Coronovirus Cowboy Trivia

[DIGGER]

While spending nearly all my time at home trying not to get coronovirus I watch a lot of tv.   I like to watch old westerns on Direct tv channel 538 (ya gotta pay extra ).  I have noticed a couple of untruths on the old westerns....

1.  Old western pistols dont shoot 47 times without reloading
2.  When in a knock down 5 minute fist fight you cant not lose your hat
3.   In no scenes where there are horses involved will you EVER see a pile of horse poop on the ground
4.  You cant get shot and there not be blood everywhere

I also wonder why the left side of a horse is the side ALL cowboys get on their horse

Am I bored or what?

[msb]

I love old westerns... still watch them all the time. The one thing I'm always amazed about, is that they all had granite jaws back then. I guess there was no such things as concussions... could just get up after taking a dozen or so good ones, brush it off, and carry on with your day
I don't pay extra to watch them though... heck I don't even have cable, satelite, etc. There's a few great channels on YT that show endless old westerns from the 50's and 60's...even some from the 40's. Love 'em all... beat most new movies put out these days.

[Jess from VA]

Couple more western movie stupids:

While you often see rifles actually aimed before firing, you rarely see 6 guns aimed at all.  Most shots are fired as soon as he clears leather down at the hip (or while running or on a running horse).  But the funniest shooting is when the cowboy slings the gun toward the enemy each times he shoots, like snapping it forward for each shot will get him a little increase in velocity.  If you do that at the range, they will throw you right out of there.

The other one is throwing the gun at the other guy when it runs empty (with a full belt of cartridges) (and this continued well into the gangster movies).

And Steve Mcqueen as the bounty hunter carrying a cut down .44 40 lever gun, with a belt full of 45-70 cartridges, because they are twice as big and looked cool.

And Lucas McCain, the first guy to ever run a lever gun like an assault weapon.  He aimed once in a while, but mostly he just mowed you down from the hip (and all your friends too).  

In the opening credit of each Rifleman episode, he slam-fires his rifle 11 times, but it only held 8 shots.

The last thing that comes to mind is how many western movie leading ladies wore skin tight shirts and dresses a size or two too small.  Watching them breathe was often better than the plot.  



 

 

[Serk]

In the opening credit of each Rifleman episode, he slam-fires his rifle 11 times, but it only held 8 shots.

I wish I could get that "assault rifle" today!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fMN8a3ZRUY

[Bret SD]

While spending nearly all my time at home trying not to get coronovirus I watch a lot of tv.   I like to watch old westerns on Direct tv channel 538 (ya gotta pay extra ).  I have noticed a couple of untruths on the old westerns....

1.  Old western pistols dont shoot 47 times without reloading
2.  When in a knock down 5 minute fist fight you cant not lose your hat
3.   In no scenes where there are horses involved will you EVER see a pile of horse poop on the ground
4.  You cant get shot and there not be blood everywhere

I also wonder why the left side of a horse is the side ALL cowboys get on their horse

Am I bored or what?

I dumped cable 8 years ago and never looked back, today we have internet and over the air TV. Grit is a Western's only channel and is my go to.. It cracks me up seeing white guys play both cowboys and Indians. 

[MarkT]

Couple more western movie stupids:

While you often see rifles actually aimed before firing, you rarely see 6 guns aimed at all.  Most shots are fired as soon as he clears leather down at the hip (or while running or on a running horse).  But the funniest shooting is when the cowboy slings the gun toward the enemy each times he shoots, like snapping it forward for each shot will get him a little increase in velocity.  If you do that at the range, they will throw you right out of there.

The other one is throwing the gun at the other guy when it runs empty (with a full belt of cartridges) (and this continued well into the gangster movies).

And Steve Mcqueen as the bounty hunter carrying a cut down .44 40 lever gun, with a belt full of 45-70 cartridges, because they are twice as big and looked cool.

And Lucas McCain, the first guy to ever run a lever gun like an assault weapon.  He aimed once in a while, but mostly he just mowed you down from the hip (and all your friends too).  

In the opening credit of each Rifleman episode, he slam-fires his rifle 11 times, but it only held 8 shots.

The last thing that comes to mind is how many western movie leading ladies wore skin tight shirts and dresses a size or two too small.  Watching them breathe was often better than the plot.  
 

Couldn't get past the fact that Chuck Connors got his acting career start in gay porn.  Kinda messed up my view of him as a cowboy hero.

"Not that there's anything wrong with that..."

[hubcapsc]

Grit is a Western's only channel and is my go to.. It cracks me up seeing white guys play both cowboys and Indians.

White girls especially... "dang, isn't that Angie Dickenson?"

This fellow, Michael Pate, an Australian, played a whole bunch
of indians on Gunsmoke and in John Wayne movies...



GRIT has a lot of Audie Murphy movies... I always thought he looked like
a little boy and was not a good fit for a tough cowboy... but in real life
he was one of the most decorated soldiers in WWII...

