Post by Shane Lawson on Mar 9, 2008 14:13:02 GMT -5
The Firearms of the Old West
As all will understand Firearms played a crucial role in the daily struggles of nearly every body in the old west, from the outlaws to the soldiers to the shop keepers to the law, firearms shaped
history as we know it. Firearms in the old west were as diverse as the personalities who carried them, and it's fair to say that firearms could say quite a bit about the personality of the individual carrying it. This guide will show a selection of some of the more common ((and a few not so common)) firearms in this age, allowing players to better understand how combat
in the west worked.
Single Action vs Double Action
One important thing to understand is how pistols worked in this time. Pistols usually operated one of tow ways, single ((SA)) or double ((DA)) action. What does this mean? In a single action pistol, everytime you want to fire a shot, you must cock the hammer back before the trigger can be pulled and the pistol discharged, while the double action allowed you to draw the pistol and pull the trigger without cocking the firearm unless you choose to cock it. Given the heavy trigger pull of early DA Pistols, this could effect accuracy and sometimes reaction time if the person had weak hands, plus early Double Action firearms were less then perfect, and sometimes prone to breakage. Single action firearms on the other hand dont suffer from this, and if you have to fire it fast? There is a technique called 'fanning' which involves using one hand to hold the pistol, while the other quickly fans/slaps the hammer to allow fast shooting.
Ball & Capr vs Metallic Cartridges
Once upon a time the loading of rifles and pistols was considerably more difficult and time consuming then it is today. Ball ((refering to the bullet)) & Cap ((the Fireing cap)) firearms as they were known were common from the time of the Civil War and many years prior. The reloading method for Ball & cap Rifles and pistols required the user to carry a Powder Flask, Percussion caps, bullets a ramrod and other things as well as a bag to carry all of these seperate items, the user then had to reload after every shot ((In a rifle, or every six or so in a pistol)) by filling the firing chamber with gun powder, fiting the percussion caps over the breech nipple as well as packing down the bullet, powder etc. with the ram rod. In a pistol you had six shots atleast before reloading, and in a rifle? Well it was a time consuming process unless you were very skilled, and even then many men died during the Civil War while reloading, pistols were on the same level and some men carried spare cylinders for their revolvers to allow for faster reloading though this could still be rather clumsy. . These problems were solved with the introduction of the Metallic Cartridge, which combined the bullet, powder and firing cap int a simple, easy to load metal cartridge. This allowed the user to quickly reload his pistol or rifle and get back into the fight.
Pistols
1873 Colt Single Action Army 'Peacemaker'
Designer: Colt Manufacturing Company
Caliber: .45 Long Colt
Cartridge Capacity: 6-shot Cylinder
“God made men, but Sam Colt made them equal,” The quote was based on quite possiblity the quintessential single action revolver of the old west. Commonly referred to as the Colt Peacemaker, in 1873 this revolver became the Militarys standard sidearm and son lawmen and outlaws aliek were quick to adopt the new handy six-shooter. The Colt-Peacemaker sported good balance, a sturdy frame and was generally reliable firing a powerful .45 Long Colt Cartridge. The Colt Single Acrtion army came in many variations, with different barrel lengths and finishes, and sometimes different calibers. Here is a few examples
of the variations..
1873 Single Action 4.75"Barrel Matte Finish
1873 Single Action 5.5" Barrell
1873 Single Action 7.5" Barrell Nickel Plated
1873 Single Action 5.5" Nicke Platedl/Ivory grips
Remington Model 1875 Single Action
Designer: Remington Arms Company
Caliber: .44 Remington
Cartridge Capacity: 6-shot Cylinder
Remingtons answer to the Colt Single Action Army, though it didn't sell as well as the Colt it was still considered a reliable and sturdy design, though some believed it had an inferior balance. Though somewhat rare in comparison to other pistols of the era, it was still carried by a number of outlaws and peace officers in various versions.
Remington Model 1875 Single Action 'Outlaw' 7.5" Barrell
Remington Model 1875 Single Action 'Frontier' 5.5" Barrell
Smith & Wesson No. 3 Single Action
Designer: Smith & Wesson
Caliber: .44 American
Cartridge Capacity: 6-shot Cylinder
Also known as the Schofield Model 3, The Revolver took its name from Major George W. Schofield of the 10th Cavalry. Around 1870 he wrote to Smith & Wesson requestiong one of their new "Model No. 3" revolvers, hoping it would prove useful in combat. Making his ow nmodifications to meet his perception of the Cavalrys needs, Smith & Wesson incorporated these refinements into the design in 1875 in hopes of winning a significant Military Contract. This 'top-break' design allowed the pistol to be operated one handed, ejecting all six spent cartridges and provdiing easy access for reloading while on horseback. Though the Cavalry was slow to see its merits, outlaws and lawmen saw the Top breaks fast reloading capablity as a distinct advantage in their line of work. Eventually though the U.S Army did Purchase 3,000 Top breaks.
