The Guns That Won the West: Firearms on the American Frontier, 1848-1898

The Guns That Won the West: Firearms on the American Frontier, 1848-1898

by JohnWalter (Author)

Synopsis

The Guns that Won the West tells the colourful story of the wide range of firearms - from the smallest pistol to the rifles of the buffalo hunters - used by plainsmen and settlers, gamblers and engineers, Native Americans and the soldiers of the United States Army. Meticulously researched by a foremost authority on firearms, this is an indispensable guide to the opening of the American West. John Walter examines pre-Civil War mass production and technical advances, and the effect of readily available post-war surplus weapons on life in the Midwest. He traces the swift expansion of the West, which led to a perpetual struggle against the Native Americans and brought the United States Army in its wake. John Walter also examines whether law was dispensed at the point of a gun and whether it was the Colt or the Winchester that reigned supreme at the OK Corral. Describing particular Western 'desperadoes' and the most popular Wild West firearms, he goes on to investigate how gun design influenced use and use influenced design. With detailed descriptions and performance evaluations of all the leading firearms, this book is an essential reference guide which cuts away the myth and legend and reveals the truth behind the guns, and the men who used them, in the heyday of the West. John Walter is a respected authority on all aspects of weaponry and is the author of The Luger Story and Rifles of the World.

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Quantity

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More Information

Format: Paperback
Pages: 304
Edition: New edition
Publisher: Greenhill Books
Published: 15 Jul 2006

ISBN 10: 1853676926
ISBN 13: 9781853676925

Media Reviews
Newsletter of the Arms & Armour Society For concise accurate information on a very wide range of firearms of the period this book will be invaluable and for those with any interest in the subject there are so many little gems of information to enjoy . . . a first class effort.