Ed McGivern - Fastest Gun

[@nealewatson-v1y]

McGivern's book is and has been on my bookshelf for many decades. It has been invaluable as a guide to honing handgun shooting skills. I still benefit from the lessons learned, even at the age of 76.

[@Gerald-do9yg]

I read about an interview of Mr. McGivern in 1955, two years before his passing.He was asked how he felt about some of the newer shooters getting credit for techniques he pioneered. His response was essentially " If the techniques I have taught have saved one life, I'll consider myself well-paid"! That, as much as his phenomenal skills, is the Legacy of Ed McGivern! RIP Sir.

[@WeaponsAffair]

What a great quote, from a great man. Thanks

[@JP-ro2yi]

All about the techniques and examples you pass on. The name means nothing.

[@martinwalker9386]

@@Gerald-do9yg I have a target Ed McGivern shot with my father’s revolver. My father loaded the gun and handed it to Ed. Ed was standing sideways to the target, flexed his wrist to check balance and then 5 shots in probably 1.5-2.0 seconds. 4 of the shots are in the 10-ring and the 5th is cutting the 9-ring.

[@Gerald-do9yg]

@@martinwalker9386 Martin, Thank you so much for sharing this! I'm going to guess your Dads' revolver was one of the old S&W M&PS with the long action! I hope you have family that will cherish and pass along this special momento and memory. Blsgs, gg🙏🙏🙏✝️✝️✝️❤️❤️❤️🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🙋☝️☝️☝️

[@martinwalker9386]

@@Gerald-do9yg Police Positive .22 on a .32 frame

[@timmytwodogs]

I have the book he wrote and as a former Sheriff I found his observations on revolver shooting very helpful.

[@TheGuitarReb]

Wild Bill just said always take your time, in a hurry.

[@MrTruckerf]

This is taken from a VHS tape produced about 35 years ago. I have it as well. It also has segments on Bill Jordan, the Topperweins, Professional factory-sponsored shooters, etc. I haven't watched it for over 20 years because my VCR broke.

[@WeaponsAffair]

Yes indeed! Also Gus Peret and Herb Parsons. More Coming Soon!

[@D33Lux]

@@WeaponsAffair This is great footage, please post more if you have them. Thanks

[@WeaponsAffair]

@@D33Lux You bet! More is on the way

[@MrTruckerf]

Ah, yes! Herb Parsons, Showman/Shooter@@WeaponsAffair

[@drewledbetter526]

Herb Parsons. Boy howdy. Tallent charisma and a great voice. Loved watching his exhibitions

[@CodyCarlson-d5t]

I still have my copy of that book

[@keithallen4389]

I have had the book for about forty years but this actual footage is a first. ❤Thanks to all who made it possible to see. Very interesting in the book is the development of long range revolver shooting at distances over 600 yards.

[@WeaponsAffair]

Great book. It has been too long, I must read it again. Thank you for watching!

[@RockwellRhodes]

I know Elmer Keith did a lot of long-range revolver work... hunting at ranges that would be considered unethical by today's standards! I don't know if that was because of McGivern's influence or not, but, it was interesting to read about.

[@mhughes1160]

KZbin keeping history alive Thanks for posting 👍

[@WeaponsAffair]

Sure thing. Thanks for watching

[@tonybranton]

I know a man in Haynesville Louisiana who’s mother was married to McGivern’s partner and has an original book, and a Smith model 10 with a tall gold bead front sight and v notch rear engraved Ed McGivern of Montana and is obiously the real deal. A letter thanking him for all the help with the fast and fancy instruction seminars etc. what’s THAT gun worth?!

[@WeaponsAffair]

Nice!

[@RockwellRhodes]

What's the barrel length on that?

[@tonybranton]

@ 4 inch I believe

[@RockwellRhodes]

@@tonybranton That would make it a "prohibited" weapon in Canada. I have a prohib in .38 Special, grandfathered in. A special designation on your PAL. Won't sell mine for anything! (Can't anyway, anymore, with our Draconian laws!)

[@tonybranton]

@@RockwellRhodes I was a gunsmith and had everything you could imagine pistolwise, now I just have airguns. I like to shoot, not reload and tumble brass. lol Where I worked we got frames from the RCMP that had the barrels taken off as I see you guys cant have short barrels is it? Any way they got them cheap and we made heavy barrels for target pistol competition as the 38's are quite a bit more accurate with the shorter chambers. I was working for Clark Custom Guns in Princeton Louisiana

[@robertsansone1680]

Excellent. Thank You. I have heard that he didn't like automatics because he'd have the trigger pulled again before the slide was forward in battery.

[@WeaponsAffair]

Thank you. He truly was faster than autos

[@D33Lux]

Is that legit? That's incredible speed.

[@timmytwodogs]

@@D33Lux Check out Gerry Michalek.

