Fanner 50

[speedsixman]

When I was in school, we actually had a cowboy-type quick draw trick shooter do a high school assembly on stage in the school gym which also served as auditorium!
He was awfully good, but I don't know how he would stack up against Jerry Miculek or Bob Munden or some of the other historical great shooters.

Myron

 

[M'BOGO]

Let's not forget Thell Reed http://www.thellreed.com/

 

[speedsixman]

For quick draw it would be hard to beat the late Bill Jordan, who had electronically recorded draw/shoot times of .27 second and .28 second. He would shoot progressively smaller targets for quick-draw hip shots, ending up with aspirin and saccharin tablets.

From what I read about Thell Reed, his draw might have been faster, but he was shooting at balloons instead of aspirin.


Myron

 

[jpickar]

Problem is the anti-gunners are the Nazis and Soviet Reds of the last century. They don't care about people or the shootings. In fact I believe they secretly want this to happen so they can continue to destroy this great nation.

They real question is why would anyone want to destroy this nation. It is because it has been Blessed By God in its conception. And Satan hates anything God approves of and will try and destroy it.
Some people are influenced by God and other are influenced by Satan. It is as simple as that!

John

 

[Juan Largo]

M'BOGO and speesixman--
The shooter(s) you describe sound an awful lot like Joe Bowman. Bowman, billed as "The Straight Shooter" traveled the country for decades (I saw him in the late '70s) giving exhibitions at high schools and shopping malls. He always wore a full "Roy Rogers" outfit. A bootmaker by trade, he did all of his own fancy boots and gunleather. He was sponsored by Ruger and used their revolvers exclusively.
Although this great shootist passed on last summer, his website, joebowman.com is still up and I would recommend it to everyone.

 

[M'BOGO]

I don't really rembember too many details, I was maybe three years old (I do rembember my sister wasn't born yet, and I was four when she was born). I forwarded the link off to my mother, she took me, hopefully she rembembers. Thanks for the info and link, Juan. I really don't have many memorys from that far back, he really did make an impression on me.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

M'BOGO and speesixman--
The shooter(s) you describe sound an awful lot like Joe Bowman. Bowman, billed as "The Straight Shooter" traveled the country for decades (I saw him in the late '70s) giving exhibitions at high schools and shopping malls. He always wore a full "Roy Rogers" outfit. A bootmaker by trade, he did all of his own fancy boots and gunleather. He was sponsored by Ruger and used their revolvers exclusively.
Although this great shootist passed on last summer, his website, joebowman.com is still up and I would recommend it to everyone.

Hey Juan,
Just to set things right and no offence meant.
Joe was not sponsored by Ruger. He also made some boots for Roy that are in the R. R. museum
He is the Guy that got Mr. Bill to make Vaqueros after seeing what Joe did to OMs
Everthing Joe did was on his dime and he was not a rich Guy in the monitary way. I new him and his wife very well. He also came to a lot of our shoots just because.
Jim

 

[Juan Largo]

Hi Wyandot Jim,
I stand corrected.
I assumed that he was sponsored because he had a big Ruger banner on the stage.
Do you know if he is in The Cowboy Hall of Fame in OK City?
If not we need to do some serious lobbying!
He was an infinitely better role model than ANY of the celebrities out there today.
~Juan

 

[victank1]

fez, Rugers are the number one gun in cowboy action shooting. These folks do not fan but thumb their guns for speed. You have to remember, the hammer will only go so far back and forth. The hammer spring dictates the fail of the hammer, all you are doing is bringging the hammer back in a fast motion. If you had a Colt this would be a problem but you have a Ruger.The reason is the durability of the Ruger verses all other Six Guns. Elmer Kieth stated he had never seen one worn out or talked to a gunsmith that had ever found a wore out Ruger. That is why we LOVE them, they are the work gun of mankind, indestructable and mighty, dependable to the end. I walked out in my yard the other day with my little Stainless Bearcat with Aquillia Humingbirds and fanned six rounds into my wifes new plastic planter. I almost had an experiance. She has not seen these results yet but, hey I am the utimate Fanner Fifty handgunner from 1959. If I tear up my Rugers, I have a heck of a good gunsmith or if it is something I can't replace, hell, I'll buy a new one for a few hundred bucks. So be careful and fan your ass off.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

FWIW, Bill Jordan shot double-action Smith & Wessons for most of his fast draw/shooting work. He didn't "fan" them.

His book "No Second Place Winner" is a fascinating read. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in fancy shooting.

 

[Wyandot Jim]

OK Hear is a Joe Bowman story fer ya

Several years ago Joe was putting on a show and Sammie Davis Jr. was there. As most of you know S D was into guns and fast draw. Well after the show SD wanted to buy two of the Rugers that Joe had built and used. Joe told him they were not for sale. Well SD told him everything is for sale and he was right. :roll:

S D also wanted Joe to make two more for him, which he did. Now remember as I stated in the other post these are inside stock Rugers with fine action only. No trigger stop, light weight barrels that some others use.

The backstraps on these guns had Bo Jangles engraved on one and The Candy Man on the other.

About a year ago the Candy Man one came up on auction and Joe got it for $450 or so.

Now remember S D probably fanned the crap out of this gun. Well the gun was just like it was when Joe gave it to him.

Bottom line fanning by the average guy will not hurt them. I can't ask Joe how many times he has fanned his. Probably more than once or twice.

I suppose if you make your living from building fast draw guns. I'm sure you would say not to do it

Jim :roll:

 

[fez]

Victank1,thanks for the encouragement.I have the word out to the shops for used single six.New out of my price range but I have patience(only took me 50+ years).

 

[RonEgg]

Back to the Fanner 50. I saved my money to buy one during the Christmas season and when I had the $3.50 they were all gone. I can't believe it, $3.50 at the PX at Ft Bliss. And I really wanted the leather holster that came with it.

 

[M'BOGO]

I know it won't be the last time I'm wrong about something. Guess I'll have to give it a go.

Plus I still have to pick up a copy of no second place winner, unrepentant sinner, and find another copy of hell I was there.

 

[StanMemTn]

This has been an interesting thread. I've especially enjoyed the Joe Bowman stories. Coming to all of this pretty recently, I didn't know about Joe until he passed and Ruger put the various video interviews in a prominent place on their website.

-Stephen