Great Book About Frank Hamer by John Boessenecker

[BehindBlueI's]

I finished the book up Monday. While Hamer is doubtlessly an interesting guy, the thing that I enjoyed was seeing how much has changed and how much has stayed the same in law enforcement. They say there are two kinds of cops, those who've worked security and those who will work security. It seems a pretty common retirement gig, and even the legendary Hamer couldn't escape the private security vortex. Guys losing their temper and whacking someone who didn't really need to be whacked, the politics, the coat tail riders...every bit of it could be set in modern day. The declarations of martial law, lynchings, etc. not so much.

It was a good read, thanks for the recommendation.

[jlw]

I recently read this book and now have a strong hankering for a Model 8 in .35 Remington for a patrol rifle.

[BobM]

There is supposed to be a movie coming out in March starring Kevin Costner as Hamer. From what I read it focuses on the hunt for Bonnie and Clyde.

[Rex G]

Interesting; Amazon will not let me buy the Kindle edition for my iPad, even though I have the Kindle app.

[Leroy Suggs]

Just ordered the Kindle version.

[Rex G]

I just received my dead-tree edition. (Not sure why the kindle system does not let me buy/download anymore.)

[Rex G]

I am in he middle of a deep research project regarding Fank Hamer and need some help. If anyone has seen, or knows where there is a photo or any solid documentation (auction with provenance, writing in Hamer's own hand, etc.) regard Frank Hamer's use of 1911 pistols, please let me know. Not often quoted second hand internet stuff, or widely reported, but real actual proof would be highly appreciated.

Have a look at the two-part you-tube video, entitled “Justice To Pancho,” posted by Russell Cushman. One of the images seems to show a 1911 carried front cross draw, forward of the left hip. It is most clearly shown, and described, at 13:42 in Part 1. The image was stated by the narration, to have been found in Zane Grey’s collection, and Cushman stated in the comments section that he had purchased the photo from the Zane Grey collection.

The narration stated, at 12:00, that Frank Hamer received “Old Lucky,” from an attorney in Navasota, during Hamer’s second time working in that city, and that by then, Frank Hamer had also added the Colt auto.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JOC5G6FUntE

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ8KZaQ-lxA

http://russellcushmanart.blogspot.com/

Edited to add: I searched Russell Cushman’s blog, and received no hits for Zane Grey, and the only hits for Frank Hamer were in relation to the artist’s sculptures.

To be clear, I am not vouching for Russell Cushman as an authoritative source, as I do not know his sources, other than the biography authored by Jenkins. We can hope that he still has the photograph, from the Zane Gray collection.

[Dagga Boy]

Good stuff. Studying the photo and based on the time that is likely a Colt 1903/08. His wife carried the small 1908 .25 Auto. These were very popular pocket and back up guns, especially in Texas. That is actually the only picture I have ever seen of Hamer with any auto that wasn’t taken from Clyde. His normal second gun was a 6.5” S&W Triple Lock in .44 Special. It saved his life in the Sweetwater Ambush in 1918.

[Rex G]

Good stuff. Studying the photo and based on the time that is likely a Colt 1903/08. His wife carried the small 1908 .25 Auto. These were very popular pocket and back up guns, especially in Texas. That is actually the only picture I have ever seen of Hamer with any auto that wasn’t taken from Clyde. His normal second gun was a 6.5” S&W Triple Lock in .44 Special. It saved his life in the Sweetwater Ambush in 1918.

Very well could be one of those smaller autos. Makes perfect sense, really. Today, I think a Glock G42 would be a dandy back-up for a big revolver. (When the day arrives, that I decide to switch to a left-side primary handgun, due to the decline of my aging right thumb/hand/wrist/shoulder, I may well keep a G42 at or near 0300, indefinitely, in case I reflexively reach for my long-accustomed primary handgun location. I would stand in a line, in the rain, for a long-slide version of the G42.)

A thought: Zane Grey was a fan of Frank Hamer, and visited him. I wonder if that could be Zane Grey’s autoloader, being used as a prop for the photo, to add a bit of dramatic effect?

[Dagga Boy]

Very well could be one of those smaller autos. Makes perfect sense, really. Today, I think a Glock G42 would be a dandy back-up for a big revolver. (When the day arrives, that I decide to switch to a left-side primary handgun, due to the decline of my aging right thumb/hand/wrist/shoulder, I may well keep a G42 at or near 0300, indefinitely, in case I reflexively reach for my long-accustomed primary handgun location. I would stand in a line, in the rain, for a long-slide version of the G42.)

A thought: Zane Grey was a fan of Frank Hamer, and visited him. I wonder if that could be Zane Grey’s autoloader, being used as a prop for the photo, to add a bit of dramatic effect?

Like I said, Gladys Hammer carried a 1908 Vest Pocket and the .32 1903 Pocket Hammerless were hugely popular in that era. Hamer transitioned to the big triple lock when he started wearing suits and moved from sort of a plains Ranger working in the back country to city work. The little Colt would have been a nice means to remain armed when you dumped the big gunbelt.