lives of average soldier in, 65–66
marksmen in, 54–63, 54
and muskets, 40, 43–44, 47, 59–61, 63, 65, 66–70, 66
prevalence of guns during, 47–48, 49, 52–53
raising of militias during, 50
role of guns/rifles in, 54–63, 65, 238–39
and Second Amendment, 239–40, 245
and self-defense, 35, 44–45
shortages during, 34–35, 39, 40, 41, 68–69
See also specific person or battle
American Rifleman (NRA magazine), 231, 235
ammunition, 3, 29, 41, 115, 122, 248. See also type of ammunition or specific model or type of weapon
“Annihilator Mark I” (tommy gun), 191
AR-10, Stoner’s, 218
AR-15, Stoner’s, 218–20, 221, 224
ArmaLite Corporation, 217, 218, 219, 224
Armed Services Committee, U.S., 221
armories
centralized, 88–89
See also specific armory
Army, U.S.
and assault rifles, 218, 219, 220, 221
and Collier and Wheeler firearms, 98
Colt’s relationship with, 102
creation of standing, 88
and Garand rifles, 201
and Gatling guns, 163–64, 181
M1803 rifle as official arm of, 89
and Minié bullets, 117
Operations Research Office for, 205
and Ruger guns, 233
sharpshooters in, 207
and Spencer rifles, 127
and “30 aught 6” cartridges, 203
Thompson and, 191
and tommy guns, 192, 197
on Western frontier, 148–49
See also military, U.S.; Ordnance Board/Department, U.S. Army; specific person, war, or battle
Arnold, Benedict, 34, 60, 92
arrows. See bows and arrows; crossbows
Arrowsmith, George, 118
Ashcroft, John, 244–45, 246
assault weapons, 215–24, 243. See also specific weapon, war, or inventor
Atkinson, Theodore Sr., 40
atomic bombs, 207
Austrian army, 91, 164
Auto-Ordnance (Cleveland, Ohio), Thompson’s, 191, 194, 197–98, 233
automatic weapons
air gun as precursor of, 91
and arms race, 2
benefits of, 167
and civilians, 242
cost of, 192
development of, 190
and gun control laws, 242
impact on warfare of, 167
machine guns as, 181
pistols as, 192
rifles as, 180, 184, 191
shotguns as, 179–80
and World War I, 184
See also specific weapon or inventor
background checks, 242, 243, 248
Ballew, Kenyon, 232
Barnard, Henry, 105
barrels, gun, 29, 121. See also specific weapon
bayonets, 63, 93, 182
Bean, Judge Roy, 112
Beecher, Henry Ward, 145–46
Beer Wars (1920), 193
Belleau Wood, Battle at, 211
Bellesiles, Michael A., 47
Belloc, Hilaire, 166
Bennett, T. G., 177, 179–80
Berdan, Hiram, 128–29, 209
Bill of Rights, American, 71–79, 239. See also specific amendment
Bill of Rights, English, 45, 73–74
Billinghurst-Requa battery gun, 161–62
Billinghurst, William, 161
Billings, Charles, 105
Billy the Kid (Henry McCarty), 137
Black Hawk War, 93
black powder. See gunpowder: black
blacks: and gun ownership, 239, 241–42
blacksmiths, 68
Blackstone, William, 73–74, 76
Blakeslee (Erastus) cartridge box, 125
Blish, John Bell, 191
“Blish lock,” 191, 198
Blue Licks, Battle at (1782), 86
blunderbusses, 84
Boitnott, John E., 213
bolt-action rifles, 203
bombs, incendiary, 4
Bonnie and Clyde, 196
Boone, Daniel, 81, 83, 83, 85–86, 88
Boorstin, Daniel J., 20, 103–4
Booth, John Wilkes, 139
Boston, Massachusetts: and American Revolution, 31–34, 35, 42, 44, 45–46, 50, 51, 52, 57, 58, 77
bottleneck cartridge, 203
Bourgeoys, Marin and Jean le, 23
bows and arrows, 2, 3–4, 6, 11–12, 14, 17, 19, 29. See also crossbows
Boxer Rebellion, 181
Braddock, Edward, 45, 46, 56, 85
Bradford, William, 18
Brady (James) Bill (1993), 242–43
Brattle, William, 33
breech-loading weapons, 92–94, 121, 126–31, 139, 146, 158, 176, 209. See also specific weapon
Breed’s Hill, Battle of, 34, 49
Britain/England
and “American System” of manufacturing, 119
breech-loading guns in, 126
and Browning weapons, 187
civil defense in, 20
and Collier and Wheeler firearms, 98
and Colt firearms, 111–12
confiscation of American guns by, 44–45, 46–47, 50, 52, 240
and debate about American Bill of Rights, 72–74
and development of flintlock muskets, 23–24, 66–68
gun ownership in, 73
hunting in, 24
and Indian warfare, 14
and Lend-Lease Act, 202
limits on use of guns in, 24
and machine guns, 164, 190–91, 198
and Maxim guns, 170
medieval, 5, 6
muskets in, 4
and muskets in European wars, 23
and paper cylinders, 115
populist revolt in, 7
and semiautomatic rifles, 203
sharpshooters in, 209
sixteenth and seventeenth century weapons in, 3–4
and Springfield armory visit by British, 126
and tommy guns, 198
and Vickers machine guns, 171
See also American Revolution; specific person, war, or battle
“Brown Bess” muskets, 66–68, 69, 70
Brown, John, 89, 146
Brown, Orlando A., 147
Browning, John M., 173, 174, 175–88, 200, 224, 238
Browning, Jonathan, 174–76
Browning, Matthew, 184
Browning, Val, 173, 187–88
Browning weapons
as automatic weapons, 173, 179–81, 184, 190, 196
as breech-loading weapons, 176
and British, 187
of Colt-Browning, 183, 184, 185, 186
and Europe, 184–85
M1918 Automatic Rifle (BAR), 173, 184, 196
machine guns as, 179, 181, 183, 186–87, 214
Machine Rifle “potato digger” as, 183
rifles as, 176–77, 196, 201, 203, 205
semiautomatic pistols as, 174, 184, 185–86, 187–88
shotguns as, 179–80
and warfare, 190
weight of, 190
Browning weapons (cont.)
