Synopses & Reviews
More than a few of the actual guns once in the hands of the heroes and villains of Americas 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 Hickoks Colt Model 1851 revolvers; from Buffalo Bills .50 caliber breechloading needlegun nicknamed “Lucrezia Borgia” to John Wesley Hardins 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 Americas 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.
Review
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
Synopsis
From the Model 1866 .44-40 Chief Joseph famously surrendered to General Miles (now gathering dust in a museum in Fort Benton) to Buffalo Bills .50 caliber breechloading needlegun nicknamed Lucretia Borgia, a good portion of the actual guns that were once in the hands of the heroes and villains of the old West are still in existence, scattered around in a dozen different museums across the country. Although there are a host of titles that take advantage of our endless curiosity about western firearms (its a cottage industry unto itself), there is no single book that traces the natural history of the individual guns. Famous Firearms follows the life stories of twelve of the actual pistols, rifles, and shotguns that were so instrumental in shaping our western mythology, using them as entrees into the lives of the shootists themselves. The end result is a vivid portrait of twelve famous western characters, paired with the guns they used to make themselves famous and infamous.
Synopsis
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 entrees 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.
Synopsis
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 foughtrighteously or notand died, or were willing to die, with them. What they conjure up can be a powerful magic.from the preface
Synopsis
Fascinating true stories of twelve guns that shaped Americas history James Butler Wild Bill” Hickoks Colt Model 1851 Revolvers
William Buffalo Bill” Codys .50 Caliber Needle Gun
Geronimos Winchester Model 1876 Carbine
Joseph Smiths Ethan Allen Dragoon Model Pepperbox Pistol
Chief Josephs Surrender Gun,” the Model 1866 Winchester Rifle
Ned Christies Model 1873 Winchester Rifle
John Wesley Hardins Colt Thunderer Model 1877 Revolver
Pancho Villas Smith & Wesson Model 3 American Revolver
Synopsis
From Buffalo Bill to Wild Bill and from Chief Joseph to Geronimo, the most famous guns in the West and the history behind them.
About the Author
Hal Herring is a contributing editor at Field and Stream and an editor-at-large for the online news magazine newwest.net. His fiction, journalism, and essays have appeared in the Atlantic Monthly and the Economist.
Table of Contents
(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