Semi-Auto Handguns in the Old West

Were there semi-auto handguns in the Old West?
Also, a brief history on some early models.
***By the way, semi-auto can be pronounced Sem•eye or Sem•ee. Both are correct.
Also, the Wild Bunch is set in 1913, prior to WWI. Sorry!***
Great knowledge of popular semi-autos is Batjac JW: / scorpio86ist
Thanks to Jed iTV for the SASS clip: / @jeditv
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Thanks to Forgotten Weapons for the Webley Fosbery clip: / @forgottenweapons
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[@BoyNamedSue4]

It always amazes me how much gun technology advanced in the 30 year stretch

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Right? A lot of failures that make really cool lookin' firearms.

[@derfaschist9687]

New are just plastic made toys.

[@mpetersen6]

@@derfaschist9687 That shoot better.

[@AgentXRifle]

Hipoint would like to have a chat

[@mdj.6179]

It was the advancement of standard machining technology.

[@dancortes3062]

The Westerns set in the early 1900s are some of my favorites. It's cool because you know that whole way of life is about to mostly come to an end.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yes, usually cast older actors, too.

[@ClanShaw]

Old Henry is really good

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

@@ClanShaw Good movie.

[@hillsman9199]

@@ArizonaGhostridersBoth Red Dead Redemption games fill that niche really nicely

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

@@hillsman9199 I have yet to play the first

[@cielopachirisu929]

At last! As someone who considers the Old West to have stopped in the 1920s (and lived somewhere that many aspects of the Old West haven't died off yet to this day) I've long wanted you to do a video on this sort of 'Twilight of the Old West' stuff. Thank you for covering it!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Sure!

[@alswann2702]

My great uncle was known to get all liquored up and ride his horse through town on Saturday nights shooting his six guns off well into the 1940s. It's a family tradition, my 3X great grandfather was lynched there for rustling horses.

[@TitusCastiglione1503]

I second this. The Twilight of the Old West sub genre is really cool and deserves its own video.

[@dutch9357]

@@alswann2702 I know guys that did this in Ogden, Utah in the 70’s 😂

[@buckfizzard291]

West died 1933 with the theft of American gold and making abc agency to take your God given rights by a commie banker

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

By the way, semi-auto can be pronounced Sem•eye or Sem•ee. Both are correct.👍 Also, the Wild Bunch is set in 1913, prior to WWI. Sorry!

[@MANC2311]

My first thought was Big Jake.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

@@MANC2311 Mine too

[@mherod51]

Is that kinda like ," Respect my authori•teye..."? Jus chkn

[@gravemarker]

Po-tay-to, po-tah-to…

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

@@gravemarker YES!

[@SeanDahle]

So cool that Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2 acknowledged the these early semi auto pistols by making them usable in both games. Mauser's my favorite of these

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

It is.

[@Brenden2006]

Early Semi-Automatics are often overlooked. Good video Santee

[@ShutUpBubi]

They really are man the FN 1903, the C93, C96, Luger, etc etc and so many more they're all so elegant

[@Brenden2006]

@@ShutUpBubi Elegant and groundbreaking. FN-1903 still holds up as conceal carry today

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thank You!

[@wolfcharlie3771]

Compared to the united states and canada, various latin-american countries (from the north of mexico to the southern tip of argentina) still had their wild frontiers even after the turn of the century (some go as far to the 1940s). And there were plenty of times were outlaws and gunslingers started to used semi autos while still maintaining their old ways, heck, some even used crazier stuff like bren machine guns stolen from the authorities for example

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

I've heard. You still have a lot of outlaws and gunfighters!

[@randycurtis1176]

Does that mean: Bad guys can get their hands full auto machine guns?, bad guys break laws?, military can have their weapon stolen? and these same bad guys don't register their weapons? I might as well give supporting gun control. ☠️☠️☠️

[@GrosvnerMcaffrey]

In a way I see alot of early mobsters as the new outlaws

[@Gameprojordan]

Now the cartel controls everything and regularly fights against the Mexican military with equipment that matches their capabilities

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

@@GrosvnerMcaffrey Yes

[@waynedaly1718]

Another fun episode. Quite surprised to see Luger PO8 and C96 Mauser in the hands of the western crowd. Well done yet again Santee. Thanks mate

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

You're welcome.