in World War II, 187
See also specific weapon or type of weapon
Bruce, Robert V., 126, 127
Buel, James W., 136
buffalo, 87, 144–47, 150
Buffalo Bill Wild West Show, 143, 149, 150–51, 152
bullets
cylindrical, 115–17
development of, 114–18
Minié, 116–17, 209
“Rocket Balls” as, 117–18
Bunker Hill, Battle of, 34
Buntline, Ned (Edward Zane Carroll Judson Sr.), 149–50
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, U.S. (ATF), 232, 237, 242
Burger, Warren, 244
Burgoyne, John, 54,
55, 59–61
Burnside, Ambrose, 210
Burton, James H., 117
Bushmaster Corporation, 224
Butler, Benjamin, 162–64
Butler, Frank, 151, 152
Byzantines, 35
Cagney, James, 195
Cakhvell, John, 96
Camp Dubois: Corps of Discovery at, 83–84
Camp Lejeune (North Carolina): sharpshooter training at, 212
cannons, 2, 4, 5–7, 12, 20, 37, 40, 84
Canton, Massachusetts: gunpowder plant in, 38
Capone, Al, 189, 193–94
Carten, Frederick, 219
cartridges
all-in-one, 137
bottleneck, 203
“center-fire,” 122
and development of breech-loading guns, 126
early, 114–18
metallic, 114–17, 130
paper, 115
rimfire, 121, 122
and “Rocket Balls,” 117–18
self-contained, 84, 114–17
and technological advances, 122
“30 aught 6,” 203
and Western expansion, 84
See also specific weapon
Caspi, Antonio, 185
Cass, David, 212
Catholics: and gun ownership, 21, 73, 241
Catlin, George, 109
cavalry, American: and Spencer rifles, 131
“center-fire” ammunition, 122
chambered rotating weapons, Colt’s, 97–98
Champlain, Samuel de, 11, 12, 13–16, 17
Chappel, Alonzo, 83
Charleville muskets, 69, 69, 70
Chase, Anson, 97
Chaucer, Geoffrey, 67
Cheney family, 125, 126
Cheyenne Indians, 148–49
Chicago, Illinois
gang warfare in, 193–95
gun control laws in, 247–48
Chickamauga, Battle of, 127
China, 4, 202, 213, 215
Chinn, George Morgan, 183, 187
Church, William, 209–10
Churchill, Winston, 198
“Cincinnati revolt,” NRA, 232
cities
gun control laws in, 230–31
See also specific city
Civil War
and breech-loading rifles, 126–27, 128, 129–30, 131
casualties in, 117, 159
and Colt firearms, 102, 107–8, 129
doctors in, 159–60
and Gatling guns, 158–59, 162, 163–64
and Minié bullets, 117
and muzzle-loaded rifles, 124–25, 130
picture of, 123
and rapid-firing rifles, 130–31
and repeating rifles, 124, 127–29, 130
and right to bear arms, 241
Robbins and Lawrence and, 119
role of guns in, 239
sharpshooters in, 128–29, 130, 209, 210
and Spencer rifles, 126, 127–28, 130–31
and Springfield muzzleloaders, 128
See also specific person or battle
civilians
assault weapons and, 219, 224
automatic guns and, 242
and breech-loading rifles, 129–30
and Colt firearms, 109
gun ownership by, 237
and Spencer rifles, 131
and tommy guns, 192–97
See also crime; gangs/gangsters; gun control laws; gun ownership; hunting; Second Amendment
Clark, William, 84
clergy/ministers
and debate about Bill of Rights, 74
See also specific person
Clinton, Bill, 242
Clinton, Henry, 34
Coast Guard, U.S., 192
Cochran, John, 40–41
Cody, William F. “Buffalo Bill,” 143–44, 143, 145, 147, 149, 150–51, 152
Coercive Acts (1774), 45
Coffee Mill Gun, 162, 163
Cold War: Kalashnikovs in, 216, 217
Coll, Vincent “Mad Dog,” 196
“collective right” theory, 239, 243–44, 245
Collier, Elisha, 98, 99
Collins, Michael, 192
colonial America
manipulation of European ideas in, 27–30
production of gunpowder in, 38–39
See also American Revolution
Colt, John, 96–97
Colt, Samuel
and advantages of guns, 187
childhood/youth of, 96–97, 174
and Civil War, 107–8
death/funeral of, 112
early interest in guns of, 97–98
family background of, 96–97