[@timmytwodogs]

His speed was truly astonishing.

[@WeaponsAffair]

Jerry is amazing. Video of Miculek's exhibition with Jim Clark Jr. coming soon

[@harrymoto6951]

This is awesome, I never thought I would SEE Ed McGivern shoot! I have Bill Jordan's book 'No 2nd Place Winner', still entirely relevant. Will have to get Mr. McGivern's book now, I expect it too is very useful. The art hasn't changed.

[@WeaponsAffair]

McGivern"s book is great. I need to read Jordan's. Video of Bill Jordan coming soon.

[@arnenelson4495]

Don't forget Sixguns by Keith, he taught me to shoot well when I was 22 and entirely dedicated to becoming an accomplished revolver shot. And I did!

[@WeaponsAffair]

@@arnenelson4495 I need to read that one, along with "Hell, I Was There!"

[@arnenelson4495]

@@WeaponsAffair Both highly recommended.

[@r.shanethompson7933]

Don't forget "Unrepentant Sinner" by Charles Askins. I've read all the ones y'all named and it is my personal favorite.

[@BangTheRocksTogether]

Nice one! Best video of the day! I always enjoy old timey gun vids. GunTube can be tiresome, this is good clean fun. Rock on.

[@WeaponsAffair]

Thanks very much! That means alot. Just tryin to spread the good stuff that inspired my love!

[@michaelbeams9553]

This was great . Thank you.

[@WeaponsAffair]

You bet! Thank you for watching

[@CollectorsVault1858]

I actually bought his book after this video. I hope I will have some time to read it. It has plenty of illustrations with diagrams and stances which i really like.

[@WeaponsAffair]

Excellent. I need to buy. I just got Bill Jordan's book, but haven't had a chance to read it.

[@johnkroeger2104]

You should read his book. I have a first edition I inherited from my grandfather it's a good read and very informative.

[@arnenelson4495]

Great video, it's a PAT-RIDGE front sight not Par-tridge named for its designer.

[@sapago4166]

I never knew that. Learn something new every day.

[@Bayan1905]

McGivern was taking the then new Smith & Wesson Registered Magnum .357 revolvers and was hitting man sized targets up to 600 yards away. It's hard enough to hit a target like that with a scoped rifle, and he was doing it with open sight revolvers.

[@Paladin1873]

He also taught others how to do it. Today his 600 yard record has been broken by men like Jerry Miculek who has hit steel at 1000 yards using iron-sighted revolvers, but McGivern was the pioneer trailblazer who led the way.

[@RockwellRhodes]

@@Paladin1873 Elmer Keith was hitting game with his .44 Special at ranges up to 800 yards... not exactly ethical, but, neither are some of the shots these 1000-yard wonders are making on game animals, these days, either.

[@Paladin1873]

@@RockwellRhodes Elmer Keith claimed some very long range handgun shots by walking fire up to the target. From what I've read, no accurate measurements were ever taken to verify his claims. I am not aware of him ever purposely hunting game in such a manner (varmints were another story). The famous (or infamous) 600 yard mule deer shot was taken this way on an animal that some other hunter had injured. The revolver he used was reportedly a 44 Magnum. I knew one well-regarded gunsmith in San Antonio back in the late 1970s who had confronted Keith years earlier at an industry event and told him to his face he thought the story was B.S. Keith walked off in a huff (not that I would have done differently). He also claimed Charles Askins (whom he personally knew) had once built a jig to test Elmer's shot. He mounted a Marlin 44 Magnum rifle in the jig and began firing. He concluded such a shot required aiming well above the target and mortaring the round in. Today we take for granted that long range shots with shotgun, handgun, and rifle are possible and can be accurately judged and recorded for posterity and analysis. This was not the case when men like Cooper, O'Conner, and Skelton were writing their articles and books. Neither off-the-shelf equipment nor the factory rifles and ammunition were quite up to the task. It required hand assembled custom rifles and ammo, combined with a bit good luck to achieve the kind of performance you can readily find in most gun shops now. Were the old-timers stretching the truth a bit? Maybe sometimes, but they were still phenomenal shots and experimental trailblazers who made modern performance the standard instead of the rare exception.

[@GlennForbes20]

Unintended Consequences taught me about him.

[@1972glm]

1:50 top SAA has a slip hammer on it, Newman style. Very facinated by this style of slip hammer

[@WeaponsAffair]

That is interesting. In McGivern's book he talks about wiring his triggers back for slip hammer shooting. I can't tell in the film if its just light, but it looks like that one might be wired, or finish worn from it.

[@1972glm]

@@WeaponsAffairYes that was often done, and there's a McGivern example with tape holding back the SAA trigger. I've also see the trigger just removed all together

[@Mastermindyoung14]

Gibby Lashua was a local and old family friend. He was a legend.

