MovieChat Forums > Stagecoach (1939) Discussion > how could they run out of ammo?

how could they run out of ammo?

posted 14 years ago by Wakanohana
3 replies | jump to latest

I can understand Hatfield not carrying many bullets, even though his reason for going at all was to protect Mrs. Mallory.

And I can understand Gatewood, Peacock and Doc Boone not being armed at all.

But Ringo was planning on shooting it out with the Plummers -- why didn't he carry more ammo? And what about Curley? When he decided to ride shotgun with Buck, why didn't he load up on ammo and make sure Buck was well-armed?

It just doesn't seem realistic that they would travel INTO an area filled with hostile Indians and only have maybe 50 rounds of ammo between them.

[–] Captain_Augustus_McCrae 13 years ago

Ringo planned on shooting it out with the Plummers- why didn't he carry more ammo?

How much ammo do you think Ringo would've needed for the shootout with the Plummers, anyway? Probably not the 100 or so rounds he fired at the Indians, eh? Good grief. They ran out of ammo because they shot it all at the Indians! Obviously the passengers weren't expecting to have a fight with Geronimo and his band, or they never would've left town to begin with. People didn't carry enough ammunition for a major battle routinely- even the frontier Army was stingy with ammunition. I believe the standard ammo load for a cavalryman in the 1870s was 100 rounds for carbine and 20 for revolver. Think, people, THINK!

"It ain't dying I'm talking about, it's LIVING!"
Captain Augustus McCrae

[–] btpayne13 12 years ago

Plus, if they didn't run out of ammo, there would have been less suspense going into Ringo's gunfight with the Plummers.

[–] VaticanAssassinWarlock 12 years ago

Also they expected millitary escorts the entire way.