Cimarron Crossfire Carbine

[Ruff]

Howdy all,

Got a question about the Cimarron Crossfire Carbine is this a historically accurate gun or something that Hollywood made up? I know about the N.W.M.P. carbine and that it has it basis in fact. Also what caliber would be most historically accurate if the gun is based on fact?

Thank you,

[MJN77]

Yes it is a historical rifle. It just a 1876 Winchester saddle ring carbine. They came in 45-60 and 45-75 AFAIK. The only real difference between the NWMP and the standard carbine was the rear sight. Cimarron named their "Crossfire" carbine after the Tom Selleck movie Crossfire Trail in which Selleck uses an original 76 carbine. The movie is also what sparked the interest in the 1876 Winchester, which lead to Uberti reproducing them.

Here is a picture of Charlie Bowdre, a cohort of Billy the Kid. Bowdre is holding a 1876 Winchester carbine. Pic was taken about 1880.


FWIW, the stains on this pic are drops of Charlie's blood. The pic was taken from Charlie's pocket after he was shot to death by Pat Garret's posse in December of 1880.

[Ruff]

Howdy MJN77,

Thank you for the quick reply. I loved the Crossfire Trail and really liked the carbine.

I think I have all the Louis L'Amour westerns that have been made into movies.

[Thomas (Tom) Horn aka James Hicks]

I am no expert on What Winchester did, but it is my understanding that the 1876 Winchester called the Centennial Rifle first came out in only caliber 45-75.  Then in 1879 Winchester introduced the 45-60 caliber followed by the 40-60 caliber.  I do not know if the carbine was made at the same time that the Centennial Rifle was made or not.  The movie Crossfire Trail the Win Carbine that Selleck uses is chambered in 45-60 that movie is based on time frame 1880. The movie that Steve McQueen starred in asTom Horn takes place at the turn of the century (1900) McQueen is quoted as saying he shoots the 45-60... but if you watch closely at the beginning of the movie where McQueen is sighting in his rifle he is using a real antique 1876 chambered in 45-75. But in real life Tom Horn as a "stock detective" in Wyoming used a '94 Winchester 30-30 as his rifle of choice. But that is Hollywood which very seldom ever gets it right.

[Abilene]

The '76 carbine was chambered in the calibers mentioned by Tom Horn plus 50-95.  The Uberti was copied from an original civilian model in the Cimarron collection, so should be a pretty accurate reproduction.  If I recall from previous discussions, the Uberti NWMP model has the same rear sight as the civilian and should have a different rear sight.