Category: All About Guns
The 1920s were a fascinating time in American history. Full of pride and bravado after saving the world from the Kaiser, Americans led the way in the industrial revolution, as well as a cultural upheaval. Shooters were caught up in the mix, too, with gunnies everywhere experimenting with new cartridge designs.
One popular experimenter and writer of the day was Ned H. Roberts. He, as well as some other experimenters, was consumed with the idea of what were called “quarter-bore cartridges,” cartridges of .25 caliber. The idea was to have one rifle capable of being shot all day at varmints, yet have enough power and range to take deer-sized game. Roberts-after much experimentation-settled on the 7×57 Mauser as a parent case for his quarter-bore brainchild.
Custom rifles from Niedner and Griffin & Howe became available for Roberts’ wildcat in 1928 and were quite popular among hunters. In 1934, Remington brought the cartridge into its factory fold changing Roberts original 15-degree shoulder angle back to the parent’s 20-degree angle, naming the former wildcat the .257 Remington Roberts and chambering the company’s Model 30 bolt-action rifle for it.
Winchester immediately chambered its Model 54 for the cartridge, and when it came out with the Model 70 in 1936, the .257 Roberts-as it became known-was one of the original chamberings. With the exception of World War II when all armories were supporting the war effort, the .257 Bob-a common nickname it received-was somewhat popular.
However, by the mid-’50s the 6 mm cartridges began to show up, casting a bit of a shadow over Ned Roberts’ cartridge. A big part of this was due to the fact that Remington kept the factory loads pretty mild in deference to some older receivers that weren’t up to modern pressures. Factory loads replicated the ballistics of the .250 Savage. Handloaders were able to get all the capabilities of the .257 Bob, provided the rifles they shot were strong like the Remington and Winchester.
Too, part of riding the wave of a fad is the inevitable slide off the crest due to boredom. Fad shooters are just like fad anything; they are in a perpetual search for something new to stimulate their minds. Eventually the gun manufacturers quietly dropped the .257 Roberts from their chambering menu, replacing it with the 6 mm Remington and .243 Winchester. Because so many rifles were out there chambered for the Roberts’ cartridge, ammo makers continue to make occasional runs.
Winchester discontinued chambering the Model 70 in .257 Roberts in 1959. In the mid-1980s Winchester Ammunition began offering +P loads in the .257 Roberts at 5 percent to 7 percent above the Remington factory load and featured a 117-grain Power-Point at 2,780 fps from a 24-inch test barrel. Browning/USRAC also did a limited run of the Model 70 XTR in .257 Roberts. This Model 70, along with most rifles chambered for the .257 Bob, are made with 22-inch barrels.
Recently, the renewed Winchester Repeating Arms Company made a special run of 500 Model 70s in .257 Bob for Cabela’s. I saw it at this year’s Media Day at the SHOT Show, but the frigid gale blowing that day made shooting this new chambering futile. I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for the .257 Bob, believing the heavier 117- and 120-grain bullets to be a good performer on lighter game like deer and antelope. Cabela’s Joe Arterburn knows I am a sucker for Model 70s, so he sent me one to evaluate.
The Cabela’s rendition of this chambering is thoughtfully done in the Featherweight platform-it features a 22-inch barrel tapered to a Featherweight profile to reduce weight. The stock is A-grade fancy walnut, checkered to 20 lpi. Because this is a premium rifle, the bolt is jeweled, and the entire rifle is polished to a deep luster-both wood and metal. It is equipped with Winchester’s MOA trigger that some like and others disdain for its departure from the original design. At a bare weight of 7 pounds, it qualifies as a Featherweight in terms of Winchester Featherweight nomenclature, though lighter rifles are made today. My test sample came with a Cabela’s 3×9 scope already on it, swelling the rifle’s weight to 8 pounds, 9 ounces.
The wet, cold and downright nasty spring weather we have been enjoying postponed my range time with the new Model 70 a couple of weeks. Once there though, the rifle didn’t disappoint. My first shots using Remington Express with a 117-grain Core-Lokt bullet loaded to the same mildness Remington has always loaded this cartridge fell into a 1 3/8-inch group. Ten rounds later, my chronograph confirmed the mildness of this load showing an average velocity of 2,565 fps. Completing the test with the Remington load yielded an average group size of 1 1/8 inches.
I then switched to some semi-custom ammo from The Hunting Shack, out of Stevensville, Mont. Under the trade name of HSM, this ammunition is loaded with premium bullets and often powders that are not available to most handloaders. In this case, the .257 Roberts cartridges were loaded with Berger 115-grain HPBT Hunting VLD bullets. Though this was my first experience with .25-caliber Bergers, I have loaded and now regularly use the 130-grain HPBT Hubting VLD bullet in my .270 Winchesters, and they are superb in terms of accuracy and terminal performance on game. Loaded to a much zippier 2,973 fps average, this ammo was clearly the front runner with groups averaging 7/8 inch.
Several things come to mind as I ponder this rifle. First, I wish it was available 35 or 40 years ago when I did a lot of backpack hunting. Its light weight and mild recoil make it an excellent choice for the mountain hunter. Secondly, in its modern loadings or handloads, the .257 Roberts has a better downrange trajectory and hits harder than the .243 Win. or 6 mm Rem. And finally, you younger hunters take some advice from an old man that knows better now: By the time you reach my age this rifle will probably have acquired another generation of dedicated aficionados and be worth more than you paid for it.
Manufacturer: Winchester Model 70 Limited Edition: www.cabelas.com
Type: Bolt action
Caliber: .257 Roberts
Barrel Length: 22”
Magazine/Capacity: Integral box/five-round capacity
Trigger: 4 lbs., 1 oz.
