POTD: Texas Longhorn “Grover’s Improved Number Five” – The Backwards Magnum
Sam.S 06.19.25

Welcome to today’s Photo of the Day! Bill Grover built this backwards .44 Magnum in 1988 to honor Elmer Keith’s legendary custom six-gun. The Texas Longhorn Arms revolver flips everything—loading gate and ejector rod on the left, cylinder spinning counterclockwise. Grover’s “improvement” was simple but nuts. Move the loading gate and ejector rod to the left side, make the cylinder rotate backwards. His theory was that righties could load and unload faster without switching hands or doing thumb gymnastics around the frame. Seemed logical on paper. Keith’s “Number 5” was the custom Colt that helped birth the .44 Magnum cartridge. Keith took a Single Action Army and beat the hell out of it with modifications, proving big-bore handgun rounds could actually work for hunting.
Smith & Wesson eventually snatched most of Keith’s ideas for their Model 29. Keith didn’t seem to mind—he just wanted the cartridge to exist. Grover’s tribute grabbed Keith’s functional concepts and slapped backwards mechanics on top. The Bisley grips and adjustable sights kept Keith’s focus on practical accuracy. The reversed operation was Grover’s shot at fixing ergonomic problems Keith never bothered addressing. Keith was more concerned with power than convenience. Only 1,200 made, so these revolvers are rare now. Most shooters found the backwards setup more confusing than helpful. Loading felt wrong. Ejecting brass went the wrong direction. Muscle memory fought against the design at every step. Weird tribute to a gun legend. Sometimes honoring someone means making something nobody actually wants to shoot. The idea was solid, but execution proved that traditional methods stick around because they actually work better than clever alternatives.
“Texas Longhorn Arms Inc. Grover’s Improved Number Five Revolver.” Rock Island Auction Company, https://www.rockislandauction.com/detail/4094/3578/texas-longhorn-arms-inc-grovers-improved-number-five-revolver. Accessed 17 June 2025.