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In competitions where two rounds must be fired, at separate targets, less than 0.10 seconds separate the shots. To establish a World Fast Draw Association record, a second shot must be fired in the same competition that is no more than 0.30 seconds slower than the first this is intended to prevent a shot that anticipates the start signal from setting a record. The reaction times of the best fast draw shooters is 0.145 seconds, which means that the gun is cocked, drawn, aimed (from the hip), and fired in just over 0.06 seconds. Given that the average human reaction time is around 0.2 to 0.25 seconds, the round is over before most people can react. A world class competitor can draw and fire a shot in under half a second. 208 seconds - and that includes the time it takes to react, draw, fire and pop a balloon target at eight feet away. The current World Fast Draw Association (WFDA) record for Open Class Fast Draw in an event called Standing Balloons is. Every time is measured under one second, from the signal to draw to when the timer is stopped. Sport įast draw is one of the fastest sports in the world. Other gunfighters would use Bridgeport rigs that gave a faster and easier draw. Most of the time, gunfighters would just hide their pistols in their pockets, which was faster and more practical. A gunfighter would use tie-downs to keep his pistol from catching on the holster while drawing. Long before holsters were steel-lined, they were soft and supple for comfortable all-day wear.
QUICKDRAW COWBOY MOVIE
Fast-draw artists can be distinguished from other movie cowboys because their guns will often be tied to their thigh. This type of holster is a Hollywood anachronism.
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In western movies, the characters' gun belts are often worn low on the hip and outer thigh, with the holster cut away around the pistol's trigger and grip for a smooth, fast draw. In these circumstances, the one who can draw, fire and hit his opponent first was usually the winner, but accuracy and calmness were also, and sometimes more, favored by actual gunmen in the era. Duels, while also fought to uphold honor, were usually not formalized and sometimes were due to the heat of the moment. Most gunfights that occurred in the Old West were more spontaneous due to either alcohol consumption or heated squabbles. While the ability to draw a firearm quickly was a popular skill during the American frontier, modern fast draw is inspired more by gun duels in western films than historical gunfights. During the Old West, the term "fast on the draw" or "quick on the draw" did not necessarily mean a person is swift on drawing a pistol, it actually meant that a person is aggressive and would draw his weapon at even the slightest provocation.
QUICKDRAW COWBOY CODE
Typically, historical Western duels were a crude form of the "Southern code duello," a highly formalized means of solving disputes between gentlemen with swords or guns that had its origins in European chivalry. Īlthough unlike the depiction seen in westerns, fast draw duels at that time were performed with the traditional dueling stance. Though many gunfighters were remembered to be dangerous with a pistol during the American frontier, only a few known historical individuals have been noted by historians as "fast", such as Wild Bill Hickok, Doc Holliday, John Wesley Hardin, Luke Short, Tom Horn and Billy the Kid. Davis, the quick draw is also necessary for a gunman to fight back if he is ambushed. Gunfighters Jim Leavy and Tom Carberry became infamous for participating in at least two quick draw duels in their lifetimes. Corral, Long Branch Saloon gunfight and others, which in turn inspired the gunfights seen in Hollywood western movies. The sport has been inspired by accounts of duels and gunfights which incorporated it during the Wild West, such as the Hickok–Tutt shootout, Short–Courtright duel, Gunfight at the O.K. The object of fast draw as a combative sport is to quickly draw one's pistol and fire with the most accuracy.
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