[@WeaponsAffair]

Very cool. I saw him in an NBC news story years ago.

[@wilfridBAUCHET]

bonjour je connaissais pas ce tireur d'élite au révolver sacré gâchette cette magnifique vidéo avec reportage de l'époque merci de se partage cordialement

[@WeaponsAffair]

Merci d'avoir regardé

[@jessicae.s.340]

The original pistol stud😎👍

[@bad74maverick1]

I believe a few of his records were broken years ago by Jerry Miculek. The most memorable one was Jerry shooting a S&W 8 shot revolver. He fired 8 times reloaded, fired 8 more rounds in 2.9 seconds.

[@WeaponsAffair]

Yes indeed. Miculek is the man. Jerry and Jim Clark Jr. exhibition video coming soon!

[@bad74maverick1]

@@WeaponsAffair Oh yes, a video worth waiting for!

[@arnenelson4495]

With a specially built one of a kind gun and he did not beat McGivern's time.

[@WeaponsAffair]

@@arnenelson4495 Yes, however I believe Jerry did beat Ed for the record of emptying 10 revolvers. Although Jerry did use a gun that wasn't around during Ed's lifetime, I thought they were unmodified in that case. He beat McGivern's record by over 7 seconds.

[@bad74maverick1]

@@arnenelson4495 It wasn't a one of a kind gun, it was a performance center S&W revolver. The gun was checked and allowed for the record shoot. Remember McGivern liked to shoot factory revolvers but he changed them to suit him as well. He did beat McGivern's time and it is a matter of record.

[@yongkim777]

One of the best!

[@fernandomurillo9272]

Awesome thank you

[@WeaponsAffair]

Sure thing, thanks for watching!

[@ironmanhiggs]

Hey just curious if ur monetized yet? If so how long did it take you to achieve that?

[@hoodedrage720]

I think Bob Munden is the fastest quick draw

[@WeaponsAffair]

Bob was the best

[@sgtmajtrapp3391]

I do believe Bob Munden could take Ed and may have broken some of his records as well.

[@WeaponsAffair]

@@sgtmajtrapp3391 You may be right. But Bob and Ed had different specialties. I guess it would all come down to the circumstances. I always wondered about Jordan and Miculek as well.

[@sgtmajtrapp3391]

Funny so have I! Now that would be something to see. The Titans of shooting in a match of skill. Fun to contemplate

[@redtra236]

@@sgtmajtrapp3391 Bob was fast but I think Ed was more accurate. Also remember Bob didn't use live ammo for a lot of his speed shooting which cuts down on recoil a fair amount. Both were very skilled though, shame we lost Bob early he was just starting up a youtube channel when he passed.

[@WV591]

Bob Munden was the fastest on the planet and will never be topped. super human speed and accuracy.

[@DarrenFinley]

Right! Dude could get off two shots and you'd only hear one shot and wouldn't see it at all. If I hadn't seen it in slow motion I wouldn't have believed it. Didn't seem possible.🤠👍

[@CollectorsVault1858]

Would it be possible to include a small portion in the short I am working on? I will provide link to this video. Thank you for consideration!

[@WeaponsAffair]

Sure, use anything you want

[@CollectorsVault1858]

@@WeaponsAffairThank you kindly! I added the link to your video.

[@Paladin1873]

Many people have claimed Ed McGivern was an instinctive shooter, but he denied it and said he always aimed (at least when shooting at targets thrown into the air). The image at 5:03 is proof he was aiming because these are not random hits. He adjusted his sights before each shot so that the bullet struck a different part of the target each time. Instinctive shooting does not allow for such precision.

[@PostcardsfromAlaska]

Though he never got sponsored by ammo companies, he was sponsored by Dusty’s Clay Ball Company.

[@yoda4536]

Given the arguments before the SCOTUS on bump stocks and rate of fire we must conclude that Mr McGivern was a machine gun.

[@WeaponsAffair]

Exactly

[@Helm-w1q]

I have his book. Good stuff.

[@WeaponsAffair]

Nice. I haven't read it since I was a kid. It's on my list to buy, along with the books by Sykes & Fairbairn, Elmer Keith, and Bill Jordan. to name a few.

[@max120m]

"Sweeping" wasn't a problem back then... 😮

[@Rosie_hayatm]

How his do this

[@terry970]

I guess they haven't heard of firearms safety. I wish I could shoot like that! I was good but not that good. I always shot expert in the USAF and during police qualification. But dang this guy was great!

[@finnharreidsson5862]

Yet there are tacticools who think they would have dominated the old west with their glocks, instead of just being an interesting trophy for them. And goes to show, if you train enough with a revolver, it works as well today in self defense as any semi-auto, as it did back in the day. Old != obsolete.

[@Paul_Sergeyev]

I think that's the guy they based Micah Bell's shooting stile upon

[@rybread5718]

Absolute legend. I wish I was an 8th as good as him...

