This is a list of the top 6 firearms that won the old west! This video also provides a cursory overview of some historical overview of each of the firearms discussed. If you disagree at all with this list, please leave your picks below! Thanks for watching.
I'd add Sharps, and springfield trapdoor, to this great list.
That’s exactly what I thought
InstaBlaster.
In my opinion the finest gun of the period was the 1886 Winchester.
The "West" probably started with Lewis and Clark, the fur trade, and the subsequent establishment of western forts. Then came the Overland Trails, and the discovery of gold in California. Gun development accelerated after the Civil War and with increased westward expansion. Good video. My vote would have been for the 1873 Winchester. Thanks for posting.
According to everybody but you (apparently,) The West began in western New York. Read “The Last of the Mohicans” (or watch the movie.)
I agree, the West began with the Corps of Discovery. Western migration began with the Gold-rush. And the Cowboy Era began following the Civil War, mid 1865 and early 1866. Very good video
What is being glorified here is landgrab by Whites on gun point, similar to Nazi invasion of France
I have read that the wild west period is from the end of the Civil War to the Wounded Knee massacre. Residents of New York city consider the wild west to start at the Hudson River.
@@paulmorissette5863 Likely due to a famous cover from New Yorker magazine.
Wonderful seeing not just a gun salesman, but also a gun enthusiast! Love this type of history and as well as you .. Good vid and historical facts..
Great video! In the last couple years, I've cultivated more of an interest in the guns of the West. Love that Spencer carbine!
enjoyed this -thanks for the upload
awesome video, would love to see more videos like this one. more viewers and subscribers will come when you have cool videos such as top 10s, especially with older guns!
I’m personally not into older guns but appreciate the knowledge and history you pass along! Thanks!
Very nice firearms, great video as usual!
I totally agree with your choices. Especially the # 1 spot; without a doubt. You offered some very interesting history. Great video.
Great collection and video..
The only thing I know about the actual Wild West is that Dutch had a goddamn plan. Am I wrong, or does Dutch duel wield Schofield revolvers?
Yup, he dual wields customized schofield revolvers.
Ayyyyyyyyyy anybody else watching this while playing red dead?
Family Friendly Cossick gaming me :)
Fun video Chris. Enjoyed it!
The west was actually more of 1839 to 1900, unless you don't consider the gold rush to be the west.
In that case: Where's the Allen & Thurber Pepperbox?
I believe it lasted into the early 1900's as things were still uncivilized in many places
Good Point.
Well done and great video!
Great video, thanks !!!
I really enjoyed this video. Very nice collection.
Thanks for watching!
I do like everything you should and commend your reach. How ever. In reality the number one spot should have been the single barrel shot gun. Not every family could afford a revolver but every family in the West had a shot gun to feed their families and protect what they had. So many people pass over this because a simple shot gun is not as sexy as a Peace Maker or repeater. So that is my thought. Regards to you. Howard
I'm running a roleplaying game set in Tombstone, Arizona, centered around the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday. I don't know anything about firearms, and your video was very informative and a great help. Thank you! :-)
Great vid, thank you
There was a huge surplus of small arms after the civil war. Many revolvers were converted to metallic cartridges
Although I was late to view ...that was a great video 👌👍🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
Good evening. Thank you for doing such a good video. I like the fact that you went so in-depth with the Spencer carbine. I love the Spencer carbine. Like I told you in my email and phone call I own one of the original 1860s and love it. I'm preserving history by only one.I would love to own the rifle that you have if it wasn't out of my budge. This is Ted from Texas saying thank you.
Thanks, Ted! I am glad you enjoyed the video and if you are ever all the way up in Indy, try and bring your Spencer with you because I would love to see it lol. Thanks again for watching!
@@MarksmanTV . I will definitely look you up if I make it up there. And I will try to remember to bring my Spencer. I should take some photographs of it or better yet make a KZhead video of it. If I do make one of it, I will let you know and share a link with you. Thanks again talk to you soon
@@MarksmanTV That's pretty ballsy. Telling some stranger from Texas to "come up to Indiana and see me, bring your gun." 😂 😂 😂
The Westward movement/settlement began after the Revolutionary War in the early 19th century. The rifle of choice was the Pennsylvania/Kentucky flintlock longrifle This firearm certainly went West to the Mississippi River and beyond. Later the mountain men preferred the Hawken St. Louis style percussion rifle. Civil War veterans took their military arms. The 1861/63 Springfield was modified to use the 1866 50-70 cartridge. WM F Cody used the trapdoor 50-70 to kill 4200 buffalo in 1868-69. The trapdoor rifle, the Remington rolling block, and the Sharps completed the task of nearly making the Bison an extinct species. My great grandfather used a muzzle loading rifle to hunt antelope when he homesteaded in Nebraska in the 1870's. He also kept his 1860 Colt revolver. Most of the firearms you have mentioned were certainly introduced after the West was already "won". For the most part, it was the railroad that won the West.
