Did anyone watch this last night on TNT?   It also starred Virginia Madsen.  

I have a question.  When the 'bad' sniper guy was about to fire the a bullet, he rubbed the tip on both sides of his nose.   Doing so put oil on the tip.  What is the significance of doing this?  Make it more accurate?

Mmmm...Virginia Madsen.

I love her

Well,
I think he had a booger in his nose and he wanted to dig it out.
he was going to use the bullet but realized he was on camera and didn't want to embarrass himself.

Other than that, I liked it. Pretty enjoyable other than the typical stupid tactics you see in all the movies.

Wrong answer.. bzzzt. [grenade]

You mean like hiding behind an open wagon when they could have been in the store behind solid cover?  

Lots of ammo was outside-lubed in the 19th century...the way most .22 lr ammo still is.  The grease on the outside of the bullet reduced bore fouling and so contributed to accuracy.  The amount of oil one could deposit on the bullet by rubbing it on your nose is trivial, but perhaps the scriptwriter was thinking along those lines.

I think that was a bit of artistic license.  It looks like something "functional", but also gives the bad guy an added creepiness.  It also highlights the writers' intent that the villain appear "oily". Sort of Snidely Whiplash kinda guy who would tie the poor damsel to the railroad tracks.

Lots of weapons detail in the film.  Everything seemed to be period-correct.  Schofield revolvers, 1876 Winchesters, and - and! - a Remington-Keene .45-70 bolt-action magazine rifle.  I don't think I've ever seen one of those on film before.  

So, do you suppose that Tom was thinking of Rosie during the buffalo hunt? ;)

Rosie is about as smart as a buffalo, but I think she more resembles a warthog or feral pig.

Unless that guy had hands the size of Wilt Chamberlin that was not a 45/70 Remington Keene. They showed him loading it, that cartridge was no bigger than a a .45 Long Colt compared to his hand. Even though they tarted it up with a scope, it looks like a repro of the small frame Keene that the Interior Department bought for the Indian Police departments.

There was a big frame Keene that was .45/70 though, went to the Army trials in 1879 opposite the Winchester/Hotchkiss, Sharps version of the Swiss Vetereli, and the Remington/Lee.  But Remington produced only a few hundred of them.  Due to the Interior Dept. contract several thousand of the small frame 44-40's were built.  

It looked to good to be anything but a repro- but I have no idea where they would of got one, havent seen any offered for sale.

Then again that 1876 Winchester carbine was also too good looking to be an original.  Haven't seen a repro of it in the magazines for sale yet either.