David MacDonald as Doc Holliday
Mike Moss
As the finale of our events and presentations on Old West arms over the last several months, the Robson Ranch Gun Club held our biggest show of the series: “Long Guns of the Old West.” From the contributions of numerous owners and collectors here at Robson Ranch, we were able to display almost 40 famous and significant guns from the Old West era, 1806-1890.
Complementing these three dozen amazing pieces was an informative presentation by our resident military historian Miguel Ondina. Following the presentation, the attendees were able to closely view and discuss the arms on display, with the table hosts in attendance.
Among the amazing long guns presented and displayed: a flintlock Kentucky Long Gun, percussion cap Hawken “Buffalo Guns,” 1868-era Springfield “Trapdoor” rifles, an original 1860 Spencer Carbine, the full series of Winchester Lever-action rifles (1866-1895), original 1859 Sharps, 1878 Sharps Borchardt, the 1885 Browning Falling block, and even an 1878 Colt 12-gauge “Coach Gun,” like those you saw in the movies used to protect those stage coaches making their way across the frontier (and where we get that saying “riding shotgun”), and so many more! Many of our knowledgeable and experienced firearms enthusiasts commented that you would literally have to go to a museum to find a selection of this quality and variety in one place. In addition to the arms, our attendees were able to enjoy paintings, photographs, antiques, and artifacts from the Old West.
As we had for “Handguns of the Old West,” your Gun Club welcomed our guests into the clubhouse Lonestar/Legacy Room with a montage of Old West TV and movie classics: the theme from The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, the theme from The Magnificent Seven, (Ghost) Riders in the Sky, Gunsmoke, and, of course, The Lone Ranger! Helping to bring this Old West history to life, many of our audience put on their best western wear, and we awarded our first-ever “Best Costume” bragging rights to Dave MacDonald, for his “Doc Holliday” ensemble. Perhaps best of all, your Gun Club was thrilled with the guests our residents brought along; the kids, the grandkids, and the friends.
The mission of our Robson Ranch Gun Club is to provide an opportunity and forum for our members to meet, share their interest in firearms, participate in various forms of shooting sports, and provide a learning environment for all skill levels of firearm ownership and uses. Our monthly meeting is the second Tuesday of the month at 1 p.m. in the clubhouse. Safety is always our primary concern and is a shared responsibility of each member.
For more information, please contact Club President Larry Hampton at [email protected],or Vice President Mike Moss at [email protected].