Nothing has immortalized the Wild West more than Hollywood. Thousands of films often romanticized life on the untamed American frontier, highlighting gunslingers, lawmen, and outlaws who battled over land and resources. From showdowns at high noon or blazing firefights, these citizens of the Old West kept themselves protected with legendary firearms, from rifles to revolvers to shotguns.
But the Wild West wasn’t simply a fictional place created by movie magic. It was an actual time in history when people set out to explore unchartered territory. A period when the nation underwent rapid expansion and new settlements that were exacerbated by the California Gold Rush, which often resulted in a dangerous and chaotic society.
To determine the legendary firearms that defined the Old West, 24/7 Tempo reviewed sources such as True West Magazine, Field and Stream, Gun Digest, and Outdoor Life to compile a list of the most commonly used, effective, and innovative firearms of the mid-to-late 1800s. Many iconic brands still in use today were popular during this period.
While there wasn’t one particular weapon that won the West, an arsenal of iconic firearms carved their names into the annals of history. (These are the 30 best Western films of all time.)
Here are legendary firearms that defined the Old West:
1851 Colt Navy Revolver
- Caliber: .36
1873 Winchester Rifle
- Caliber: multiple
Colt Paterson Revolver
- Caliber: .36
Double-Barrel Shotgun
- Caliber: multiple
Springfield Trapdoor Rifle
- Caliber: multiple
1852 & 1853 Slant-Breech Sharps Carbine
- Caliber: .54
1860 Colt Army Revolver
- Caliber: .44
Smith & Wesson Model 3 Revolver
- Caliber: .44
1895 Winchester Rifle
- Caliber: multiple
Hawken Plains Rifle
- Caliber: .54
S&W Model 3 “American” Revolver
- Caliber: multiple