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20 Articles

YEAR FOR CELEBRATION

How many of you realize that 2023 is an important year in Old West history? Well, this year marks the 150th anniversary of the Colt Single Action Army revolver, the Winchester Model 1873 lever-action rifle and the Model 1873 Trapdoor Springfield rifle. The .45 Colt, .44 WCF (.44-40) and the .45-70 Govt cartridges were also introduced and chambered in the aforementioned firearms. In recognition of this anniversary, there is a feature article in this issue covering these three important guns that were instrumental in the winning of the West. This year also marks the bicentennial of the Texas Rangers. Created by Stephen Austin in 1823, these men were hired to protect the settlers Austin brought to Texas from the depredations of hostile Indians. In those early years, they were more of…

YEAR FOR CELEBRATION

IT’S AUTUMN ON THE FRONTIER

Ready to jump into fall pursuits like using your black powder rifle to put some wild game in the family freezer? We figured as much, especially as supermarket prices soar for eggs, meat, fish and the like. That’s why we called on Josh Honeycutt to give us an eight-point lesson plan that will have you and your firearm fully prepped for when that trophy buck or “meat doe” steps into your sights. We know U.S. government spending is at an all-time high, pushing our economy off the cliff. Our greenbacks don’t go nearly as far as they once did. With that in mind, we asked furbearer expert Ralph Scherder to offer up some “Trapping Trick$” that will help you streamline your gear and strategies to get the most out of your…

IT’S AUTUMN ON THE FRONTIER

When I bought my first gun in the 1980s, the only gun shop in my county advertised as having “Over 5,000 Firearms in Stock!” If that converted single-car garage had 5,000 firearms in it, they either kept most of them hidden or they struggled with math. In those days, a buyer was limited geographically when it came to on-hand inventory, especially of used or vintage guns. Nothing could be further from the truth today. Several major online auction/resale sites have forever changed the way we shop for guns. “Hard to find” used to mean “impossible.” “Hard to find” today is rare. Today’s shopper has hundreds of thousands of listings online with many of the rarest vintage models readily available for a price, often a large one. However, there is more to…

GRIPPING & SPURRING

James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok was the first legendary gunfighter and was known as the “Prince of the Pistoleers.” While he was a Civil War veteran, his first classic gunfight was in Springfield, Missouri, on July 21, 1865, where he squared off with Davis Tutt across the town square at approximately 75 yards. Wild Bill had the cold nerve to calmly take aim and shoot Tutt through the heart while Tutt was firing several shots at him. Hickok’s only shot hit Tutt in the side under his outstretched arm passing through both lungs and heart. Wild Bill used a Colt 1851 Navy percussion (cap and ball) revolver, his preferred handgun. He was known to habitually carry a pair of Colt 1851 Navies worn high on his waist for a reverse…

GRIPPING & SPURRING

How wild was the Wild West? The circumstances of where and when qualify the answer but suffice to say that a criminal in pre-Civil War America could get away with anything if he could put enough distance between himself and the locale of his misdeeds. It wasn’t hard to do. Though the thinly populated American West offered a vast expanse for crooks to disappear in, the truth of it is that open space of that magnitude wasn’t really necessary to escape prosecution. A day’s ride into another county was usually sufficient. Before the Civil War, most towns didn’t have police departments. Those were only starting to appear in the big cities. The 1860 census shows that of around 33 million people (excluding Indians) estimated to reside within the continental borders of…

ICONIC TRIO TURNS 150

ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS AGO, several significant events occurred in the United States. The nation was still getting over the Civil War, when in 1873, the first global depression, called the Panic of 1873, caused financial ruin in America. Ulysses S. Grant was inaugurated to his second term as president. Mark Twain published The Gilded Age: A Tale of Today. Levi Strauss invented blue jeans, and P.T. Barnum’s Greatest Show on Earth debuted. Barbed wire was exhibited at a fair in Illinois. The Modoc (Indian) War ended with the capture of Chief “Captain Jack,” and the James Gang committed their first train robbery in Iowa. The year 1873 also saw three soon-to-be iconic firearm introductions that would have a great impact during the “Winning of the West.” COLT’S MODEL 1873…

ICONIC TRIO TURNS 150

Brothers PIETTA

Pietta is one of the most recognized names in the world of vintage firearms manufacturing and a legendary company that has recreated many of America’s most celebrated 19th-century firearms, everything from Remington cap-and-ball pocket pistols to the most famous handgun of the Old West, the Colt Peacemaker. And it all began in 1967 with an order that seemed too good to be true—an order to build 10,000 Colt 1851 Navy revolvers for a client in France. Company founder Giuseppe Pietta recalled that the order from the French importer did not go quite as expected. “That order completely changed the direction of our factory, heading more towards producing rather than assembling guns,” said Pietta. Up to this point, the small company established in 1963 by brothers Giuseppe Pietta and Luigi Pietta as…

