EMF Company

Gun
Test
EMFsT
’
45 COL
BONANZA
.
ns —
Brace of stainless steel gu
Hartford—
Great Western II and 1892
DEROSA!
take us back to THE PON
o & John Fasano
by Fred Capobianc

Lubin
Photos by Justin

tuned in to see the fiery open14 seasons television viewers
zing map of the Ponderosa
ing of Bonanza. When that bla
Green, Pernell Roberts, Dan
burned away to reveal Lorne
w we were in for
rewolf Michael Landon, we kne
We
e
nag
Tee
r
me
for
and
r
cke
Blo
two reasons:
. I know it was “family” fare, for
an hour of family entertainment
ts (Johnny Carson
watch it, and B) the Cartwrigh
A) My parents allowed me to
s”) didn’t have
er and his three 30-year-old son
called them “a 40-year-old fath
tip off they
ly tooled gun belts. That was the
ammunition loops on their fine
bullets.
problems with words and not
would be mostly solving their
FOR
EMF’s Grea
t Western II
Hartford Rif
and 1892
le
nals in size are true to the origian
in stainless d design, but crafted
steel. Whil
e traditionalists may
balk at the
idea, they’
easier to cl
re
ean — esp
ecially with
the black p
owder load
s.
GUNS OF THE OLD WEST
43
EM F’s .45 C O LT BONAN Z A
Every time I saw rancher Lorne
beautiful rig like the one proGreene’s Ben Cartwright wearvided by Alfonso’s of Hollywood
1
ing his ornately tooled rig carand a bright SAA on my hip.
rying that fine 7.5-inch Colt
Single Action Army, I realized
Gun Details
that this was befitting a wealthy
The EMF Great Western II
landowner with fine taste. Of
and 1892 Hartford Rifle are
course, I jumped on the opportrue to the originals in size
tunity to equip myself with the
and design, but are
equivalent guns and leather —
of course crafted in
stainless steel. While
only I would take advantage
traditionalists may
of a century of metallurgical 1) The EMF Hartford 1892 lever action
advances and update the “gun rifle has smooth action that functions
balk at the idea, it has
iron” to stainless steel.
plenty going for it.
flawlessly and locks up securely. 2) The curved stainless buttplate
When my old friend, John
First off, it would be
features simple but beautiful wood.
Fasano obtained the two staineasier to clean, espe3) The longer octagonal barrel hanless guns and the ornately
cially with the black
carved leather, Bonanza was dles and points with instinctive speed.
powder loads some
foremost in his mind. He knew
shooters use. Also, it
2
that I too spent many a Sunday
will stand up to the
night in front of the flickerelements better than
ing Philco television set in my
a nickel or blued gun. Whether you have
parents’ living room. John also
it riding in a holster while you hunt or
knew that I had actually visited
round up your livestock, you’d quickly
the Ponderosa, and even sat on
come to appreciate the modern steel
Ben Cartwright’s leather chair.
from which these guns are constructed.
Years ago I traveled to Lake
The stainless steel Great Western II
3
Tahoe, Nevada and took the tour
is a fine shooting revolver that harkens
of the house that was the standback to the television era of the late
ing set for Bonanza’s Ponderosa. Now dis- other evidence of the 21st century. It’s then 1950’s. When real Colt revolvers (then out
continued, the tour of the “Ponderosa” main we realized that we’ve seen this view in of production) were in short supply and
house was curiously exciting. The famous the background of dozens of scenes where every TV show was a western, the EMF
hats were there when you walked in the one of the Cartwright boys was romanc- Company stepped in and manufactured the
door, and you felt the presence of Ben and ing some pretty young thing in a too tight revolvers that filled those quick draw holthe boys. It wasn’t long before we began to dress. Never to marry, of course. All I needed sters. Many of the hog legs we saw pulled
expect one or more of them to appear. As we to make that experience complete was a on the streets of Dodge were not Colts,
looked around we realize
they were “Great Western
Specifications
that there were no twoRevolvers” EMF’s version
dimensional props here
of the SAA.
— this place was real.
This new Great WestHowever it must be said
ern “II” model is made
that the majestic staircase
for EMF by the Italian
Caliber: .45 LC • Barrel: 4.75 inches
went…nowhere. There is
firm F.lli Pietta. This is
no “upstairs.” On the tour
the third Great Western
OA Length: 10.25 inches • Weight: 40 ounces (empty)
we learned that all second
II I’ve had the chance
Grips: Walnut • Sights: Fixed • Action: SA
floor scenes were shot in
to test, and while I preFinish: Stainless steel • Capacity: 6-shot • Price: $720
a studio, although “Hopfer faux Ivory grips or
sing’s” kitchen was intact.
Stag on my SAAs, the
A short stroll from the
finely checkered onehouse and barn we came
piece walnut grips set off
upon an area that affordthe stainless steel nicely.
ed a great view of Lake
With a 4.75-inch barrel,
Caliber: .45 LC • Barrel: 20 inches
Tahoe. Standing there, it
it balances like my origiwas easy to orient yournal Pre-War Colts. With
OA Length: 35.5 inches • Weight: 6.5 pounds (empty) • Grips: Walnut
self into a position that