Murphy received the Medal of Honor for valor that he demonstrated
at the age of 19 for single-handedly holding off a company of German
soldiers for an hour at the Colmar Pocket in France in January 1945, then
leading a successful counterattack while wounded and out of ammunition.

-Mike

[hubcapsc]

Chuck Connors got his acting career start in gay porn.

You sure? I know his "son" from rifleman grew up to do
a full nude in Playboy...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Connors

-Mike

[The emperor has no clothes]

Chuck Connors got his acting career start in gay porn.

You sure? I know his "son" from rifleman grew up to do
a full nude in Playboy...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chuck_Connors

-Mike

Did they even have gay porn back then ?  ???

[Moonshot_1]

While spending nearly all my time at home trying not to get coronovirus I watch a lot of tv.   I like to watch old westerns on Direct tv channel 538 (ya gotta pay extra ).  I have noticed a couple of untruths on the old westerns....

1.  Old western pistols dont shoot 47 times without reloading
2.  When in a knock down 5 minute fist fight you cant not lose your hat
3.   In no scenes where there are horses involved will you EVER see a pile of horse poop on the ground
4.  You cant get shot and there not be blood everywhere

I also wonder why the left side of a horse is the side ALL cowboys get on their horse

Am I bored or what?

Ooo Ooo I'm gonna guess on that one.

I'd bet it is the right handed cowboys that get on from the left.

You would naturally hold the reins in your right hand, left foot in stirrup and throw right leg over while holding horn of saddle with left hand.

You are likely grabbing the reins with the dominant hand (right) before you get on the horse so the left side is the natural side to be on.

Obviously you could do it from the right side but it would tend to be slightly awkward if you are right handed.

Or maybe is it just Cowboy Law. Like "don't drink down stream from the herd" or "Eat your beans away from the fire."

Perhaps there needs to be an effort to compile Cowboy Law.

Found some examples and here is one

Gene Autry’s Cowboy Code Of Honor
1. The cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage.
2. He must never go back on his word or a trust confided in him.
3. He must always tell the truth.
4. He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals.
5. He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas.
6. He must help people in distress.
7. He must be a good worker.
8. He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits.
9. He must respect women, parents, and his nation’s laws.
10. The cowboy is a patriot.
 

There is nothing about not eating beans by the fire or not drinking downstream from the herd. Unless you are drinking liquor then that wouldn't matter but you'd want to keep the whiskey away from the fire especially if you are eating beans in which case I would have to shoot first to save the herd.

Being a Cowboy is hard.

[semo97]

Being right or left hand does make any difference when getting on your horse. Mounting a horse is from the left side, rains in left hand and a hand full of mane, saddle horn in the right hand you stand in close as you can and step up, do not throw yourself up or swing up. The hand full of mane keeps you in close in case the horse tries to pull away or spin away. You make it as easy as you can on the horse when mounting. I have broke many saddle horse and I did teach them to stand when mounting and dismounting from both sides. Working ranch horses and cattle is all I did, never did the arena stuff. We did it the old way gathered cattle horse back, roped and drug the calves to a wood branding fire. I get a good laugh at these tv shows about the modern day cowboy rancher. The tv show Yellowstone is just bs. I agree about the old western shows on grit, most of those guys can ride a horse the right way. The early 50s shows had the fastest horses.
What side do you get on your bike? If the side stand was on the right would you get on the bike from right most of the time? Why is it more comfortable  to turn to left on a bike then right?

[Tx Bohemian]

While spending nearly all my time at home trying not to get coronovirus I watch a lot of tv.   I like to watch old westerns on Direct tv channel 538 (ya gotta pay extra ).  I have noticed a couple of untruths on the old westerns....

1.  Old western pistols dont shoot 47 times without reloading
2.  When in a knock down 5 minute fist fight you cant not lose your hat
3.   In no scenes where there are horses involved will you EVER see a pile of horse poop on the ground
4.  You cant get shot and there not be blood everywhere

5.  when the Indians finally realize they can't win riding and shooting around the circled wagons and retreated, there's always 40-50 dead injuns, but no dead horses!! Those pilgrims must be hell of good shots to pick off the small riders and not hit the huge horses!!

I also wonder why the left side of a horse is the side ALL cowboys get on their horse

Am I bored or what?

When I was being taught to ride horses way back when I was a kid you ALWAYS mounted from the left, NEVER the right.
Never questioned why until I read this post. 
Google search explains it dates back to when horses were used in battle and riders had swords, which evidently hung on the soldiers left side, they mounted on the left as not to harm the horse.

[hubcapsc]

My Daddy noticed this: after they run out of water in the desert, they
always throw away their canteen... the place must be littered with them...

-Mike

[msb]

Just watched The Plainsman (1966) on You Tube this AM. Of course it contained many of the implausible scenarios as listed here in this thread....but it was still enjoyable. Yesterday it was Western Union (1941) with Randolph Scott....next to John Wayne, my favorite old time western actor. Again, both on YT (free ) in great quality.
I think many times today, movies try to be too real or try overly hard to portray "yesterday" to today's standards. Especially with Westerns, most in recent years go to such a great extent to get every little detail correct or be so graphic, that they actually wind up being over-acted and less authentic than the old oaters. 