[@Platano_macho]

There is a museum in Guthrie Oklahoma where lawman in the old west carried Luger pistols chamberd in 7.65 Luger

[@Platano_macho]

Those pistols are on display

[@WheelgunDan]

I think the Broomhandle Mauser was actually invented a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... because Han Solo carried one. hahahaha

[@gameragodzilla]

One thing I actually find pretty interesting is a lot of the ergonomics of the 1911 pistol was actually at the request of horse cavalry. That includes things we take for granted on modern pistols like: 1. A magazine release button I hit with my thumb that drops the magazine freely. It was designed because the original heel release meant unloading the gun was a two handed affair. 2. The slide release that locks the slide back when the magazine is empty and you chamber a new magazine by hitting it with your thumb. Again, the prior guns that didn’t have it required two hands to rack the slide to chamber a round. 3. A drop safety to prevent the trigger from being pulled by inertia if the gun drops on its back. While the grip safety wasn’t widely copied, the concept lives on in the trigger safety (aka dingus) on modern pistols like Glocks. 4. A thumb safety allowing you to reholster the pistol safely after firing a few rounds. Any pistol that does have a safety will often by a 1911 style thumb safety with up as safe and down as fire, including the new U.S. military M17 and M18. You would figure pistol ergonomics designed for horse cavalry 100+ years ago would feel really archaic by today’s standards, yet they don’t. Because of those reasons (and the Wild Bunch), I do consider the 1911 the “last” cowboy pistol.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

It's well thought out gun tech.

[@gameragodzilla]

@@ArizonaGhostriders Yeah, though it also shows how little handgun design has actually evolved since. lol During the 1800’s we went from flintlocks to auto loading pistols. Meanwhile the 1911 is still relevant in modern times with just a few features backported.

[@patron8597]

The Mauser the title character in the 1968 movie The Great Silence carries is part of its iconic feel, and it goes well with the "closing era of the Old West" theme.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Great!! I'll try and catch it.

[@YTLSF]

Was about to say the same! If I remember the sheriff of snow hill seems pretty bewildered by the weapon also when seeing the title character use it

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

@@YTLSF I realize I've seen it! Spaghetti Westerns do that. You think it's a new one to you, then 20 minutes in....you've seen it before.

[@inaciomirandatt6470]

Imagine being a common outlaw, all your life shooting and being shot at by Revolvers, seeing one day a weird handgun with no cylinder shooting much faster than you could ever hope

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Hate to tell you, it's been proven that you can shoot a single action faster than a semi-automatic.

[@terrelldurocher3330]

@@ArizonaGhostriders well I would assume, cylinder don't have much travel to do.

[@ianpatrick6034]

I inherited a Savage arms 1907 32 acp. A great uncle bought it because he was a foreman in a diamond mine in South Africa and was almost beaten to death. After he healed, he was attacked by 6 guys. He shot all 6 of them and they never attacked him again. The workers of the mine had no idea how many bullets it held so they didn't try to attack him anymore. The slogan for the pistol was "10 shots quick as lightning"

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Interesting!

[@dillonc7955]

As someone who played Red Dead Redemption 2 (a game that takes place in the late Wild West) I shook my head when I was able to buy the Mauser in 1907, most notably find a gunslinger using a customized one in 1899. At least there's historical justification the pistol was in the later portion of the Old West.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yes

[@laughingsnake1989]

The one gun that I shook my head at was the Italian carcono in 1899

[@ponraul1221]

RDR2's epilogue takes place in 1907.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

@@laughingsnake1989 A little hard to imagine in the Old West.

[@longtranthanh8544]

Yeah, Billy Midnight and Angelo Bronte own a Mauser in 1899.

[@doraran2138]

There's a picture of a frontier bar in early1900's, with a C96 Mauser being held by a patron in a bar. I've seen pic several times, but keep forgetting to print it out. If you have or find it I'd love to see it again. BTW Sears catalogue of 1903 shows .30 Lugars for sale. Wyatt Earp was a paid spokesperson promoting the Savage M1907 pocket pistol.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

A subscriber sent me a photo with a Native American warrior holding a self-loader. Looks like a Luger, but I can't tell.

