“Winchester’s slogan was “The gun that won the west”.”
By the time the first rifles stamped “Winchester” began hitting store shelves, winning the west was pretty much over and done with. That was 1867.
Historians still argue about which gun had the biggest role in winning the western portions of the continent.
Sam Colt’s earliest revolvers appeared in 1836 (long guns and handguns), but did not appear in significant numbers until after the Mexican-American War. After the Colt patents expired, competing arms appeared in the 1850s, but did not challenge Colt’s dominance for some years. The largest competitor was Remington.
Other scholars credit the double-barrel percussion-fired muzzle loading shotgun: very popular with sodbusters.
Lever action repeating rifles were relative latecomers: 1860 for the Spencer, 1861 for the Henry (made at Oliver F Winchester’s facilities).
Horace Smith and Daniel Wesson introduced their first revolver in 1857: a diminutive 7-shot arm. The 22 Short rimfire cartridge it fired was introduced at the same time, and is still in production.
Many other gunmakers offered their creations on the market, but few are remembered today. Take your pick, on which mattered the most. But it was a mop-up operation after the American Civil War.
“But it was a mop-up operation after the American Civil War.”
Thanks for the history lesson but tell that to George A. Custer.
You know, they found Custer breathing his last on the morning of June 27, 1876.
They asked him if he had any last words:
“Yeah I do. Arrows hurt.
“And why did the Injins have Winchesters while we had these single-shot boom sticks?”
Honest Injin.