READY FOR BATTLE by Western Author Stephen Bly
One of the unexpected pleasures of writing western novels includes the nice letters from men and women, boys and girls who enjoy a good story from the shoot ’em up, ready for battle Old West. From time to time, they write to ask questions or give advice about my possible historical errors. I enjoy all the letters.
Recently a young man from Saskatchewan, Canada wrote to remind me that the western part of his country still remained the British possession in the 1870s. I appreciated that. He also asked why my heroes carried a Colt .44 revolver instead of a .45 caliber model.
“Wouldn’t they want a bigger bullet?” the young man asked.
Well, my heroes like Tap Andrews and Stuart Brannon are very pragmatic fellows. In my opinion, the best carbine or rifle in those days proved to be the Winchester ’73. I also believe the best handgun was the Colt Peacemaker.
Old West Rifles and Revolvers
Now, the Winchester ’73 fired a .44/.43 bullet. And you could also purchase a Colt .44 that used the same cartridge. That means you only had one cartridge to buy, which cost about $20 per thousand rounds in those days. Or more likely, you pared down to one type cartridge to reload.
If you expected to use your gun very often, it sure made sense not to carry two different kinds of bullets in your belt. And since my heroes aimed to always be ready for battle, they carry Winchester ‘73s and Colt .44s.
Battle Ready Today
Now, it seems to me we ought to be ready for battle ourselves. We don’t normally carry Winchesters and Colts, but we need weapons to be used in any spiritual assault that threatens our homes, neighborhoods, schools, churches, and cities.
The Apostle Paul said he readied for battle with weapons of righteousness in the right hand and the left (2 Corinthians 6:7). Now, that’s a picture of a two-fisted fighter. He also tells us the weapon in hand should be the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17, Hebrews 4:12). In other words, armed with the Word of God, which we memorize and put into life practice, you and I become pragmatic, efficient, spiritual fighters, ready to do battle when the call comes.
That’s kind of like the Old West lawman who carried a Winchester ’73 and a Colt .44.
Stephen Bly
Circa 1995
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“Ready for Battle” audio podcast by award-winning western author Stephen Bly, Circa 1995. Sponsored by BlyBooks.com Legacy Series.
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What a great reminder for us to always be ready for spiritual battle..because it is all around us. What a blessing to have god by our side in those battles
Connie Sue: Amen! Thanks so much for the comments! Blessings, Janet