The Iconic Guns That Won the Old West

Published: March 12, 2024 by 24/7 Tempo Staff

The Wild West was won with grit, determination, and the smoke of gunpowder. Firearms were the great equalizers on the untamed frontier, where danger lurked around every corner, and only the quickest on the draw survived. From the rolling plains to the towering peaks, the story of America’s westward expansion is etched in bullet holes and boot prints.

History books, dime novels, and Hollywood epics have immortalized the gunslingers, lawmen, and outlaws who tamed the wilderness with lead and steel. Whether it was a high noon showdown, a blazing firefight between rival gangs, the guns of the Old West wrote their own legends in blood and glory.

To determine the guns that won 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.

As the 19th century marched on, American gunmakers like Colt, Remington, and Smith & Wesson supplied the firearms that echoed across the frontier. Civil War veterans, battle-hardened and skilled with these weapons, spearheaded the westward push, their revolvers and rifles clearing the path.

No single weapon won the West, but an arsenal of iconic firearms carved their names into the annals of history.

The lever-action Winchester Model 1873, so beloved it starred in its own Western, became the companion of many a frontiersman. Wild Bill Hickok and the James-Younger gang favored the 1851 Colt Navy Revolver, while Buffalo Bill Cody, Butch Cassidy, and Billy the Kid rode with the legendary 1873 Winchester Rifle. (These are the 30 best Western films of all time.)

Here is the list of the 15 iconic guns that won the Old West: