Early thoughts on the Open Top...........

Bob Wright · March 7, 2017, 03:12 PM

A few folks have asked me my thoughts on shooting the Cimarron Open Top, and I'll gladly oblige. Mine is .38 Special, 4 3/4" barrel, here compared to the Model P .44 Special:

For starters, I was a little surprised at the weight of the gun, somewhat heavier than I thought. This because its a .38 Special, and because of the extended web under the barrel at the front of the frame. But the gun feels good in the hand, just nicely balanced and a trifle muzzle heavy, which I prefer anyway. The forward weight is nicely balanced by the flare at the butt, which sort of "hooks" the gun to your (my) hand. Birdshead grip here is definitely out.

The lack of a topstrap makes the sighting plane very low in the hand, and the gun is a natural pointer. I no longer have a safe place to practice aerial shooting, but I think this would be a natural for that.

The gun and its grip seem somewhat petite in the hand, again no detriment to its handling. Certainly no +P gun, standard target or very mild handloads are called for. I'm not yet over 500 rounds fired through the gun, but it is a
fun gun. I didn't buy this for precise shooting, nor long range hunting work, just a fun gun to shoot. And there it seems to fill the bill most handily.

And, its a pretty gun, to boot.

Bob Wright

Siggy-06 · March 7, 2017, 10:24 PM

Those are both lovely revolvers Bob. I really dig the look of the open top. Any difference in the way it recoils/feels when firing compared to the model P? What price range was the open top in your neck of the woods? Thanks.

Sig

Venom1956 · March 7, 2017, 10:39 PM

I just got the Man With No Name® Conversion one. Gave it to my dad for Christmas. He loved it. I quite enjoyed playing with it before I gave it to him. I'd love to get some trigger time on it.

Bob Wright · March 8, 2017, 11:02 AM

With Tennessee sales tax and background check fee, price was even $500.

Cimarron advised me that if I ordered direct from them, they had to charge MSRP + shipping, + any fee charged by me FFL.

A couple of dealers refused to order direct from Cimarron, but the pawn shop around the corner did that for me. They did ask $100 in advance, and the balance on receipt.

As I have said, I'm shooting moderate .38 Specials,so recoil is negligible, think Ruger Single Six.

When going back to a Blackhawk, that front sight blade seems HUGE! And the top strap seems very high.

One negative comment I've heard is "You can't see the sights when the hammer is not cocked."

Why would you want to?

Bob Wright

Driftwood Johnson · March 8, 2017, 12:35 PM

Quote:

I no longer have a safe place to practice aerial shooting, but I think this would be a natural for that.

Were you able to hit flying targets?

I don't have anyplace to try that, and I'm sure I would stink at it anyway.

I usually use a shotgun for flying targets.

Bob Wright · March 8, 2017, 05:15 PM

I had a safe place many years ago, but lost it. I started by throwing up gallon sized paint cans or those old one pound coffee cans. I got to the point I could hit with some frequency, but only if I threw the can up myself. Was wanting to get to hit smaller objects but never made that far along.

This after once seeing Ken Maynard hit aerial targets with a rifle.

Bob Wright

Targa · March 8, 2017, 05:39 PM

Beautiful gun!!

bedbugbilly · March 8, 2017, 09:38 PM

Thanks for sharing your thoughts Bot. It is a nice looking revolver. I have several of the Uberties - a 45 Colt 7 1/2" Cattleman and a 357 Bisley 4 3/4" - both well made and excellent shooters. I keep looking at one like yours and like you refer to it - I want one just for a "fun gun"

I only shoot reloads and cast. I love playing with 38 Colt Short, Long and 38 special. One of these would be great fun with all three of those cartridges in both smokeless and BP.

samsmix · March 9, 2017, 01:14 PM

My old man was a (rifle) trick shooter for a carnival after WWII. He would shoot aspirin tablets from the air with a .22, trace the Calumet indian in sheet metal, light matches, snuff candles.

Many years later (the late 90's) I taught myself, getting good pretty good at thrown pennies (actually once you can hit a salt shaker sized target, it all seems the same).

ANYHOW, long story short, I was just starting to have some degree of success with a handgun on pop can-sized areal targets, when I started raising my daughter. Those skills ARE perishable, and even with a rifle I'm not consistent anymore...but the notion of attempting it with a low sight line pistol like the Open Top...well it seems like it would be a natural for it.

Bob Wright · March 9, 2017, 08:49 PM

The "Calumet Indian."

Wonder how many would recognize that image?

Bob Wright

burrhead · March 9, 2017, 09:31 PM

Several years ago I met a 16 year old kid who, if you were willing to bet a couple of bucks, would show you he could hit a thrown dime with a 22 rifle. Cost me five bucks to see it. Much later he told me how he did it.

While holding a dime in his support hand, he’d raise the muzzle straight up and throw the dime at the same time and quickly shoot. He didn’t actually see the dime but had taught himself to throw the coin so that it was in the line of fire. It was sort of a trick but still something that took him a lot of time to learn. Another thing. I went dove hunting with him once and he used a .410 to great effect.

Kid was an outstanding wing shooter.

Armybrat · March 11, 2017, 10:46 AM

Your conversion is a right handsome firearm. Mine is not so good-looking - I call it my "Colt Cantina Conversion". My Dad bought it in Monterrey, Mexico in the '60s.
Seems some backroom "gunsmith" down there sloppily cut down the factory conversion to 5", removed the ejector housing mechanism, filled in the lug holes with pewter, and nickeled the whole thing (with some nickel remaining on the grip frame & forcing cone).

Also the .38 rimfire pin was removed and a center fire pin stuck on the hammer. Matching serial #173 stamped in the usual places. I think Colt used up a bunch of Navy parts after the War to make these conversions and they had their own serial number run. Or so I guess.

Those wood grips were made by a Mexican blacksmith's 13 year old son. They replaced the ill-fitting & poorly repaired ivory one piece grips, which I still have.

Driftwood Johnson · March 11, 2017, 02:22 PM

Quote:

My old man was a (rifle) trick shooter for a carnival after WWII. He would shoot aspirin tablets from the air with a .22, trace the Calumet indian in sheet metal, light matches, snuff candles.

Many years later (the late 90's) I taught myself, getting good pretty good at thrown pennies (actually once you can hit a salt shaker sized target, it all seems the same).

ANYHOW, long story short, I was just starting to have some degree of success with a handgun on pop can-sized areal targets, when I started raising my daughter. Those skills ARE perishable, and even with a rifle I'm not consistent anymore...but the notion of attempting it with a low sight line pistol like the Open Top...well it seems like it would be a natural for it.

I have read that during the filming of Winchester '73, during the shooting match where Jimmy Stewart and Stephen McNally are shooting a coin out of the air, a trick rifle shooter was actually shooting the coins out of the air from off camera. Dunno why the movie producers thought they needed to do that, who is going to know if the coin that falls to the ground was actually shot out of the air or not? Maybe on the big screen you could tell.

In that film in the final showdown a trick shooter was also shooting live rounds against the rocks near the actors. Jimmie Stewart complained about getting sprayed with rock fragments.

Today they would use squibs planted in the rocks.

45 Dragoon · March 11, 2017, 03:59 PM

Armybrat,
Just for the heck of it, the '71/'72 Open Top wasn't a conversion. It was the first true cartridge revolver designed to be a cartridge shooter from the get go, offered from Colt.

Mike
www.goonsgunworks.com
Follow me on Instagram @ goonsgunworks

Bob Wright · March 11, 2017, 04:02 PM

That "trick shooter" was Herb Parsons, exhibition shooter for Winchester. Not only was Parsons a great shot, he was a fine gentleman (from Tennessee, no less) and gifted showman.

He is acknowledged to be the originator of the slogan:

"Take you boy huntin'
and you want have to go huntin' for your boy."

I had the pleasure of seeing him one time at a sportsman's show. One of his really amusing routines was making a tossed salad, with the usual ingredients and a Winchester Model 12 shotgun.