Rifling: 1:10” RH
Sights: None; drilled and tapped for scope base
Safety: Three-position crossbolt
Stock: A-grade walnut
Drop at comb/heel: 1/2 inch; 5/8 inch
Overall Length: 43 3/4 inches
Weight: 7 lbs.
Metal Finish: Blue
Suggested Retail Price: $1,700 (SURE!!!!!!! Grumpy)
Categories
Minute of Mae: Russian Maxim 1910
Dave found a decades-old magazine article by the late Skeeter Skelton extolling the virtues of the Colt Diamondback. He said the sixgun made a good trail companion,
and Workman concurs.
Discovering old writings by top handgunners in their day is always educational for many reasons. When I recently ran across some very old magazines from nearly 50 years ago in a corner office, the honest-to-goodness first story to grab my attention was by the late Skeeter Skelton extolling the virtues of — wait for it — the Colt Diamondback.
Here’s a dandy — in my humble opinion — little sixgun which some folks have wrongly disdained as being a little on the delicate side for reasons I cannot fathom. Reading his decades-old article, it appears Skelton didn’t share that opinion either, as he described this particular Colt as having “performed beautifully.”
“Properly loaded,” Skelton observed at the time, “the .38 Diamondback is good medicine for medium animals such as coyotes, porcupines, and javelina out to 75 yards or so.”
On a recent woodcutting trek, Dave was packing his little Colt
stoked with handloads. Ample horsepower for predators.
He said the Diamondback “is the epitome of light trail guns.” I’ve written essentially the same thing, and have come to really enjoy packing my 4-inch specimen along in the woods when a .38 Special might come in handy for potting a rabbit or putting the hurt on a coyote. I also knocked together an IWB holster for concealed carry.
More than a year ago, I shared the story of my Diamondback acquisition with readers. It happened the same week my mother passed more than ten years ago, and I recalled the transaction gave me something else to think about during a difficult time. Things like that get some people through.
As noted by the late Mr. Skelton, who I met briefly at the National Rifle Association convention in Seattle in 1985 — a pleasant fellow capable of carrying on a quick conversation in a noisy exhibit hall — the Diamondback was a “modernized, deluxe version of the Police Positive Special.” That gun “evolved” into the Detective Special, he wrote, and I’ve always considered the “D-frame” Diamondback to be a beefed-up Dick Special with adjustable sights and an eye-catching full underlug barrel topped by the vent rib to capitalize on the eye candy appeal of the legendary Colt Python.
Enhancing the visual appeal of the Diamondback was the full
underlug barrel with its Python-esque vent rib on top.
Empty, this sixgun weights only 28.5 ounces, and I’ll say with no misgivings it’s the lightest 28 ½-ounce wheelgun I’ve ever carried. Maybe it’s because the Diamondback (when is Colt going to reintroduce this gem?) is very well balanced.
Diamondback owners know this revolver has a shortened butt frame, around which the factory and aftermarket grip makers have wrapped some remarkably functional grips.
Many years ago, I worked up a .38 Special load using 4.7 grains of HP-38 pushing a 125-grain JHP at about 900 fps, initially to use in my 6-inch Model 19 Smith & Wesson, but it turns out this round works rather well in my little snake gun as well. Recoil is manageable, and with an ample sight radius, it is satisfactorily accurate for small game.
The ‘Bad Rap’
Maybe the bad rap about the Diamondback is that it won’t take a pounding with hot loads, and let’s be honest: some guys just can’t resist pushing the envelope to see how much of a “boom!” they can get out of a revolver.
I’ve known such people and they make me nervous because one never knows when one of their hot loads is going to disintegrate a handgun while I’m standing close enough to get hurt. I’m quite content with my mid-range .38 Special loads, which — based on my reading of Hodgdon’s Annual Manual — can also be produced with such propellants as AutoComp, Titegroup and CFE Pistol. I’ll be a happy camper if I can conk a cottontail for the winter pot.
Colt’s 4-inch Diamondback in .38 Special is a good shooter. Workman
ran three loads, including factory Hornady 158-grainers, and handloads
topped with either 125-grain JHPs or 110-grain JHPs all at 10 yards.
Let’s talk a moment about handloading for the .38 Special. Way too many people want that +P power in their sidearm when it’s a bad idea. A lot of older handguns don’t handle +P pressures, but one can load up completely adequate standard pressure loads that work just fine, thanks to modern bullet design and composition.
There are some sizzling loads, which push 110-grain bullets above 1,110 fps, and that kind of punch is going to immediately get so — or someone’s — undivided attention. One caveat here is that such loads, even within acceptable pressures, are going to have very snappy recoil, and I’m being polite. In a lightweight such as the Diamondback, recoil is no small concern.
My recommendation for anyone loading the .38 Special for older medium or light-framed revolvers is to consult more than one reloading manual. You will find several load suggestions and DO NOT EXCEED them.
Soon after acquiring his Diamondback, Dave replaced the factory
grips with a set of Herrett “Detective” grips that fit his hand perfectly.
Not long after obtaining my Diamondback, I pulled the factory grips and installed a set of Detective grips crafted by my friend Rod Herrett. These are superb grips for concealed carry and they fit my hand very well, and also help tame recoil.
Every ammunition company offers standard pressure loads in .38 Special, which will work just fine in the Diamondback or similar revolvers.
Charles Allan “Skeeter” Skelton was one of the premier gunwriters of his era. During his life, he served in the Marine Corps, worked as a lawman at various levels including a term as sheriff of Deaf Smith County, Texas. He was a masterful storyteller and having grown into early adulthood reading his articles, it was a treat to meet him back in ’85. Sadly, he passed on less than three years later, far too early for someone with his wit and wisdom. I would have dearly enjoyed spending more time chatting with him.
