GUNS Magazine January 1957

Ed McGivern still enjoys shooting today even though
afflicted with arthritis. He is a legal expert on firearms.
Nearly all these "gunmen" of the entertainment field
use the regulation drop loop western holster, right, left,
or double according to the story of the film. This type
of holster hangs low by the knee, and places the butt
of the revolver near to the shooter's hand. Such holsters
are usually the kind mentioned in western writings or
pictured in the movies.
A uniform quick draw, either for exhibition or dem-
onstration purposes, or for combat training, consists of
starting with empty or open hands, from any position
preferred, but .with hands off of and entirely free from
the gun. Then, at a signal agreed upon as a danger
signal, the shooter reaches for his gun which may be
carried in any preferred holster or rig. The gun is drawn
in any manner preferred, cocked or used double action.
The gun is then fired a sure hit shot at any target des-
ignated beforehand. The completed performance should
be bed correctly from start of hand movements to
finished hit.
Timing this performance requires elaborate and re-
liable equipment, electric and/or photographic devices.
Timing by hand stop-watches is often erratic to a great
degree because of the human error involved in the
starting movements. Such motions are very difficult for
the human eye to detect instantly, so as to make the
observer start the watch instantly. And starting the
watch at the exact moment the draw starts, is necessary
for accurate results in timing records. A slight error at
starting and stopping may seriously confuse results.
Certainly this would be true in regards to reports of
tenth-second draws by at least one Hollywood hot shot.
But our electric timing units in hundreds of tests by very
fast performers, support our belief that no one has ever
accomplished such a quick draw.
Anything below quarter-second or three-tenth second
draws, complete with reasonably well-placed hits and
controlled bullet grouping, (Continued on Page 58)
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