Weapons Of The Times

Kansas Gunfighters

General Gunfighters History

The gunfighter era was an outgrowth of the Civil War. Some outlaws were spawned of the Civil War as were Quantrill's Raiders.

The average year of birth was 1853. The average year of death was 1895. About 1/3 of all gunmen died of "natural causes." Many gunmen did not die violently and lived a normal life span (70 years or so). Of those who did die violently (shot or executed), the average age of death was 35. The gunfighters-turned-lawmen lived longer lives than their persistently criminal counterparts.

Most professional gunfighters died in states or territories where the most shootings occurred: Texas, Kansas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, California, Missouri, and Colorado.

The "occupations" of the various gunmen were often those that used firearms in ordinary pursuits. They often carried firearms as a job requirement. There were 110 gunmen who were law officers, 75 who were cowboys, 54 as ranchers, 46 as farmers, 45 as rustlers, 35 as hired guns, but also men who had been soldiers, miners, scouts, teamsters, actors, butchers, bounty hunters, etc.

Gunfighting peaked in the 1870s: Six fights in TX and KS in 1870, 22 in 1871, 13 in 1872, 27 in 1873, 14 in 1874, 13 in 1875, 22 in 1876, 21 in 1877, 36 in 1878, 14 in 1879. In the 1880s: 25 in 1880, 27 in 1881, 15 in 1882, 9 in 1883, 17 in 1884, 7 each in 1885-6, 20 in 1887, 10 in 1888, and nine in 1889. 1895-96 were bad years, 19 fights in each, but then it began to taper off.