People started moving "west" in North America when the first European emigrant got off the boat on the Atlantic seaboard in the 18th century. What we now refer as the "Wild West" or the "old west" was a period just after the American Civil war to the mid 1890's. That is the time frame most "western" movies depict. Yes, their was a lot of "frontier" history from 1800 to the end of the Civil War, and Pershing's expedition into Mexico in search of Pancho Villa in 1913 could be considered the last act of America's Western saga, but the 30 years from 1865 to 1895 are what most of us mean when we talk about "the old west".
Very good information thank you for sharing
The 'coach' gun. My understanding was such a concept was used in England, prior to cartridges or even the War of Independence. The 'blunderbuss' was a muzzle loading development in this arm. The belled muzzle was NOT to spread the shot pattern, but to facilitate loading while hanging on to the top of a fleeing (horse draw and stiff suspended) coach. That Wells and Fargo picked up on the defense idea is not a shock. In all the histories I've read, the regular (relatively long barreled) shotgun in either 12 or 10 gauge was owned by more farmers, ranch hands and general cowboys than rifles. The shotguns were more available, cheaper and used in a greater number of situations than the rifles of the day. In similar fashion, the Colt SA revolver was far more expensive than most other revolvers. The S&W (#3 and Scofield) were less expensive and much more available, as many were Army surplus. The Colt revolver was stronger and more desired, but hard on a working man's budget.
Great video awesome subject cool history 👍🏿👏
Very nice firearms. I would love to have any one of them in my safe. Thanks for the video.
Great video, thanks.
Thanks for sharing
Good combination I agree with most of what you picked
The old farmer shotgun did more to win this country, east or west. I hope one day to see a video of the top 100. That should just about cover everyone favorite.
Think you nailed it. “Won the West” to me implies a degree of fighting, so Sharps could have been listed, but I see that as more of a hunting arm as apposed to fighting even though various applications can be attributed all. Great list and very informative. Thank you.
Nice vid but I would take exception with your list. Depending on your definition of “won the west” I would claim #1 spot to be the ‘shotgun’, single or double barreled. It put food on the table, it protected you from varmints, 2 or 4 legged, it guarded more valuable cargo than any other gun even to this day. Every farmhouse, ranch house, general store, saloon, chuck wagon, brothel, bank, stage coach and sheriff’s office had one. I’ve ridden shotgun but I’ve never ridden rifle.
honestly the first sucessfull, commercially available John Browning rifle was his 1885 High Wall.
The guns that won the west, No 1 through No 10. Double barrel outside hammer shotguns. There were about 5 times as many of those produced and sold to settlers in that era as all types of rifles put together.
Several things about the Spencer you left out. One was the Blakeslee Quickloader, which allowed a man to carry several magazine in a special pouch (it weighed a small ton, not surprisingly) suspended from a sling. Another was that, after the war, it was available with a cutoff that allowed the rifle to be used as a single shot breechloader and preserve the magazine for an emergency (illustrated by an incident in the Comanche wars). Finally, it was used by the cavalry up to the end of 1875 when it was replaced by the Springfield carbine. Fun fact: Survivors of the 7th Cavalry at Little Big Horn contended if they'd had the Spencers instead of the Springfields, they would have won. YMMV. PPS I'd have liked to see the Colt Army 1860, but, given your criteria, I understand the omission.
Great informative video! Only small gripe I have is when speaking about the Schofield you said Bob Ford was known to use it then panned to a picture of him with a Colt SAA
That was a very impressive list of six firearms. I pretty much agree, on your opinion's due too your researched knowledge as expressed. One thing was the 1866 Winchester rifle did it come or have a saddle ring capability? Also your narrative on it could've been a little more in-depth. My questioning is regarding its use by the cattlemen on thier drives up from Texas. In the Hollywood film The Tall Men, I noticed that is what the actor's are apparently outfitted with. Thank you so much I really appreciate your video.🇨🇦🇺🇸🇨🇦🇺🇸🇨🇦🇺🇸🐂🐎🐂🐎👍👍
back then the shotgun also had the name "scattergun" which certainly fit..
the Blunderbuss evolved
And the shot gun was also known as the goose gun.
