The Wild West’s 11 Iconic Guns

Updated: September 12, 2024 by Gail Baker Nelson

Source: The Smithsonian Institution, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Source: Colt_1851_Navy_Revolver (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Martins Firearms

Source: The Gun that won the West - Wi... (CC BY 2.0) by vasse nicolas,antoine

Source: Colt Paterson No. 5 Texas Revo... (CC BY 2.0) by Adam Jones

Source: olemac / iStock via Getty Images

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Source: Sharps 1852 Slanting Breech (CC BY-SA 3.0) by Hmaag

Source: Dariusz Wojtaluk / iStock via Getty Images

Source: Ruger GP100 (CC BY-SA 2.0) by Mitch Barrie

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons

The Wild West's 11 Iconic Guns

The Wild West has conjured images of the heroic cowboy and villainous outlaw since the Western movies of the early 1900s. These movies give the idea that the Wild West era stretched for generations—thanks to their sheer volume. Yet, the Wild West was a short window of history, a 40-year period where America expanded and settled the West.

Although the movies aren't realistic, the Wild West has stories to tell—some of them through the firearms people used. These guns settled disputes and even the field for many people. Thanks to their makers' contribution to the Old West, these firearms are icons.

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