S&W No.3 Single Action 2nd Model 7" Barrell.
S&W No.3 Single Action 2nd Model 7" Barrell, Nickel Plated
S&W No.3 Single Action 2nd Model 3 1/2" Barrell
Colt Model 1877 "Lightning/Thunderer" D.A
Designer: Colt Manufacturing Company
Caliber: .38 Colt/.41 Colt
Cartridge Capacity: 6-shot Cylinder
The Lightning was Colt's first attempt at manufacturing a double-action revolver, showing a striking resemblance to the Single-action army. Despite impressive sales figures, the reputation for the pistol was built as the D.A. mechanism had a reputation for breaking down. Nevertheless the pistol proved popular with many and came with many finishes and barrel lengths.
Colt Model 1860 Army Revolver
Designer: Colt Manufacturing Company
Caliber: .44 Caliber
Cartridge Capacity: 6-shot Cylinder
The Colt Army Model 1860 was a black powder muzzle-loaded cap & ball .44-caliber revolver used during the American Civil War. It was favored as a side arm by cavalry, infantry, and artillery troops on both sides. This popular pistol also served outlaws and lawmen alike, By 1872 Bolt had enetered the market for a metallic cartridge revolver by introducing their factory-installed percussion-tocartridge open top conversion of first hte 1861 Navy, followed quickly by the 1860 Army with a .44 Colt Centerfire Conversion. This conversion allowed the Model 1860 Army. 1851 Navy and 1871-1872 Open top Revolvers to serve on in new markets and ultimately thousands of the Colt converted percussion revolvers found their way into the hands of sheriffs, outlaws, gunfighters, soldiers, cowboys, miners and ranchers throughout the Old West.
Model 1860 Army 8" Barrell
1860 Army Conversion .44 Caliber 5 1/2" Barrel
As all will understand Firearms played a crucial role in the daily struggles of nearly every body in the old west, from the outlaws to the soldiers to the shop keepers to the law, firearms shaped
history as we know it. Firearms in the old west were as diverse as the personalities who carried them, and it's fair to say that firearms could say quite a bit about the personality of the individual carrying it. This guide will show a selection of some of the more common ((and a few not so common)) firearms in this age, allowing players to better understand how combat
in the west worked.
Single Action vs Double Action
One important thing to understand is how pistols worked in this time. Pistols usually operated one of tow ways, single ((SA)) or double ((DA)) action. What does this mean? In a single action pistol, everytime you want to fire a shot, you must cock the hammer back before the trigger can be pulled and the pistol discharged, while the double action allowed you to draw the pistol and pull the trigger without cocking the firearm unless you choose to cock it. Given the heavy trigger pull of early DA Pistols, this could effect accuracy and sometimes reaction time if the person had weak hands, plus early Double Action firearms were less then perfect, and sometimes prone to breakage. Single action firearms on the other hand dont suffer from this, and if you have to fire it fast? There is a technique called 'fanning' which involves using one hand to hold the pistol, while the other quickly fans/slaps the hammer to allow fast shooting.
Ball & Capr vs Metallic Cartridges
Once upon a time the loading of rifles and pistols was considerably more difficult and time consuming then it is today. Ball ((refering to the bullet)) & Cap ((the Fireing cap)) firearms as they were known were common from the time of the Civil War and many years prior. The reloading method for Ball & cap Rifles and pistols required the user to carry a Powder Flask, Percussion caps, bullets a ramrod and other things as well as a bag to carry all of these seperate items, the user then had to reload after every shot ((In a rifle, or every six or so in a pistol)) by filling the firing chamber with gun powder, fiting the percussion caps over the breech nipple as well as packing down the bullet, powder etc. with the ram rod. In a pistol you had six shots atleast before reloading, and in a rifle? Well it was a time consuming process unless you were very skilled, and even then many men died during the Civil War while reloading, pistols were on the same level and some men carried spare cylinders for their revolvers to allow for faster reloading though this could still be rather clumsy. . These problems were solved with the introduction of the Metallic Cartridge, which combined the bullet, powder and firing cap int a simple, easy to load metal cartridge. This allowed the user to quickly reload his pistol or rifle and get back into the fight.