[@MikeBrown-qm2xl]

That must have been Bob Mundens grandpa 😊

[@aarongipson4503]

Practice makes Proficiency. 😬🔫

[@Christianos_Theophile]

I wonder how he would stack up against Bob Munden or Jerry Miculek

[@g4joe]

What about Bob Munden. ???👍🇬🇧

[@WeaponsAffair]

Bob was faster than a rattlesnake!

[@yam-yamaha]

A Cat was faster.

[@garymcmullin2292]

stack this up against the handgun crowd of today that seeks to employ ever more sophisticated optical sights, hmmmmmm.......! The handgun is an extension of your hand and index finger, for defensive use you need to be able to effectively point the gun, aiming is not the objective in contrast to todays shooters obsession with accuracy via optic and open sights.

[@WeaponsAffair]

Yep. You can't purchase skill like Ed"s, only more ammo to work in that direction.

[@boot_boy_6945]

RIP Ed McGivern you would've loved the glock switch

[@WeaponsAffair]

Ed was a switch.

[@patmancrowley8509]

How about doing a series on Jacob Aldolphus Bryce (Jelly Bryce). He was just about the fastest gun. Criminals would surrender instead of going up against his gun they were that afraid of him.

[@WeaponsAffair]

Good idea! I'll see what i can dig up, thanks

[@Gerald-do9yg]

Read a good article about Mr. Bryce a few years back in the "American Rifleman". Very impressive gunman and lawman! Blsgs, gg

[@DANTHETUBEMAN]

What my grampa sed about the short man, I wouldn't want to shoot against him. 🤠

[@fargoalspach557]

Cool

[@mrGW]

Enter chatt: Bob Munden

[@WeaponsAffair]

He's here too

[@tebelel7150]

Dude sounds like Paul harrel I can’t unhear it ☹️

[@WeaponsAffair]

Much love for Paul

[@tebelel7150]

@@WeaponsAffair it’s crazy man. Love and appreciate the video so much, definitely earned a sub from me 💯

[@WeaponsAffair]

@@tebelel7150 Thank you kindly. Very much appreciated

[@RussJokela]

I can't hear it

[@WeaponsAffair]

Sorry for that. The audio is quite low. It came from a VHS tape.

[@Schmidddyyy]

Bro was using dead eye.

[@garyteague9555]

And he doesn’t have the looks of a movie made Hollywood gunslinger lol

[@xro5841]

First off, Practice is required. Otherwise it is very easy but tell someone and they almost always laugh or scoff. My brother taught (?) my mother to shoot a pistol and she wasn't bad but never good either. I told her to shoot that pecan on the ground with her finger. She scoffed. And I explained, just pretend. She pointed and shot it. Oh course nothing happened, bare with me. I then told her to do the same thing with the pistol. Point and Shoot. She hit the pecan the first try. Both eyes open, just Do It. I have a video of a kid with two Nerf pistols, he brings them up and shoots his little sister. Both Darts suckered to her Glasses. I show this to people and ask them, You think he AIMED? The answer is no. He pointed and shot. Two Pistols and hit both targets. Point and Shoot. And Practice. Natural as hell.

[@WeaponsAffair]

There is also a certain satisfaction in successful point/reflixive shots, not found in aimed fire. I love that video of the kid.

[@xro5841]

I loved it so much I use it as a training prep video. jking but I would. @@WeaponsAffair

[@philnewcomers9170]

sound has gone

[@WeaponsAffair]

sorry

[@劉家宏-f7k]

02:43 ttt

[@haroldmartin4547]

👍👍👍👍👍

[@3Pillers]

👍

[@pmtips4482]

Jerry

[@WeaponsAffair]

Jerry's here too!

[@martinwalker9386]

Lewis-town not Lewis-ton.

[@Paladin1873]

That's interesting. I live in Montana and have never hard it pronounced that way. It must frustrate the locals.

[@matthewmcbride1379]

First. Very cool .

[@Mo-oq8jd]

Can barley hear

[@WeaponsAffair]

Sorry. It's from an old VHS

[@bobmarshall3700]

He still fails in safety in my view as a number of the clips show him empty his gun and then turn around with the gun still raised towards the onlookers behind him. A safe shooter NEVER assumes his gun is empty and NEVER turns around with it pointed at anything or anybody. He should have holstered it before turning and we ALWAYS assume it is loaded, no matter how many shots you have counted.

[@WeaponsAffair]

If Ed gets a fail, you're really not gonna like Ad and Plinky Toepperwein's shooting

[@timk4502]

If only you were there to have schooled him on that, we would all be able to sleep a bit more peacefully...!

[@carlosalessandrini117]

Are you drugged to say such stupidity

[@kenrobba5831]

I’m thinking this is the ranting of a someone with multiple “accidentally discharges !”