Firearms of the American West, 1803-1865 - Hardcover

Garavaglia, Louis A.; Worman, Charles G.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0826307205 ISBN 13: 9780826307200

Publisher: Univ of New Mexico Pr, 1984

Synopsis

Traces the development of rifles, pistols, carbines, and other weapons and examines the impact of firearms on the history of the West

About this title

Synopsis:

In 1803 Lewis and Clark set out on their epic expedition across the American wilderness west of the Mississippi, armed with the typical weapon of their day, the single-shot muzzle-loading rifle. By 1865, a variety of breech-loading and repeating arms had been invented, there were both easier to use and more accurate. This encyclopaedic study, part one of a two-part book, traces the development and uses of firearms on the frontier during that period, drawing on primary sources such as correspondence and diaries, newspaper accounts, government reports, and patent materials. Then, as now, most of the advances in weaponry were made in response to the military's needs, becoming available somewhat later to civilians, and then to Indians. The authors thoroughly cover the refinements and adaptations of weapons for employ by these three groups and by explorers and trappers, describing in detail each gun, its modifications, operations, and uses. In many ways the history of firearms on the frontier parallels the history of the development of the West.

About this edition

• Publisher: Univ of New Mexico Pr
• Publication date: 1984
• ISBN 10: 0826307205
• ISBN 13: 9780826307200
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 2