Stumbling across his Diamondback essay was a delight. He covered all the bases, including felt recoil, powder selection for handloads, his recommendation that the action be smoothed a bit, his dislike of the hammer size because it pinched his hand, and other points. He didn’t care for the factory grips, considering them too large for the size of the gun.
Raw data from the FBI/NICS system shows continued healthy traffic.
(Source: FBI-NICS)
Back to the Present
It’s always informative to see the monthly FBI/NICS check data, particularly because the numbers repeatedly demonstrate America hasn’t given up on the right to keep and bear arms.
According to data for April, the National Instant Check System (NICS) ran a total of 2,607,477 checks, though readers are reminded the statistic does not represent the number of firearms sold.
For that information, we always turn to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which invariably produces an “NSSF-adjusted” figure more closely reflecting the number of actual gun transactions that did occur. In this case, the NSSF-adjusted figure for April, according to Mark Oliva, public affairs director for the organization, was 1,359,908.
Any way one looks at that number, it is significant. Over the past two years, U.S. citizens have purchased a lot of guns. There is no small irony this surge in gun buying began as the 2020 election loomed and the Democrat in that race was very public about his plan to ratchet down on Second Amendment rights. Gun sales were fueled by the “defund police” movement, the summer of rioting in 2020 and an uncertain future. They stay healthy because Joe Biden has not abandoned his plan to curtail gun rights, and this summer may be his last opportunity to advance that agenda.
Fatal Error
When a man identified as Roman Rodriguez allegedly broke into the San Antonio, Texas home of a mom with three children inside, the last thing he probably expected was that this was the last thing he would ever do.
According to Fox News, the mom heard someone breaking in, and instead of panic, she became her own first responder. She reportedly grabbed a gun and shot the intruder twice in the chest. Police found him sitting in a chair in the backyard, and he subsequently died at a local hospital.
While other news agencies treated the shooting with some objectivity, the New York Post headlined its report thusly: “Texas mom guns down home intruder as kids sleep: cops.”
The final paragraph in the Post’s story: “The probe continues, but the unidentified homeowner is not facing charges because of the so-called Castle Doctrine, which allows a person to use force against an intruder who breaks into their home, News 4 San Antonio reported.”
In Memoriam: John Ross
John Ross authored what has become an “underground” classic novel, “Unintended Consequences,” more than two decades ago, weaving together a fantasy plot with actual historical facts relating to the gun control crusade in the U.S.
The 860-plus page novel grabbed the gun rights movement with a tale of resistance to government overreach. I finished the final ten chapters while stuck at an airport overnight in Michigan, grounded by a storm enroute to that year’s National Rifle Association convention in Charlotte, N.C.
I spoke only once with Ross, via telephone, at the time tracking down a rumor he was working on a sequel. As I recall, it was a pleasant, albeit brief, chat.
Ross passed away suddenly on April 29. He was 64.
Born June 17, 1957, he was a graduate of John Burroughs High School in Ladue in 1974 and attended Amherst College in Massachusetts, graduating in 1979 with a B.A. in English. He worked for the E.F. Hutton company as a broker for about ten years, and then took up full-time writing. According to a short obituary, he was a private pilot, firearms expert, instructor and activist.
He is survived by his daughter, Lucy Margaret Ross of Boulder, Colo., and two sisters, Helen Ross and Lucy Natkiel.
Wyatt Earp, his brothers Virgil and Morgan, and Doc Holliday had a date with destiny October 26, 1881, in Tombstone, Arizona.
Attempting to disarm local cowboys at the O.K. Corral, the ensuing gunfight on Fremont Street gained legendary status in Old West lore.
Here, our combative pistolcraft expert breaks down how events played out when the bullets began to fly.
Welcome to Tombstone. Interestingly, this sign appears to be misdated. The accepted date for the O.K. Corral gunfight is Oct. 26, 1881. (Library of Congress photo, c. 1937)
Martha King was shopping in the butcher shop on Fremont Street. She looked out the store window and saw four armed men walking west. She knew the Earps by sight, but not their names and she didn’t recognize Doc Holliday. According to her later testimony, King said they walked four abreast in a “stately” manner with Doc on the inside closest to the store, Virgil and Wyatt in the middle, and Morgan was on the opposite side.
Wyatt and Virgil were slightly ahead. King said the wind whipped open Doc’s long coat and she saw he was trying to conceal “a gun, not a pistol,” underneath it. She went on to say one of the Earps, probably Morgan, said, “Let them have it,” and the man she later learned was Doc Holliday replied, “All right.” This still does not mean the Earps had homicide on their minds. It could have just been a statement of bravado by Morgan Earp, the one member of the group who had never been tested in armed conflict.
Looking east on Fremont, Behan saw the Earps and Doc walking his way. He said later that Morgan and Wyatt had pistols in their hands. The sheriff told the cowboys to wait while he went to talk with the police chief and his men. The Earps and Holliday met him on the sidewalk in front of the butcher shop. Looking past Behan, they could see the cowboys at the edge of the empty lot. It makes sense that Holliday may have been concerned to see them standing, literally, right next to where he was living with “Big Nose” Kate.
Behan wanted to appear in control so he said loudly, “Gentlemen, I am sheriff of this county, and I am not going to allow any trouble if I can help it.” However, the Earps had made up their mind and pushed past him. Behan, not to be deterred, followed down the sidewalk. According to Virgil and Wyatt’s later testimony, Behan called to them, “if they [the Earps] kept going, they might be murdered,” but it didn’t stop them. The Earps and Holliday were now only 100 feet from the vacant lot on Fremont Street.
