![]() ![]() 44 Henry rimfire not only proved adequate for protecting a homestead or scaring off cattle rustlers, but also bagging the odd deer. But its devastating effect was perhaps best demonstrated in another heralded American battle - the Little Bighorn.īeyond formal conflict, the Henry was a mainstay among many pioneers during westward expansion. Though limited in use, the 1860 Henry proved itself a wicked weapon in the Civil War. Henry 1860 Photo: Rock Island Auction Company 5 became known as the “Texas Patterson” for its use by the Rangers. ![]() While the revolver came in many calibers, the. Previously in the Battle of Walker Creek and his Big Fight at Enchantment Rock, the Paterson proved its worth. This wasn’t the only time Hays prevailed against overwhelming odds due to the revolver. In the early 1840s fight, 50 or so Texas Rangers, led by legendary Captain John “Jack” Hays, routed a vastly superior force of Comanche, thanks in large part to their five-shot Colt Patersons. Despite their limited numbers, the Colt Patersons found their way into a number of definitive conflicts in the mid-1800s.Īmong the most storied was the Battle of Bandera Pass, which marked the turning point of the Texas-Indian wars. Patented in 1836 and produced until 1842, just a little more than 2,000 of the cap-and-ball revolvers were manufactured. ![]() While not as storied as some Colts, the first commercially successful repeating firearm, nonetheless, left its mark on the West. While there were many other firearms that left their mark on this time, these were among the most important.Ĭolt Paterson Photo: Rock Island Auction Company With that in mind, here are the 10 guns you have to know from the Old West. It was a vast arsenal of different revolvers and rifles and shotguns of every conceivable design, make and model that carved this nation from coastline to coastline.Įven if there was no single gun that won the West, there are certainly some six-shooters, repeaters and other great guns that more than pulled their share of the weight during this era. In reality, no one gun can make the claim. While the trusty ol' lever-action shooting iron more than earned its stripes in military conflicts, range wars and protecting the Back 40, it far from single-handedly tamed the vast American frontier. What were the guns that won the West?Ĭertainly, in popular history, the Winchester Model 1873 is given this distinction. These were the “smoke wagons,” “street howitzers” and repeaters that tamed the American West. ![]()
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