The 19th century bore witness to astonishing advancements in weapons technology. The Industrial Revolution had begun, and manufacturers like Colt, Schofield, and Smith & Wesson implemented mass production techniques to meet ever-increasing demand. They were constantly working to build new and more deadly handguns and artillery. Among other developments, 19th century scientists invented rifled barrels, breech loading mechanisms, metal cartridges, cylindrical bullets, and even magazine-fed small arms and machine guns. American settlers and frontiersmen used all kinds of firearms in their quest to subdue the land and create order, but pistols and handguns are most famously associated with the Wild West of our collective imagination, and the heroes and villains who walk its landscape. Outlaws and lawmen were often synonymous with the western guns they carried, and as the men became immortalized in legend, the weapons, too, became a part of history. Billy the Kid wielded the .41 Colt Thunderer, a rare double-action revolver and a fundamental part of his image. Bat Masterson, one the most known and feared marshals in American history, used the Colt .45, or Colt Peacemaker, and thanks to his exploits, it is often referred to as the “Gun that won the West.” Simply put, wild west guns were a part of everyday life in the 19th century. Some used them to take lives, others to save them, but on both sides of the law, a man’s gun was a part of who he was. Our site has a comprehensive selection of detailed western replicas, western guns and wild west costumes for collectors and enthusiasts.