GunFighter Gulch

Over the years, practically any single action revolver has been tried for fast draw. The only technical limitations in the revolvers used are, they must be single action and the minimum barrel length allowed is 4 5/8 inches. This barrel length just happens to be the shortest standard length available on a Ruger single action revolver.

A single action revolver is one in which the trigger performs only a single action, that of allowing the hammer to fall from a cocked position to fire the shot. It is necessary to manually move the hammer from its uncocked position to its full cocked position before it can be fired. As mentioned elsewhere in this book, all different styles of fast draw revolve around getting the single action cocked and ready in the shortest amount of time.

In addition to full cock, there are two other hammer positions, the safety and half cock notches. The safety notch is often removed, as it is unnecessary in a fast draw gun, and a smoother action is possible without it. The half cock notch, as the name implies, is half way between the fire position (all the way down) and full cock position. On all but the new model Rugers, this is the load position, as the cylinder will revolve freely with the hammer at half cock.
In the beginning of the sport of Fast Draw in the mid 1950’s, the sixgun used was the Colt S.A. Army .45 caliber. The most popular was the 4 ¾ inch barrel length, with a few using the 5 ½ inch barrel length.

The Colt’s were in short supply, so many shooters used the Colt look alike, the Great Western S.A. revolver, again the 45 caliber 4 ¾ inch version being the most popular. The Great Western was identical in appearance, and mechanically the same with the exception of the firing pin and hammer. The Great Western had a frame mounted floating firing pin, whereas a Colt has a fixed firing pin mounted in the hammer face. Great Western was the only manufacturer to offer a Fast Draw Model single action revolver. This model came from the manufacturer with a lightened action and with deepened cylinder locking notches. It differed further from the standard Great Western and Colt by having an attractive brass backstrap and triggerguard.

In addition to the Colt and Great Western, many new fast draw shooters started with a Hahn 45 B.B. revolver, manufactured by Crosman Arms Co. This was a B.B. gun, using CO2 cartridges for power. It was the same size and weight of the Colt and operated the same, being a single action. The Hahn made a fine fast draw weapon, as most competition was with blanks only, being judged for a level shot. Since the clock was stopped by the sound only, the Hahn could be used in competition by merely allowing the shooter to stand close enough to the timer for the sound from the gas cartridge to stop it.

The Ruger single action didn’t gain favor until the shooters started switching to the fanning method of fast draw. Fanning is much harder on guns than the previously used thumb cocking. It was found that the Ruger would last longer with less tuning than the Colt or any of its copies (Great Western, Dakota, Hawes, etc.) It wasn’t long until most everyone was shooting a Ruger. The standard gun used today is an old model Ruger Blackhawk, 357 caliber. It will have the original cylinder bored out to 45 Colt caliber, or often have a new stainless steel custom made cylinder in this caliber. It will usually have a barrel made of aluminum, sometimes with a rifled steel sleeve, though many shooters now have rifled aluminum barrels. The hammer will be modified for fanning, with the spur being ½ inch higher than the frame. Most will be chrome plated, for easy maintenance using black powder blanks.

In addition to the above, all actions are lightened by grinding flat springs thinner or narrower in the colts and Colt copies, or by shortening of coil springs in the Ruger. The locking notches in the cylinder are deepened, and the approaches are deepened and lengthened. The timing is changed so the locking bolt will drop earlier. A steel block is usually installed in the frame beside the locking bolt, to prevent the slot in the frame for the head of the bolt from being peened out. In addition, an over-travel of the hammer should be prevented. In the Ruger this is done by a steel block in the bottom of the grip frame. It is fitted such that when the hammer is at full cock, the plunger in the main spring butts against this block. In the Colt, this may be done by fitting a hardened steel pin in the trigger guard just below the hammer, such that when at full cock, the bottom flat of the top end of the mainspring is resting on this pin.

In addition to the above, each shooter makes cosmetic changes to suit his own taste, such as grips and finishes. Oversize bell-bottom grips are popular, and may help when using the twist fan style of drawing.

In the case of the Ruger, the rear sight should be removed and the top strap ground down to resemble a Colt.

In the mid west, where we shoot predominantly wax events, a very popular fast draw gun is the 22/38. This is either a colt Scout (Peacemaker 22 as it is currently known) or a Ruger Single Six 22 caliber revolver. The cylinder is bored to 38 caliber, from the front and only deep enough to accept a 38 caliber Red Jet wax bullet. I reiterate, the cylinder is not bored all the way through. In this way, we have a cylinder which, viewed from the muzzle end is of 38 caliber, but the breech end remains 22 caliber. In addition, a 38 caliber barrel is installed. To shoot this 22/38, one loads the wax directly into the face of the cylinder, as one would do with a cap and ball revolver. One then loads 22 acorn or 22 Winchester black powder blanks to propel the wax. These 22/38’s are very fast, light and well balanced. Their only disadvantage is in the blank events. They do not work well for breaking balloons, thereby requiring the shooter to have a second gun to use in the blank events.

The latest development is the conversion of the Ruger Single Six to 9mm Parabellum caliber. Custom fast draw gunsmith John Phillips of Phoenix, Arizona, first makes a new stainless steel cylinder. He then replaces the original barrel with a 357 Ruger barrel turned to fit. The firing pin assembly is removed, the frame is welded up, and a new center firing pin is installed. This gives one a beautiful, small, lightweight, single action revolver in the potent 9mm Luger caliber.

Webmasters Note:

Not much has changed regarding the action work done of fast draw guns since 1978. Currently the trend is to use titanium cylinders and barrels. Titanium is light, stronger than steel and not prone to failure over the course of time as the aluminum components are. To my knowledge the 9mm fast draw gun mentioned in this article did not gain widespread popularity.