The Single Action Itch

As a gun guy, one who is still a kid at heart (what male isn’t), I often get the urge to buy certain things based on their use in movies or in certain shows I watch.  That holds true for cars, motorcycles and yes, even guns.

Most of my firearms collection is made up of weapons that are either actual military weapons, as in the case of my old WWII rifles such as my M1 Garand and Carbines, or descendants/relatives of military firearms, such as my AR-15’s.  After watching a WWII movie, or even better, Band of Brothers, I have a strong desire to dig out my WWII guns and shoot them, or much to the wife’s chagrin, go shop for more to add to the collection.  If I watch a modern movie, such as Lone Survivor, American Sniper or 13 Hours, I find myself leaning toward the AR’s in the collection and wanting to practice modern combat shooting drills and shop for related accessories.

However, every now and then I watch a movie that induces an itch I have yet to scratch, and I watched one of those movies on Friday.  I took the wife and kids to see “Magnificent 7,” and it was a very enjoyable movie.  As with most westerns, there was little attention paid to actual firearm ammo capacities and it seemed as if the good guys could not miss a shot, no matter what they were doing at the time they fired it, but that is too be expected from a western.  There is yet another thing I have grown to expect after watching a western, especially a good one, is leaving the theater with the burning desire to pick up a “cowboy” gun.  I own a couple lever action rifles, but I’ve yet to pick up a single action revolver.

Here I am, four days later, and I cannot get single action pistols out of my head.  Earlier today, I was perusing the offerings from a number of companies again, considering models, barrel lengths, calibers, finishes, etc.  In addition to the guns, I can’t help but consider what steps I would take to personalize it, such as the grips, and in what sort of rig I would want to carry it in.

While I’m grown up enough to understand that westerns are only fictional and they bear little resemblance to the reality of life back then, but I am not too old to still fantasize about it.  I think I just might be needing to make some room in the safe here in the near future.

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