The Gun That Won the West
Definitions
Rifling is the process of cutting spiral grooves on the inside of a rifle barrel. The grooves within the firearm cause the bullets to spin as they pass through it. A bullet is an oblong object and must spin during flight to be accurate, like a football that is thrown.
Repeating rifles have only one barrel, which contain many bullets or rounds. Ammunition is usually loaded into the firearm from a reservoir chamber (magazine) by using an automatic or manual mechanism.
Brief History
Oliver Winchester was an American businessman who was known for the manufacturing and marketing of the Winchester repeating rifle. Winchester and his namesake company have made a number of notable contributions to the fire arms community and created a legacy of quality and excellence in firearms manufacturing.
Winchester was assigned US patent number 5501, which also protected improvements that were made to the Henry rifle. His first gun was an improved version of the famous Henry rifle. It had a loading gate on the right side of the receiver, an enclosed magazine tube, and a wooden forearm. The gun kept its brass frame and butt plate, as well as the wooden stock that had been seen on the Henry. Winchester’s first firearm became known as the Model 1866.
The original Winchester firearm introduced new technology, as it allowed the rifleman to fire a certain number of rounds before the gun had to be reloaded. This is where the term, “repeating rifle”, got its name. Model 1866 were first manufactured in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1867. In 1871, the Winchester Repeating Arms Company moved to New Haven. Winchester’s company also manufactured and licensed the M1 Carbine to the US government. This 30 caliber firearm was used in World War II by the Allied forces.
The US Repeating Arms Company is owned by Herstal Group, a gun-maker and Belgian conglomerate who also owns Browning Arms Company. In January of 2006, the US Repeating Arms Company announced that it would be closing the Winchester plant located in New Haven on March 31 of that year. The closing of the Winchester plant ended the production of a celebrated line of rifles and shotguns, commonly known as “the gun that won the West.”
Online Resources
- The Winchester Rifle: Description of Oliver Winchester’s invention of the volcanic repeating rifle in 1854, and how it works.
- History of Winchester Model 1873: Brief history of Winchester rifles and shotguns, with information on the 1873 model.
- Important Dates in Gun History: List of important dates in the history of guns, researched by the American Firearms Institute.
- Winchester Model 1866 Level Action Rifle: The National Firearms Museum provides pictures and information on the Winchester Model 1866.
- Museums – Winchester Mystery House: Learn about the famous Winchester Mystery House and its museum that has the largest collection of Winchester rifles on the west coast.
- The Winchester Collector: Timeline of Winchester’s career, beginning in 1855 with the Volcanic Arms Company.
- Winchester Rifles and Shotguns: Owners manual for a Winchester firearm, which gives information on how to operate and use features of the firearm. [PDF]
- Gun Timeline: Historical timeline of guns, starting in 1364 and moving on to more modern weapons.
- Bill West – Winchester for Over a Century: Description of the different types of Winchester firearm models.
- Firearms: Details on firearms, such as the Winchester models, from the Cody Firearms Museum.
- Winchester Qualification Program: Learn how to become qualified for the Winchester program.
- The Winchester “Winder” Musket: Photographs and descriptions of Winchester firearms from the First World War and the Second World War.
- Long Live the Model 54 Winchester: Article on the Model 54 Winchester, which became available to the public in 1925.
- The Winchester Repeating Rifle: Original document describing the new technology of the Winchester repeating rifle.
- Winchester Golden Spike Commemorative Rifle: Photographs of the 1969 Winchester Golden Spike Commemorative rifle.
- Model 1893: Information on Model 1873, commonly known as “the gun that won the west”, which was high in demand at the time.
- Winchester M1892: Description and brief history of three important firearms, Model 1892 Winchester, 1892 Carbine, and the Mares Leg rifle.
- M1895 Winchester Rifle and the War: Article on the Model 1895 Winchester rifle and how it was used in the Spanish Civil War.
- Winchester Repeating Arms Company: History of the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. [PDF]
- Treasures of American History: List of important American artifacts, including Lincoln’s Henry rifle from around 1862.
- Spirit of the Old West: Learn the historical significance of various types of Winchester firearms.
- Winchester Model 70 Bolt Action Rifle: Description of the Winchester Model 70 bolt action rifle and its variety of different models, barrel lengths, and calibers.
- The History of Winchester: Brief history of the life of Winchester and the development of Winchester rifles.
- What Makes It Special?: Comparison on the 30-30 Winchester to the 32 Winchester Special.
- Minty Winchester Model 1873: History and information on the Minty Winchester Model 1873.
Books
Winchester: An American Legend. R.L. Wilson. Book Sales, Inc. c2008
The Rifleman’s Rifle: Winchester Model 70, 1936-1963. Roger C. Rule. AuthorHouse. C2009
Winchester Repeating Arms Company: It’s History & Development from 1865 to 1981. Herbert G. Houze. Krause Publications. C2004
Winchester Lever Action Repeating Firearms: The Models of 1866, 1873 & 1876. Arthur Pirkle. North Cape Pubns. C1995.
Winchester Rifles (Famous Guns). Dean Boorman. Salamander. C2001