American Treasures
Creating authentic Old West replica firearms requires incredible attention to detail, and those details can be seen in every gun from Cimarron Firearms.
By Robert Sadowski
It doesn’t matter if you live on the east coast, west coast, or somewhere in between. We all have a little cowboy and cowgirl in us, and we all can connect with the spirit of the Old West. It’s a uniquely American feeling of independence, one that Cimarron Firearms has been tapping into for nearly 40 years.
Cimarron began in 1984 shortly after Mike and Mary Lou Harvey began selling Old West replica firearms at their store in Houston, Texas. “We started with percussion firearms,” says Mike Harvey, “but soon began including cartridge firearms. And the cartridge gun that started it all was the Colt Single Action Army (SAA).”
Early on, Harvey sensed his fledgling company had legs, so he took one of his original Colt SAAs to the Uberti factory in Italy in order to work with Aldo Uberti. “Uberti was already making a Colt-style SAA, but I wanted a more authentic replica,” he says. “I changed the grip and frame shape, developed authentic period-correct markings, and even found a creative solution to hide the numerous proof marks that covered the Italian replicas.”
Harvey also had very specific instructions regarding metal hardness, polishing, and case-hardening. And though Cimarron has been closely aligned with Uberti (as well as other manufacturers) for many years, Harvey stresses that “you can’t just think of us as an importer. We’re more than that.” In fact, Cimarron works closely with manufacturers to develop their products, and it ensures that the guns are built to Harvey’s exact specifications.
True Grit
Cimarron’s Hollywood Gun collection is a dream come true for fans of Western movies. It includes a wide range of replica guns, such as John Wayne’s Rooster Shooter (True Grit) and the Wyatt Earp Buntline pistol (Tombstone). You name the movie—Fist Full of Dollars, Wild Bunch, 3:10 To Yuma, or Quigley Down Under—and Cimarron can offer customers a piece of cinematic history to own and shoot.
“Pale Rider must have come on TV a lot last year because I got it in my mind that Cimarron really needed to offer a dual-cylinder Model 1858,” says Harvey. Cimarron calls this model The Preacher.
My favorite Cimarron Hollywood gun is the Man with No Name 1851 Navy Conversion, which is a replica of the gun used by Clint Eastwood in The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. It’s complete with the silver inlaid rattlesnake in the grip. I might just need to complete the set with the Tuco Special, an 1860 Army Conversion, and Angel Eyes, an 1858 Conversion.
“At Cimarron we take a lot of shots at new products,” says Harvey. “Not all are blockbusters, but we really like what we do and enjoy coming up with new things that we would want to own.”
Hits far outnumber duds, and Cimarron’s catalog continues to grow. Just recently the company launched the Lonesome Dove Walker revolvers in .44, honoring Larry McMurtry’s best-selling Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel about the end of the Old West. Cimarron’s customer base is more varied than you might expect and includes SASS competitors, Old West enthusiasts, and hunters. (SASS is the acronym for the Single Action Shooting Society, the governing body for Cowboy Action events.)
“Cimarron has been lucky to be involved with SASS since it began,” says Harvey. “We helped the sport to grow, supporting the sport as one of its main sponsors. Old West enthusiasts, historians, and collectors enjoy Cimarron’s authenticity and unique products.”
I do, too. I’ve hunted with a Model 1873 Deluxe Sporting Rifle in .44 WCR. Life is too short to hunt with an ugly rifle. This ’73 has brought back the tradition and challenge to me. It’s also comforting to know the quality of this firearm. I can use the rifle to hunt for the rest of my life, and then pass it on to my son.
If you have customers who are SASS competitors or buyers who simply appreciate a fine-tuned revolver, make sure they know about Cimarron’s Competition SAA revolvers. These guns feature fine details, like a wide square-notch rear sight for fast target acquisition, slimmer checkered grip for a better hold, a wide low hammer for faster shooting, and a tuned action that is smoother so the trigger has no creep and is consistently crisp.
Creating A Legacy
Customization is another aspect of Cimarron’s business proposition. A variety of available finishes and laser engraving allows your customer to create a one-of-a-kind gun that reflects their personality. If you want a six-gun worthy of being a BBQ Gun (a term from the old Southwest for a gun that is not worn daily), Cimarron has got you covered. Most of Cimarron’s dealers get three percent off when they buy three guns. If you move more Cimarron product, the incentives get better.
Like any successful brand, Cimarron wants to better understand their customers in order to meet their needs. Customer service representatives track where customers hear about the brand, resolve any issues they may be experiencing with the website or products, and determine which products that people are ordering that may be out of stock. It is a constant cycle of learning and responding. And yes, as much as Cimarron is rooted in the late 19th century, the company participates in social media and chat rooms.
Even though Mike Harvey is now 77 years old, he still can be found every day at the office (now located in Fredericksburg in the heart of the Texas Hill Country). His daughter, Jamie, and her husband, Bryce, have been helping run the business for the last few years, and they intend to keep to the pace that has been set by Mike and Mary Lou Harvey. And that pace is fostered by Mike Harvey’s love of history, hunting, shooting sports, and Western movies, all of which guide Cimarron’s every effort. The end result is a product people not only want to own, but treasure. (cimarron-firearms.com)
