<P> The Ranger's "Big Iron" actually existed . It was a one - off custom handgun chambered in . 45 Colt and featured a Great Western copy of the Colt Single Action Army frame, Colt 1860 Army backstrap, grip frame and grips and a cut down 9 1 / 2" Marlin rifle barrel . Marty Robbins saw it in Andy Anderson's famed North Hollywood gun shop in the late 1950s and wrote the song around it . Its current whereabouts are unknown . </P> <Ul> <Li> Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs (September 1959), a compilation, CL 1349 - mono, CS 8158 - stereo, PC 8158 </Li> <Li> More Greatest Hits (April 1961), CL 1635 - mono, CS 8435 - stereo, PC 8435 </Li> <Li> Bend in the River (1968), D 445 - mono (Columbia Musical Treasuries), DS 445 - stereo </Li> <Li> The Heart of Marty Robbins (1969), STS 2016 (Columbia Star Series) </Li> <Li> All Time Greatest Hits (August 1972), CG 31361, KG 31361, C 31361 </Li> <Li> Marty! (1972 - 5 record set), P5S 5812 (Columbia Musical Treasury) </Li> <Li> Streets of Laredo, KH 32286 (Harmony, August 1973), LE 10576 (Columbia, December 1973) </Li> <Li> Marty Robbins' Own Favorites (1974), P 12416 (Columbia Special Products) </Li> <Li> Marty Robbins Gold (1975), NU 9060 (K - Tel) </Li> <Li> All Around Cowboy (1980) P 15594 </Li> <Li> No. 1 Cowboy (1980), P 15594 (re-release of "All Around Cowboy") </Li> <Li> Marty Robbins (1981), GS 4003 (History of Country Music, Sunrise Media) </Li> <Li> A Lifetime of Song 1951 - 1982 (August 1983), C2 38870 </Li> <Li> Memories in Song (1983 - 2 record set), P2 19162 (Columbia Special Product) </Li> <Li> The Best Of Marty Robbins (1984), RB4 - 214 - 1 </Li> <Li> The Essential MARTY ROBBINS: 1951 - 1982 (1991), Sony Music Entertainment Inc C2T 48537 CT48538 CT 48539 </Li> <Li> MARTY ROBBINS Lost and found (1994), Sony Music Entertainment Inc CT 57695 </Li> <Li> MARTY ROBBINS Memories in Song (1994), Sony Music Special Products Compact Disc A 19163 </Li> <Li> MARTY ROBBINS LIVE Concert Versions Of His Greatest Hits (1995), Pickwick Group Ltd London England 300382 </Li> <Li> Under Western Skies (Oct 1995), Bear Family Records, West Germany 4 - CD Box Set BCD 15646 </Li> <Li> MARTY ROBBINS Legendary Country Singers (1995), Sony Music Special Products R989 - 06 PT - 25142 </Li> <Li> Story of My Life: Best of MARTY ROBBINS (Mar 1996), Sony Music Entertainment Inc Sony CK 64763 </Li> </Ul> <Li> Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs (September 1959), a compilation, CL 1349 - mono, CS 8158 - stereo, PC 8158 </Li> <Li> More Greatest Hits (April 1961), CL 1635 - mono, CS 8435 - stereo, PC 8435 </Li>

Ranger with a big iron on his hip