I'm here because of rdr2 learned a lot great video!
Not nearly as well know but more important, in my not so humble opinion, is the double barrel “long” shotgun that EVERY “sod buster” had to feed and protect his family. Not as flashy as the 1873 Colt or Winchester but I suspect a bigger contributor to the settlement and civilizing of the West. Not big in the movies but important in the life of the settlers.
The second after the double barrel shot gun was,. Ta-da the claw hammer. There where more carpenters in the old west then cowboys. My grandfather was one of them. He was also a market hunter. He used an 1873 Winchester in 32-20 ( I own that gun today)
I'm a bit late to the discussion, but the 1886 Winchester, though it was capable of being used against buffalo (and many modern shooters have done so) it arrived almost ten years too late on the scene to have been used by the buffalo hunters. The massive herds were gone by the late 1870's. The Sharps was the quintessential buffalo rifle and many trap doors were used as well. Famously, Buffalo Bill Cody used a trapdoor chambered in 50-70 for the task, he named the gun Lucretia after of course, the infamous Ms. Borgia for obvious reasons. A great heavy game rifle chambered in all the express rifles cartridges based on the 45-70 and the 50-90 case; the 1886 was capable of everything from whitetails to Cape Buffalo but it was not one of the rifles used in the slaughter of the American Bison, it simply arrived too late on the scene.
The Remington Rolling Block Model 1870 was chambered in 50-70 and used for Buffalo hunting as well. It was a very robust yet simple single-shot design.
Great history lesson. I’d like the Schofield, the Winchester 73 and the Peacemaker thank you.
Bear in mind the Modoc Indian War of 1872-1873 at the Lava Beds at south end of Tulelake, California. This straddled the Siskiyou County (Yreka) and Modoc County Lines (Alturas) in Northeastern California. Warm Springs Indian Scouts carried the Spencer during this conflict. Other standard small arms were both the Model 1868 Trapdoor Springfield rifle and 1868 Sharps Carbine conversion, both in .50-70 Springfield. These were simply conversions of Civil War (1861-1865) arms. The Model 1868 Trapdoor Springfield conversion was the Third Allin conversion of the Model 1863 .58 caliber Springfield rifle-musket. Naturally both Colt and Remington cap and ball revolvers in .36 and .44 calibers were present in the Modoc Indian War. In fact the April 11th, 1873 murder of U.S. Army General by Captain Jack and his renegade Modoc's were perpetrated by cap and ball revolvers. It's possible the Remington Rolling Block rifle chambered in .50-70 Springfield may have been present. James A. "Jim" Farmer Merrill, Oregon (Klamath County) Long Live The State of Jefferson!
Those screws on the sideplate of the '73 an important feature. Black powder is dirty. Either '73 sideplate comes off quickly with 2 screws and then you reach in with fingers and pull out some pieces to clean. Easy and fast. This advantage is lost on modern users who use smokeless powders in their '73 replicas.
You might not get a chance to use those schofields Charlie! Great stuff
👍 Interesting video. Good selection of important long guns in the 1865 to 1895 time period. Just FYI, the initial John Browning commercial success was his single shot Winchester 1885, not the Winchester 1886 lever-action rifle (my personal favorite); and if one wants to enjoy the film “3:10 to Yuma”, the original 1957 version is head & shoulders above the remake which way over complicates a good solid story.
I enjoyed this! I do think a Sharps, needs to be considered. Perhaps a Springfield Trapdoor, as well. Also, there were many other Colts, in the West, but the SAA, was the best! I'm curious about the the 86 Winchester, nice gun, but what history, did it write?
The 1886 Winchester was arguable, John M. Browning's best rifle design. The very strong and smooth action of the '86 allowed for the first large and powerful caliber cartridge loading in a lever action rifle. This, was the 1886's main claim to fame, it being mostly used by hunters of large game. When it was first offered to the public in 1886, it was mostly too late for buffalo hunting although it was made in calibers such as the 50-110, 50-100, 45-90 and 45-70, (plus several smaller calibers) it had plenty of power for buffalo and larger game and it saw considerable use in Africa at that time. It would be difficult to say the 1886 had anything really to do with "winning the West" other than being a great sporting rifle for hunters and used as protection for trappers against big bears.
k1j2f30 I believe Marlin chambered 45 govt in lever action first, model 1881
@@gregz4249 the Browning designed Winchester 1885, patented in 1879, was chambered in 45-70 among other calibers.
