When you’re considering guns that won or at least heavily impacted the Old West, it’s only natural to immediately think of lever-actions. In fact, the Winchester 1873 was and is marketed as The Gun That Won the West. It’s understandable, given the performance and popularity of that rifle, but there were a lot of other cool guns from that era, as well. Read on to find out our top five guns of the Old West, or at least left an indelible mark on it.
1. Colt Dragoon
The Colt Dragoon, which has the official, full-length title of Colt Model 1848 Percussion Revolver, was designed by Samuel Colt in the late 1840s. It was in production from 1848 to 1860, so it wasn’t actively manufactured for long, but it saw a lot of use. Colt designed the Dragoon specifically for us U.S. Army’s Regiment of Mounted Rifles. However, it was also issued to the Army’s Dragoon regiment, hence its name.
This revolver was chambered for a .44 caliber ball, which had a 0.454-inch diameter. It was a single-action gun with a six-round capacity, making it a great option for the time. The Dragoon has an overall length of 14.75 inches, a 7.5-inch long barrel, and an empty weight of 4 pounds, 4 ounces. So, what makes it famous?
Largely, the Colt Dragoon finds its fame from its use during the Civil War. For a recognizable name, Wild Bill Hickok is said to have had at least one Dragoon, and the revolver was also used by the Texas Rangers. It was a large-bore option in an era when there was a lot of upheaval, so it makes sense it would have seen fairly widespread use (at least among those who were able to get one).
2. 1874 Sharps Rifle
This is a rifle that earned a reputation as a hard-hitting choice thanks to its use by hide hunters (or, more specifically, buffalo hunters). According to historical records, 12,445 of these rifles were made from 1871 to 1881. It was produced in a variety of calibers including .44-77, .45-70, .50-90 and .50-110. Basically, it was a popular rifle among hunters and anyone interested in nailing longer shots. It had a reported effective range out to 1,000 yards, which depended on who was using it, among other things.
The 1874 Sharps Rifle is perhaps best known for its use by Calamity Jane and famed lawman Bill Tilghman. Now, as mentioned above, it was said to get the job done out to 1,000 yards, but there are historical records of it working beyond that. In fact, in June 1874 at the Battle of Adobe Walls, a hunter named Billy Dixon is said to have used his .50-90 Sharps effectively at 1,538 yards. Dixon’s shot is the one that reportedly ended that particular battle.
3. Henry Deringer Pocket Pistol
Although derringers themselves are popular among many gun owners past and present, we’re including this one for somewhat somber reasons. The Henry Deringer Pocket Pistol is the gun that was used by John Wilkes Booth to assassinate President Abraham Lincoln on April 15, 1865. This isn’t something many gun owners seem to recall when discussing derringers, which is probably a good thing because there’s a lot more to these pistols than dark moments in past history. The Henry Deringer Pocket Pistol used in the assassination was a .44 caliber model.
This particular derringer was being marketed by Henry Deringer in the 1830s. His failure to patent the pistol is what resulted in them being known as “derringers” with two r’s because the copies couldn’t be stopped, but the moniker stuck. Interestingly, in 1931, former President Ulysses S. Grant wanted to put Booth’s derringer on display at the Lincoln Museum, at Ford’s Theatre, and was denied. The Adjutant General of the U.S. Army informed Grant:
The relics should not be displayed to the public under any circumstances, on the theory that they would create interest in the criminal aspects of the great tragedy, rather than the historical features thereof, and would have more of an appeal for the morbid or weak-minded than for students of history. […] the Lincoln relics should not be placed upon exhibition anywhere.
Eventually, the powers that be changed their minds and allowed the derringer to be displayed. You might not think of Lincoln as part of the Old West, but he was, and his death did have a major impact.
4. Colt Paterson
It’s impossible, or at least unwise, to create a list of guns that played big roles in the Old West without talking about the Colt Paterson. After all, it was the first pistol with a rotating cylinder to be a success. It was Samuel Colt’s first patented gun. And, of course, it’s basically the grandfather of all revolvers, ever.
The Colt Paterson was patented by Samuel Colt in 1836. At first, the revolver was produced as a .28-caliber model, but eventually, a .36-caliber model was made. The downside of the gun’s design was that it had to be taken apart, to a point, in order to reload it. Even so, its revolving cylinder meant it was a significant achievement in the advancement of firearms technology.
The Colt Paterson was used by quite a few well-known historical figures, with one of the more interesting users being Texas Ranger John Coffee Hays.
On June 8, 1844, one of Hays’ more famous battles took place. During what became known as The Battle of Walker’s Creek, Hays and about fifteen Rangers were at the edge of a creek, when a group of Comanches rode out from the trees and opened fire on them. As the story goes, Hays waited to see what was going to happen and watched the Comanches disappear back into the trees.
However, he wasn’t an idiot. Assuming it was a fake retreat, he ordered his men to stay put, and sure enough, the Comanches came back when they realized the Rangers weren’t going to chase them. It turned out there were 80 armed Comanches in the trees, not a dozen. So of course the Rangers and Hays charged them, waiting to open fire until they’d closed the gap. When the dust settled, not a single Ranger lost their life, and the Comanches ran.
Later, Hays would write to Samuel Walker, saying:
Without your pistols [five-shot Colt Paterson] we would not have had the confidence to have undertaken such daring adventures.
5. 1866 Winchester
No, it isn’t the famed 1873, it’s the 1866 Winchester. This is a lever-action rifle that deserves a mention in our list of guns of the Old West because it started the Winchester brand.
Often called “yellow boy” due to the color of its brass receiver, the 1866 saw a lot of use before it was eventually replaced by the 1873. In fact, according to Winchester:
Several nations, including the Ottoman Empire and France made official or unofficial purchases of the Model 1866 for military purposes. It is reported that the Ottomans purchased 45,000 muskets and 5,000 carbines in 1870 and 1871 during the Siege of Plevna (1877), with the Russian army suffering huge loses in part due to their use of Winchester rifles. The age of the repeater had begun.
This is a lever-action that was famously used by former President Teddy Roosevelt. Despite its being the first of its kind and having many firearms offspring, the 1866 remained in production until 1935. Hundreds of thousands of the rifles were made, and Winchester now produces a modern version.
What did we miss? Tell us what famous guns of the Old West you prefer in the comments section.
How did Ulysses S. Grant try to exhibit the Derringer that killed Lincoln in 1931 when he died in 1885? Inquiring minds want to know.
I was wondering the exact same thing. One of those Billy the Kid things, when he was roaming around in the 20th century.