Regardless of whether a frontiersman carried a simple pocket-sized folding knife, a skinner, a camp knife or a full-sized fighting blade, he...
The Edge of Perfection
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Phil Spangenberger
The Herd Decimator
In 1887, an official government study of the decimation of the great buffalo herds concluded that, next to the Sharps rifle, the Remington rolling...
Power on the Plains
When the first explorers of the early 19th century ventured west beyond the Mississippi River, they carried long, slender and somewhat delicate...
Colt’s Cavalry Pistol to the Rescue
Colt Peacemaker. Just the sound of these words conjures up images of the Wild West. They bring to life scenes of bustling smoke-filled saloons and...
The Godfather of Gunleather
For firearms enthusiasts, the name John Bianchi is synonymous with quality gunleather, and for good reason. He’s truly a living legend, having made...
Timeworn Beauties
While most firearms enthusiasts appreciate a vintage gun showing its original finish, a certain beauty can be found in those well-worn guns whose...
The Yankee “Sixteen Shooter”
Virtually every lever-action rifle today silently pays tribute to the granddaddy of lever guns designed over 150 years ago. One of the major...
Weapons of the Lewis & Clark Expedition
Today’s American eats about 185 pounds of meat per year. The 32 humans and one large dog making up Lewis & Clark’s Corps of Discovery each...
Frontier “Forty Four”
Colt’s handsome Model of 1860 was a favorite on the frontier and saw use by notable Westerners such as Frank and Jesse James, John Wesley Hardin,...
Firearms of 2012
“We’ve long held a fascination for the gunmen of the Wild West, and firearms enthusiasts have been especially interested in the hardware used by...
The Dalton Death Rifle?
While many of the American frontier’s most famous arms are well known today, few have had the distinction of becoming a working classic for as long...
Wild Bill Says “Muzzle Up”
During the Percussion Era of the mid-19th century, savvy six-gunners like James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok understood the problems inherent with open...