@@k1j2f30 the 1886 was co-patented by John’s brother Matthew S Browning.
@@stevenlindquist7840 You are correct, but I was referring to first repeating lever action to chamber the 45-70 Sorry for not specifying But you are correct in your statement and so am I, have a nice tomorrow
I agree, with your choice of #1, the Colt Peacemaker, but the Winchester lever guns were probably used more on a daily basis, hunting, home and farm/ranch protection. I have my great grandfather’s 1894, made in 1895. He had traded his 1873, with a 26” barrel or the shorter barreled saddle ring ‘94, cambered in .30-30.
I have a genuine 1861 Spencer Carbine , A 1874 Army 45-70 Trap Door Rifle and a 1880. Ithica 12 gauge coach gun that have been in my family for over 100 years.
I really enjoyed the video and history. I do disagree on your list. These were the "hottest" guns. Shotguns and muzzleloader rifles were probably the most popular with the majority of people due to availability, price and versatility. Everyone wanted the colts and Winchesters. Most just couldn't afford them. Thanks for the video and I'll keep watching for more.
You forgot the Springfield .45-70 "Trapdoor" carbine which replaced the Spencer carbine in the cavalry regiments based in the West.
I think you got the order between No1 and No2 wrong. I also would like to plug for a favourite of mine, if you had pushed back the start of the Wild West Era to the Californian gold rush 1849. The Allen & Thurber pepper box, usually offered in 32 cal. A muzzle loader, you used whatever projectiles you had, for instance No1 buckshot, sealed your load with wax to avoid chain fires (although a chain fire is far less devastating in a pepper box than in a revolver) and put your pepper box in the pocket, ready to go. In contrast to most revolvers of the 19th century, the pepper box was double action. The lousy sights and low muzzle velocity made it a weapon for extremely close encounters, so just having to pull the trigger was a great boon. The settlers were poor, especially those who had just arrived from Europe, and far more of the guns in the west during the classic era of the decades following the Civil War were muzzle loading shotguns, muskets and pepper boxes, than Hollywood leads us to believe. If you spent your last cent, schilling, kopek or öre on the boat ticket, you simply couldn't afford an expensive revolver from Colt or a likewise expensive rifle from Winchester. You had to take what you could get or go without.
Good video, but... Sorry to see the Sharps replaced by the Spencer.
I think people forget how expensive the colt SSA was in the late 19th century. A months pay for a cowboy. I know they look good in the movies, but i think cheaper weapons won the west. Not everyone was rich enough for a 73 winchester and a colt SAA
Dave Ware my great-grandfather had an 1873 Winchester, four digit serial number, which according to Winchester, was made in 1875. My Great-Grandfather received it in payment for work he performed either building or repairing houses on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota sometime in the mid 1890's. Like most new products, it clearly took Winchester a period of time to manufacture significant numbers in to production.
MY FIREARM PICKS FROM THIS VIDEO: •S&W Schofield 45lc. •Winchester 1873/86 •Winchester 1893/97 12ga.
Historians consider the the old west to start earlier because some of the most iconic guns used were in the late 1840’s and 50’s. Colt 1836 Paterson revolver, 1847 walker, 1848 dragoons, 1851 navy, 1860 army etc. And the most iconic western ever,’the good the bad and the ugly’ was a western made pre 1865 during the civil war. The alamo is pre civil war also. Either way good video nice guns.
Thats exactly what I was thinking!
I brought 1905 Colt New Frontier caliber .38-40 nickel plate from Arizona Pawn Shop. It has a logo California and I really like the gun. Not sure this Colt is safe to shoot since it was made in 1905 but it not beat up like the one I see at the trading post. I remember when I came to America, the firearms can be brought at Trading Post and no criminal background check and permit that cost several hundred dollars like what we see in my home state.
The Spencer rifle was used by Wilder's Brigade of mounted infantry during the American Civil War.
Love your video. Can you still buy a Peacemaker now and not motgage the farm?
Mostly late cartridge guns here. How about the earlier plains rifles, i.e. Hawkens, et al?, also the Springfield rifle, Colt Paterson, Colt Navy 51, Sharps rifle, etc?
Don`t forget the Schofield Kid from Unforgiven mate😉
The first rifle, The Spencer, was sold to Argentina in the late 1800's and was used by the government troops in the so called "Desert Campaign" against the unruly native tribes of the Southern Patagonia Region. It proved to be very effective and tipped the outcome of that conflict in favor of The European Setters.
A fine collection of great weapons.But what really won the west was windmills and barbed wire.