Virgil, not wanting to totally dismiss the County Sheriff with so many watching, yelled over his shoulder, “We’re going to disarm them!” According to Behan’s later testimony, he told Virgil he was in the process of disarming the cowboys. In his mind, Behan’s request was to leave it for him to finish. However, both Virgil and Wyatt testified Behan told them he had already disarmed the cowboys. I tend to believe what the Earps claim here.
First, Johnny Behan was in this to raise his own profile. Second, witnesses claim the Earps seemed to relax at this point as they continued their walk. Virgil moved the revolver in his belt from an appendix position around to his left hip where it would be more concealed. He also switched Doc’s cane from his left hand to his right, his shooting hand, to appear less threatening. Both were serious mistakes.
Wyatt tucked his revolver into the canvas pocket of his new coat. For a moment, it seemed the chance of a gunfight was diminished. The Earps and Doc Holliday likely felt a small sense of relief, but public appearance was just as important to the Earps as it was to Behan and the cowboys. They couldn’t just walk away after making such an approach down to Fremont Street. They surely felt obliged to finish what they started and make sure the cowboys were disarmed.
The Earps and Doc Holliday moved to the edge of the vacant lot. They were probably surprised to see Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury wore gun belts and revolvers. There were also two horses just inside the lot with rifles hanging from their saddles. In their minds, it seemed Johnny Behan had lied and the cowboys still needed disarming in a very public way.
The cowboys watched the Earps and Doc push past Johnny Behan and continue their approach. Billy Claiborne and Billy Clanton stood deepest in the lot, probably a distance of 18 to 20 feet. Ike was only a few feet inside the lot, just off the board sidewalk while the McLaury brothers, holding the two horses, were practically on the sidewalk, just off the edge, with Tom marginally closer to Fremont Street than Frank. Tom had apparently taken Billy Clanton’s horse then walked into the narrow lot to talk with Billy Claiborne.
I believe the cowboys had no plan for what was about to happen. They had to have looked around and noticed the lot was a terrible place for a gunfight. There was no room to move or even retreat. I’m sure at this point, they were feeling a high level of duress. After all, there were so many people watching!
One thing we know for sure is Johnny Behan was no gunfighter. If there was to be a confrontation, the sheriff wanted nothing to do with it. According to witnesses, as the Earps and Holliday reached the northeast corner of the lot next to Fly’s, Behan ran in and pushed Billy Claiborne toward the landing that separated Fly’s boarding house from the photography studio.
This split in the building is present in the tourist attraction today. People watched with nervous anticipation. Angles into the lot made it very difficult for most to see in, especially since they were also trying to stay out of the line of fire. In addition, their view was likely blocked by the Earps, Doc Holliday, Frank and Tom McLaury and their horses.
Take note here, as most historians agree on what I have described so far, with some minor variations. However, what follows is controversial in some circles, and has been debated by those in the know for well over a century. There are defined factions who believe the Earps and those who side with the cowboys. I personally do not believe Wyatt Earp was a hero or a villain. I think he was just a man of his time trying to get ahead, attempting to gain a level of respect beyond his current station in life. What I do believe, and greatly respect, is he was one cool and controlled individual when the bullets flew!
So, while there are likely to be those who disagree, at this point I am going to relate the ensuing events as I believed they took place based on my extensive reading, interviews, visits to the site, and my lifelong study of armed conflict. Through my research and experience, I have tried to place myself into the minds of the participants.
First off, the mannequins that are in place inside the O.K. Corral tourist attraction I believe are wrong. If nothing else, they leave no room for the horses who were present. In fact, the attraction leaves the horses out, altogether. The reproduction is based on a diagram Wyatt Earp drew decades after that fateful day, and I believe he either did not remember correctly or was telling the story as he wanted it remembered. It conflicts with others who watched the event unfold. In reality, I believe most of the fight took place where the wall now sits that blocks the attraction from Fremont Street.
Virgil stepped forward into the lot, just a few feet from the west wall of Fly’s. He was in charge of this action and wanted to be both seen and heard. I doubt he went far off the board sidewalk, understanding the lot was a “kill box.” He likely stayed as close to the wall and sidewalk as possible. He still had Doc’s cane in his right hand and the thought of his gun being so distant probably weighed on his mind. Wyatt, on Virgil’s right, placed himself at the northwest corner of Fly’s boarding house.
I have no doubt he understood the importance of both being able to move and place something between him and incoming fire. He probably wanted to stay close to Virgil as well. Morgan stopped a few feet out on Fremont Street just off the sidewalk while Doc was further out in the middle of street. He placed himself in a position to see the back of the lot as well as both directions on Fremont.
Tom McLaury moved closer to the horse he held and the rifle in its scabbard. Seeing this, Doc removed the shotgun from under his coat so Tom would see it. I doubt anyone spoke, dead quiet as everyone assessed the situation. In truth, there wasn’t much left to say. With so many people watching and reputations at risk, the “line in the sand” had been crossed. Virgil commanded, “Throw up your hands, boys. I intend to disarm you.” Frank McLaury responded, “We will,” though some witnesses felt as if he intended to add the word “not!” as a face-saving gesture. Regardless, as Frank uttered those first couple of words the cowboys began to move.
They had to feel trapped in the narrow lot with walls on two sides. Citizens, likely friends of the cowboys, would later testify that Frank and Billy started to raise their hands while Tom pulled open his coat to show he wasn’t armed. A lot to see considering the angles involved. The Earps would claim they heard the sound of revolvers being cocked. Frank McLaury and Wyatt Earp both started their draw. Billy Clanton at the rear of the lot, his view of Frank blocked by a horse, could only see Wyatt reaching into his coat pocket. No doubt he thought the fight was starting. The draw and shoot sequence for Frank, Billy and Wyatt all began together, with each cocking their revolvers as they drew.