Pistols
1873 Colt Single Action Army 'Peacemaker'
Designer: Colt Manufacturing Company
Caliber: .45 Long Colt
Cartridge Capacity: 6-shot Cylinder
“God made men, but Sam Colt made them equal,” The quote was based on quite possiblity the quintessential single action revolver of the old west. Commonly referred to as the Colt Peacemaker, in 1873 this revolver became the Militarys standard sidearm and son lawmen and outlaws aliek were quick to adopt the new handy six-shooter. The Colt-Peacemaker sported good balance, a sturdy frame and was generally reliable firing a powerful .45 Long Colt Cartridge. The Colt Single Acrtion army came in many variations, with different barrel lengths and finishes, and sometimes different calibers. Here is a few examples
of the variations..
1873 Single Action 4.75"Barrel Matte Finish
1873 Single Action 5.5" Barrell
1873 Single Action 7.5" Barrell Nickel Plated
1873 Single Action 5.5" Nicke Platedl/Ivory grips
Remington Model 1875 Single Action
Designer: Remington Arms Company
Caliber: .44 Remington
Cartridge Capacity: 6-shot Cylinder
Remingtons answer to the Colt Single Action Army, though it didn't sell as well as the Colt it was still considered a reliable and sturdy design, though some believed it had an inferior balance. Though somewhat rare in comparison to other pistols of the era, it was still carried by a number of outlaws and peace officers in various versions.
Remington Model 1875 Single Action 'Outlaw' 7.5" Barrell
Remington Model 1875 Single Action 'Frontier' 5.5" Barrell
Smith & Wesson No. 3 Single Action
Designer: Smith & Wesson
Caliber: .44 American
Cartridge Capacity: 6-shot Cylinder
Also known as the Schofield Model 3, The Revolver took its name from Major George W. Schofield of the 10th Cavalry. Around 1870 he wrote to Smith & Wesson requestiong one of their new "Model No. 3" revolvers, hoping it would prove useful in combat. Making his ow nmodifications to meet his perception of the Cavalrys needs, Smith & Wesson incorporated these refinements into the design in 1875 in hopes of winning a significant Military Contract. This 'top-break' design allowed the pistol to be operated one handed, ejecting all six spent cartridges and provdiing easy access for reloading while on horseback. Though the Cavalry was slow to see its merits, outlaws and lawmen saw the Top breaks fast reloading capablity as a distinct advantage in their line of work. Eventually though the U.S Army did Purchase 3,000 Top breaks.
S&W No.3 Single Action 2nd Model 7" Barrell.
S&W No.3 Single Action 2nd Model 7" Barrell, Nickel Plated
S&W No.3 Single Action 2nd Model 3 1/2" Barrell
Colt Model 1877 "Lightning/Thunderer" D.A
Designer: Colt Manufacturing Company
Caliber: .38 Colt/.41 Colt
Cartridge Capacity: 6-shot Cylinder
The Lightning was Colt's first attempt at manufacturing a double-action revolver, showing a striking resemblance to the Single-action army. Despite impressive sales figures, the reputation for the pistol was built as the D.A. mechanism had a reputation for breaking down. Nevertheless the pistol proved popular with many and came with many finishes and barrel lengths.
Colt Model 1860 Army Revolver
Designer: Colt Manufacturing Company
Caliber: .44 Caliber
Cartridge Capacity: 6-shot Cylinder
The Colt Army Model 1860 was a black powder muzzle-loaded cap & ball .44-caliber revolver used during the American Civil War. It was favored as a side arm by cavalry, infantry, and artillery troops on both sides. This popular pistol also served outlaws and lawmen alike, By 1872 Bolt had enetered the market for a metallic cartridge revolver by introducing their factory-installed percussion-tocartridge open top conversion of first hte 1861 Navy, followed quickly by the 1860 Army with a .44 Colt Centerfire Conversion. This conversion allowed the Model 1860 Army. 1851 Navy and 1871-1872 Open top Revolvers to serve on in new markets and ultimately thousands of the Colt converted percussion revolvers found their way into the hands of sheriffs, outlaws, gunfighters, soldiers, cowboys, miners and ranchers throughout the Old West.
Model 1860 Army 8" Barrell
1860 Army Conversion .44 Caliber 5 1/2" Barrel