Bob Wright

March 7, 2017, 10:39 PM	#3
Venom1956 Senior Member Join Date: October 4, 2008 Location: WI Posts: 3,656	I just got the Man With No Name® Conversion one. Gave it to my dad for Christmas. He loved it. I quite enjoyed playing with it before I gave it to him. I'd love to get some trigger time on it. __________________ E-Shock rounds are engineered to expend maximum energy into soft targets, turning the density mass into an expanding rotational cone of NyTrilium matrix particles, causing neurological collapse to the central nervous system.- Yeah I can do that. I guarantee you will know it if a bicyclist hits your house going 1000 mph. -Smaug

March 8, 2017, 11:02 AM	#4
Bob Wright Senior Member Join Date: July 10, 2012 Location: Memphis, Tennessee Posts: 2,989	With Tennessee sales tax and background check fee, price was even $500. Cimarron advised me that if I ordered direct from them, they had to charge MSRP + shipping, + any fee charged by me FFL. A couple of dealers refused to order direct from Cimarron, but the pawn shop around the corner did that for me. They did ask $100 in advance, and the balance on receipt. As I have said, I'm shooting moderate .38 Specials,so recoil is negligible, think Ruger Single Six. When going back to a Blackhawk, that front sight blade seems HUGE! And the top strap seems very high. One negative comment I've heard is "You can't see the sights when the hammer is not cocked." Why would you want to? Bob Wright __________________ Time spent at the reloading bench is an investment in contentment.

March 8, 2017, 05:15 PM	#6
Bob Wright Senior Member Join Date: July 10, 2012 Location: Memphis, Tennessee Posts: 2,989	I had a safe place many years ago, but lost it. I started by throwing up gallon sized paint cans or those old one pound coffee cans. I got to the point I could hit with some frequency, but only if I threw the can up myself. Was wanting to get to hit smaller objects but never made that far along. This after once seeing Ken Maynard hit aerial targets with a rifle. Bob Wright __________________ Time spent at the reloading bench is an investment in contentment.

March 8, 2017, 09:38 PM	#8
bedbugbilly Senior Member Join Date: November 19, 2009 Posts: 3,287	Thanks for sharing your thoughts Bot. It is a nice looking revolver. I have several of the Uberties - a 45 Colt 7 1/2" Cattleman and a 357 Bisley 4 3/4" - both well made and excellent shooters. I keep looking at one like yours and like you refer to it - I want one just for a "fun gun" I only shoot reloads and cast. I love playing with 38 Colt Short, Long and 38 special. One of these would be great fun with all three of those cartridges in both smokeless and BP. __________________ If a pair of '51 Navies were good enough for Billy Hickok, then a single Navy on my right hip is good enough for me . . . besides . . . I'm probably only half as good as he was anyways. Hiram's Rangers Badge #63

March 9, 2017, 01:14 PM	#9
samsmix Senior Member Join Date: June 29, 2006 Location: Montana (Montucky?) Posts: 1,273	My old man was a (rifle) trick shooter for a carnival after WWII. He would shoot aspirin tablets from the air with a .22, trace the Calumet indian in sheet metal, light matches, snuff candles. Many years later (the late 90's) I taught myself, getting good pretty good at thrown pennies (actually once you can hit a salt shaker sized target, it all seems the same). ANYHOW, long story short, I was just starting to have some degree of success with a handgun on pop can-sized areal targets, when I started raising my daughter. Those skills ARE perishable, and even with a rifle I'm not consistent anymore...but the notion of attempting it with a low sight line pistol like the Open Top...well it seems like it would be a natural for it. __________________ You'll probably never NEED a gun. I hope you never do. But IF you do, you will need it worse than anything you've ever needed in your life. IF we're not supposed to eat animals, howcome God made 'em outta meat?

March 7, 2017, 03:12 PM	#1
Bob Wright Senior Member Join Date: July 10, 2012 Location: Memphis, Tennessee Posts: 2,989	Early thoughts on the Open Top........... A few folks have asked me my thoughts on shooting the Cimarron Open Top, and I'll gladly oblige. Mine is .38 Special, 4 3/4" barrel, here compared to the Model P .44 Special: For starters, I was a little surprised at the weight of the gun, somewhat heavier than I thought. This because its a .38 Special, and because of the extended web under the barrel at the front of the frame. But the gun feels good in the hand, just nicely balanced and a trifle muzzle heavy, which I prefer anyway. The forward weight is nicely balanced by the flare at the butt, which sort of "hooks" the gun to your (my) hand. Birdshead grip here is definitely out. The lack of a topstrap makes the sighting plane very low in the hand, and the gun is a natural pointer. I no longer have a safe place to practice aerial shooting, but I think this would be a natural for that. The gun and its grip seem somewhat petite in the hand, again no detriment to its handling. Certainly no +P gun, standard target or very mild handloads are called for. I'm not yet over 500 rounds fired through the gun, but it is a fun gun. I didn't buy this for precise shooting, nor long range hunting work, just a fun gun to shoot. And there it seems to fill the bill most handily. And, its a pretty gun, to boot. Bob Wright __________________ Time spent at the reloading bench is an investment in contentment.

