31:
249:, Parker, L.C. Smith, and several Belgian makers. Contrary to myth, Wells Fargo shotguns were not purchased by local agents; prior to 1900 they were purchased from San Francisco gun dealers because Wells Fargo's headquarters were located in San Francisco. From 1908 to 1918 all Wells Fargo shotguns were made by Ithaca.
371:
but differ in that coach guns manufactured after 1898 are offered as new with 18" barrels and 26" overall length and meet legal requirements for civilian possession in the United States. Australia and New
Zealand have slightly different laws for length, with NZ requiring a minimum overall length of
372:
30" (anything shorter is considered a pistol) with no minimum barrel length and
Australia requiring an 18" barrel and a 30" overall length. In the United Kingdom, however, shotguns must have a minimum barrel length of 24" to be eligible for ownership on a
224:
There was no single manufacturer for the traditional messenger's gun, as it was a generic term describing a class of shotguns offered in a variety of barrel lengths from 18 to 24 inches (460 to 610 mm) (versus 28 to 36 inches (710 to 910 mm) for
313:(Russia) (which is now being distributed by Remington under the name Spartan Gunworks), Huglu Armsco (Turkey), Khan (Turkey), Diamond (Turkey), and a variety of Chinese companies for US distribution through
396:
driver, ready to use the gun to ward off bandits. Today, in
American and Canadian English, the term "riding shotgun" refers to the person sitting in the front passenger seat of an automobile.
177:, generally with barrels from 18 to 24 inches (460 to 610 mm) in length, placed side-by-side. These weapons were known as "cut-down shotguns" or "messenger's guns" from the use of such
803:
639:
818:
269:
in
Tombstone, Arizona, on Wednesday, October 26, 1881. They stood in such close proximity that the town mortician was able to cover McLaury's wound with one hand.
608:
578:
364:
would prove unwieldy. The modern coach gun can be had in a variety of configurations suitable for both Cowboy Action
Shooting competition and hunting.
691:
450:
509:
813:
808:
779:
373:
674:
651:
246:
798:
561:
771:
202:
314:
717:
376:, and shotguns with barrels under this length (which includes Coach guns) must be obtained on the more stringent
266:
306:
616:
586:
174:
330:
434:
318:
274:
739:
695:
531:
454:
532:"Just like grandpas EAA hammer double: a darn good traditional hammer-gun fit for all manner of uses"
377:
380:. Some modern coach guns feature internal hammers as opposed to the traditional external hammers.
392:" came to be. Typically, a cut-down shotgun would be carried by the messenger sitting next to the
286:
242:
775:
763:
670:
557:
505:
433:
Revival of the coach gun. Popular
Mechanics. (2022, March 12). Retrieved April 18, 2022, from
310:
302:
214:
190:
186:
146:
368:
221:
was not coined until 1919. Shotgun messengers guarded express shipments, not stagecoaches.
334:
282:
476:
609:"Decision of Judge Wells Spicer after the Preliminary Hearing in the Earp-Holliday Case"
389:
278:
238:
218:
30:
792:
51:
290:
258:
182:
151:
213:. The company issued shotguns to its guards for defense. The guard was called a
405:
357:
262:
229:), either by the factory or from owners and gunsmiths cutting down the barrels.
201:
The terms "cut-down shotgun" or "messenger's gun" were coined in the 1860s when
415:
393:
270:
210:
206:
161:
117:
67:
237:
These shotguns featured external hammers and were manufactured primarily by
345:
139:
361:
338:
226:
178:
133:
41:
667:
The
Greener Story: The history of the Greener gunmakers and their guns
579:"Testimony of Virgil Earp in the Preliminary Hearing in the Earp Case"
435:
https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/gear/reviews/a206/1277346/
360:
in scrub, bush or marshlands, where the 24"+ barrels of a traditional
410:
349:
341:
554:
Age of the
Gunfighter: Men and Weapons on the Frontier, 1840-1900
353:
337:
guns, as home-defense weapons, and even as "scrub guns" for
301:
Modern coach guns are manufactured by ER Amantino (sold as
768:
When Law Was in the
Holster: The Frontier Life of Bob Paul
740:"Their aim is true: Taking stock of America's gun culture"
502:
The
Peacemakers: Arms and Adventure in the American West
289:. However, according to another account, both men used
388:
It is because of this gun and its usage that the term "
261:
used a 10 gauge Wm. Moore & Co. coach gun to shoot
205:
assigned shotgun messengers to guard its shipments on
157:
145:
132:
116:
108:
103:
95:
87:
79:
74:
62:
57:
47:
37:
21:
265:point-blank in the chest with buckshot during the
173:is a modern term, coined by gun collectors, for a
329:Modern coach guns are commonly encountered in
804:Double-barreled shotguns of the United States
556:. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 181.
