work to make that look smooth and natural.

Hardy · October 24, 2011, 07:09 PM

I just watched a rerun of this show. A man hired him and asked for his gun to look at. Boone handed it over and the man said"What gunfighter would hand over his gun?" Boone replied by saying that his peacemaker was redesigned and rifled to his specifications and the trigger responds to 1 oz of pressure as he also pulled out his derringer and said "hand it back!" The grip was brown by the way.
WBH

Gatofeo · October 24, 2011, 09:50 PM

My father had a Colt Single Action Army made in 1974, in excellent shape. It was one of those "Martial Models" reworked by the arsenal in the late 1800s or early 1900s, with a 5-1/2" barrel.
Dad was given that pistol in 1931 by his uncle, a logger near Mt. Rainier, Washington.
About 1960, Dad wanted a holster made for the family heirloom. Somehow, he learned of a guy in our city -- Spokane, TV series that Dad enjoyed.
Dad stood in our living room while the holster maker pinned a pattern around him like a dressmaker. Dad always got a kick out of that.
There was quite a science to the design.
The maker put loops for 10 .45 cartridges off to one side, "So when you sit in a chair you don't beat it or the cartridges up," the maker explained.
The holster hung low. Dad protested that he wasn't looking to be a gunslinger but the maker explained, "It's low, so when you carry a rifle the two don't bang against each other."
The holster is a typical Buscadero rig, with the holster attached to the belt as one unit. The Buscadero design is not authentic to the Old West.
The final touch was the first initial of the family name carved on the leather band around the holster, where the chess piece is seen in the series.
The entire holster is hand-stitched from premium leather. An identical holster today would cost about $500, I'd guess. I recall that Dad paid $40 to $50 for it about 1960 or 1961.
My brother has the holster and pistol, locked in a gun safe.
Two notches are cut into the walnut grip.
This old Colt is known to have killed two burglars in a logging camp near Eatonville, Washington at the turn of the century. They fired first, the Colt's report was final.
But that's another story ...

Crunchy Frog · October 25, 2011, 06:42 PM

I knew a retired businessman who was a fan of the show when he was young. He eventually acquired a Colt SAA and tracked down the guy who made Paladin's belt and holster and convinced him to make a replica. Quite a nice set.

Professor, if you'd like to see these guns in action find a SASS or NCOWS club in your area. These old style guns are a lot of fun to shoot and you'd be amazed how well (and quickly) the cowboy shooters run them.

Hardy · October 28, 2011, 08:36 PM

As I speak now--Paliden says his gun was HANDCRAFTED to his specifications and trigger still responds to one oz of pressure--got to go now and watch it.

WBH

Shotgun693 · October 28, 2011, 08:50 PM

In the real world a 1 oz trigger on any handgun is a good way to accidently shoot yourself.

BillCA · October 29, 2011, 11:20 PM

^^^^^ What he said.

1 oz isn't even sufficient to prevent accidental discharge if the gun is moved abruptly. A 1 pound trigger is even dicey on a SAA.

Hawg · October 30, 2011, 02:02 AM

Well it is/was just a tv show.

October 22, 2011, 09:32 AM	#1
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,404	Have Gun Will Travel Shooters: What kin of gun is it that Paladin used in the old Have Gun Will Travel TV show? Both the six shooter and the derringer? Thanks Live Well, Be Safe Prof Young

October 22, 2011, 08:11 PM	#5
Old Grump Member in memoriam Join Date: April 9, 2009 Location: Blue River Wisconsin, in Posts: 3,144	It was a Great Western made here in the states. It was a replica of the Colt SAA. There were 4 guns known to be made for the show, and some talk of a 5th gun. The Pietta gun came later and was a replica of the shows gun. He used a Arvo Ojala gunbelt and holster set, a cutaway holster specially made for fast draw but unfortunately not to good for retention during normal use. __________________ Good intentions will always be pleaded for any assumption of power. The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions. There are men in all ages who mean to govern will, but they mean to govern. They promise to be good masters, but they mean to be masters. --Daniel Webster--

October 22, 2011, 08:20 PM	#6
mykeal Senior Member Join Date: October 8, 2006 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 2,772	I believe there were either 4 or 5 guns used by Boone as the primary revolver; all were either replicas of or actual .45 Colt Single Action Armies, aka the 1873 Peacemaker. Two or three were kept pristine for use in closeups and two were beaters used in action scenes where they landed on the ground or the floor, etc. One is supposed to be in the Cody museum. I've never really seen any definitive data as to who the manufacturer(s) of the guns were. Both Great Western and Colt have been mentioned; I don't recall the magazine article. The color of the grips is also something I can't recall - the show was in black and white. But, there's no doubt the Peacemaker was the design. Edit: For you trivia fans, Richard Boone was a 7th generation cousin of Daniel Boone; he was descended from Daniel's younger brother, Squire Boone. Last edited by mykeal; October 22, 2011 at 08:25 PM.

