As the title says, I'd love to know more about this holstering and drawing style as seen with Denzel Washington in this picture. The only thing I could really find outside of odd forums is Wikipedia calling it a Cavalry Draw, which makes sense on horseback. But it also says it could be as fast or faster than normal drawing, so would this be a practical way to holster a gun and draw on foot? Are there accounts of this being done? Or any primary sources on the matter being discussed?
And really any additional details or sources anyone would like to detail and recommend on anything related to the above would be appreciated.
Yes, the cavalry draw was historically done, and was likely far more common during the late 19th century than the butt-rearward strong side carry, either on the hip or slung low, as we commonly see in spaghetti westerns. The most famous user of the cavalry (or 'twist' draw) was Wild Bill Hickok, who is usually pictured with two pistols (usually 1851 navy revolvers) holstered or tucked into a sash butts-forward. The draw can be executed quite naturally even under pressure, as if one simply places their hand palm-outward high against their side, they need only slide their hand down and will naturally find the butt of the pistol, whereas a butt-rearward strong side draw requires one to grasp for the pistol with no assistance. With modern pistols the cavalry draw is considered less safe, A.) because it is usually done with an inside-the-waistband holster carried at roughly 4:30-5 o'clock, likely sweeping the body upon the draw, and B.) modern pistols (glocks, m&p's etc) generally do not possess actuating safeties, and therefor when under stress the draw's possibility of making a user sweep their own body presents a much greater danger than it would with a single action revolver. In the context of a single action revolver, however, the benefits of the cavalry draw are many. Beyond the ease of finding the grip of the gun under pressure, which I mentioned above, as you mentioned the draw is significantly easier than alternatives on horseback, and that principle extends to when a user is seated in a chair - useful for gamblers and the like. Additionally, the most popular holster-carry pistols of the day usually had longer barrels than we are used to today, being 7-8 inches in length. Drawing such a pistol from a butt-rearward holster on the strong side requires an unpleasant angle for the muzzle to clear the holster, especially sitting down, and would therefor be rather slow. However with a forward-canted butt-forward holster, a long-barreled revolver can be extracted with a cavalry style draw quite quickly, and the twisting motion naturally would aid in the cocking of a single action as the muzzle comes up. In terms of the magnificent seven, the pick of a cavalry draw for a character who is infrequently seen sitting down, or mounted on horseback, etc., and who also uses a short (4-3/4 inch) Colt SAA seems less a practical choice than a stylistic one. The fancy 'twist' one can do to re-holster a gun butt-forward after having drawn is satisfying to watch, and as someone who shoots blackpowder revolvers I can attest that it is satisfying to execute. For an example of such a re-holster, check out denzel's flipping sequence in one of the trailers after the bar shootout, or ben foster's exceptional skills with his S&W Schofields in the 2007 remake of 3:10 to Yuma. It's a great way to draw and holster a gun, and has many benefits. These days, however, a range officer (or god forbid a commanding officer in law enforcement or the military) would likely lose their mind were they to see you holster your sidearm this way, and not for a lack of reasons.
