When you watch films about the Wild West, you involuntarily get imbued with this amazing atmosphere of the cowboy era. Spectacular details play a separate role in creating such an impression - for example, when, before pulling the trigger, the shooter effectively turns the revolver, and after the shot he blows on its barrel. But few people know that all these manipulations are not the fruit of the director's imagination, but were quite real actions that were dictated by the then features of the then weapon.
First of all, the need to do all these unusual actions is associated with the weapon itself, which was used by cowboys. We are talking about the famous revolver that enjoyed great success in the Wild West - this is the Colt Peacemaker, model 1873.
Among its other distinctive features is the absence of the so-called "casing" on the barrel, which is present in modern weapons. The thing is that without it, after the shot, the barrel heats up a lot, and it is simply not possible to immediately put it in a holster or, even worse, for a belt. Failure to do so may result in severe burns.
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That is why cowboys have started an unusual practice... to blow on the barrel. Of course, such a process would take quite a long time, so after a while they came up with another no less original method - fast rotation, or gunspinning.
Interesting fact: but modern weapons do not need to be quickly turned at all due to insecurity. After all, if the shooter did not put the pistol or revolver on the safety, then an accidental shot may occur.
There is another reason why the cowboys of the Wild West practiced barrel rolling. The fact is that learning this maneuver is not so easy, but requires a lot of time and skill. Therefore, this process was a kind of indicator of the shooter's experience. Cowboys could hint to a potential enemy about their own danger and persuade him to solve the problem in a peaceful way.
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Continuing the topic:
a little more about cowboys - Cuffs Instead of a Bag, or Why Cowboys Wore High Lapel Jeans
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/110420/54112/