Carter has to work his way through a lot of Apache (“thousands” in the book), so I felt we needed to basically get across the idea that he’s both really good with a weapon and a horse (Virginia Cavalry, to be precise), and that he’s making ample progress cutting through these warriors before they can actually get organized and fight back. It also further establishes his skills before we get to Mars and things start getting REALLY outlandish.
It’s a tricky balancing act, as we need to also be moving the plot forward at a steady clip. At this point I’ve shown him killing 9 people, with a single head shot, from a horse, without holding the reins, by moonlight. That’s almost as impressive and impossible as cutting through thousands of Apache braves, so I’ve proven the point I think. Probably that also means its time to get the plot rolling again.
Minor detail I know – but a revolver with that silhouette would be a Remington cap & ball revolver, most likely a model 1858. Just how is he gonna reload after he fires the first 12 shots of his run????
Even if we postulate he has preloaded & capped cylinders in his belt (not uncommon) breaking down his revolver, removing and replacing the cylinder would be quite a trick on a rampaging horse tearing its way through a hostile mob even for a seasoned cavalry officer such as JC was supposed to be.
Though I do agree that the Remington top-strap is the most likely service revolver a veteran like Carter would choose, still doesn’t resolve the reloading issues on a dodging horse.
Thank you for the detailed comment. I see some Civil War era fans have found their way here!
You’re absolutely right about the 12 shots. Don’t worry, believe it or not I’m counting. Though why I’m bothering to count shots while he’s doing some kind of pulp circus act is beyond me.
And thanks also for the kind words. I did research which revolver I felt he would carry (and rifle, and sabre), but to be honest I’m a novice about it, and certainly could have missed something. This is a great conversation to have. I feel I’m learning a lot.
ps. Remington would offer conversions for the 1858 to .46 rimfire cartridge based on the Rollin White patent (owned by Colt) in 1868, making Remington first to market with a large bore cartridge conversion (almost two years before the Colt .44). Unfortunately, that still two years into JC’s future.