495:
493:
8:
669:. Quiller Press, Ltd., London. p. 30.
281:at a Tucson, Arizona rail yard and to kill
640:"Wyatt Earp and the Buntline Special Myth"
18:
504:. New York: NAL. pp. 121, 197, 244.
638:Shillingberg, William B. (Summer 1976).
525:
523:
521:
819:Western (genre) staples and terminology
426:
718:"Long Guns Of Cowboy Action Shooting"
613:Famous Trials: The O. K. Corral Trial
583:Famous Trials: The O. K. Corral Trial
444:
442:
285:point-blank the next year during the
7:
607:Douglas Linder (November 30, 1881).
694:. Popular Mechanics. Archived from
453:. Popular Mechanics. Archived from
333:competitions, among collections of
14:
66:Various law enforcement agencies
29:
1:
690:Jones, Spencer (2004-06-01).
449:Jones, Spencer (2004-06-01).
772:University of Oklahoma Press
738:Kohn, Abigail (2001-05-01).
650:(2): 113–154. Archived from
273:also used both barrels of a
247:Colt's Manufacturing Company
716:Taffin, John (2001-01-01).
644:Kansas Historical Quarterly
530:Gardner, Jim (2003-01-01).
835:
814:American Civil War weapons
692:"Revival Of The Coach Gun"
451:"Revival Of The Coach Gun"
367:Coach guns are similar to
315:Century International Arms
257:According to one account,
809:Guns of the American West
267:Gunfight at the OK Corral
127:
48:Place of origin
28:
287:shootout at Iron Springs
665:Graham Greener (2000).
577:Douglas Linder (2005).
552:Joseph G. Rosa (1995).
175:double-barreled shotgun
720:. Guns Magazine Annual
331:Cowboy Action Shooting
799:Break-action shotguns
203:Wells Fargo & Co.
378:Firearms Certificate
283:"Curly" Bill Brocius
217:although the phrase
742:. Reason Foundation
500:Wilson, RL (1992).
374:Shotgun Certificate
319:Interstate Armscorp
253:Use in the Old West
233:Early manufacturers
764:Boessenecker, John
277:coach gun to kill
187:shotgun messengers
75:Production history
511:978-0-7858-1892-2
369:sawn-off shotguns
227:bird hunting guns
215:shotgun messenger
167:
166:
826:
785:
751:
750:
748:
747:
735:
729:
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713:
707:
706:
704:
703:
687:
681:
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662:
656:
655:
635:
629:
628:
626:
624:
615:. Archived from
604:
598:
597:
595:
594:
585:. Archived from
574:
568:
567:
549:
543:
542:
540:
539:
527:
516:
515:
497:
488:
487:
485:
483:
477:"Riding shotgun"
472:
466:
465:
463:
462:
446:
437:
431:
189:in the American
33:
24:
19:
834:
833:
829:
828:
827:
825:
824:
823:
789:
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782:
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759:
757:Further reading
754:
745:
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732:
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571:
564:
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546:
537:
535:
534:. Guns Magazine
529:
528:
519:
512:
499:
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491:
481:
479:
474:
473:
469:
460:
458:
448:
447:
440:
432:
428:
424:
402:
386:
327:
299:
255:
235:
199:
128:
58:Service history
22:
17:
12:
11:
5:
832:
830:
822:
821:
816:
811:
806:
801:
791:
790:
787:
786:
781:978-0806142852
780:
758:
755:
753:
752:
730:
708:
682:
675:
657:
654:on 2012-02-01.
