At the heart of the Cowboy Tactical experience is the utilization of arms inspired from a bygone era.     In the prevalence of black rifles and All Things Tactical, it may seem quaint or even bizarre to be interested in lever-action rifles and revolvers, but there is still a time and place for these weapons.

Modern technology, coupled with proven designs, brings the “saddle rifle” and “six-shooter” into the modern age.   These weapons are primitive in appearance only, made to handle high-powered modern cartridges that would have caused catastrophic malfunctions in the weapons of old.

The Rifle

The lever action rifle is the primary long arm for the Cowboy Tactical experience.    The explosion of feral hogs and the hunting of these tough creatures has breathed new life into 100+ year old cartridges like the .30-30 WCF and the .45-70 Government.

Common rifles in this vein are the Winchester 1894, Marlin 1895 and Marlin 336.    Though these guns often start out as a hand-me-down from father, grandfather or close relative, there is a myriad of options to bring them into modern, combat-ready form.     Updated stocks, ghost ring sights, red dot or responsive and LER scopes, even weapon-mounted lights all increase the versatility of a timeless and proven weapon platform.

The Pistol

The sport of Cowboy Action Shooting has really brought the old Colt Single Action Army – and its variety of clones – into their own in a way never imagined in the late 1800s.    The easy availability of ammunition and recreational time spent practicing has created a new breed of modern cowboy gunfighters with speeds and abilities to rival even the greatest names of the Old West.    Modern metallurgy and reliability means dependability and power that was unheard of in the back alleys of Tombstone or Dodge City.

Italian manufacturers make high-quality replicas of original arms, allowing the modern defensive shooter the opportunity to use weapon varieties that would be unobtainable in their original forms, due to their frailty and historical value.

Still other companies focus on creating modern interpretations of classic firearms, taking the single-action revolver into the modern age for defensive or dangerous game hunting use.