Nerves of Steel

While much has been written about Westerners’ “tricked-out” guns, a cursory review of the hardware documented to these Old West gunmen reveals that most of their guns were left in factory stock condition—sans any lightened springs or other gimmicks to improve their rate or ease of fire. Wyatt Earp favored several standard 1873 Colt Single Action Army (SAA) revolvers throughout his checkered career. Wyatt’s brother Virgil packed a Smith & Wesson (S&W) .44 caliber New Model N