630:
599:
569:
562:
544:
517:
510:
489:
475:Martin, Gary.
467:
438:
425:
423:
420:
419:
418:
413:
408:
401:
398:
390:riding shotgun
385:
382:
326:
323:
298:
295:
279:Frank Stilwell
254:
251:
239:Remington Arms
234:
231:
219:riding shotgun
198:
195:
165:
164:
159:
155:
154:
149:
143:
142:
136:
130:
129:
125:
124:
123:18 in. (457mm)
121:
114:
113:
112:39 in. (991mm)
110:
106:
105:
104:Specifications
101:
100:
97:
93:
92:
89:
85:
84:
81:
77:
76:
72:
71:
64:
60:
59:
55:
54:
49:
45:
44:
39:
35:
34:
26:
25:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
831:
820:
817:
815:
812:
810:
807:
805:
802:
800:
797:
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783:
777:
773:
769:
765:
761:
760:
756:
741:
734:
731:
719:
712:
709:
698:on 2006-11-22
697:
693:
686:
683:
678:
676:1-57157-215-5
672:
668:
661:
658:
653:
649:
645:
641:
634:
631:
619:on 2005-12-11
618:
614:
610:
603:
600:
589:on 2011-02-03
588:
584:
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573:
570:
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559:
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548:
545:
533:
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496:
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471:
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457:on 2007-09-30
456:
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427:
421:
417:
416:Stagecoaching
414:
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409:
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404:
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383:
381:
379:
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370:
365:
363:
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351:
347:
343:
340:
336:
332:
325:Current usage
324:
322:
320:
316:
312:
308:
304:
297:Modern makers
296:
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288:
284:
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276:
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56:
53:
52:United States
50:
46:
43:
40:
36:
32:
27:
20:
767:
744:. Retrieved
733:
722:. Retrieved
711:
700:. Retrieved
696:the original
685:
666:
660:
652:the original
647:
643:
633:
623:February 11,
621:. Retrieved
617:the original
612:
602:
591:. Retrieved
587:the original
582:
572:
553:
547:
536:. Retrieved
501:
480:. Retrieved
470:
459:. Retrieved
455:the original
429:
387:
366:
328:
305:) (Brazil),
300:
259:Doc Holliday
256:
236:
223:
207:stagecoaches
200:
183:stagecoaches
170:
168:
152:Break-action
120: length
99:1858–present
88:Manufacturer
63:Used by
406:Blunderbuss
263:Tom McLaury
793:Categories
746:2007-03-18
724:2007-03-18
702:2007-03-18
593:2011-02-06
563:0806127619
538:2007-03-18
461:2007-03-18
422:References
394:stagecoach
271:Wyatt Earp
211:California
68:Stagecoach
23:Coach gun
356:, and/or
191:Wild West
171:coach gun
70:Companies
766:(2012).
482:19 April
400:See also
358:wild pig
346:woodcock
291:Greeners
275:10 gauge
179:shotguns
140:12-gauge
96:Produced
80:Designed
362:shotgun
339:hunting
335:Western
303:Stoeger
197:Origins
138:10 and
134:Caliber
91:Various
42:Shotgun
16:Shotgun
778:
673:
560:
508:
411:Lupara
384:Legacy
350:rabbit
342:grouse
311:Baikal
243:Ithaca
158:Sights
147:Action
118:Barrel
109:Length
776:ISBN
671:ISBN
625:2011
558:ISBN
506:ISBN
484:2013
354:hare
317:and
162:Bead
83:1858
38:Type
307:IZH
209:in
185:by
181:on
795::
774:.
770:.
648:42
646:.
642:.
611:.
581:.
520:^
492:^
441:^
352:,
348:,
344:,
321:.
293:.
245:,
241:,
193:.
169:A
784:.
749:.
727:.
705:.
679:.
627:.
596:.
566:.
541:.
514:.
486:.
464:.
309:/
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