October 22, 2011, 08:39 PM	#7
Hellgate Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2010 Location: Orygun Posts: 869	I thought the derringer was a Remington double barrel. 41 cal? __________________ With over 15 perCUSSIN' revolvers, I've been called the Imelda Marcos of cap & ball. SASS#3302 (Life), SASS Regulator, NRA (Life), Dirty Gamey Bastards #129 Wolverton Mtn. Peacekeepers (WA), former Orygun Cowboy (Ranger, Posse from Hell)

October 22, 2011, 10:57 PM	#10
DrLaw Senior Member Join Date: June 3, 2007 Location: Wild Western Illinois Posts: 559	Paladin, Paladin, where do you roam Paladin, Paladin, far, far from home Have gun, will travel, reads the card of a man A knight without armor in a savage land His fast gun for hire heeds the calling wind A soldier of fortune is the man called Paladin Paladin, Paladin, where do you roam Paladin, Paladin, far, far from home He travels on to wherever he must A chess knight of silver is his badge of trust There are campfire legends that the plainsmen spin Of the man with the gun, of the man called Paladin Paladin, Paladin, where do you roam Paladin, Paladin, far, far from home Far from home Far from home The Doc is out now. (great theme song ) __________________ General McAuliffe said it best "Nuts."

October 22, 2011, 11:47 AM	#2
shafter Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2009 Posts: 1,624	Don't know about the derringer but the six gun looks like an 1873 Colt Peacemaker.

October 22, 2011, 07:37 PM	#3
Hardy Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 709	It was a piecemaker with brown grips made either by Pietta or Uberti or some Italian Comp--I think-- because there was an article about it a year ago in the mag "Guns of the Old West" which I gave away. Now I have CRS BUT it was not a black grip!

October 22, 2011, 07:44 PM	#4
Hardy Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 709	I meant peacemaker. Hawg/Fingers/Mckeal and other greats here probably read it and still have the info. They will clarify I'm sure WBH

October 22, 2011, 09:08 PM	#8
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,190	I think it was a Hawes but I can't find anything to prove it.

October 22, 2011, 10:36 PM	#9
RonC Senior Member Join Date: May 17, 2004 Location: Golden, CO Posts: 226	This is the one in the Cody museum in Cody, WY: Ron

October 22, 2011, 11:21 PM	#11
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,404	Thanks! Cowboy Shooters: Thanks for the info. So, question two: Is there a modern made equivalent that I can buy new? Prof Young

October 23, 2011, 01:27 AM	#12
kwhi43 Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2008 Location: Kansas City Posts: 1,393	And I believe the caliber was a 44-40 as I remember. Last edited by kwhi43; October 23, 2011 at 01:41 AM.

October 23, 2011, 09:02 AM	#14
Lee McNelly Junior member Join Date: June 9, 2011 Posts: 325	TRIVIA Arvo Ojala IN SOME OF THE GUNSMOKE OPENINGS IT IS HE WHO DRAWS DOWN ON MATT DILLON IN THE OPENINGS REMEMBER SOME

October 23, 2011, 10:28 AM	#15
Prof Young Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 2007 Location: Illinois - down state Posts: 2,404	Thanks Thanks for the info. I see Colt still sells a Peacemaker p1870 with an MRSP of over $1200. If that's the kind of price I'm looking it . . . it may be a while! Thanks again. Prof Young

October 23, 2011, 01:12 PM	#16
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,190	You can get a Uberti Cattleman for less than half that. It's a realistic clone right down to the firing pin on the hammer and patent dates. Or for a little more you can get the same gun sold by Cimarron but it's hand picked and the Uberti markings are hidden. It has Cimarrons address on the barrel like Colt did in the same style. It will have wood grips tho.

October 23, 2011, 10:04 PM	#17
Lemmon Senior Member Join Date: December 25, 2009 Location: Rural South Carolina Posts: 445	When I was a kid, Dad bought me...... When I was a kid, Dad bought me the Paladin toy set that included the pistol, holster, derringer and the Have gun will travel business cards. That was my favorite TV show. Wow Not sure how old I was but I just turned 60 this past May. Not sure what ever happened with that set up but I loved it. Lemmon

