·       I originally wrote this with Dad for use on Threads, but I thought I'd post it here too for reference.

Here’s a super extra simplified Thread of goodies for writers writing stories with cowboy guns. Why listen to anything I have to say? I grew up surrounded by old west style guns and Dad helped me write this Thread. Dad’s a lifelong enthusiast of old west style guns and an active SASS competitor (think cowboy cosplay with real pew pew).

DISCLAIMER: there is huge diversity of firearms, especially in the American ‘old west.’ If you’re writing something that requires specifics, research is encouraged.

SAFETY INFO: if you are handling firearms, even props or replicas, ALWAYS treat them as if they are loaded and ALWAYS point them in a safe direction.

·       Broadly, the American Frontier/Old West spans between about 1607-1912. When we think ‘Old West,’ we’re probably thinking more along the lines of the 1800s to 1912. For this Thread (and to keep this from ending up 100K words long), we’ll stick to three main firearm types: the shotgun, the rifle, and the pistol.

·       Shotgun: a versatile and deadly firearm that can shoot a huge range of ammunition contained in cartridges. Everything from many tiny bits of lead the size of BBs, to comparatively massive lead slugs, to salt (ouch!). A shotgun can be a lever-action (the shooter cycles the weapon ie: racks it, getting a new round ready), pump action (rounds are cycled by sliding the pump under the barrel--the iconic shotgun-racking sound), and break open (a lever allows the gun to hinge open and shells manually placed in the barrel(s), think: the classic double barrel). Shotguns can have stunning knockdown power with the right load, so were popular stagecoach guns.

·       Rifle: as firearms transitioned out of muzzle-loading musket style to more modern cartridges, muskets themselves transitioned into rifles. The Winchester lever action repeating rifle is both iconic and revolutionary (Henry did it first though). Depending on the model and cartridge size, it allowed the shooter to fire up to 15 rounds without reloading. Rifles are known for accuracy, think: sniper rifle. They can hit targets much farther away than a pistol or shotgun could. A longer barrel length generally added to accuracy due in some part to additional velocity resulting from longer acceleration, but also due to a longer distance between the rear sights making the rifle easier to aim with precision.

·       The Pistol: this is what you’re here for, right? The iconic six-gun? Bonus points: not all pistols shot six rounds. Some shot less, some shot more, and technically speaking, not all pistols were revolvers. But when we think of ‘cowboy guns’ we probably think of the ‘single action’ revolver. When the hammer is pulled back, the cylinder turns, lining up a fresh cartridge with the hammer and barrel. Pull trigger go boom.

During the ‘cowboy’ period, most revolvers can be divided into weapons that ‘break open’ allowing for the cartridges to be placed in (called a lemon-squeezer) and the side-opening gate. Some revolvers let you pop the whole cylinder out and pop a new, loaded one, in. Until 1877, all revolvers were of the ‘single action’ variety, meaning that you had to ‘cock’ the hammer first, and then pull the trigger. In 1877, the ‘Double Action’ revolver hit the scene, which allowed cocking the hammer with the trigger pull itself.

·       You’ll often see gunslinger characters carrying several pistols. This is so they can keep shooting even when one gun runs out of ammo. Some of the most iconic pistols were Colt, Remington, and Smith & Wesson.

·       Guns are heavy. To me, a gun weighs more than it looks like it should. The metal has to be strong enough to withstand repeated explosions, because that’s what firing a gun is: a controlled explosion. Guns have a smell. The cleaner, the gunpowder, the oil, even the metal itself. You have to keep them clean, old west era gunpowder was corrosive, and an uncleaned gun could turn into a poor excuse for a club.

·       Gunpowder has a sulfurous burnt smell. If you haven’t been around firearms, think of fireworks. Often, when a gun is fired, flames will spout out the barrel. It’s cool as hell. Adding little details about the smell and the smoke can help set the scene and bring it to life.

·       Not Like the Movies: As cool as it is, unless a pistol is magical, an old west era pistol isn’t sending people flying backwards through windows or walls (a shotgun might send pieces though.) If a gun holds 6 rounds…it holds 6 rounds. It doesn’t manifest more if you blink. Characters will have to reload when they run out of bullets.  Characters who aren’t ignorant, stupid, or in a panic-induced reptile brain (hey it happens) will likely keep that in mind, as reloading back then was not a matter of ‘John Wicking’ your way into a fresh magazine in a fraction of a second.

·       You’ll see a lot of ‘dramatic racking’ in film and media. Keep in mind, racking chambers a round and cocks the firing mechanism (whatever it is). If it’s already been racked, racking it for effect removes a loaded round from the chamber and probably tosses it out of the weapon. It looks and sounds cool on screen but is wasteful in real life.

·       Sounds: movies use a lot of stock sounds, most of which don’t actually sound like the real thing. Old style pistols tend to crack, a sharp snapping sound. Large caliber rifles and shotguns are loud as all get out. If folks are shooting all the time without hearing protection, they likely have hearing damage, realized or not.  “It’s not that loud” in reality is often accompanied by "Whadya say? You need to speak up.”

·       Bonus Points for Weird: Pepper Box, LaMat revolver, Harmonica Gun. (Give ‘em a Google, you won’t regret it)