the crossbar pin for cylinSights: Open • Action: Lever • Finish: Stainless steel • Capacity: 10+1 • Price: $580
displayed the lake withder removal that replaced
the black powder frame
out any power lines or
similar to the one seen
screw in 1896, half moon
here. And what finish
ejector and beveled edge
would Ben choose? Well
on the cylinder front to
probably one that would
aid holstering.
The EMF Hartford
complement his nickel
1892 lever action rifle was
7.5-inch SAA, right?
imported from Armando
After all, this would make
it as special as his holRossi in Brazil and is as
ster. It would also be as
fine a gun as the blue
unique to Virginia City
steel “Puma” marked rifle
as it would be to the TV
from Rossi I used for
westerns of the era.
years in Cowboy Action
Shooting. I never missed
a plate with that rifle —
Shooting Impressions
never came in first place,
The Great Western
either, but that was not the
was perfectly timed with
gun’s fault. The stainless
a fine trigger pull — just
Using Black Hills 250-gr. RNFP, the Hartford 1892 the topped out at 840 fps,
steel version handles and
under 4 pounds on my
while 165-gr. Cowboy loads from Ten-X came screaming out of the 20” barrel
shoots like its twin, and
RCBS scale with no creep
at nearly 1,000 fps and clustered in a 2” group at 50 yards.
the action is smooth, func— and I’m fussy about
tioned flawlessly and locked up securely. It has
I know you’re thinking that any these things. Timing, like my other Great
the distinction of a longer octagonal barrel, a “Bonanza” fan knows that Ben, Adam, Hoss Westerns, was perfect, no dragline around
semi buckhorn rear sight, a curved stainless and “Little Joe” carried Henry lever rifles the cylinder. It easily shot to SASS accubuttplate, and simple but beautiful wood. It but we also know they would’ve been bet- racy standards with 250-grain Winchester
handles and points with instinctive speed. ter armed with a Winchester Model ‘92 “Cowboy” loads chronographing at 760
44 GUNS OF THE OLD WEST
WINTER 2011
EMF 1873 Great Western II
4/C AD
EMF 1892 Hartford Carbine
WINTER 2011
GUNS OF THE OLD WEST
45
EM F’s .45 C O LT BONAN Z A
1) Alfonso’s of Hollywood Gunleather produced a tooled gun belt
and scabbard for the Great Western
II, whose color matched perfectly.
2) Many of the hog legs we saw
pulled on the streets of Dodge were
not Colts, they were “Great Western
Revolvers” EMF’s version of the SAA.
2
1
feet per second (fps) and printing
3-inch groups at 25 yards.
The Hartford 1892, using Black
Hills 250-grain round nose flat
points, the chronograph topped
out at 840 fps — over a hundred
fps faster than the same loads out
of the Great Western II pistol. The
lighter bullet 165-grain Cowboy loads from
Ten-X came screaming out of the 20-inch
barrel at nearly 1,000 fps and clustered in
2-inch groups at 50 yards.
of Hollywood Gunleather, he
produced a tooled gun belt and
scabbard whose color matched
perfectly. That is no small feat
as the texture and variations in
the leather and the dyes usually
make exact matches between two
different rigs very difficult, but it
was no surprise since Alfonso’s has
been supplying the highest quality
leatherwork since the early 1960’s.
Omar’s father Alfonso Pineda
started the company after making
many of the belts and fast draw
holsters designed by Arvo Ojala
for famous Television and movie
western characters from Gunsmoke
to Have Gun — Will Travel.
The holster, Alfonso’s A2
fast draw rig, is the same design
embraced by the top fast draw
competitors in the 1960’s, with a
muzzle forward rake and a fully
carved holster and belt. With a
single gun price of under $500
for a piece of Hollywood history, it’s a steel-lined wonder that
would make old Ben Cartwright smile.
The accompanying tooled rifle scabbard
is a custom item from Alfonso’s shop, but
matches the color, style and carving of the
A2 rig, as I said, perfectly.
Whether you’re a Bonanza fan or not,
these EMF guns are offered as timeless classics — examples of the best of 19th century
gun design, combined with the advantages
of 21st century materials. The way we present day “cowboys” see it, after the next shootout we can return to our own “Ponderosa”
and wait till the round up is over before
cleaning the shootin’ irons — without guilt.
Ben and the boys would approve.
✪
With a 4.75” barrel, the Great Western II
balances like an original Pre-War Colt.
“Every time I saw rancher Lorne Greene’s
BEN CARTWRIGHT wearing his ornately
i
FOR MORE j
INFORMATION
CONTACT:
EMF Company
tooled rig carrying that fine 7.5-inch Colt Single
Action Army, I realized that this was befitting
a wealthy landowner with FINE TASTE.”
46 GUNS OF THE OLD WEST
4/C AD
Final Notes
Leather
Both these fine weapons needed equally fine protection on the range. When I
brought them to Omar Pineda of Alfonso’s
These EMF guns are offered as timeless
classics, exemplifying the best of 19th
century gun design, while combining the
advantages of 21st century materials.
WINTER 2011
800-430-1310
emf-company.com
Alfonso’s Gunleather
877-486-2358
alfonsosgunleather.com
WINTER 2011
GUNS OF THE OLD WEST
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