Famous Firearms of the Old West: From Wild Bill Hickok’s Colt Revolvers To Geronimo's Winchester, Twelve Guns That Shaped Our History
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From Buffalo Bill to Wild Bill and from Chief Joseph to Geronimo, the most famous guns in the West and the history behind them
More than a few of the actual guns once in the hands of the heroes and villains of America’s Old West still exist, housed in a dozen museums across the country—from the Model 1866 .44-40 that Chief Joseph famously surrendered to General Miles to Wild Bill Hickok’s Colt Model 1851 revolvers; from Buffalo Bill’s .50 caliber breechloading needlegun nicknamed “Lucrezia Borgia” to John Wesley Hardin’s 1860 model .44 SA revolvers.
Famous Firearms of the Old West follows the life stories of a dozen actual pistols, rifles, and shotguns instrumental in shaping America’s history—using them as entrées into the lives of the shooters themselves. This is a vivid portrait of famous Western characters, paired with the guns they used to make themselves famous or, as the case may be, infamous. It is a must for anyone interested in the history and lore of the Wild West, gun hobbyists, and tourists seeking a museum experience with a difference.
From Buffalo Bill to Wild Bill and from Chief Joseph to Geronimo, the most famous guns in the West and the history behind them
[Setting] -
The Old West
(1) Billy the Kid's 1873 Winchester that killed Buckshot Roberts (2) John Wesley Hardin's 1860 Model. 44 SA revolvers (3) Wild Bill Hickock's Smith & Wesson single action #2 Army revolvers (4) Tom Horn's classic .30-30 lever action Winchester (5) Buffalo Bill Cody's .50 caliber breechloading needle gun, nicknamed "Lucretia Borgia" (6) Ned Christie's .30-30 Winchester (7) Chief Joseph's surrender gun, model 1866 .44 rimfire (8) Joseph Smith's Allen pepperbox and English pocket pistol (9) Custer's .50-80 rolling block rifle (10) Geronimo's .44 Spencer repeater (11) John Browne's Sharp's (12) Cole Younger's Colt .44 conversions
“As Hal Herring says in his preface, 'America was a nation born yelling, and in a cloud of black powder smoke.' We have always been addicted to mayhem (albeit from a safe distance), and the most fascinating mayhem of all was that waged in the Old West. This is the story of twelve guns of that time and the famous and infamous people who used them, and if you can start Chapter One and put the book down before you reach at least Chapter Six, see a doctor. Great stuff from someone who is both a historian and a masterful storyteller.” —Dave Petzal, Deputy Editor, Field & Stream
Product Details
- Title : Famous Firearms of the Old West: From Wild Bill Hickok’S Colt Revolvers To Geronimo's Winchester, Twelve Guns That Shaped Our History
- Author: Herring, Hal
- Publisher: TwoDot
- Publication Date: 2011
- ISBN: 9781461748571
There is a time and place, before the giant machines of war come into play, when the weapon and the warrior are inextricably linked. The term applied to these weapons is as old as conflict: personal weapons. . . . They exist now as windows into the men and women who fought—righteously or not—and died, or were willing to die, with them. What they conjure up can be a powerful magic.
—from the preface