October 23, 2011, 10:59 PM	#18
BillCA Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2004 Location: Silicon Valley, Ca Posts: 7,117	Typical of Hollywood, one of the earliest shows indicated that his revolver was a custom job to Paladin's specifications with a "one-ounce trigger" pull. Hollywood hype at it's best (such a trigger would be dangerous in his line of work). One of the guns used for close-ups was a Genuine Colt SAA, beautifully finished with a deep bluing. Other guns used in the series, as mentioned, were Great Westerns for general scenes and where he might be required to drop/lose the gun. IIRC from an article on the show, the original Derringer was a .41 Rimfire Remingtion double derringer. The problem in the show was that even blank ammo was hard to find or make and expensive when found. One solution was that they used a .38 Special Derringer, bored out the muzzle to .41" for appearances and fired a .38 Special squib load to emulate the .41 short. Boone only carried the derringer when a scene required him to use it because it was uncomfortable after a while. More Trivia: Most of the 1st Season of the show was directed by Andrew McLaglen - son of movie actor Victor McLaglen whom many of you have seen in John Wayne movies as the Irish Sergeant Quincannon. Some of the other shows were directed by actress Ida Lupino, a close friend of Boone's and one of the earliest successful woman TV directors. William Conrad (Cannon; Jake and the fat man) also directed half a dozen episodes. A fledgling script writer named Gene Roddenberry wrote 24 scripts for the show as well. Boone really was fast on the draw. Since he rarely had to draw & shoot, he'd practiced his draw until it was very fast. When he had to actually draw and shoot, he said it took him some more work to make that look smooth and natural. __________________ BillCA in CA (Unfortunately)

October 24, 2011, 07:09 PM	#19
Hardy Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 709	I just watched a rerun of this show. A man hired him and asked for his gun to look at. Boone handed it over and the man said"What gunfighter would hand over his gun?" Boone replied by saying that his peacemaker was redesigned and rifled to his specifications and the trigger responds to 1 oz of pressure as he also pulled out his derringer and said "hand it back!" The grip was brown by the way. WBH

October 24, 2011, 09:50 PM	#20
Gatofeo Senior Member Join Date: October 1, 2004 Location: Remote Utah desert Posts: 224	My father had a Colt Single Action Army made in 1974, in excellent shape. It was one of those "Martial Models" reworked by the arsenal in the late 1800s or early 1900s, with a 5-1/2" barrel. Dad was given that pistol in 1931 by his uncle, a logger near Mt. Rainier, Washington. About 1960, Dad wanted a holster made for the family heirloom. Somehow, he learned of a guy in our city -- Spokane, TV series that Dad enjoyed. Dad stood in our living room while the holster maker pinned a pattern around him like a dressmaker. Dad always got a kick out of that. There was quite a science to the design. The maker put loops for 10 .45 cartridges off to one side, "So when you sit in a chair you don't beat it or the cartridges up," the maker explained. The holster hung low. Dad protested that he wasn't looking to be a gunslinger but the maker explained, "It's low, so when you carry a rifle the two don't bang against each other." The holster is a typical Buscadero rig, with the holster attached to the belt as one unit. The Buscadero design is not authentic to the Old West. The final touch was the first initial of the family name carved on the leather band around the holster, where the chess piece is seen in the series. The entire holster is hand-stitched from premium leather. An identical holster today would cost about $500, I'd guess. I recall that Dad paid $40 to $50 for it about 1960 or 1961. My brother has the holster and pistol, locked in a gun safe. Two notches are cut into the walnut grip. This old Colt is known to have killed two burglars in a logging camp near Eatonville, Washington at the turn of the century. They fired first, the Colt's report was final. But that's another story ... __________________ "And lo, did I see an ugly cat. Smoke. Brimstone. Holes in parchment. And this ugly cat was much amused." --- The Prophesies of Gatodamus (1503 - 1566)

October 25, 2011, 06:42 PM	#21
Crunchy Frog Senior Member Join Date: December 26, 2008 Location: Greenville, SC Posts: 591	I knew a retired businessman who was a fan of the show when he was young. He eventually acquired a Colt SAA and tracked down the guy who made Paladin's belt and holster and convinced him to make a replica. Quite a nice set. Professor, if you'd like to see these guns in action find a SASS or NCOWS club in your area. These old style guns are a lot of fun to shoot and you'd be amazed how well (and quickly) the cowboy shooters run them.

October 28, 2011, 08:36 PM	#22
Hardy Senior Member Join Date: August 6, 2009 Location: South Carolina Posts: 709	As I speak now--Paliden says his gun was HANDCRAFTED to his specifications and trigger still responds to one oz of pressure--got to go now and watch it. WBH

October 28, 2011, 08:50 PM	#23
Shotgun693 Senior Member Join Date: September 3, 2011 Location: Poteet, Texas Posts: 959	In the real world a 1 oz trigger on any handgun is a good way to accidently shoot yourself.

October 29, 2011, 11:20 PM	#24
BillCA Senior Member Join Date: November 28, 2004 Location: Silicon Valley, Ca Posts: 7,117	^^^^^ What he said. 1 oz isn't even sufficient to prevent accidental discharge if the gun is moved abruptly. A 1 pound trigger is even dicey on a SAA. __________________ BillCA in CA (Unfortunately)

October 30, 2011, 02:02 AM	#25
Hawg Senior Member Join Date: September 8, 2007 Location: Mississippi Posts: 16,190	Well it is/was just a tv show.