Why Didn't Sheriff Andy Taylor Carry a Gun?

[kel-tecfan]

Does anyone know why Sheriff Andy Taylor chose not to carry a gun? I've watched the show on and off for years but I don't think I've ever found an episode with an explanation.

 

[printcraft]

Barney was packin'. He knew Mr. Furley had his back.

Besides Aunt Bee would put the beotch slap upon anyone who got out of line. - Different time I guess.

 

[Joe Williams]

He was a small town dude, with no real crime to deal with. There were a couple episodes where he was going after bad guys and armed up. He always grabbed a rifle in those, though.

 

[Eddie]

There were at least a couple of episodes where he armed himself with a lever action rifle and it was mentioned in one episode that he once used a shotgun to injure a robber. The robber gets out of prison and returns to Mayberry to give him a shotgun as a present for not killing him.

 

[kel-tecfan]

Was not carrying a common thing for small town sheriffs to do back in those days?

I always wondered if it was a political statement, since the show was recorded in the 60's during the Vietnam War, pacifist hippie days, etc...

 

[HandK]

umm, maybe because it was a TV show!!

 

[sig-sweet]

I believe Andy didn't carry a gun because of Department budget reasons. Barney only had on bullet.........sad indeed. Thank goodness the FBI and the State Police came a callin often.

Then again, it might have been a ploy to find Aunt Bea some action........she looked awful frisky at times.......she sure liked frying chicken and feeding them prisioners.......Coincidence...........maybe

 

[zeebandit]

He was a bada$$ country boy!

 

[smg10383]

he did just did not tell anyone

 

[Expat]

He was obviously secure in his masculinity.

 

[TopDog]

I think he was just always in CC mode and probably had a BUG on his ankle as well. Mayberry was really a ruff town after dark.

 

[Mr. Habib]

He used a Smart Carry. Only Barney knew.

 

[FordMan08]

Because he was a trained ninja, he just never talked about it. Buford Pusser didnt carry a gun either, just a big stick.

 

[singlestacksig]

Andy Taylor: When a man carries a gun all the time, the respect he thinks he`s getting might really be fear. So I don`t carry a gun because I don`t want the people of Mayberry to fear a gun. I`d rather they respect me.

 

[IndyBeerman]

He was a small town dude, with no real crime to deal with. There were a couple episodes where he was going after bad guys and armed up. He always grabbed a rifle in those, though.

My wife is a Huge, and I mean HUGE A.T.S. fan, and I know of at least 3 episiodes where here strapped on a sidearm, 2 of them involved multiple BG's (2&3) (one was the Bank Robbery where the gaurds gun fell apart)and one where an escapee that Barney had been responsible for catching and he said he was gonna come back and get him.

But you're right that most of the time he either had a rifle or grabbed the shotgun.

 

[drgnrobo]

I wondered that myself until I watched an episode when andy brought in 3 moonshiners that resisted arrest ,If he can whoop 3 country boys then drag them to jail ....andys bad enough without a gun,but he would load up when he needed to. He always seemed to keep a pistol in his desk & on top of the china cabinet at home

 

[rhart]

He did cary a few times. I think it was part of his statement that he didn't need a gun to uphold the law in Mayberry.

 

[AFA1CY]

"Sheriff Without a Gun"

"The Andy Griffith Show" The Taylors in Hollywood (1965)

 

[Clay]

If you had to work with Barney Fife....... you might want to get shot too!

 

[RachelMarie]

Because he's just THAT cool.

I love that show! LOVE.

Corny? probably. I don't care.