Dennis Garstang sharing his enthusiasm and expertise with the club
Mike Moss
One of the great opportunities of the Robson community is the chance to share and learn about each other’s hobbies and passions. Recently, as part of our 2021-2022 Old West series, the Robson Ranch Gun Club was treated to a presentation on “The Colt Peacemaker,” by club member Dennis Garstang.
Speaking at our regularly scheduled monthly club meeting, Dennis, who is not only an antique firearms enthusiast but a student of Texas history and a member of the Texas State Historical Association, gave our club audience an amazing presentation on the Colt Peacemaker, also known as the “Colt Single Action Army Revolver.” If you’ve seen any Western movie, you’ve surely seen this pistol. This was an amazing chance to explore the origins and history of possibly the single most iconic firearm in the history of the United States.
Dennis took us on a journey from the revolver’s conceptualization by Samuel Colt in 1829 while serving as a deckhand about a ship sailing to Calcutta, India, through Colt’s initial and failed attempts at production, to the Colt-Paterson, and eventually the Colt-Walker. The 1847 Colt-Walker, the legendary result of a collaboration between Texas Ranger Captain Samuel Walker and Samuel Colt, figured so prominently in the Old West, and in Texas specifically, that in 2021 Texas Governor Greg Abbott designated the Colt-Walker as the Official Handgun of the State of Texas! Dennis led us through the percussion cap era, showing us the 1849 Colt Pocket Percussion, 1851 “Navy,” and the 1860 “Colt Army” and completed his comprehensive rundown with a detailed overview of the Colt 1873 Single Action Army revolver, aka “The Peacemaker.” Many thanks to Dennis Garstang for this special contribution to the Gun Club’s Old West program.
Keep an eye out for our upcoming event, “Long Guns of the Old West,” currently scheduled for Feb. 17 (postponed from Jan. 13) at 7 p.m. at the clubhouse. Over three dozen Old West era long guns will be on display, including the entire series of Winchester Lever-action rifles from 1860 to 1894, and dozens of other authentic antiques, such as Sharps, Spencer, and Springfield. This will be an absolutely exceptional display that you would be hard-pressed to see anywhere! Watch for announcements.
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].