In the days of the wild west, there was a young cowboy who wanted more than anything to be the fastest gunfighter in the west.
He practiced every minute of his spare time, but he knew that he wasn’t yet first-rate and that there must be something he was doing wrong.
Sitting in a saloon one Saturday night, he recognized an elderly man seated at the bar who had the reputation of being a fast gun in his day.
The young gunslinger took a seat next to the old-timer, bought him a drink, and told him the story of his great ambition.
He asked the old gunslinger,
“Do you think you could give me some tips to improve my speed?”
The old man, sipped his drink, looked him up and down, and said,
“Well, how fast are you then kid?”
The young man drew his pistol pretty quick and before anyone knew it, he shoots the hat off of the piano player’s head!
The old man looks over at the piano player and says to the young man,
“Well, that wasn’t bad son, but you’re wearing your gun too high."
"You should have your holster lower on your leg, so you can get to your gun quicker when you draw."
"And son, tie the holster down on your leg.”
The young man did as he was told, stood up, whipped out his Colt Peacemaker and shot the tie off the piano player.
Surprised at the difference now, the young guy said,
“That’s terrific!”
“Have you got any more tips for me?”
After thinking for a moment, the old man said,
“Yup, cut a notch out of your holster where the hammer hits it."
"That’ll give you a smoother draw.”
The young guy asked,
“Will that make me even faster then?"
The old cowboy said,
“You bet it will kid.”
The young man took out his knife, cut the notch in his holster, stood up, drew his gun in a blur, then shot a cuff link off the piano player.
Impressed by the improvements so far, the young gunslinger said,
"Well, I’m, sure as hell, learnin’ somethin’ here."
"Got any more tips for me old man?”
The old man pointed to a large can in a corner of the saloon.
“See that can of axle grease over there?"
"Go over and coat your gun with it."
"Just put the gun in it, then layer it with grease!“
The young man went over to the can and smeared some of the grease on the barrel of his gun.
The old cowboy shook his head and said,
“No, I mean smear it all over the gun, handle and all.”
Surprised, the young guy did as suggested, walked back and said,
“Will that make me a faster gunfighter?”
The old cowboy smiled, shook his head, and said,
“Probably not kid, but when Doc Holliday gets done playing that song on the piano, that grease will make it hurt less when he shoves that gun up your ass!”