The Colt 1873 Single Action Army was carried by more men in the third quarter of the 19th century than any other firearm. But more households had and depended on the shot gun for food and protection than other weapons.
Another gun guy said the shotgun had been proved to be the gun that won the West, I think his name is hickock but I may have remembered wrong but he made the video about the guns of red dead redemption 2
Nothing makes me feel more authentic than my repro Henry. It's just right!
In the total period of the winning of the west a compelling case could certainly be made for the Colt 1851 Navy & 1860 Army. A lot of fighting was going on pre / during the Civil War with Indian tribes (ie the Comanche in Texas). Also gold / silver strikes in California, Montana, etc during the same period. Hard to argue that these people were not part of the winning of the West. In the 1865 - 1895 period, you have it pretty much nailed.
The sentence "Won the West" refers to what? Taking the land from indians? In that case the weapon that killed most indians is the #1. If it refers to "Law & Order" then it should be the gun that did that. Or if it refers to feeding the prospectors and frontiers men, then... Very good video, lots of info...
The Victorian and NSW Mounted Police also has Spencer carbines. Outlaw Ned Kelly acquired one after the massacre of the Police party at Springybark Creek but didn't know how to use it. And I thjink Wyatt Earp was using a Schofield with an eight-inch barrel at the OK Corral shootout not a COlt 1873 as generally shown or the non-existent Buntline Special
No Remington Rolling Block? Very important rifle, as there weren't any lever actions available in full power rifle rounds. Even when the 1876 finally came around, there weren't that many made compared to Henrys and earlier Winchesters. And the '76 was still only in .45-60 (at least for a few years), because it wasn't quite strong enough for the .45-70. Very important point. Anyway, starting in 1866, Rolling Blocks were available to Civilians (Trapdoor Springfields weren't). You should check out the story of Nelson Story's cattle drive from Texas to Montana in 1866, and he stopped in Leavenworth midway in the middle of summer. Everybody was warning him not to continue on the Bozeman trail, because Oglala Sioux were attacking travelers (Red Cloud's War). He purchased 30 Remington Rolling Blocks and continued on. Red Cloud's warriors DID attack his party, but they were successfully repulsed, with no casualties in Nelson's group! Very important point here. Because the following year Red Cloud's warriors masacred US Army soldiers and civilians at Fetterman's fight. Then shortly after, there was the "Wagon Box Fight" which is often cited as being notable in the introduction of breachloading repeaters being used by a small group of defenders in repulsing a large indian cavalry attack. But anyway's that's just a piece of little known old west history. The Remington Rolling Block was cheap, simple, almost indestructible, VERY accurate, and later came in all sorts of powerful calibers. It's almost as fast as a Mauser type bolt action (10 vs 15 RPM).
Extractor, not ejector on the coach gun.
Some had auto ejectors.
Great Video! Depending on the exact time frame We are looking at. I Would think that the Single barrel break action Shotguns were very well represented in the Day as well as Muzzle loading Rifles. But I'm sure as time went on guns became used. No longer the latest model Those earlier guns became affordable to less affluent Buyers. Then Came the Collectors in the old west. You know, the Robber Barons. Buying up Everything old for way more than sold for New. The Guns that were actually used by Real People doing Real and Interesting things. And the guns that real People Didn't want were Deemed " Rare" and Became Way Way over priced for guns that Real People Didn't Want in the First Place. This Mania among the Wealthy became so Prevalent that they Created there Own Mania Economy. Collecting worked out for them. But the less affluent Wanna Be Collectors Couldn't play with the Big Boys. So the Wanna Bee's Went out and Bought all of the .22 L.R ammunition from every Walmart and Every store. So Much So that Boy Scouts, four H, some Hunters Education and other Youth Shooting Programs Struggled or Had to Cancel their Events Due to the lack of ammunition and the Wanna Bee's Greed. Then the Wanna Bee's would Try to Sell there immorally Purchased ammunition at outrageous Prices. $85, $95, $100 for a Brick of .22 L.R. ammo. Not Caring that Children should Be Getting Responsible Instruction From Parents or Qualified Instructors. These are the Solders of the Future. The Defenders of Future Families from the Ever Present Criminals. These are the Voters of the Future that will Decide " Gun Control" issues of the Future. And the Wanna Bee's have Taken the Positive Shooting Experiences Away From our Future Generations for Nothing More than Temporary Financial Gain. The Wanna Bee's have Sold Out America. Oh! That didn't Happen until Much Later. Sorry! Best Wishes from Montana! M.H.
