While history is foggy on whether or not there ever was a gun made with a barrel this long (rumor has it both Wyatt Earp and Buffalo Bill may have had one), I nonetheless would do my best to relive shooting history. Back in the day, some single actions did come with a buttstock that attached to the grip to enhance accuracy. When I first opened the box of the 16-incher, I wondered where the stock went, for it could really pass as a carbine. Yep, that’s not a misprint - a 16-inch barrel. It resembles a Colt Buntline with a 16-inch barrel. Replicas of Single Action Armies, one of the revolvers could be classified as a “standard” Old West cowboy gun with a 6.5-inch barrel. That’s why I had to smile when I was handed this assignment to test a couple of Heritage Manufacturing’s. No matter how many polymer pistols I handle or ARs I shoulder, I’m still a cowboy at heart. Being raised on old western movies, I resemble that remark, as do many Americans. Each time I watch “The Hunt for Red October,” I have to laugh at the scene where the Soviet submarine commander refers to the American skipper as a “cowboy” for wearing a sidearm.