Brothers PIETTA

BRASS .45-70 SIDE GATE

Henry Repeating Arms kicked up some dust when they introduced the Homesteader early in 2023, a 9mm carbine. But they weren’t done with their surprises quite yet. During the 2023 NRA Show, they unveiled a pair of their Big Boy Revolvers chamber in .357 Mag/.38 Special, the difference between the two being the grip; one had a Birdshead grip, while the other a Gunfighter grip. With all of this dust-up, some of Henry’s newer lever models didn’t get the love they deserve, especially their new Brass Lever Action Side Gates available in .45-70 and .30-30. The Henry Brass Lever Action .45-70 Side Gate deserved a closer look. Gun Details The first thing that stands out about the Brass Lever Action .45-70 Side Gate is, of course, the brass enhancements. The receiver, barrel…

BRASS .45-70 SIDE GATE

PRESERVING HISTORY

Heritage Manufacturing is a company making a name for itself by connecting the American West’s history to modern-day precision and manufacturing quality. They are known for their .22 revolvers that are as functional as they are beautiful. Six-shot, single-action revolvers have been a classic throughout American history. It has been the tool of cowboys, soldiers, ranchers and lawmen. The simple design has made it trusted and durable. While today they can still serve as a weapon of defensem, to me it serves a purpose just as important—the preservation of American firearm culture. Our Legacy Heritage Firearms preserves America’s Wild West history for today and the next generation to come. As a country built on the principles of freedom and the Second Amendment, it is essential to have a culture of people who…

PRESERVING HISTORY

SWALLOWED BY THE SAND

Many strange and ultimately unexplainable things and events have occurred throughout history, and the Old West is no exception. Ghosts and hauntings, naturally with the numerous gunfights and clashes with Native American tribes, are always near the top of the list, followed by odd missing person cases and unexplained murders throughout small towns. However, the one mystery that has perplexed many individuals for centuries is how a Spanish ship allegedly was stranded in the California desert, hundreds of miles from a viable water transportation source. This ship is an enigma in itself, as it hasn’t been properly identified, or more importantly, it hasn’t been found, although several people claim to have not only located the vessel but plundered its “treasure” that was still onboard. These individuals either actively sought out this…

SWALLOWED BY THE SAND

FRANKENSTEIN .45

WHEN I was a kid growing up, we didn’t go out to a lot of movies. Back then, where we lived was considered the “country,” and it was a drive to get to a theater. Usually when we did go, it was to a drive-in and mostly to see animated features. Like all “Boomer” kids, I cut my teeth on a black and white TV watching a steady “diet” of Western series and old movies. Typically, on Saturdays, there was The Roy Rogers Show, The Lone Ranger and Rin Tin Tin. I doubt I saw Sergio Leone’s “Spaghetti Western,” The Good, The Bad and The Ugly in 1966, as the script had some “colorful” language that, in later years, would likely have given it a PG-13 rating. I don’t remember…

FRANKENSTEIN .45

PIETTA'S NEW SAA

What’s A “WHAT IF?” GUN? Here’s a little history about foreign handguns Ame rica to help answer that question. During the Civil War post war Western Exp in the late 1860s, Europe an-built revolvers became quite commo nplace U.S., a n nd by 19th early 2 0th century, semiautomatic pistols were also becoming familiar sights, especially among those close to the U.S. military. In 1908, German armsmaker Georg Luger had introduced a new version of his innovative circa 1898 toggle action semi-automatic pistol chambered in a new caliber he developed in 1903, the 9mm Parabellum. George Luger was no stranger to the U.S. or its military board, either, having represented German armsmaker DWM (Deutsche Waffen und Munitions, formerly Ludwig Loewe & Company, Berlin) in 1893, demonstrating the innovative 7.65x25mm Borchardt…

PIETTA'S NEW SAA

Clint Eastwood’s Gun Leather

It was a Friday night, January 9, 1959, that a good-looking cowboy first rode into our living rooms as trail-driving Segundo Rowdy Yates on TV’s new Western series Rawhide. Little did we know that Clint Eastwood, as Rowdy Yates, would go on to become a superstar. The hour-long black and white adult TV Western series was on CBS for eight seasons with 217 episodes, becoming the sixth longest-running TV Western. It most likely would have run longer, but leading man Eric Fleming tragically drowned while making a movie in the offseason. The theme song “Rawhide” sung by Frankie Laine became a big hit. Eastwood went on from Rawhide to star in several major Western motion pictures, and we will look at his gun leather throughout. Early episodes of Rawhide have Clint using…