[@TheGreyTurtleEntertainment]

My favorite thing about early Semi auto guns is playing the "has this appeared in Star Wars" game. It's pretty fun!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

It is!

[@joeltowle2737]

The Professionals is a great early 1900's movie with modern semi's and bolt guns!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yeah, that one too

[@TimKoehn44]

Great episode Santee! Great to learn about the development of certain styles of weapons. Love my 1911! Cheers!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

You're welcome!

[@MrSwccguy]

1911s are WW1 its in the name

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

@@MrSwccguy Except WWI wasn't in 1911.

[@MrSwccguy]

@@ArizonaGhostriders 1911 were introduced after it

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

@@MrSwccguy Right

[@docternoblex]

Fun fact: Hugo Borchardt refused to revise and improve his handgun because he insisted that his handgun was “perfect”, so Georg Luger took the design and improved it, resulting in the Swiss and others praising the design of the Luger semi automatic in 1900

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yep

[@jamalwilburn228]

Hugo said, "Nah, cuh. This sheet wack af. Step aside, let me cook"

[@lukesams3349]

Even The Mandalorian reflects these technological changes in the waning days of the frontier. Din Djarin’s blaster pistol is a modified Bergmann with sci-fi decorations to fit better into the Star Wars universe

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

It is! I never really thought about it.

[@tedebear108]

Good morning santine. Ted from Texas here. I had an old 1911 mate in 1914. But I needed money and I sold it. Made a lot of money on it, but I regret selling it. Great episode my friend

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

We all have that one gun sale regret, Ted.

[@JeffDeWitt]

I've liked the 1911 since first noticing it in all those WWII movies years ago, just a cool looking gun, and after learning more about it, I got one as my first handgun. I figured any machine that has been made for well over a century has to be good! (And I was right). I'd also like to compliment you for the creative way you put your logo though your videos. It's very well done and gives a subtile bit of copy protection.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Most of the time I do it just to be creative and to make people grin.

[@derfaschist9687]

I love tokarev tt33

[@mherod51]

Yep, back in the early 80s all I had were Colt SAs, but when I got back into fast draw & spinnin' pistols, I decided that I wanted a "modern" firearm, so I ended up with 1911s in 3 sizes. Nothing says Old West when robbin the train like a SA Army, but a 1911 is a really a good shooter and carry gun. God bless John Browning.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Agreed!!

[@manoftheocean6988]

"What are those guns they have?" "What, You don't have them In the high country? Invention moves real quick." "Here, It does... Frightening." I love John Marston's reaction to seeing Broomhandles for the first time.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yessir

[@Skaramine]

The longslide Model 59XX is a beauty. My character, Robin Locke, moved to a Mauser C96 when she went to India, but still kept an Iver Johnson. 38 with her at all times. 😊

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thanks

[@rhondaz356]

Santee, just another example of your interesting, informative knowledge, loaded with entertaining, audio/visuals. I ALWAYS come away, having learned something about our past, and sometimes the influence on our present. 👏🤠👏 #1

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Wow, thanks!

[@joemortimer1763]

Love this episode! Glad you expanded into the early 1900s. Some folks think the old West went up to about 1920s in rural America. Not sure of my stance, however seems plausible to me as percussion firearms were still in use in rural areas well into the 1930s-ish, especially for folks who did not have alot of money. Love the Colt M1911. The first weapon I was issued in the Navy in the 1980s was a Colt M1911A1. To this day it is still my favorite semi-auto hand gun. Batjac JW was a little late to the party, but still glad to see him. 🥳🤣 Love his channel too.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

That's cool info, Joe!

[@John-uy4jx]

I think it’ll be cool if the next Red dead redemption game takes place post WW1 with Jack coming home and his beginning weapon is either a M1911 or a captured German Luger. 1919 would be interesting because you have the last few days of the Wild West mixed with the dawn of the newest crime wave of prohibition which is going to keep the Wild West on life support for a few more years.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Great idea!