What in the blue fuck are you on about
The Wild West was 1865 to 1920 New Mexico and Arazona became states in 1912 and Oklahoma became a state in 1907 Mexican revolution was hapening in the Late 1800s to the 1920s and pancho via was blowing up trains and Alaska became a state in 1959 but I’m glad you remberd the Spencer
I have modern and early firearms. Nothing fits the hand like a single action revolver. Natural point.
Colts 1860 army, and Remingtons 1858 New model army should be in there, along with the Sharps and Henry rifles. Maybe the Springfield trap door, and buffalo rifles ....
The Winchester Mod 1866 has a much better case for a top firearm that won the Old West than does the Win. Model 1873. Winchester production records appear to show that the number of 1873s manufactured did not surpass the number of 1866's made until some time in 1882, and I'll maintain that the hard work of pacifying the West was done between 1865 and 1882. The US Gov't Census Bureau declared the frontier closed in 1890. Similarly, the high-powered Win. Model 1876 (one of Teddy Roosevelt's favorites for big game) was available for ten years before the Win. Mod 1886 appeared, and their production quantities were not equal until some time in 1891 or so... Last, the trap door Springfields, Colt and Remington cap and ball revolvers and their cartridge conversions, and Sharps rifles and carbines also should rate higher than some on your list.
I agree out of iconic old west guns the saa is definitely the winner. But in all honesty during the indian wars, winning the west was mostly done by the military with trapdoors and their carbines,spencer carbines and colt single actions. The Gun fighters and lawmen had the lever guns.
Actually the gun that really won the west was the Sharps rifle. It along with the Remington Rolling Block killed off the Buffalo herds and the indian's food supply....that's what really won the west, followed by the 1873 Winchester and 1866 Yellow Boy rifles.
Alot faster to reload a schofeild then a SAA
You forgot about the god damn machine gun. The Gatling Model 1861.
Damm the s&w revolver will be a Nice gun for m'y next training ! !whit some skill and 2or3 extra barrel that can be pretty cool for fast schoot and reload ..but its ok m'y raging bull will do the job;)
What no derringers? Every gambler, prostitute(which was honorable back then) barkeep, banker and store owner had one. Would love to see a short video on what they carried.
aye someone actually from westfield☘️
The handguns are more popular in the romanticized old west, but really, the Henry, Sharps, and Winchester rifles did the vast majority of the heavy lifting.
I agree that the 'west' was more just before the 1840's and went really to 1910 or so. depending on where you were.
I would have to both agree and disagree. I believe it was a combination of the 1873 Winchester and Colts S.A.A. Everyone depended on their rifle for food and protection and the handgun for protection as a backup. In a pinch it could also be used to procure food. So i would say it was a combination. Of course, I wasnt there so thats just my opinion. I enjoyed the video, thank-you.
I agree !
I own almost all of those except the schofield and the 1886
So, the first 3 on the list were used by Clint Eastwood in the classic "Unforgiven"
Yeah but do they take Glock mags? All joking aside...great video and thanks for what you are doing.
I do believe that the initials WCF stood for Winchester Central Fire. Not center fire which wasn't used until later. Argument in favor of the shot gun as the true gun that won the west have merit mainly because nearly every settler going west had a shotgun, but not necessarily a rifle or handgun. the reason being cost, as the shotgun was cheaper.
historically , you are correct , but it works.
I love that Spencer rifle. But maybe the shotgun won the west.
The shotgun (several calibers and guages) was probably the most popular because of price, ease of use and availability. Many were built in local shops by gunsmiths. They could also be used on anything from rabbits and squirrels, to people, up to Grizzlies. All these guns were the hot items, but saw less usage due to price and availability. Only a professional would spend $13.75 for a peacemaker or $20 +/- for a winchester. Many others were available for $5 and still got the job done.
21:14 "Well that is all the time I have for you..." (and the picture shows only 5 of his top 6 guns that won the west along with a different gun).
Scofield is my favorite
COME ON BRO, Where the hell is the Sharps Rifle???
I agree but the Sharps was used more often after war. Custers men were issued these.
Should have put the mauser broom handle they some how made it in the west
It should be noted that there were many civilians who would but the Colt in 44 40 because they could use the same rounds as were chambered in their Winchester.
Colt single action army is grandfather of my Ruger Wrangler and Heritage Rough Rider
Today Winchester lever guns are made in Japan. A real Colt single action is expensive and limited production so I own Spaghetti Colts.
Think you should really add the British Bulldog design in here....