The American frontier wasn’t just about cowboys and Indians – it was a time when survival often depended on what you carried on your hip or slung across your back. While Hollywood has glamorized the shootouts and showdowns, the real Wild West was a proving ground for some of the most innovative and deadly weapons ever created. From hidden derringers tucked in ladies’ garters to rifles that could take down buffalo at 1,000 yards, these 14 weapons were often how you put food on the table – and kept others from taking it from you.
14. Colt Single Action Army Revolver
The “Peacemaker” didn’t earn its nickname by accident. This six-shooter became the standard by which all other revolvers were judged, and many still are.
13. LeMat Revolver
The LeMat cap and ball revolver was a nine-shot revolver with a unique feature: a second, larger barrel used to fire shotgun shells (earning the nickname “Grape Shot Revolver.”) It saw use both in during the Civil War as well as western frontier, though the weapon was cumbersome to reload in the heat of battle.
12. Volcanic Repeater
The grandfather of modern repeating lever guns was innovative for the time both for its mechanics as well as its tubular magazine – but it was a flawed design and the pistol itself did not survive the era. The concept behind it, however, would.
11. Harmonica Gun
Side-loading, through-magazine weapons like the harmonica gun had been developed multiple times by different gunsmiths, with one of the most famous examples being the product of Jonathan Browning (father of legendary gunsmith John Moses Browning), and iterations on the loading design would survive the American West, such as the Great War light machine gun, the Hotchkiss M1909 Benét–Mercié – albeit with a spotty service record.
10. Gatling Gun
The hand-cranked, multi-barrel Gatling gun brought one of the precursors to automatic fire to the battlefield as well as the American West. Interestingly, Gatling guns are not technically automatic weapons. The hand-crank is how you rotate the barrel assembly to fire the weapon – if you’re not cranking the handle, the weapon won’t fire. By comparison, automatic weapons fire by simply holding the trigger down.
9. Pepper Box Pistol
Before revolvers became common, this multi-barrel handgun was the go-to for anyone wanting multiple shots. Like having several pistols welded together, it was bulky but effective – when it worked.
8. Remington Model 95
Remington’s classic derringer design – small enough to hide anywhere if you needed to end arguments quickly. It’s the pocket-sized equalizer that proved size isn’t everything.
7. Henry Repeating Rifles
Henry’s marketing around their rifles is: “the rifles that won the West.” It’s marketing well earned, too. At a time when muzzle loaders were still common, having multiple shots on hand just by running the lever made the rifle indispensable – and it casts a long shadow even today. Weapon designs have moved on in the modern ear, but the lever maintains lasting appeal – and effectiveness.
6. Sharps Rifle
Sharps rifle is synonymous with one thing: accuracy. This falling block rifle was renowned in the Old West for its ability to reach out to 1,000 yards, and the rifle became extremely popular with not only frontiersmen but also buffalo hunters.
5. Smith and Wesson Model 3
The top-break design of the Model 3 facilitated easier reloading than a standard side-gate revolver, and the pistol (particularly the Schofield variant) was widely distributed to the U.S. Army, and gained tremendous popularity in the Old West – on both sides of the law.
4. Winchester Model 1873
Henry isn’t the only manufacturer that influenced – and won – the Old West. The lever-action Winchester Model 1873 makes the (well-supported) claim that it’s “The Gun That Won The West.” One look at its illustrious track record should dispel any doubts about that.
3. Springfield Model 1861
The Springfield Model 1861’s primary importance in the Old West stems from its role as a surplus weapon bridging the gap between Civil War-era armament and the cutting-edge firearms of the late 19th century. Following the war, the rifles were cheap and plentiful, and picking one up to bring westward was more affordable than picking up much more expensive weapons featuring newer mechanisms.
2. Spencer Repeating Rifle
The Spencer repeating rifle was another lever action competing for attention in the Old West, and it’s ability to serve from horseback while tracking, and defending against bandits (or employing it as one) made it a highly desirable rifle.
1. Double Barrel Shotgun
The double-barrel shotgun earned its place in Old West history as a versatile, reliable, and intimidating firearm. In a time of horse-drawn carriages, “riding shotgun” became a phrase born from the need for the driver to have someone sitting by them, ready to protect the carriage from thieves. And whoever was sitting next to them was more than likely clutching one of these.