Clint Eastwood’s Gun Leather

*Sturm, Ruger & Co. had only been in business for a few years when, in 1953, Bill Ruger introduced the Single-Six (SS). Banking on the popularity of TV Westerns and the demise of the Colt SAA sixgun, Ruger came up with a single-action six-shooter in .22 LR to feed the “cowboy craze.” It looke .” d “Coltish” but had features like coiled springs in the action and was economical to buy and shoot. Then in late 1964, Ruger began producing the Super Single-Six (SSS). This was the Single-Six with the addition of an adjustable rear sight, under-cut Patridge front sight and an interchangeable cylinder in .22 Magnum (WMR). This was my first handgun and like most young men in that era I did my share of “quick draw” with that…

The Legendary MICHAEL SEVERS

In DECEMBER of 1814, after learning that 50 British ships had sailed into Lake Borgne near New Orleans and deposited more than 8,000 troops, General Andrew Jackson rushed to defend the city and protect the entrance of the Mississippi River. Jackson maneuvered into a very defensible position at Chalmette Plantation and made his stand. The British advanced too slowly and cautiously, thereby, losing much of their advantage. Numerous engagements occurred between portions of the opposing armies with neither being the clear winner. Jackson, with a small force of regular troops, militiamen, seamen, citizens, Choctaw Indians, free blacks and pirates under the command of Jean Lafitte (a force totaling about 2,000 men), delayed the British advance long enough for 2,300 Kentucky militiamen to arrive to bolster his numbers on January 4, 1815. Among…

The Legendary MICHAEL SEVERS

Crazy For Crockett

It may be hard to envision now, but there was a time when toy stores in the country had not one spin-off product like action figures and space vehicles for every character in the movie Star Wars or Star Trek. Nor did they have toy characters from Toy Story or plastic figures of every dinosaur type that made an appearance in Jurassic Park. This strange nationwide mass marketing phenomenon spawned rather quickly and spontaneously as the result of the Walt Disney movie "Davy Crockett King of the Wild Frontier." The year was 1955, and at the age of five, I was a witness. The film created unbridled excitement for kids ages 5 to 15. I am pleased to share a bit of what I experienced along with millions of other kids in…

Crazy For Crockett

TRAPPING TRICK$

With low fur markets and high fuel prices, the cost of running a trapline can be substantial. In some cases, it’s the chief limiting factor of how many traps get run on a given trapline and how much fur ends up on the stretchers. It has forced me to ask myself some hard questions. How can I afford to trap while also tending to the financial needs of my family, which includes raising two young kids? In these uncertain economic times, it’s more important than ever to rethink efficiency on the trapline. Whether we’re figuring out how to catch more fur in less time or budget expenses, the little things truly do add up over time. Becoming more efficient on the trapline will enable many of us to still pursue our…

TRAPPING TRICK$

RED RIVER TRADING

IN the early spring of 1830, the land in today’s North Dakota and its border with Canada and beyond to Winnipeg was controlled by powerful British fur interests. In defiance of those government powers, hundreds of Metis people, or “freemen,” (a mix of several Native American tribes and Europeans) started smuggling their loads of wilderness “gold,” which was fur, big-game hides and dried buffalo meat, southeast toward a remote rendezvous site on the Mississippi River, some 465 miles distant, to trade. The Metis' bounty, which was carried in unique, two-wheel wooden ox carts, was destined to be traded for manufactured goods brought upriver by boat (later steamships) at what is now St. Paul, Minnesota. The trade lasted from spring ice break up until late summer. The Metis' humble smuggling competed with that…

RED RIVER TRADING

8 MUZZLELOADER SEASON LESSONS

Muzzleloader HUNTING comprised the first gun hunting in the world. The old patch-and-round-ball was king of the deer woods, among other hunting endeavors. That tradition is carried on today in muzzleloader seasons throughout the country. According to some sources, about 3.5 million Americans still hunt with muzzleloaders. That said, keep the following steps in mind when prepping for the upcoming fall and winter hunting seasons. 1) CHOOSE THE RIGHT GUN: Selecting the right muzzleloader is a big part of the process. There are different types of muzzleloaders, such as traditional flintlocks or inline options, with the latest and greatest break-open muzzleloaders being the most popular. Study the different options available on the market and choose one that best fits your needs and preferences. 2) PICK THE RIGHT POWDER: Generally, true black powder comes in four…

8 MUZZLELOADER SEASON LESSONS

UPLAND PARADISE

While big-game pursuit is often regarded as a silent, solitary affair, few activities bring folks together like upland bird hunting. Instead of hunkering down in a tight blind or climbing a lonely treestand, packs of hunters (sometimes more than a dozen) line a field or tower to spend the day catching up, smoking cigars and solving all the world’s problems—at least, I’ve heard. Truth be told, prior to this writing, I had yet to knock a pheasant out of the sky, and being that New York is nearly devoid of these beautiful ring-necked beings, I’ve only bumped into one once in the wild. With that, local hunting opportunities just don’t present themselves, so I promised myself that I would jump at the first industry hunt that was offered up, and boy,…

UPLAND PARADISE

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