Wyatt’s gun came out fast and smooth due to the specially lined pocket of his new coat. It didn’t snag on the canvas pocket making his preparation worth the effort. Today, those of us who carry guns for serious purposes sit on the porch, in a restaurant or at the range and discuss ways to improve our performance through training, preparation and gear. I have no doubt men like Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, Luke Short, Wild Bill and Doc Holliday had similar conversations in their time, talking about ways to prepare and get the upper hand on their adversaries. I can’t help but wonder if the pocket on Wyatt’s coat came out of one of these discussions.
Billy and Frank were known to be good shots, but this type of careful marksmanship isn’t the same as drawing rapidly and getting the gun between you and the threat while someone was trying to snuff out your life! Consider how the cowboys had to reach down, draw and cock their guns, position them, aim (if they took the time to do so) and fire while Wyatt cocked and extracted his pistol from his pocket. Think about having to shift your shooting grip to thumb cock your revolver for each shot in the middle of a gunfight for your life. We certainly take our semiautomatics for granted these days. Without a doubt, keeping your cool and not panicking — being deliberate — was the key, the same then as today.
Wyatt would have considered Frank McLaury his immediate threat. He had heard he was “a good man with a gun” and chose to ignore Billy Clanton. Talk about ice water in your veins! At the same time, Virgil waved the cane and shouted, “Hold! I don’t mean that,” but it was too late. The fight had started. Wyatt drew, aimed and fired at Frank McLaury, hitting him solidly in the abdomen just to the left of his navel (Hit #1). It was the perfect example of keeping your head under fire and placing your shot where it needed to go. Deliberation! Gut shooting was considered the preferred target zone at the time. The thought was the infection would kill the person at some point which turned out to be wrong thinking. Today we look for rapid incapacitation which means rounds must be delivered to the head or high chest region where the majority of vital organs are located.
Frank twisted from the impact of Wyatt’s round. Billy Clanton fired at Wyatt almost simultaneously but missed. Did he aim or just fire in panic? We will never know. The truth is, the sights on the single-action revolver of the day were not that substantial, making rapid visual access problematic. Revolvers of the time were also dark in color making finding the sights even harder. What about a cloud of black powder smoke around the muzzle? Did that hinder aiming? This is the reason Bat Masterson asked for taller and wider front sights on his custom-built, nickel-plated Colt Peacemakers.
Today the gun community argues sights versus point shooting and iron sights versus optics. I doubt these debates will end anytime soon. What I will say based on my many years of study into gunfighting is sights are a good thing and if we can utilize them, it is worth the effort. Sights that are colored are easier to see than sights that are black, and sights that glow are easier to see than sights that do not.
Witnesses said there was a split-second pause. I believe the finality of what was happening hit the combatants in the lot and on the street. People were going to die in the next few seconds and everyone knew it. Virgil had no option but to fight, but his hand was full of walking stick instead of gun. He switched Doc’s cane to his left hand. Why he just didn’t drop it is a mystery, but we see the same reaction today as folks hang on to bags of groceries, car keys, cell phones or other useless items when a fight breaks out. Regardless, he then reached across his body for the revolver tucked into the left-rear side of his waistband. The greater distance travelled, the longer the draw will take, no way around this. As he did so, Frank McLaury, seriously wounded but still in the fight (so much for the .45 as an instant man stopper), raised his gun and shot Virgil in the right calf (Hit #2). Frank was likely bent at the waist, so the low shot makes sense. Tombstone’s top law officer went down.
Ike Clanton’s big mouth had partially brought about this violent event, but now that he had the opportunity to act, he was an “empty suit.” He did not have the guns or guts to fight. As Virgil went down, Billy Clanton probably intended to shoot at Wyatt but Ike Clanton got in the way, begging for his life. Wyatt once again displayed his iron will, having the presence of mind to see Ike was not armed. He had to wrestle with Ike yelling “The fight has commenced, get to fighting or get away!”
Much has been made about Wyatt Earp being the only person unharmed in the fight. I don’t think there is much of a mystery here, Wyatt had Ike as cover for a sizable portion of the fight. Billy likely hesitated, not wanting to shoot Ike. Morgan took this opportunity to shoot Billy, hitting him in the torso, pushing him back against the wall of the structure on the west side of the lot (Hit #3). However, Billy managed to keep shooting much like we see in armed conflict today. Just because someone is shot does not mean they are going to instantly stop. As we know, a human filled with epinephrine, norepinephrine and cortisol — the fight or flight cocktail — can do amazing things. Billy Clanton was probably in this state.
One of Billy’s rounds likely tore a hole through Wyatt’s coat as he continued to fight. Virgil struggled to his feet and aimed at Frank, who tried to escape from the narrow lot to the greater space of the street. Frank’s horse turned out to be cover from Virgil. Wyatt still wrestled with Ike. As Clanton grabbed Wyatt’s right/gun hand his cocked revolver discharged. At this same moment Morgan yelled “I am hit” (Hit #4). Morgan Earp fell having been struck by a bullet that passed through one shoulder blade and exited the other. While it is possible that round could have come from multiple sources — he could have been hit by one of Billy Clanton’s bullets —the angle is such that he could have also been struck by the round inadvertently fired from Wyatt’s revolver, something that still happens today in the “fog” of a gunfight. We will never know for sure.
