The Magnificent Seven 

Winchester 1873 rifle

Based on the 1860 Henry Repeating Rifle, the Winchester 1873 has a prominent place in the history and lore of the American west. It was even marketed by The Winchester Repeating Arms Company as "the gun that won the West," which as we'll see later on, isn't the only weapon to claim that phrase.

Over half a million Winchester 1873s had been produced and sold by 1900. Its success was down to a tube magazine with an enormous capacity together with a rapid-fire lever action, which would later inspire the Maxim Machine Gun.

The 1873 model is arguably America's most famous western rifle and it was used by America's most famous western star, John Wayne in many of his movies.

It even starred in its own movie, the James Stewart western film noir, 'Winchester 73' (1950)

In 2014, an old, weathered Winchester 1873 was found leaning against a tree in Great Basin National Park in Nevada. Dating to 1882, the rifle is now on permanent display in the Park's visitor centre.

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LeMat shotgun revolver

The LeMat is unusual in that its cylinder holds nine shots instead of the usual five or six. But that isn't all, it also has an extra 18-gauge smooth bore shotgun barrel mounted underneath the main pistol barrel.

The LeMat offered a lot of firepower when the revolver was introduced in 1856. It went on to find favour with the soldiers of the Confederate States in the American Civil War.

The LeMat appears prominently in the 2010 martial arts/western mash up 'The Warrior's Way' with a replica popping up in the 2016 HBO series 'Westworld', and most recently in the 2024 action film 'Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga'.

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The Whitworth rifle

The British Whitworth rifle resembles the better-known Enfield Pattern 1853 but features hexagonal rifling designed to fire a close-fitting, hexagonal bullet which precisely matched the barrel.

It was prized for its long-range accuracy, especially among Confederate snipers in the American Civil War, who became known as the Whitworth Sharpshooters.

A lesser-known weapon of the period, it can be seen in the film 'Gettysburg' (1993) and it was a plot point in BBC One's Victorian police drama 'Ripper Street'.

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Derringer pistol

Named after Philadelphia gunmaker Henry Deringer, 'Derringer' became a generic name for a small, concealable weapon used for close range self defence. As such, it was often carried in a vest pocket, stocking, or lady's purse.

A .44-calibre pistol also known as a Derringer (and made by Henry Deringer) was famously used by John Wilkes Booth in the assassination of the US President, Abraham Lincoln during a theatre play in Washington DC, on 14 April 1865.

Remington's version featured two barrels that lifted for loading and is featured in reproduction form in Quentin Tarantino's 'Django Unchained' (2012). It was also used by Lee Van Cleef in 'For a Few Dollars More' (1965).

Derringers of various types can often be spotted in western movies - usually carried by gamblers, saloon girls or bad guys. They're often seen in bar room or poker table scenes.

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Colt single action army revolver

Just like the Winchester 1873, the Colt six-shooter was also a contender for the title of 'the gun that won the West' and it is probably the most famous gun of the Old West.

It was popular with the military, but it was also a first choice of agents of the law and criminals. It was said by a former train robber that 'a Colt's forty-five makes all men equal'.

The Royal Armouries were fortunate enough to have on loan the Colt that belonged to rancher John Tunstall, whose murder Billy the Kid set out to avenge.

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Colt Navy Revolver

The Colt Navy revolver was based on the original Colt Paterson design of 1836 and saw widespread military and civilian use during the Old West period. Using the percussion system of ignition, it could take some time to load but was among the first pistols to provide the user with multiple shots before reloading.

This iconic revolver made several appearances in the hands of Clint Eastwood during his spaghetti western period in the 1960s and 1970s, and more recently it was one of the pistols wielded by Jamie Foxx in 'Django Unchained' (2012).

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Sharps rifle

Unlike the Winchester, which fired short-range pistol ammunition, the Sharps was a single shot, full-bore rifle chambering the powerful .50-70 or .45-70 Government ammunition.

It became renowned for its accuracy over long ranges and it was powerful in its use hunting large animals, or 'sniping' human targets.

The Sharps rifle is often referred to as the actor Tom Selleck's co-star in the western/Australian outback movie 'Quigley Down Under' (1990). A Sharps 1874 Buffalo played a starring role in 'Django Unchained' (2012), in the hands of Jamie Foxx and Christoph Waltz.

Find out more about this rifle in our Collection Online record