March 7, 2017, 10:24 PM	#2
Siggy-06 Senior Member Join Date: September 2, 2014 Location: Florida Posts: 1,148	Those are both lovely revolvers Bob. I really dig the look of the open top. Any difference in the way it recoils/feels when firing compared to the model P? What price range was the open top in your neck of the woods? Thanks. Sig

March 8, 2017, 05:39 PM	#7
Targa Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2014 Posts: 2,084	Beautiful gun!!

March 9, 2017, 08:49 PM	#10
Bob Wright Senior Member Join Date: July 10, 2012 Location: Memphis, Tennessee Posts: 2,989	The "Calumet Indian." Wonder how many would recognize that image? Bob Wright __________________ Time spent at the reloading bench is an investment in contentment.

March 9, 2017, 09:31 PM	#11
burrhead Senior Member Join Date: July 6, 1999 Location: Chihuahuan desert, Texas Posts: 1,148	Several years ago I met a 16 year old kid who, if you were willing to bet a couple of bucks, would show you he could hit a thrown dime with a 22 rifle. Cost me five bucks to see it. Much later he told me how he did it. While holding a dime in his support hand, he’d raise the muzzle straight up and throw the dime at the same time and quickly shoot. He didn’t actually see the dime but had taught himself to throw the coin so that it was in the line of fire. It was sort of a trick but still something that took him a lot of time to learn. Another thing. I went dove hunting with him once and he used a .410 to great effect. Kid was an outstanding wing shooter. __________________ Join the GOA, SAF and the TSRA I'm offended by people that are easily offended.

March 11, 2017, 10:46 AM	#12
Armybrat Senior Member Join Date: May 10, 2009 Location: Round Rock, Texas Posts: 976	Your conversion is a right handsome firearm. Mine is not so good-looking - I call it my "Colt Cantina Conversion". My Dad bought it in Monterrey, Mexico in the '60s. Seems some backroom "gunsmith" down there sloppily cut down the factory conversion to 5", removed the ejector housing mechanism, filled in the lug holes with pewter, and nickeled the whole thing (with some nickel remaining on the grip frame & forcing cone). Also the .38 rimfire pin was removed and a center fire pin stuck on the hammer. Matching serial #173 stamped in the usual places. I think Colt used up a bunch of Navy parts after the War to make these conversions and they had their own serial number run. Or so I guess. Those wood grips were made by a Mexican blacksmith's 13 year old son. They replaced the ill-fitting & poorly repaired ivory one piece grips, which I still have. Last edited by Armybrat; March 11, 2017 at 11:02 AM.

March 11, 2017, 03:59 PM	#14
45 Dragoon Senior Member Join Date: June 14, 2013 Posts: 656	Armybrat, Just for the heck of it, the '71/'72 Open Top wasn't a conversion. It was the first true cartridge revolver designed to be a cartridge shooter from the get go, offered from Colt. Mike www.goonsgunworks.com Follow me on Instagram @ goonsgunworks

March 11, 2017, 04:02 PM	#15
Bob Wright Senior Member Join Date: July 10, 2012 Location: Memphis, Tennessee Posts: 2,989	That "trick shooter" was Herb Parsons, exhibition shooter for Winchester. Not only was Parsons a great shot, he was a fine gentleman (from Tennessee, no less) and gifted showman. He is acknowledged to be the originator of the slogan: "Take you boy huntin' and you want have to go huntin' for your boy." I had the pleasure of seeing him one time at a sportsman's show. One of his really amusing routines was making a tossed salad, with the usual ingredients and a Winchester Model 12 shotgun. Bob Wright __________________ Time spent at the reloading bench is an investment in contentment.