Handguns to 1883

NAME TYPE CALIBER SHOTS WEIGHT COUNTRY
Le Mat C&B Revolver C&B .42 & 28Ga 9+1 3.6 lbs USA/Fr.
S&W Russian SA* 1871 Revolver .44 Russian 6 2.5 lbs USA, Rus
.Colt.38RF Police Revolver 38RF 5 GL 2.3 USA
Colt 1-shot .41 1856 Derringer C&B .41 1 0.25 USA
Colt Army 1860 Revolver C&B 44 6 2.8 USA
Colt Dragoon 1844 Revolver C&B 44 6 4 USA
Colt Lightning .38 1877 DA Revolver 38 2.3 USA
Colt Navy 1851 Revolver C&B 36 6 2.5 USA
Colt No.2 derringer derringer 41RF 1 USA
Colt Police 1862 Revolver C&B 36 5 2.3 USA
Colt SA Army 1873* Revolver 45LC, .44-40, 38-40, 32-20 2.5 lbs USA
Colt Thunderer 1878 DA/Revolver .41LC, .44-40, .45LC 4/6 2.5 lbs USA
Colt Walker 1847 Revolver C&B 44 6 4.5 USA
Colt.38RF Navy 1866 Revolver 38RF 6 GL 2.5 USA
Colt.44RF Army 1866 Revolver 44RF 6 GL 2.8 USA
Ethan Allen Pepperbox 1837 DA C&B 36 4-6 USA
Marlin "Never Miss" Derringer 22, 32 1 USA
Reid .22 knuckleduster 1866 revolver 22RF 7GL .5lb USA
Reid knuckleduster 1866 revolver 32, 41RF 5GL .5lb USA
Rem .46RF N.M.Army 1863 Revolver .46RF 5 GL 2.5 USA
Rem. 1875 .44-40 Revolver 44-40 6 GL 2.5 USA
Rem. N.M.Army 1860 Revolver C&B 44 6 GL 2.5 USA
Remington DD 1856 Derringer .41RF 2 0.7 lbs USA
Remington New Army 1866 Revolver .45LC,.38-40 2.5 lbs USA
Remington Rolling Block Pistol 1867 Single shot .50 1 1.5lb USA
S&W American SA 1873 Revolver .38SW, .44SW 6 2.5 lbs USA
S&W DA 1880 DA Revolver 32, 38, 44 5 USA
S&W Model 1 1860 Revolver .22RF 9DetCYL 1 lbs USA
S&W Model No.1.5 1865 Revolver .32SW 5 DetCYL 1.25 lbs USA
S&W Model No.2 1861 Revolver .32SW 6 DetCYL 1.5 lbs USA
S&W Wells Fargo/ Schofield 1873 Revolver .38SW,.44SW 6 2 lbs USA
Sharps "Pepperbox" 1859 4 barrel derringer 22, 30 4 USA
Tipping & Larden 4 barrel derringer 38 4 USA
NAME TYPE CALIBER SHOTS WEIGHT COUNTRY
Abadie DA Revolver 9.1mm 5/5 1.6 lbs Portugal
BODEO DA Revolver 10.4mm 7/7 1.7 lbs Italy
Beaumont Adams Converted to Metallic Cartridge c1865 DA Revolver .32,.38, .45 5 2.3 Great Britain
Beaumont Adams 1855 DA Revolver C&B .32, .36, .442, .50 5 2.2-6 Great Britain
Enfield 1880 DA/Revolver .476, 455 6 2.5 lbs Great Britain
Howdah Pistol 1840s Double barrelled C&B .70 3lb 11oz Great Britain
Howdah Pistol 1880s Double barrelled .577 Short Boxer 3lb 11oz Great Britain
Howdah Revolver DA Revolver .577 Short Boxer 6 GL 4.5lb Great Britain
John Adams DA 1867 DA Revolver .32, .38 .45 Adams 2.1 lbs Great Britain
Lancaster Pistol 4 barrel .476, 455, 38 4 2 lbs Great Britain
Lancaster Pistol 2 barrel .476, 455 2 2 lbs Great Britain
Lancaster Pistol 2 barrel .577 Short Boxer or 20 bore 2 Great Britain
Tranter 1863 Revolver 23, 32 RF 7 GL Great Britain
Tranter Solid frame DA Revolver 32,38,43,45,50 6 GL Great Britain
Webley Bulldog DA/Revolver .442, 45, 38, 32 6 GL 2.7 lbs Great Britain
Webley New Army Express 1881 DA/Revolver .45, 455, .476, .44SW, .45LC 6 GL 2.6 lbs Great Britain
Webley RIC 1863 and RIC No.1 1883 DA/Revolver .45 6 GL 2.6 lbs Great Britain
Webley RIC 1883 DA Revolver .45, 32, 36 5 GL 2.6 lbs Great Britain
Webley Service MKI* 1887 Revolver 455, 476 6 2.2 lbs Great Britain
Webley-Wilkinson Revolver .45 6 6/12 2.8 lbs Great Britain
Mauser zig zag Revolver 9mm 6 GL 1.6 lbs Germany
ReichsRevolver M1883* Revolver 10.6mm 10/12 2.2 lbs Germany
Frankenau Purse Pistol 1877 Revolver built into purse 5mm PF 6 GL German
Breakopen Pinfire 1865 Revolver 7mm,9mm, 12mm PF 6 France
Coup de Poing Fist pistol 1867 DA Pepperbox or revolver 7mm, 9mm PF or 5mm, 7mm, 9mm RF 6 GL France
Lafaucheux Revolver 1870 DA or SA revolver 7mm, 9mm, 12mm PF 6 GL France
Lafaucheux Revolver 1870 DA or SA revolver 7mm, 9mm, 12mm PF 7 GL or 7 1lb 7oz France
Lafaucheux Revolver 1870 DA or SA revolver 7mm, 9mm, 12mm PF 12 France
Le Page 20shot 1867 Revolver 7mm, 9mm, 12mm 20 GL France
NAME TYPE CALIBER SHOTS WEIGHT COUNTRY
Le Mat Pinfire Revolver .42PF & 28Ga. 9GL+1ML Shot barrel 3.4 lbs France
Biedermann 4 barrel derringer 12mm 4 Belgium
Belgian M1871 Revolver 10.4mm 6 GL 2.1 Belgian
Nagant M1878 Revolver 9mm 6 GL 2.1 Belgian
Nagant M1883 Revolver 9mm 6GL 2.1 Belgian
Gasser-Kropatschek 1878 DA/Revolver 9mm 6 GL 1.7 Austria
Gasser-Montenegrin 1882 DA/Revolver 11.3mm 6 GL 3.1 lbs Austria
Double barrelled Muzzle Loader Flintlock or C&B .5-.7 2 Any
Single Shot Muzzle Loader Flintlock or C&B .5-.7 1 Any
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