[Moonshot_1]

My Daddy noticed this: after they run out of water in the desert, they
always throw away their canteen... the place must be littered with them...

-Mike

Reminds me of the guy crawling through the desert, ragged and dirty, dying of thirst, and comes upon a man upon one of the sand dunes.

"Sir, do you have any water to spare?" the guy asked.

"Oh no, I have no water at all." said the man.  "But I have these wonderful neckties! Would you like to buy one?"

The guy tells him "No! You fool! I need water! Not a necktie!"

The man tells him "You can get water at the restaurant! It is only 3 more miles over that dune!"

The guy continues on...

6 hours later the guy comes back "They won't let me in without a tie"

[DIGGER]

My Daddy noticed this: after they run out of water in the desert, they
always throw away their canteen... the place must be littered with them...

-Mike

Reminds me of the guy crawling through the desert, ragged and dirty, dying of thirst, and comes upon a man upon one of the sand dunes.

"Sir, do you have any water to spare?" the guy asked.

"Oh no, I have no water at all." said the man.  "But I have these wonderful neckties! Would you like to buy one?"

The guy tells him "No! You fool! I need water! Not a necktie!"

The man tells him "You can get water at the restaurant! It is only 3 more miles over that dune!"

The guy continues on...

6 hours later the guy comes back "They won't let me in without a tie"

haha

[DIGGER]

Since we are talking cowboy trivia.......this always amazed me.   In the Stagecoasch Days of Wells Fargo one of their most famous stagecoach drivers had a secret.   


http://mcguiresplace.net/Stories-Stagecoach%20Charley/

[cookiedough]

In the opening credit of each Rifleman episode, he slam-fires his rifle 11 times, but it only held 8 shots.

I wish I could get that "assault rifle" today!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fMN8a3ZRUY

I use to have a 30-30 winchester lever action fairly similar and could shoot that from the hip like the rifleman, just not as fast but near 1/2 as fast......   My brother was named after the Rifleman's kid named Mark and my middle name came from John Wayne being Wayne.   I guess mostly my Dad had a hankering for old westerns. 

[Bret SD]

While spending nearly all my time at home trying not to get coronovirus I watch a lot of tv.   I like to watch old westerns on Direct tv channel 538 (ya gotta pay extra ).  I have noticed a couple of untruths on the old westerns....

1.  Old western pistols dont shoot 47 times without reloading
2.  When in a knock down 5 minute fist fight you cant not lose your hat
3.   In no scenes where there are horses involved will you EVER see a pile of horse poop on the ground
4.  You cant get shot and there not be blood everywhere

I also wonder why the left side of a horse is the side ALL cowboys get on their horse

Am I bored or what?

Ooo Ooo I'm gonna guess on that one.

I'd bet it is the right handed cowboys that get on from the left.

You would naturally hold the reins in your right hand, left foot in stirrup and throw right leg over while holding horn of saddle with left hand.

You are likely grabbing the reins with the dominant hand (right) before you get on the horse so the left side is the natural side to be on.

Obviously you could do it from the right side but it would tend to be slightly awkward if you are right handed.

Or maybe is it just Cowboy Law. Like "don't drink down stream from the herd" or "Eat your beans away from the fire."

Perhaps there needs to be an effort to compile Cowboy Law.

Found some examples and here is one

Gene Autry’s Cowboy Code Of Honor
1. The cowboy must never shoot first, hit a smaller man, or take unfair advantage.
2. He must never go back on his word or a trust confided in him.
3. He must always tell the truth.
4. He must be gentle with children, the elderly, and animals.
5. He must not advocate or possess racially or religiously intolerant ideas.
6. He must help people in distress.
7. He must be a good worker.
8. He must keep himself clean in thought, speech, action, and personal habits.
9. He must respect women, parents, and his nation’s laws.
10. The cowboy is a patriot.
 

There is nothing about not eating beans by the fire or not drinking downstream from the herd. Unless you are drinking liquor then that wouldn't matter but you'd want to keep the whiskey away from the fire especially if you are eating beans in which case I would have to shoot first to save the herd.

Being a Cowboy is hard.

Apparently it's very hard on Chuck Connors 

In the opening credit of each Rifleman episode, he slam-fires his rifle 11 times, but it only held 8 shots.

I wish I could get that "assault rifle" today!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fMN8a3ZRUY

I use to have a 30-30 winchester lever action fairly similar and could shoot that from the hip like the rifleman, just not as fast but near 1/2 as fast......   My brother was named after the Rifleman's kid named Mark and my middle name came from John Wayne being Wayne.   I guess mostly my Dad had a hankering for old westerns. 

My mother named me after Bret Maverick..  I think people really dug the old western culture.

[Oss]

This hangs on a wall in my office, got it from a member named Paris

Who here remembers him? or what became of him?