[@skaldlouiscyphre2453]

For a game like that they could overlook the spread of rule of law and just allow the wild west era to merge gracefully into the prohibition era. The wise outlaws transition into moonshiners and gangsters, the less wise outlaws become obsolete.

[@cesarh0767]

Glad to be on this channel again!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thank You!

[@Snuffy03]

Another great episode. And it is one that touches on a subject most people don't know about! Good job!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thank You!

[@WhatIsYourMalfunction]

Had a chance to buy a red 9 C96 Broomhandle a few years back. Keep kicking myself for not doing it. I live in Oregon, so I can't buy anything anymore. Nice episode -- I learned a coupe things!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Whoa!

[@MASTEROFEVIL]

Did they pass that anti-second amendment bill?

[@johnrudy9404]

Joe Kid...great movie. Broom handle in that was really anachronistic.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

It was!

[@austinwhite4626]

Fun fact, Winston Churchill's favorite gun during the Boer War was the Mauser C96 Pistol. I saw a one man show in my hometown of Winston Churchill.

[@austinwhite4626]

And I got to say as a proud man of British, Scottish and Irish heritage (though a Native of Iowa) Winston Churchill was the greatest Prime Minister.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Interesting!

[@BradSprinkle]

Really like this one. Pretty fond of single stack 1911. SAS alias 'Bad Brad'. Enjoyed this one a lot. Look forward to each episode. Have done one the English ranchers. A thought. Keep them coming. 🤠👍

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@mxhdroom]

Another great video Santee! One correction though.... Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch would have taken place about 1912ish, making it pre-WWI not post-WWI. There's a scene where William Holden and his gang brandish their 1911's in front of the German weapons expert. The German questions the group about how they aquiried a pistol made only for the American military and not available for civilian use. This only happened in the first few years of production and 1911 production didn't really start until 1912. By 1913 or so commercial 1911s began to appear on the civilian market.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Good catch. I thought Wild Bunch was set after.

[@hyenaloaf1858]

First commercial run was in 1912 I believe, a very small number

[@mxhdroom]

@@hyenaloaf1858 Right... and I remember reading that the army didn't even really see production 1911s until early 1912. That one statement in the movie really cements what the time period is supposed to be. Kudos to the writers!

[@Paladin1873]

I once bought a very doggy 1915 manufactured 1911 Commercial that I later sold to my brother after the slide cracked and had to be replaced. It was the most comfortable 1911 I ever shot. Just shows how a century of abuse can improve a firearm.

[@WheelgunDan]

@@Paladin1873 IF you'd like to find an affordable replacement, the quality of the Tisas US Army 1911-A1 is really good. www.tisasusa.com/product-p/usa-wg.htm

[@masonbricke4568]

Some of you may already know this... Have you ever wondered why, in "Big Jake", Christopher Mitchum loads his "1911 Bergmann" with a pistol grip magazine, when a Bergmann carried its ammunition in front of the trigger? It's because the pistol wasn't really a Bergmann, but a 1938 Walther made up to resemble a Bergmann. I don't know why a mock-up was used, though I suppose it was simply because there was no operable Bergmann available. Just goes to demonstrate how nothing in movies is what it seems. :)

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

yeah, I read that on IMFDb

[@masonbricke4568]

@@ArizonaGhostriders I figured you would know. They don't call you Santee for nothing. :)

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

@@masonbricke4568 HA! Well, it was news to me. I often wondered why they didn't use a real Bergman, but figured they couldn't find one...

[@pajamajohnson6051]

1:51 That holster. I love it!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Right?

[@jzargo7443]

Fun video. I love early automatics, so far have aquired a C96, Luger, Savage 1907, and a reproduction 1911. All very interesting in their own way

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

They are!

[@ralphlatorre203]

Great video! One of my favorite movies is The Professionals starring Burt Lancaster and Lee Marvin. Great use of then modern weapons to Lancaster still clinging to his lever action Winchester and Colt Peacemaker.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Right!

[@mpetersen6]

The period around the Mexican Revolution/Civil Wars of the late 1890s early 1900s was a period that saw various combatants using firearms that were not out of place to 1880s up to the then state of the the art military arms from Mauser and others. In fact the first mass produced semi-automatic rifle design came out of Mexico. The Mondragon.