Morgan tried to get back to his feet but fell again. Before the shooting began, Doc Holliday played sentry in the middle of Fremont Street, holding the shotgun ready for all to see while staying alert for any threats from onlookers. Once the shooting started, Doc, in a very admirable display of self-control, resisted the desire to start shooting. He decided to leave Frank McLaury and the Clantons to the Earps and waited to engage Tom McLaury. The horse Tom held stayed between him and Doc which shielded him. Tom may not have had a revolver, but he was certainly trying to recover the rifle from the saddle scabbard, I know I would have been! Wyatt, finally clear of Ike and able to take a look at what was happening. In another stellar display of his ability to keep his head in combat, Wyatt shot Tom McLaury’s horse to get it out of the way. The animal pulled loose and Tom McLaury was exposed. Doc closed in and fired the shotgun at Tom hitting him under the right armpit (Hit #5). Most certainly a lethal wound, Tom McLaury staggered down Fremont Street and collapsed against a telegraph pole at Third Street. Today, there is a telephone pole in a similar location.
Doc dropped the shotgun, drew his revolver from under his coat, and looked for another threat. He probably saw Frank McLaury stagger onto Fremont Street and not appear to present a threat. Tom McLaury was down and out. Ike Clanton had fled after being thrown clear of Wyatt. At this point, Virgil and Wyatt began to shoot at Billy Clanton, who was sitting against the wall at the other end of the lot. There is no way to know if Doc fired at Billy. The teenager was hit in the abdomen and the right wrist (Hits #6 and #7). Billy sat in the dirt, his back to the frame structure owned by Harwood, and was able to transfer his gun from his right to his left hand and fired again but missed. At this point, Billy was effectively out of the fight gravely injured, leaving only Frank with the ability to continue on, despite being seriously, if not fatally, wounded.
Out on Fremont, Frank attempted to take cover behind his horse, but after he fired a shot at Morgan the animal fled leaving him exposed, crouching and bleeding in the street. Morgan pulled himself up and prepared to shoot based on what Frank did next. But Frank’s attention was on Doc Holliday, who with nickel-plated revolver in hand, circled him in full view of everyone watching. What happened then has been well documented by witnesses. Trying desperately to call on everything he had left in one last act of defiance, Frank McLaury stood straight, raised his revolver, and cried out to Doc, “I’ve got you now.” Holliday replied, “Blaze away! You’re a daisy if you have,” and Frank pulled the trigger on his cocked revolver. The bullet creased Doc’s hip just below his holster and the dentist yelled, “I’m shot right through” (Hit #8). Doc and Morgan fired at the same time with Morgan’s bullet hitting Frank near the right ear (Hit #9) while Doc missed. Frank fell where he stood. Doc walked over and looked down at Frank McLaury saying, “The son of a bitch has shot me and I mean to kill him,” but Morgan already had. The most famous gunfight in history was over.
It has been said time and again the Gunfight on Fremont Street could be described as “30 rounds in 30 seconds.” If this is true, then hits from both sides — nine, total — represent a hit ratio of around 22 to 23 percent, much like law enforcement shootings today. I have often wondered how the smoke from the black powder may have hindered the men fighting, confined, at close distance. Did the area cloud up or did the swirling winds remove it? A few rounds would be no big deal but how about a situation where 30 rounds were fired in an enclosed space?
Wyatt and Doc were later arrested and stayed in jail until the probable cause hearing in front of Judge Wells Spicer concluded. It was determined that he Earps and Holliday had acted within the scope of the law and their sworn duty. Under these same circumstances, I doubt in today’s climate a judge would find for the Earps.
We will never know for sure exactly what happened on October 26, 1881, in that side lot off Fremont Street, but I have had a wonderful time trying to find out. As I close, I must credit all of the authors and historians that I have read, viewed and talked with as I tried to figure out what transpired that day. Bob Boze Bell, Jeff Guinn, James Reasoner, John Boesseneckner, Tom Clavin, Roy Young, Gary L. Roberts, Casey Tefertiller, John Richard Stephens, Andrew Isenberg, Leon Metz, Paula Mitchell Marks, Dr. Paul Hutton and many others I have probably forgotten. As I wrote this, I referenced these folks often. Again, I am not a historian like those listed, but I have tried to get it right.
Wyatt Earp, his brothers Virgil and Morgan, and Doc Holliday had a date with destiny October 26, 1881, in Tombstone, Arizona.
Attempting to disarm local cowboys at the O.K. Corral, the ensuing gunfight on Fremont Street gained legendary status in Old West lore.
Given the reputations and relationships of the men involved, conflict seemed unavoidable.
Cattle rancher (or rustler, depending on the day) Tom McLaury had wanted to sleep in, run some errands and then relax with his brother Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton when they arrived in town. He knew Ike Clanton had acted like a fool the night before, but thought everything ended well in an all-night poker game.
Tom awakened, however, to discover Ike was even more drunk than before, illegally armed, and had gone around town threatening the Earps and Doc Holliday. For his actions, Clanton had gotten himself buffaloed and taken to court. McLaury knew it was time to grab his friend and leave Tombstone.
Tom retrieved his revolver from the Grand Hotel bar as it would be one less thing to do as he left town. There was a city ordinance against carrying a gun unless you were arriving or leaving town and McLaury was on his way out from the moment he got up. Tom McLaury was not known as a troublemaker and he certainly was not going to brandish his gun. He’d find Ike Clanton, finish his business and depart. Tom walked in the direction of the courthouse.
In route to the court, McLaury encountered Wyatt Earp. Still enraged, Earp saw all cowboys as enemies. No one really knows what the two said to each other, but Wyatt Earp’s response was witnessed by several onlookers. McLaury was reported to have said he’d never wronged Earp, but was ready if Wyatt ever wanted to fight. Earp loudly asked McLaury, “Are you heeled?” and then slapped McLaury with his left hand while smashing his revolver against the young man’s head with his right. Tom McLaury was left lying in the street. Earp was heard to say, “I could kill the son of a bitch.”
Wyatt Earp’s outburst was seen as unreasonable to those who witnessed it. McLaury was assisted to is feet by several townsfolk and, even though his pride had been seriously damaged, he went about finishing his business. Based on what just happened, Tom McLaury probably felt it was a good idea to check his revolver, so he went to the Capitol Saloon where he gave it to the barkeep.
