BOTH the Winchester rifle and Colt revolver claim the title of The Gun that Won the West. I believe this legendary title should actually be Guns Won the West, because when the earliest westward movement of settlers began in America, the flintlock rifle had become the primary survival weapon. Compared to the cumbersome matchlock guns used by the first colonialists to arrive in 1620, the deadly accurate Kentucky rifle provided people with food and helped fight off wild animals and all enemies. In the early 1830s, the cap-lock gun replaced the flintlock and mountain men carrying the famous Hawken rifle blazed new trails deep into unknown territory. These hardy men were soon followed by thousands of settlers looking for a new life out west. During a later era known as the Wild West, the Winchester and Colt dominated the scene. This deadly duo became the most popular firearms in America at the time.
Picture this scene: it is April
