Guns of the Wild West (1783-1920)

Rather unsurprisingly, the taming of the American 'Wild West' was handled by none other than the gun.

There are a total of 17 Guns of the Wild West (1783-1920) in the Military Factory. Entries are listed below in alphanumeric order (1-to-Z). Flag images indicative of country of origin and not necessarily the primary operator.

This list showcases firearms that adhere to the 'myth' period of the Wild West - that is, those guns seen during the span romanticized by Hollywood films and other media. This span typically ranges from 1783 to 1920 and is also known as the 'Old West'. The actual recognized span of the true American Frontier period spans 1607 to 1912.

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Thumbnail picture of the Colt Model 1860 New Army

Colt Model 1860 New Army
The Colt New Army Model 1860 revolver was produced in the hundreds of thousands during the American Civil War.

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Thumbnail picture of the Colt Single Action Army (Colt 45 / Peacemaker)

Colt Single Action Army (Colt 45 / Peacemaker)
Concerning the American Wild West, the Colt Single Action Army revolver became the stuff of legend.

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Thumbnail picture of the Colt Walker

Colt Walker
The massive and powerful Colt Walker was originally designated a pistol by the US Army Ordnance Department for its personnel had never come across a revolver before then.

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Thumbnail picture of the Cooper Pocket Double Action

Cooper Pocket Double Action
The Cooper Pocket percussion revolver utilized a double-action method, unlike other single-action guns of the day

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Thumbnail picture of the Deringer (Derringer Pocket Pistol)

Deringer (Derringer Pocket Pistol)
Derringer - note double R - became the generic name for a class of concealable small pistols following the original Deringer-family designs.

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Thumbnail picture of the Gatling Model 1861

Gatling Model 1861
Ironically, Dr. Gatling originally designed his Gatling Gun for the purpose of reducing the size of modern armies and, in turn, reducing the number of battlefield deaths.

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Thumbnail picture of the Manhattan Navy

Manhattan Navy
After Colt patents had expired, firms like the Manhattan Firearms Company copied successful Colt revolver designs such as the Navy.

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Thumbnail picture of the Metropolitan Navy Model 1864

Metropolitan Navy Model 1864
When the Colt East Armory was lost to fire during the American Civil War, Metropolitan Arms took to producing copies of the Colt Navy revolver.

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Thumbnail picture of the Remington Model 1858 Army

Remington Model 1858 Army
The Remington Model 1858 proved hugely popular during the American Civil War for its inherent structural strength, firepower and reliability.

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Thumbnail picture of the Remington Model 1875 New Army

Remington Model 1875 New Army
Despite the strong Remington revolver pedigree, the Model 1875 New Army could not compete with the popular Colt Peacemaker line.

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Thumbnail picture of the Sharps Model 1867 (Carbine)

Sharps Model 1867 (Carbine)
Over 100,000 Sharps carbines and rifles were produced from the period running 1850 to 1881.

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Thumbnail picture of the Spencer Rifle / Carbine

Spencer Rifle / Carbine
The famous Spencer Rifle allowed a repeat-fire action by way of a lever arm and seven-round tube magazine.

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Thumbnail picture of the Webley Bull Dog

Webley Bull Dog
The Webley Bull Dog Pocket Revolver proved popular with civilians living out on the wild frontiers of the late 1800s.

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Thumbnail picture of the Winchester Model 1866

Winchester Model 1866
The Winchester Model 1866 was THE original Winchester lever-action rifle, addressing the limitations of the preceding Henry Rifle.

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Thumbnail picture of the Winchester Model 1873

Winchester Model 1873
The Winchester Model 1873 Rifle is oft-termed as the Gun That Won The West.

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Thumbnail picture of the Winchester Model 1876

Winchester Model 1876
The Winchester Model 1876 was brought along to fulfill the need for a rifle to fire a bevy of new and more powerful cartridges appearing on the scene.

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Thumbnail picture of the Winchester Model 1892

Winchester Model 1892
Over 1 million Winchester Model 1892 rifles were produced from 1892 to 1938.