Why two guns?

[Cyrille]

 Ok fellas 'n ladies, I know it's th rules of Cas, Sass 'n NCOWS, that aside; why two revolvers? I have been brought up to believe that most cowboys only carried one if any at all.
'N Ah know Gene, Roy, Red Ryder, Tom Mix, N a host of other movie cowboys carried two. But the "Duke" didn't, lestways Ah ain't never seen 'em do so 'less ya count th "Shootst" ware he packed two ta th "showdown at th end o th movie. nother thing Ah believe  the "Duke" said in one o his movies "a man doesn't need two guns, if he's good enough."  Nither did Marshal Dillon if Ah member kerrectly. H--- carrin one @ 40 + onces "s heavy 'nuff  with two thas 80+onces r round 5lbs. N that don't take into account yer bullets r th rest o yore rig Ah'm sure that atter awhile totin those irons gits  a bit tiresum specilly fer us older types. Ah know after Ah finish a "day" (2 'r 3 hours o continious shootin at th range) Ah sure don't relish totein mah revolver 'round th rest o the day. N Ah ain't been bloodied yet least not officalilly
                 R.A.T. 242

[Russ T Chambers]

Cyrille
When this sport started, it only required one handgun.  As some stages started to require two sets of pistol shots (reload or second handgun), people started liking the idea of "MORE SHOOTING".  As the number of stages with two handgun engagements increased, more people decided that it was easier, faster and safer if they had two handguns.  Once more people had two handguns, they wanted to use them.  Hence more two gun stages.  'Til we are where we are today, with it a rarity to have a stage with only one handgun.
As to weight, tot'n two balances you.  A variation of Quirt Evans in "Angle and the Badman".  When Wayne was asked by Gail Russell, why he was wearing his gun to the barn.  He said he had one leg longer than the other, and it balanced him!

[Silver Creek Slim]

I just checked the SASS Shooters Handbook (v11), as far as I could see, the only shooting class that requires two handguns is Gunfighter. A pard at the local club only carries one handgun and reloads it on the clock when 10 pistol shots are required for a stage.
NCOWS, has a Working Cowboy class that only requires one handgun and one rifle.
Hope this helps.

Slim

[Cyrille]

Thanks to both you gentlemen, Mr. Chambers, Thank you for the 'history lesson detailing the growth of this sport and the quote--- priceless! I have two "Old Style" Vaqueros chambered in .45 L.C. but one is stainless w/ a 5 1/2 barrel and the other blued 4 5/8 Bisley. So no problem with a 10 shot stage, save that I prefer to carry one revolver and besides I don't have nor do I want a double rig!
Mr. Slim;
Thank you sir, for the NCOWS information I particularly am pleased to hear about the "working cowboy class"
seems to be what I'm looking for as I have a Winchester "Trail's End" in .45 L.C. that  would like to "break-in."
  This is a good place, nice makin yore acquaintance fellas.
                                                                                R.A.T. 242
                                 
                                                                               

[Coop Trawlaine]

I just joined up with another club, (SASS RULES APPLY) but not affiliated.  And they see the same as you about the 2 gun habit.
They have set up a separate class and it is class compete which they call "Sodbuster" it is a one pistol class.  The way they handle it is if there is a 10 shoot pistol targets, the Sodbuster only shoots the first 5 and they are scored against other Sodbusters so that the stage times are fair.

I have thought about the 2 gun idea before, too.  I remember an often used line in many a cowboy movie where the hero only carrys one pistol.  "If you can't get the job done with one pistol, you won't be needing the other one."  Good sensible thinking.

[Cyrille]

 That's a great quote, wish I'd thought to use it! Yeah, not to start an argument, but I always did favor the "One-gun" hero after I grew up, Roy, Gene and others will always have a special place in my heart and memories But I know of no one who can outclass the "Duke" when it comes to being the 'ideal' cowboy or Gary Cooper before him. I can't remember but I don't believe "Coop" carried more than one gun in "High Noon." Oh I could go on and on Randolph Scott,
Joel McCrea, Kirk Douglas, et al. ALthough I do remember Mr. Douglas  carrying 2 guns in the "War Wagon" A J.W. film.
But enough reminicening. Thank you for stirring old memories Mr. Trawlaine and it's good to know that mine is not the only voice "crying in the wilderness"
                                                   R.A.T. # 242

[Coop Trawlaine]

Cyrille,,,,Glad to be of some little support, Pard.

Coop

[Griff]

I for one would love to see a return to the one handgun main match scenarios.  Stages were a little quicker, less chance for error in gun handling, and we had "movement" during the stage, ala W3G, long, long before anyone thought of W3G.  Heck, with three family members shooting, I still only needed 3 revolvers, not 6!  Don't get me wrong, I like more shootin' also, but it's just a lil different now that everyone has to tote along two handguns.
Although, if you've ever held a stop watch on some of the top shooters, you might notice that some of them are a might faster with a handgun than with the rifle, and others are a might faster with the rifle;  still others are faster with the shotgun than they are with either rifle or handgun.  Rarely do you find someone that's equally in the top 5 percent with all 3 guns.  However, with only one handgun in each and every stage, it tips the scales toward the shooter that is really fast with the rifle or shotgun.
I like stages where the scenario requires approximate equal skill with all three guns, whether that be one six-gun or two!

[Big John Denny]

At the Christmas shoot for the Mule Camp Cowboys we only shot one revolver. It was a real hoot just shooting the one handgun, and made the match much faster with little fear of the dreaded dropped gun. The match fee was only $5.00 as well. Kind of a Christmas present for the shooters.

I wish SASS would institute something like the working cowboy or sodbuster class mentioned in the previous posts. It would sure help those new SASS members who perhaps don't have all their gear yet. They could still participate without having to borrow guns while they're looking for their own.

[Cyrille]

Now  That sounds like something I could "sink my teeth into" after I get me a period shotgun, got an old singlebarrel 12 w/exposed hammer but my double's are internal ignition I guess the single woud do but might be a mite slow and I don't know if it'd be legal??

[Griff]

Single bbl. would be legal as long as it doesn't have ejectors!  Yep, slow ya down a mite, but hey, that means you're having fun for a longer time than some others!