[@mpetersen6]

On InRange's channel they make a good arguement for the lever action Winchester being the assault rifle of its day.

[@SmallCaliberArmsReview]

I love me some 1851 and 1873 revolver action as well as flintlock and percussion rifles but you just cant beat a good ol' 1911. Very cool episode Santee and you need to take me to that place that had all them old shootin' arns on the wall!

[@SmallCaliberArmsReview]

I forgot lever actions, can't forget them!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thanks, Richard!

[@blackpowderfirearmenthusia3194]

Great video, thanks for doing the research and sharing it with us on old west semi autos.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

My pleasure!

[@salemite]

Fun vid! I am in a pretty similar boat with you, semi autos are tools but revolvers are hobbies. 🙏 Shout out to the venerable Colt Woodsman and Ruger Mark series for teaching generations to shoot.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Cool!

[@gijoe508]

Was waiting for the Big Jake reference I knew it had to be coming with this topic, great video!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yes! Thank you!

[@raymondrussell500]

Don’t remember if I’ve said thanks recently. But, thanks! I really enjoy your videos. They are both a learning tool but also so very entertaining. And i always look forward to each new one! This one taught me something new, i never really thought much about semi autos or the part they played in Western History before. Thank you especially for teaching me and making me so much more aware of this. At 82 it’s so very nice to be able to learn new things. Keep up the great work!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

I appreciate that!

[@Nooziterp1]

An old west gunman with a semi-auto doesn't look right somehow.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

yeah, it doesn't

[@CancerGaming56]

I mean John Marston looks just fine

[@E3ECO]

That semi revolver was really clever.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

It is!

[@DeadSpyGaming_]

It’s cool I stumbled across ur channel a few months ago. My family tree has cowboys and some Cajun Indian, and our last name is ( RIDER ) that’s why I like ur channel Arizona ghost riders😂😂 I also use to live in Arizona and my family would take me to the Wild West towns… we have a family crest and our name dates back to medieval times where we got the name rider from being knights. As I was studying my family tree I came across some outlaws, shop owners, and lawman in my family during 1850-1910. Ur videos give me an idea of what life was like for my ancestors

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thank you and I'm glad you are getting something out of it.

[@madbull0669]

I remeber requesting this about a year ago. Im happy you finaly did the video

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thanks.

[@joelhurley2678]

Thank you Santee for another great episode. Very interesting history thank you so much.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

My pleasure!

[@renaelee5846]

Thx for all your research and educating us👏❤️

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

You're very welcome.

[@imyourhuckleberry2648]

Cool Santee! I love the movie The Great Silence with all the C96 action! watching this makes me think I should revisit that classic.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yes!

[@richardsullivan1776]

Semi- Automatics are great but the old cap n' ball revolvers are the most fun to shoot. I love the days of yester year and I'm a sucker for nostalgia!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yeah, man!

[@ADRay1999]

I have just got recently the successor of the FN 1900 Colt’s 1903 pocket hammerless in .32 acp (Circa 1940)

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Nice!

[@BananaMan-vg7dm]

I ran a Weird West sort of setting in a tabletop game once, in the twilight of its own Old West, and featured semi-autos quite prominently as a new-fangled tech. Loads of fun, it was... wish I could have ran it for a little longer! There's something so awesome to me about the image of a cowboy wielding a broomhandle Mauser, and I can't exactly explain why.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

That sounds fun!

[@markhemond3818]

My semi-autos are tools that have an intended purpose. Hunting, self defense/conceal carry. My revolvers are my "for fun" shooters and show pieces. Sometimes hunt with them as a backup also. NEVER met a 1911 I liked. Had several and got rid of all of them.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Interesting!

[@paulgraham5909]

Never knew about the semi revolver! Thanks for that! Great video as always!!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

You're welcome.

[@shooterqqqq]

The Davis Museum outside of Tulsa OK has two of them. They have 50,000 guns and other relics on display. The Webley Fosbery was used in the Maltese Falcon. Matba used a similar design so they could move the barrel to the six o'clock position. I own three.

