It’s not often that a movie becomes a cult classic almost immediately after its release, but such was the case with the …
Old West Reproductions — the Devil is in the Detail For four decades Rick Bachman has crafted museum-quality, frontier-era gunleather that looks and feels like the real thing.
Among the very best companies offering replicas of mid-to late-19th-century assorted cowboy gear is Old West Reproductio…
A Real Western Colt in the Reel West An Arizona Ranger and Pinal County Sheriff’s Colt goes to Hollywood in the hands of cowboy star George Montgomery.
It’s a firearms collector’s dream to find a gun that is well documented to have been owned or used by someone famous, or…
Remington’s Last Six-guns Remington revolvers weren’t serious rivals to Colt, but were the original favorites of fictional shootist J.B. Books.
In John Wayne’s last movie, The Shootist (1976), based on the novel by Glendon Swarthout, the Duke’s character, J.B. Boo…
Hollywood’s Flintlock Fakery For decades, moviemakers used centerfire, metallic-cased cartridge guns with dummy flintlocks to emulate the real thing.
Movie making is all imagery, or as Hollywood calls it, “movie magic,” or the “suspension of belief.” After all, you don’…
A Texas Dance For Johnny Reb This Southern arms-maker produced quality revolvers for the Texas Cavalry.
Of all of the Confederate-made revolvers, perhaps none stirs the imagination like those six-shooters manufactured by the…
Found: Trumpeter Martin’s Carbine? Of the firearms used at Custer’s Last Stand, this Springfield could be the most important find.
“Benteen…Come on. Big Village, Be quick, Bring Packs. P.S. Bring Pack. W. W. Cook.” This eerie last message,…
U.S. Cavalry’s First Bolt-Action Carbine The single-shot trapdoor Springfield wasn’t the only carbine used by the cavalry during the Indian Wars, several repeaters were also used—including America’s first bolt gun.
The more ammunition you give a soldier, the more he’ll use!” Despite their continued post-war use of the seven-shot Spen…
A Frontier Favorite Lever Gun With only one out of every five guns produced, the round-barreled 1873 Winchester—in rifle form—is one of the less common ’73s encountered. Here’s one that has served the author for decades as a collectible, as well as a straight-shooting repeater.
All 1873 Winchester rifles have octagonal barrels and the carbines have round barrels, right? Well, no, as a special opt…
America’s First Cavalry Blade Despite severe drawbacks, the handsome 1833 Dragoon horsemen’s saber earned a solid place in history with the U.S. Cavalry.
In 1833, the U.S. Army formed its first official mounted regiments, the First and Second Dragoons. These soldiers rode t…