What Gun Did Paladin Use in Have Gun Will Travel?

The character Paladin, played by Richard Boone in the classic Western TV series "Have Gun Will Travel", carried an intricately engraved 1873 Colt Single Action Army Revolver with ivory grips as his signature sidearm. This ".45 Long Colt" 6-shot revolver, with its 7.5-inch barrel and striking knight‘s head grips, would become one of most iconic hero guns in TV history.

1873 Colt Single Action Army "Cavalry" Revolver – The Heart of a Legend

Over its 6 season run from 1957-1963, the opening sequence of Have Gun Will Travel showed Paladin drawing his custom-gripped Colt from a black leather holster emblazoned with a chess knight insignia. As this image indelibly linked actor and character, so too has Paladin‘s engraved single action Army revolver become part of Western entertainment lore.

Paladin‘s quick pistol draw was a signature move in Have Gun Will Travel (Credit: Sundance Channel)

But what exactly was the model of revolver that would define Boone‘s Paladin?

Specifications of Paladin‘s Iconic Single Action Army (SAA)

• Manufacturer: Colt‘s Manufacturing Company
• Model: 1873 Colt Single Action Army
• Designation: "Cavalry" (by barrel length)
• Caliber: .45 Colt
• Capacity: 6-round cylinder
• Barrel Length: 7.5 inches
• Finish: Blued steel
• Grips: Carved ivory with Paladin‘s knight emblem
• Modifications: Partially engraved cylinder

As a single action revolver, its hammer had to be cocked manually prior to firing. This made the Colt SAA slower to shoot than modern double action revolvers, but enabled exceptionally accurate shots in skilled hands.

The 1873 model was one of Colt Firearms most successful, with over 350,000 sold by the turn of the century. Rugged, powerful and superbly engineered for the battlefield, variants saw action from the American Indian Wars through World War I.

Why the "Cavalry" Model?

The 7.5 inch barrel length of Paladin‘s revolver gave it the Cavalry designation, as this size was issued to mounted regiments. The longer barrel improved ballistic performance compared to the standard 5.5-inch. However, the gun still retained enough maneuverability to be drawn and fired effectively from horseback.

The Boone character would have likely acquired such a model Colt SAA during his own hinted military service. With his penchant for customization, Paladin subsequently had the knight‘s head grips installed and cylinder decorated with engraved scrollwork.

1873 Colt Single Action Army Cavalry Revolver (Credit: Wikipedia)

Popularity of the SAA in Western Fiction & Entertainment

The Single Action Army gained fame across the late 19th century frontier, with famous lawmen like Wyatt Earp packing the big Colt for its dependability and knockdown power. By the early 1900s the original "Peacemaker" was firmly embedded in American Western mythology.

When commercial television arrived in the 50s looking to bring frontier adventure to living rooms, the antiquated yet instantly recognizable Colt SAA resumed its prime role once more.

Table showing selection of major 50‘s Westerns featuring Colt SAA revolvers

While plots and settings evolved with trends, the cowboy‘s trusty Peacemaker endured as the quintessential sidearm across the first decades of Western programming.

Have Gun Will Travel premiered in 1957 starring Richard Boone as the erudite gunfighter Paladin, a "knight without armor in a savage land". His personalized Colt single action was an integral part of his imagery as a heroic gun-for-hire.

Boone‘s demand for authenticity in costumes and props brought detailed Old West artifacts before viewing audiences. This familiarized the cultural landscape just enough to make it imaginable. Much as the classical nobility associated with swords, Paladin‘s custom engraved revolver evoked ideals of a hero who lived by a code – no matter how brutal the frontier.

Paladin‘s Iconic Gun Influences Film & TV

Prop collector Bob Chatt notes: "Many collectors consider Paladin‘s Colt SAA the greatest gun to ever appear on television”. Six decades later, that assessment rings true as its impact reverberates through subsequent pop culture.

Spawning an Archetype

Have Gun Will Travel was massively influential during the genre‘s golden era. Its antecedent "hired gun" protagonist and signature silver-studded black attire spawned the whole "Man with No Name" loner archetype.

This paved the way for Clint Eastwood’s films of the mid 1960s, particularly his classic "Dollars Trilogy" playing the Man With No Name" – essentially an evolution of Boone’s Paladin character.

Director Sergio Leone‘s wide close-ups of Eastwood’s face replicated the Have Gun Will Travel opening as he lights a cigarillo and you see his flinty eyes. The style, body language and even the musical motifs are deliberately similar.

Sergio Leone‘s shot mimicked Have Gun Will Travel (Credit: Quora)

So as Eastwood would shoot smoke from cracked lips, and lock a black-gloved fist near his holster, the image is forever linked to Paladin in television‘s first era.

Later Portrayals on Screen

Boone‘s Paladin continues to be paid homage in subsequent films and shows depicting charismatic professional gunmen.

For example, British actor Edward Woodward‘s lead character in 1980s hit The Equalizer even quotes Paladin in an episode. Lines mimicking the Have Gun Will Travel opener spiel such as “My name‘s McCall…Some say I help those who can‘t help themselves” acknowledge the legacy.

More recently, Boba Fett of the Star Wars saga has distinct echoes of Paladin in his appearance, manner and ruthless professionalism. As creator George Lucas was influenced by Hollywood Westerns, the correlation seems more than coincidental.

Summary: An Ideal Embodied in Steel

The chosen sidearm of Have Gun Will Travel’s Paladin was a 7.5-inch barreled Colt Single Action Army Cavalry revolver, customized with engraved cylinder and rare carved ivory grips bearing his knight’s insignia.

This classic yet anachronistic six-shooter epitomized romantic notions of the Old West, helping blur fact from fiction for modern audiences. As such, its impact has resonated through the archetypes and antiheroes personifying America’s wild frontier heritage.

And like the mythic figure it accessorized, Paladin’s Peacemaker continues to echo as entertainment idolizes the cool, capable guns-for-hire who’ve straddled law and lawlessness in the name of honor.