Tom’s brother Frank, along with Billy Clanton, arrived in Tombstone around 1 p.m. They stopped at the Grand Hotel on Allen Street, the normal hangout for the cowboy faction, where they ran into Doc Holliday. They exchanged greetings and there appeared to be no animosity. Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton entered the hotel bar to get a drink and get out of the cold.
Billy Allen entered the bar and asked Frank if he knew what was going on. Frank had just arrived in town, so he probably got an ear full. No doubt the McLaurys saw the Earps as enemies who interfered with what they wanted to do. Their actions likely angered McLaury but he also was smart enough to know that Tombstone’s ordinances would favor the Earps, so any revenge would have to wait. McLaury and Billy Clanton immediately left the Grand Hotel to find their brothers and get them out of town. Unfortunately, they neglected to check their guns.
As Ike Clanton left the courthouse, he ran into his friend Billy Claiborne. Claiborne fancied himself a gunslinger, having killed a man in a bar, and actually referred to himself as Arizona’s “Billy the Kid.” Claiborne helped Ike to a nearby doctor’s office where his head wound was treated. Afterward, the pair walked down Fourth Street to Spangenberg’s Gun Shop where Ike was reported to have tried to buy a revolver, but proprietor George Spangenberg, being aware of what had already transpired, refused to do so.
Frank McLaury still intended to find his brother Tom and leave town, but he couldn’t leave the impression that Wyatt Earp had scared him into doing so. Pride and image were important and Wyatt’s actions with the horse had been seen by too many people. Frank McLaury had to make it clear he wasn’t intimidated.
While Virgil and Morgan Earp had gone about their business after Ike Clanton’s court appearance, they remained concerned about possible violence. As Virgil walked down Allen Street, he was stopped by several townsfolk who warned him about Ike Clanton and his rantings. Virgil took these warnings seriously so he stopped into the Wells Fargo office and borrowed a double-barrel shotgun, a weapon that offered far more power than any revolver. Even at close range, revolvers were considered inaccurate while the shotgun, with its spreading pattern, was more likely to hit.
In reality, the revolvers of the time were probably more accurate than the people shooting them due to the “point and smack trigger” technique often used. Remember, the single-action revolvers of the period had stiff and heavy 6- to 7-pound break. They were not the single actions of today. That said, if aimed properly, the revolver could and would deliver. Still, a shotgun was a nice thing to have in a pistol fight. In addition, the appearance of a shotgun may make the cowboys think twice before engaging in violence.
Virgil had just walked out on to Allen Street with the shotgun when Bob Hatch, owner of a popular Tombstone saloon and billiards parlor, approached. It was in Hatch’s establishment that Morgan Earp would later be assassinated. “For god’s sake, hurry down to the gun shop,” Hatch exclaimed. “They are all down there and Wyatt is all alone. They are liable to kill him before you get there.” Virgil ran down to Fourth Street and found Wyatt unharmed but seething in front of Hafford’s Saloon. The two Earps watched as Frank McLaury, Ike Clanton, and Billy Claiborne left Spangenberg’s and met Tom McLaury coming from his errands in town. The cowboys walked down Fourth Street to Dexter’s Livery to get the horse that Billy Clanton had left there. They then planned to walk two blocks north to the West End Corral on Fremont and Second Streets, where they would pick up Ike and Tom’s team and wagon. Their route would take them through the back of the O.K. Corral.
Controversial Cochise County Sheriff Johnny Behan also slept in that morning. He went for a shave only to notice the crowd gathered on Fourth Street at Allen. When he asked, he was told about the morning long problems between the Earps and the cowboys. In reality, Johnny Behan could have ignored the situation. After all, he was the county sheriff while Virgil Earp was town police chief. However, it was likely that Behan felt an obligation to get involved. Virgil Earp had helped him apprehend county criminals in the past and lawmen were supposed to assist other lawmen. He finished his shave and ventured out.
Behan found Virgil Earp standing outside Hafford’s holding a shotgun. Doc Holliday, dressed in a long gray overcoat due to the weather, was with him. Doc carried a silver-headed cane, popular in Tombstone at the time. Behan asked Virgil, “What was the excitement?” and Virgil told him there were “sons of bitches in town looking for a fight.” Behan suggested they go into Hafford’s for a drink, hoping to cool off the situation. It’s unknown who made the original suggestion, as their statements later conflicted, but it was decided that Sheriff Behan would go and talk the cowboys into giving up their guns.
Unfortunately for the Sheriff, they were no longer in the O.K. Corral. He found them in a vacant lot off Freemont Street next to Fly’s Boarding House and Photographic Studio. Back at Hafford’s Corner, Virgil, Morgan, Wyatt and Doc Holliday all stood by waiting to see what would happen next.
After their stop at the O.K. Corral, the cowboys walked down an alley that opened onto Fremont Street near the Union Meat & Poultry Market. Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury were leading their horses and the animals were saddled with rifles hanging in scabbards. The McLaury brothers stopped into the market to talk to butcher James Kehoe.
While Frank talked with the butcher, the others stopped to wait in an empty lot on the south side of Fremont between Fly’s boarding house and a building owned by William Harwood, Tombstone’s first mayor. There has been some debate over how big the lot was in October of 1881. Estimates range from 15 to 20 feet wide by 18 to 25 feet long. Regardless, it is known that it was not very big. In fact, it was unusual for the lot to be empty as Harwood usually had lumber stored there for building projects.