[@genedhallinc]

My all time favorite movie The Wild Bunch story was set to depict aging outlaws, being pushed southwest from modern civilization, which facilitated a believable concept that they had semi auto pistols and 10 Guage shotguns likely procured from the military. I looked up all the weapons used in the movie and I think all but one was legit for the date and time, that these outlaws roamed that area. Combined with the stolen horses and uniforms used in the beginning of the movie, there was a good amount of validation, implemented into the story. Also it has been taught in schools that Germany apparently had positioned themselves in South America / Mexico with intentions to invade us from the South. So, the Killing the German officers in the end gave the movie a nice added, meaningful twist.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Good movie.

[@jordanhicks5131]

I love that tom horn story, I heard it decades ago and it always stuck with me as a funny example of changes in tech tripping someone up

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

It is a good one.

[@luisreynoso9445]

These videos never fail to entertain or inform

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thank You!

[@alswann2702]

An elderly Frank James called his Colt Hammerless .32 auto his "pocket gattling gun".

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

HA!

[@Dsdcain]

That's your friends for you. Helpful whether you want them to be or not. Thanks for the new video. Stay safe out there and take it easy man.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

I appreciate ya

[@judsongaiden9878]

2:07 Used by Sean Connery in Zardoz. He had to cock it manually since theatrical blanks didn't produce enough recoil to cycle it. It could be described either as semi-automatic or as an "inertia-operated auto-charging single-action." 4:32 Jakobs allegiance run.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Cool!

[@calvarymcguire6075]

Great video! Really, really enjoyed this one

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@calvarymcguire6075]

@@ArizonaGhostriders could you do a video on tobacco use in the old West?

[@handlebarslim78]

Great video pard!! I tip my hat to you. I do my part to keep the old west alive. I appreciate you.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Right on!

[@tothedome566]

That was a really cool and informational video!!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Glad you liked it!

[@driftydegree5624]

Red Dead Redemption 2 is an amazing way to experience early semi automatics as mentioned in the video.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

It is a great way!

[@rickfalcon5572]

Johnny Madrid (of From Dusk Till Dawn 3) was awesome to see in a gunfight, with a pair of Mauser’s.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

I'll have to watch it again

[@AlphaTraveler1]

Hey Santee, the one thing that I am still amazed at are the cost of the fire arms at that time. I remember learning in school that it was pricy but didnt expect to see how much. LOL. Very cool my friend. I wish you an early Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2023.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thanks and you too, man!

[@justinsane7128]

Thanks for tugging on my semi Santee

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Any time!

[@Jakki_G]

I'd like to thank red dead for reminding everyone that the wild west was not FULLY tamed until the 20s

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

The game is terrific.

[@telesniper2]

Well a lot of what people think of as the "wild west" was centered around mining towns. Tombstone for example. There's really not much other reason to have towns like that in the middle of nowhere. Anyway these towns really did deserve their reputation and were really lawless. I'd say they really kind of died out when gold and especially silver mining was played out about 1910. But right around this time petroleum wildcatting really took off, and those towns were kind of the spiritual descendent of those wild west silver and gold towns. My great grandfather went out to Oklahoma to work in some of these towns and said it was a terrifying place and he always carried a Colt Model 1908 Vest Pocket pistol and slept with it under his pillow. That was in the early 1920s.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yep, I would expect that. Stay armed....ya never know.

[@FoodForestPermaculture]

Fantastic Video . Thank you kindly for sharing .

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

You're welcome. Hope all is well!

[@FoodForestPermaculture]

@@ArizonaGhostriders Very well and thank you kindly

[@chewcacachewpipi8879]

Depending on one's view of when the Old West ended, even automatic weapons like the Maxim gun and 1st generation sub-machine guns were used there. In my opinion it spanned from the early 1600s to the 1920s.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

That's interesting!! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[@jamalwilburn228]

I think it ended in 1920 when the "Wild West" became the "countryside". The US had now switched to being an industrial might on the world stage due to the collapse of the European continent and royalty. The world was moving to radio and experimenting with television.

[@teabag7772]

4:20 Last Man Standing. Badass movie. I like to watch that on my chromebook. I use a gaming amplifier and two equalizers I manually set to bass and voice. It creates a clear sound.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

COol!

