In 1836, Samuel Colt changed the face of warfare with the production of the first of a series of iconic and influential single-action revolvers, including the .44-calibre Colt Walker and the seminal .45-calibre Colt Single Action Army, which remains in production today. These weapons shifted the role of the pistol from single-shot weapon of last resort to a practical and powerful sidearm that gave the user the ability to defend himself once his primary armament was discharged. It transformed cavalry tactics and relegated the sword to a largely ceremonial role in many armies. Featuring full-colour artwork, expert analysis and gripping first-hand accounts, this is the absorbing story of Colt's family of single-action revolvers, covering their origins, development, use and lasting impact on the modern world.

Colt's single action army revolver is the one revolver that captures the spirit of the American cowboy and holds the attention of gun enthusiasts and collectors around the world. It has been in almost continuous production since 1873, copied by more than a dozen manufacturers and remains as popular today as it was more than a century ago.In Colt's Single Action Army Revolver, author Doc O'Meara takes readers on a journey of discovery looking at this remarkable revolver from its beginnings. With production figures and serial number information, O'Meara serves collectors and historians. He also tests several modern reproductions of Colts and their rivals, providing ballistic and accuracy data for the shooter.*Provides production figures, serial numbers by year and rarities*New low price*16-page color section featuring rare and exotic Colts and the people who owned them

From their founding in the 1820s up to the modern age, the Texas Rangers have shown the ability to adapt and survive. Part of that survival depended on their use of firearms. The evolving technology of these weapons often determined the effectiveness of these early day Rangers. John Coffee “Jack” Hays and Samuel Walker would leave their mark on the Rangers by incorporating new technology which allowed them to alter tactics when confronting their adversaries. The Frontier Battalion was created at about the same time as the Colt Peacemaker and the Winchester 73—these were the guns that “won the West.” Firearms of the Texas Rangers, with more than 180 photographs, tells the history of the Texas Rangers primarily through the use of their firearms. Author Doug Dukes narrates famous episodes in Ranger history, including Jack Hays and the Paterson, the Walker Colt, the McCulloch Colt Revolver (smuggled through the Union blockade during the Civil War), and the Frontier Battalion and their use of the Colt Peacemaker and Winchester and Sharps carbines. Readers will delight in learning of Frank Hamer’s marksmanship with his Colt Single Action Army and his Remington, along with Captain J.W. McCormick and his two .45 Colt pistols, complete with photos. Whether it was a Ranger in 1844 with his Paterson on patrol for Indians north of San Antonio, or a Ranger in 2016 with his LaRue 7.62 rifle working the Rio Grande looking for smugglers and terrorists, the technology may have changed, but the gritty job of the Rangers has not.

In the early transition from the long-lived flintlock system, handgun development closely paralleled that of the long arms. With the advent of the revolving pistols, however; came patents that created monopolies in revolver production and the through-bored cylinder necessary for self-contained metallic cartridges. The caplock revolvers took on a separate evolution and remained state of the art long after the widespread appearance of cartridge firing rifles and shotguns. They rode in the holsters of of explorers and adventurers across the world and granted safe conduct in the back-alleys of the Industrial West right up until the last quarter of the 19th Century. Handguns possess a mystique distinctly different from that of other firearms. They are tools of personal empowerment-chosen by their owners to provide independence and freedom of movement. In the ambitious, optimistic early years of western industrial civilization they were the emblem of liberty and equality and the bane of repressive governments and social movements. Largely because of the traditions that emerged in the time of the caplock pistols and revolvers, they remain so in the early years of the 21st Century.

Welcome to the 19th century when men were men and a .45 caliber slug settled more arguments than lawyers! Back in the Old West, the black powder revolver ruled the roost and everyone from Civil War soldiers to town marshals, Texas Rangers, and saloon girls was packing a six-shooter. Black Powder Revolvers Reproductions and Replicas takes you back to those days of old with a rousing history of the guns that settled not only the Civil War but the American West. Even though films and television have made the Old West a little bigger than life, the guns of the era are as real as Wild Bill Hickok, Wyatt Earp and Buffalo Bill Cody. Starting with a history of Colts revolvers from the 1830s Patersons to 1862 Pocket Models, and continuing through the major competitive makes of the 1860s, this book will give readers an insight into the guns and gunmen from one of Americas most epic periods.Black Powder Revolvers - Reproductions & Replicas by Dennis Adler is the only publication in print covering the wide variety of reproduction black powder revolvers manufactured since 1959. Lavishly illustrated with hundreds of stunning color images, this newest deluxe book in oversized landscape format is sure to be enjoyed and appreciated by black powder enthusiasts worldwide.