Randolph Scott!
Sonny Tufts!
Ditto.
Yes, that particular one is as you describe.
When I posted before, I couldn’t remember what John Wayne used. Colt Peacemaker? If it was, then it would likely have been a .44 or a .45. I have a Ruger Black Hawk in .45LC and a Colt Walker in .44. I haven’t had the opportunity to fire the Walker, which is larger than a Dragoon in any case. Whatever John Wayne carried, I guess it qualifies as a ‘big-ass gun’. My point was that Clint Eastwood (as Josey Wales) carried (mostly) smaller guns, but he carried several of them.
I instantly knew which one I liked better–John Wayne–but figuring out why is hard. I think it might just be because I always knew when I saw John Wayne in a picture, but had no clue who Clint Eastwood was for the longest time. He just blended in with the other Western stars.
I think my grandpa has seen every Western ever made.
When I mentioned “big-ass guns” for Clint, I was thinking more of his Dirty Harry magnums. I do appreciate your knowledge and expertise on the hardware and will concede any points having to do with specific pieces in specific movies.
I just think of Clint carrying a “convincing” weapon. 
I think my favorite was the one in Pale Rider if you can elaborate on that model and its advantages and fire power.
:smack: Of course! I was in Old West mode.
Clint carried a Remington Model 1858 in .44 caliber. I did know that upon googling an image of him with the girl on the back of his horse; but I did find this site, which lists the guns used in the film (with pictures). Nice site, says I. 
The Remington revolver had a solid frame, unlike the Colt Model 1860 Army (and the Model 1851 Navy, and others), which was a stronger design. I do need to get one for my collection.
Excellent sites! The imfdb one especially. I’m glad to know about it. Is there a favorite movie of yours on there other than Eastwood’s things? He always seems to have the ordnance well covered in his films!
Eastwood.
When I think of John Wayne, I think “Hollywood” more than when I think of Clint Eastwood, if that makes any sense. He was the tough-looking guy straight out of central casting tapped to star in a bunch of propaganda pieces. Also, if you judge both men by their sillier movies, Any Which Way But Loose was an intentional comedy, The Conqueror unintentional, and it was unintentionally funny almost entirely because of John Wayne.
Actually, I didn’t know the site existed until I looked to see what other guns he used. (I figured there would be a list somewhere.) One of the things I like about Eastwood’s Old West films is that he’s not afraid to use black powder. Most of the Westerns I’ve seen had Peacemakers – even if they took place before 1873. I can’t say I have a favourite based on the hardware, but The Outlaw Josey Wales (obviously) Pale Rider (which I don’t have), and Silverado are all high points for me on the firearms front.
Incidentally, I just got off the horn with a sporting goods store down in Burlington. They’re transferring anUberti Remington New Army 1858 for my from one of their other stores. And at below MSRP, to boot. Oh, and there’s a little video linked on that page.
(I still need to look for a Colt Army Model 1860. 
)
Cool stuff, Johnny L.A.!
I would like to find a comparable site dealing with Bowie knives to see if I can get definitive statements about who made the one used in the old Alan Ladd movie The Iron Mistress (1952) which I have coveted since I saw that movie as a kid. I have a Randall and I have seen Cooper and Hibben claims that theirs was the one used. But I have yet to see any independent verification of that.
Do you happen to have that kind of data?
Sadly, no.
I have one bowie knife, and I made that one myself. I bought the blade from Dixie Gun Works (click the image to see it better), and made the guard out of a thick piece of brass stock. The handles are plain rosewood, affixed with brass rivets. I made a scabbard out of leather.
Here is the search of the bowie knife category. And here is the search on ‘bowie’ Maybe you’ll get lucky. 
Yeah, that would have been great. But I don’t see Wayne and Eastwood as in competition with each other, they played different roles in different styles, at different times.
Wayne was the ‘everyman’ and was rarely cast in dark roles or as the bad guy. The Searchers is probably his darkest role. I think The Man Who Shot Libery Valence is another.
Eastwood excelled as the quiet stranger, the lone wolf, the unpredictable factor. He had a menace that came across with just a look.
I remember Rowdy Yates (Eastwood) from Wagon Train on black and white TV. And John Wayne from so many movies. I love both, but it is comparing apples to oranges to pick one or the other.
Good links. Here’s Randall’s Bowies and here’s Cooper’s catalog and his Iron Mistress. I just don’t care for the Hibben Bowie or any of the Rambo types.
Here’s the Dixie version of the Iron Mistress.
I did see that one. Nice knife.
A little more searching produced this story of the Iron Mistress movie knife. It seems plausible, at least.
And this page has a better looking version of a Hibben (2 views) that I do like.
And the pictures on this page look very much like the movie knife as well.
There are many other versions of the knife and the maker online. Too many to give any one of them the benefit of being the whole truth.
Clint is more versatile than The Duke was, but for sheer “Movie Star-ness,” John Wayne’s legend still outpaces him. Wayne often seemed bigger than life. As much as I like Clint, I don’t think he commands the screen like Wayne did.
Zeldar: I think the subject of movie props such as the Iron Mistress bowie knife is interesting enough to be deserving of its own thread; so I took the liberty of starting one.
I hope you don’t mind.
Mind? No way! Perfect follow-up thread idea. Maybe this one can get back to a Duke-Clint discussion. The sidetrack has been fun for me, though, and I hope others who share our interests in such stuff will join us in your thread.
We tend to do this a lot, Johnny L.A., and I always enjoy seeing your name on threads and posts since I know it will be of interest to me, even if I’m ignorant of the subject matter. I’ve learned a great deal from you.