[@Mazaco_The_Snake]

Hunt:showdown showed me how much some of the early semis would compare to some of the revolvers and you can see why they were slowly being more used

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

It's pretty amazing stuff.

[@LionquestFitness]

Good video and it's always good to see Batjac J. W.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thank You!

[@lawrencelewis2592]

My father had a broom-handle Mauser in the 1940s. He said it came apart easily but you needed 5 hands to put it back together.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

LOL!

[@robertbuckey6517]

Santee when he got the request for this video- "oh, don't make me talk about guns..."

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

HA! I love 'em.

[@badgerrrlattin35]

In his book "SIXGUNS" Elmer Keith recounted a brush a pack train wrangler had with a Black Bear. He was packing a Luger 9mm and when his dog went after the bear - the bear grabbed it. It was up to the wrangler with his 9 to save the dogs life. The full magazine of the Luger was drained and the bear was completely unphased. They lost the dog, but the pack train used the confusion to get outta dodge. If you research much, you will discover the 9mm has a long history of failure.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Interesting about the bear.

[@sorenlilienthal1368]

FMJ pistol bullets aren't likely to have an incapacitating effect on a large animal...

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

@@sorenlilienthal1368 Finding out the hard way kinda sucks.

[@brittakriep2938]

There is a photo of Wilhelm ll riding in uniform, one pistol in belt holster, one in saddle holster. One weapon was a revolver, other one either a C96 or Pistole 08.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Cool!

[@brittakriep2938]

@@ArizonaGhostriders : The article in a german arms magazine had the toppic of a revolver Wilhelm ll got from his grandmother Queen Victoria

[@OldMusicFan83]

Broom handles are iconic.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yes

[@NixDeGraves8888]

I HIGHLY recommend anybody reading this to look up the movie Sunset. Bruce Willis plays Tom Mix, and James Garner is Wyatt Earp. They team up in old silent western era hollywood and get embroiled in a murder mystery. An excellent love letter to both golden age hollywood and the tail end of the wild west.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Not a bad one.

[@vikingshaman3079]

Another great episode

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thank You!

[@justinweaver8107]

Thats awesome love ol west gun knowledge. Hope all is well.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Thanks.

[@justinweaver8107]

@@ArizonaGhostriders thank u sir

[@distlledbrewedreviewed]

I never knew how early those were made. Thank you my friend.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

You bet!

[@Paladin1873]

It wasn't just semi-auto pistols showing up near the end of the 19th century. Both recoil and gas operated machine guns debuted before the pistols. A late friend of mine was very active in cowboy shooting in the 1990s, and after seeing the movie "The Rough Riders", he had a strong hankering to acquire a belt-fed Colt 1895 "Potato Digger" similar to the ones used by Teddy Roosevelt's outfit. As luck would have it, I knew where a registered one was gathering dust and being used as an ashtray in a gun shop. After some price haggling, a deal was struck, the cigarette butts and chewing gum wrappers were removed from the breech, and the gun found a new home in Texas where my buddy would take it to the cowboy shoots and charge a dollar a round. The proceeds went to funding their club activities.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

That's a great story....bet the gun was happy it was no longer an ashtray

[@Paladin1873]

@@ArizonaGhostriders It ran like a sewing machine.

[@kennethmckenzie6882]

Hey Santee, I got to meet Pete Sherayko, “Texas Jack”, at the Crossroads of the West gun show last weekend. Bought his book about historical accuracy in westerns.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Terrific!

[@hacksaw434]

Your handgun arsenal looks a bit like mine, Santee. Lots of revolvers and one lonely 1911 Colt Officer's Model (Series 80). I did cowboy it up with some jigged bone grips.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Nice choice!

[@FoodForestPermaculture]

Merry Christmas Santee and Family

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

You as well!

[@markkumyllykoski5444]

I once saw picture of 3 Texas Rangers each posing with a C96. It didn't have specific date on it but it was said to have been taken sometime before WW1.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Awww, I wish I had seen it.