Johnny Behan saw Frank McLaury talking to Kehoe while holding his horse with the rifle in plain view. Behan walked up and told Frank that he wanted to disarm him and the other cowboys. Frank refused to give up his guns “as long as the people in Tombstone act so.” Who knows what he meant by this statement? It is likely that Frank McLaury was just grandstanding as, by this time, most of the town was watching. Unlike the movies, the fight did not happen in a vacuum, it was being watched by hundreds of people at various locations around town. Things could get boring in Tombstone and this was better than tickets to a show.
Behan understood cowboy pride and offered to take Frank McLaury to the sheriff’s office, he could surrender his guns in private. Frank still had some business to conduct and with Behan’s help he could save face and stay in town. It was important everyone knew he was cooperating because he wanted to, not because of the Earps. “You need not take me,” McLaury told Behan. “I will go.” Johnny looked west on Fremont and saw Tom McLaury and Ike Clanton standing next to Fly’s. Behan told Frank to walk along with him while he got the others and took everyone to the sheriff’s office. Behan must have been quite happy at this point. If he walked with them to his office and took their guns, it would appear as though he made actual arrests, while the cowboys would think they were going on their own. Playing politics was really no different back then.
At this point, Behan was gone from Hafford’s Corner about twenty minutes with Virgil hearing nothing from him. A citizen approached Virgil offering men to help him arrest the cowboys. Virgil repeated if the cowboys stayed at the O.K. Corral, he would take no action. He was then told “Why, they are all down on Fremont Street.” That was it. Virgil had no choice as much of Tombstone was watching. He had stated he would disarm the cowboys if they came out on to town streets. But Virgil wasn’t about to face one against four odds. His two police officers were off-duty and probably asleep. If he called for them, it would delay his response with the cowboys still armed and on Tombstone’s streets. He could wait no more. Vigilantes in town had threatened to take action. Time had run out for Virgil Earp.
Wyatt and Morgan were standing next to him at Hafford’s Corner. Both were experienced lawmen as well as being family. Trust was not an issue. He asked Wyatt and Morgan to come with him to disarm the cowboys. Doc Holliday overheard this and invited himself along. When Wyatt told him it was not his affair, Doc replied, “That is a hell of a thing to say to me.” Doc considered himself Wyatt’s friend and that was enough for him. This friendship is well documented and his eagerness to fight was legendary. Virgil must have recognized the risk of taking Doc along but he still hoped for a peaceful conclusion. He possibly felt if the cowboys saw Holliday and knew of his reputation, they would be less likely to fight.
Not knowing who was over on Fremont Street, Holliday was given the responsibility of standing guard while the Earps enforced the gun ordinance. Virgil handed Doc the shotgun and took Doc’s silver-headed cane. Virgil told Doc to keep the shotgun hidden under his long coat as long as possible. He was further instructed to stand out in the street and brandish the shotgun as a warning to anyone who might want to intervene. He would also be in position to block the cowboys from moving across Fremont Street.
Besides the shotgun, Doc had a nickel-plated revolver in a holster under his coat. In the movies it is shown to be a short barreled, bird’s head model — a “Banker’s Special.” In truth, we know it was nickel plated but not much else. Unlike the movies, that always depict his holster to be a shoulder rig, it was probably on his hip. Virgil had Doc’s cane in his left hand and his right hand on the butt of a revolver stuck in the front of his pants.
The movies portray this to be a Smith & Wesson Model 3 “Schofield,” which is possible, though I have never seen this confirmed anywhere. It is known that Virgil liked this model of revolver. Morgan probably had his revolver in his hand as did Wyatt. Much has been made of the long-barrel Colt-produced “Buntline Special” that Wyatt was reported to own. History has gone both ways on this gun, but there is nothing I am aware of to confirm he had it with him this day.
In reality, I doubt he would have wanted a revolver with such a long barrel as it would not have fit well in the custom pocket of his new coat. It certainly would not have been quick to draw. Wyatt has also been reported to be in possession of an S&W Schofield revolver on that day, but again, I have never seen this confirmed.
“Come along,” Virgil said, and together the three Earp brothers and Holliday left Hafford’s Corner and began “the walk” north on Fourth Street to Fremont, a journey that has been depicted in every movie ever produced about the fight. I have taken this walk on several occasions and have wondered what was going through the Earps’ minds as they did so. Even as hot headed as Wyatt was known to be, there had to be trepidation as they walked. Virgil, Wyatt and Doc had all been in armed conflict in the past, they would have understood its finality. Most gunfights of the era broke out quickly, very few occurred where the participants had time to ponder what was going to happen. I don’t buy into the theory that Doc Holliday had a death wish, either. It is well documented he took action to prolong his life, even moving to Arizona to make use of the high desert air. No, even though I’m sure they put on an air of formidability, there was likely also reluctance and maybe even fear.
When Johnny Behan walked into the vacant lot with Frank McLaury, he saw Billy Clanton and Billy Claiborne. He knew he would find Ike and Tom but the other two may have been a surprise. He asked if they were all together and Claiborne responded he “was not one of the party.” Johnny told them what he’d just told Frank, they would go to the Sheriff’s Office and disarm there. Ike and Tom stated they had no weapons for Behan to take, having surrendered them earlier. He was skeptical so he frisked Ike Clanton by running his hands over his waist and found no guns. Tom McLaury then pulled open his coat to show there were no guns in his waistband. Tom could have had a gun in his waistband at his back or concealed under his shirt. We just don’t know. Behan chose to accept his word.
Just as Behan prepared escort them to his office, Frank McLaury said no. He’d thought it over and said he would surrender his guns only “after the party that hit my brother” was disarmed. That wasn’t going to happen, and Behan knew it. The Earps were sworn peace officers and were legally permitted to carry firearms in town, the cowboys were not. Doc Holliday was likely sworn in as a “special officer” for the moment. It was at that moment someone on the street shouted, “Here they come!”