were made especially for the movie by Ron Luckenbill owner of
Recreating History in Pennsylvania who recreates muzzleloaders of
the 17th century through the mid-18th century.
The historic and influential long rifle born in
Pennsylvania inaugurated
a long line of weapons that, to one degree or another,
became threads
in the nation’s cultural fabric. Here’s a small sampling:
WINCHESTER 1873: Dubbed “The Gun that Won the West,”
the Winchester 1873 was a lever-action workhorse made
in
three configurations: 24-inch barrel rifle, 20-inch barrel carbine,
and “musket,” the latter of which was produced for the military.
Originally chambered for .44-40 cartridges, later models used
.38-40 and .32-20, which became popular cartridges for handguns,
meaning a cowboy could carry one type of ammunition for two
distinct weapons. In 1950, Jimmy Stewart starred in a movie titled
Winchester ’73. A pivotal point in the plot is a shooting contest in
which the winner gets a special-edition ’73. Winchester produced
“The Gun that Won the West” for nearly a half-century for a total
of three-quarters of a million rifles. Model ’73s represented the
first successful high-capacity repeating rifle that was treasured by
ranchers, lawmen, and outlaws.
COLT SAA: The Colt Single Action Army is known as Model P, “The
Peacemaker,” and M1873. Some also called it the “Thumb-Buster.”
Why? Because the hammer had to be cocked by the shooter's
thumb each time the weapon was to be fired. Production began
in 1873. The SAA became available in standard barrel lengths
of 4.75 inch, 5.5 inch, as well as the original 7.5-inch Cavalry
standard. Shorter barreled revolvers (4.75 inch) were sometimes
called “Civilian” or “Gunfighter” models. Those with a sub-4-inch
barrels, were unofficially dubbed “Sheriff's Models”, “Banker's
Specials,” or “Storekeepers.” Lawmen and outlaws used the Colt,
including Lincoln County Sheriff Pat Garrett, “Wild Bill” Hickock,
lawman Wyatt Earp, Texas Ranger Tom Hickman, and Elfego Baca,
a gunman, lawman, lawyer, and politician in the later years of the
Wild West. In addition, Teddy Roosevelt used a Colt revolver in the
Spanish–American War, and General George Patton sported an
ivory-handled Colt during World War II.
SHARPS 1874 LONG RANGE RIFLE: For gun lovers, the star of the
movie Quigley Down Under (1990) was not Tom Selleck, but rather a
Sharps rifle owned by Matthew Quigley, an American cowboy who
can shoot accurately at extraordinary distances thanks to a custom,
single-shot, 1874 Sharps Rifle, with a 34-inch barrel. Beginning in
1848, Christian Sharps was responsible for a series of large-bore
single-shot rifles that were respected and known for their long-range
accuracy. By 1874, Sharps were available in a variety of calibers. Their
reputation helped them get picked by a number of armies, particularly
since Sharps managed to be one of the few firearms to successfully
transition to metallic cartridges. Production ceased in 1881. Despite
that, the appearance of Sharps rifles in many Western movies
helped make it an icon of the American Old West. That high visibility
prompted a number of rifle companies to offer reproductions.
M1911: This singleaction,
short recoiloperated,
semiautomatic,
magazine-fed
pistol became one of the most
successful small arms of the 20th
Century. It was created by famed
designer John Moses Browning as
the result of the military’s search for a
pistol to replace the variety of revolvers then in service. Bids were
narrowed down to six candidates, with Colt having submitted
Browning's design. In one of the tests, the .45 Automatic Colt Pistol
(ACP) was fired more than 6,000 times. When it got hot, the ACP
was dipped in water and cooled off. It continued to work. After
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58 The TRUMP RALLY Publication