Linen or paper wrapped cartridges had been around for a long time and had obvious problems. The percussion ignition system didn’t place the primer...
The Metallic Cartridge
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Firearms
Own a Gunfighter’s Favorite!
Thanks to replicas, you can have a spitting-image, working copy of some of the Old West’s most colorful shootists’ famous guns. Talk about...
Billy the Kid Still Dominates
Bonhams sets a record with the sale of Pat Garrett’s Colt used to kill the notorious outlaw. Outlaws and lawmen got away with the big money at...
The 1847 Walker Colt
Despite the popularity of the Colt revolver among Texans, Colt's company failed in 1842. Realizing the revolver needed more durability for use on...
Rattlesnakes, Renegades and UFOs
Were Wayne Brazel—involved in the killing of Pat Garrett—and Mac Brazel—involved in the 1947 Roswell UFO incident—related? True West Maniac...
The Man Who Killed Kid Curry Stolen horses put Rolla Gardner on the outlaw’s trail.
Rolla Gardner had no plans to chase after some train robbers near Parachute, Colorado in June 1904. A posse was already on the trail. But then...
The Paterson Colt Revolver
The Colt Paterson was invented in 1831 by Samuel Colt and named the Paterson for the Colt company in Paterson, New Jersey. It was patented in 1836...
Origins of Gunpowder
Black Powder was invented by the Chinese in the 9th century. They concocted a mix of charcoal, potassium nitrate and sulfur. Charcoal and sulfur...
The 1841 “Mississippi” Rifle
This handsomely rugged 1840s muzzleloader was prized by frontiersmen and military riflemen alike and helped phase out the smoothbore musket. ...
Lancaster Rifles
The Lancaster rifle, manufactured in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania are the best-known of all the American long rifles. It was the first commonly...
Leather Cartridge Belts and Corrosion
A question came in the other day from a True West Magazine reader. “I've noticed that my leaving a cartridge in a leather gunbelt for an extended...
The Battle of Big Dry Wash
Al Sieber & U.S. Troops vs. Na-ti-o-tish's Apaches One of the scouts spots the Apaches waiting in ambush on the north side of the canyon. July...