[@markkumyllykoski5444]

@@ArizonaGhostriders I tried to find it again so I could link it but can't find it anywhere. I think it was on a forum post discussing about automatics in the old west but it has been so long that it might have been deleted by now. It was a picture of 3 Rangers posing with their guns out and even though it was pretty grainy, those were definitely C96s they were holding.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

@@markkumyllykoski5444 We'll find it again one day

[@chabmondetosen4622]

Never thought they really use semi auto hand guns. I always thought that from start to ending in the old west they use only revolver. Its a great thing to know.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Learnin' is good!

[@Derek_Games-Films]

Although the 1911 is my favourite handgun, I still LOVE revolvers a lot

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Great to hear!

[@lifestudent2472]

Mankind always develops their weapons at the very leading edge of the development of the available technology .

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yep

[@quinmatthew1]

Did you know the 1911 is still technically single action? There are double action models but originally trigger only drops the hammer, the reciprocating slide is what cocks it back

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

yes.

[@WheelgunDan]

Great video! I'm clearly a big fan of revolvers and I have a lot of them. But I'm also a 1911 owner and I have a lot of them too. Having recently become somewhat enlightened to the blending of the "the end of the Old West era" as you referred to and the the emergence of the semi-auto pistol, I have considered buying a Buscadero gun belt (like you discuss in another one of your videos) so that I could start carrying a 1911 style pistol from time to time like (I think) they did in the film "The Wild Bunch". But my personal favorite semi-auto handguns are actually made in Germany by a company called Heckler & Koch. When I take a break from making public appearances and signing autographs and go about my normal daily life vanquishing miscreants, varmints, scallywags and rapscallions, I set down the revolvers and carry something from HK's USP or P30 series of semi-automatic handguns. (A VP9 if I'm feeling a little extra Huckelberryish.) The HK USP's or P30's are great for new gun owners as well as seasoned professionals alike. For home defense, a semi-auto handgun is a good start and I'm glad to hear you've got one which you are highly skilled at using. But what if your ranch is ever descended upon by a whole gang of train robbers? A lever action or semi-automatic rifle with a modern lantern affixed to the weapon would provide you a far greater means to greet the whole gang of outlaws. I think something along the lines of a Marlin SBL or something made by Bravo Company Manufacturing would be in order. Keep up the great work!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

I am waiting for Gatling Guns to come down in price. LOL!

[@fordenginebuildersv8power184]

Great piece of history here!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@fordenginebuildersv8power184]

@@ArizonaGhostriders always do!

[@mpetersen6]

When I saw the thumbnail I immediately thought about Tom Horn*, Joe Kidd, Big Jake and The Wild Bunch. Also iirc there was an episode of a James Garner show that had Lee Marvin on it with him carrying a Colt 1911. *To this day one of my favorite westerns.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

COol!

[@Mr_Fancypants]

I think all weapons before 1900 are the best because there was such a huge market with weird, unique designs it's impossible to know them all

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Yeah!

[@ericruss4189]

Absolutely loved the video! I would love to have a copy of the semiautomatic revolver.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Me too. I hear it's prohibitively expensive.

[@burningsandsexploration3711]

Very cool. Thank you!

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

You bet!

[@OldManMontgomery]

Don't know if it's been mentioned, but the FN 1900, designed by John Moses Browning - standing, removing hat - was NOT a locked breech pistol. The first locked breech pistol was indeed designed by Mr. Browning and made by Colt as the M1900. It was found lacking in certain regards and was re-designed and reincarnated into the M1902 and M1903 hammer pistols, firing the same cartridge. This is not to be confused with the M1903 Hammerless Pocket Pistol in .32 ACP caliber.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

Correct. As mentioned in the video, Browning developed the first locked breech pistol. The first picture shown was the gun for Fabrique Nationale de Herstal just to show Browning's designs.

[@OldManMontgomery]

@@ArizonaGhostriders Okay. The FN 1900 is also the first handgun J.M. designed. However I find the picture and the text together to be a little confusing. I wonder how many folks I will have to convince about this. (A pedant's life is not a happy one!) I have one to show, which should ease the matter.

[@ArizonaGhostriders]

I get your confusion. In all fairness, right below the gun did mention both 1900 models so it would lead people to research on their own.