financing for, 100, 102–3, 105
government relationship with, 101–2, 103
home of, 107
image of, 103
innovations/inventions of, 102–3, 241
legacy of, 95, 108, 113
as manufacturer/industrialist, 100, 104, 105–6, 108, 111–12, 113, 119, 120
military relationship with, 102–3, 104
Morse collaboration with, 102
and “new capitalism,” 96
personal life of, 107, 112
personality/image of, 95–96, 103
picture of, 95
and politics, 107–8
and romanticizing of Western frontier, 143
as showman/salesman, 98–99, 103
views about guns and war of, 224
wealth of, 99, 100, 103, 107, 112
workers’ relationship with, 106–7, 112, 120
See also Colt firearms; Colt firearms—models of; Colt Manufacturing Company
Colt Manufacturing Company (Hartford, Connecticut)
and assault rifles, 219–20
and Browning, 181, 184
as dominant in marketplace, 236
early years of, 105–7, 111, 112, 121, 125
Colt Manufacturing Company (cont.)
in Patterson, New Jersey, 100, 102, 104
and Stoner assault weapons, 220, 224
and tommy guns, 192
Colt firearms
advantages of, 96
artists’ pictures of, 109–11
as chambered rotating weapons, 97–98
and Civil War, 102, 107–8, 129
and civilians, 109
complaints about, 100–101
cost of, 100, 105, 109
and development of first pistols, 95–98
and development of revolving guns, 99–100
and law enforcement, 193
marketing/sales of, 109–11
and military, 100–103, 104, 108
“new and improved” models of, 110
personalization of, 109–10
popularity of, 112
and repeating revolver patent, 99
and Western frontier, 103–4, 109, 138, 195
Colt firearms—models of
1847 Walker gun, 104, 111
1849 Pocket Revolver, 110
1851 Navy Revolver, 95, 110, 111, 138
1860 Army Percussion Revolver, 108
1873 Single Action Army gun, 152
“Buntline Special,” 149–50
Colt-Browning M1895 machine guns, 183
Colt-Browning M1911 semiautomatic pistol, 184, 185, 186
Navy revolvers, 95, 110, 111, 138
Patterson revolver, 100, 104, 105
percussion revolvers, 138
Ring Lever rifle, 100
Second Model Dragoon Revolver, 110, 111
single-action Army models, 235
Single Action Army “Peacemaker” gun, 108–9, 112, 137, 138, 186
Single Action Army revolver (“Buntline Special”), 149–50
single-action revolvers, 138
Coltsville (Hartford, Connecticut), 106–7
Columbus, Christopher, 12
Comanche Indians, 104, 146–47
Committee of Secret Correspondence, American, 41
Coms
tock, William, 144
Concord, Battle of, 42–43, 44, 50–52
Congress, U.S. See Continental Congress; specific legislation
Constantinople, Arab siege of, 35
Constitution of Commonwealth of Virginia, 76
Constitution, U.S.
and Bill of Rights debate, 72, 74–75, 77–78
originalist interpretation of, 237, 243–45, 246
ratification of, 78
revisionism of, 238
and rights as privileges, 243
rights guaranteed by, 242
and self-defense as right, 49
and treason, 240
See also Bill of Rights, American; specific amendment
Constitutional Convention: and debate about right to self-defense, 76
Continental Army: formation of, 52
Continental Congress, 34, 39–40, 41, 51, 56–57, 76, 239
Cooper, Jeff, 215
Cornwallis, Charles, 70
Corps of Discovery, U.S., 83–84, 85, 90
Crazy Horse, 149
Crecy, Battle of, 5–6, 67
Creedmore, Long Island: shooting range in, 210–11
crime
and gun control laws, 226–28, 229–31, 247
and guns as making crime less prevalent, 141–42
and machine guns, 189–90
motorized, 197
rates of, 197, 229, 236
and semiautomatic pistols, 225–26
and tommy guns, 193–97
on Western frontier, 141–42
See also gangs/gangsters; specific person
Crimean War, 126
Crittenden, T. T., 138
Crosby, Alfred W., 3
crossbows, 7, 12, 13, 73
Crowley, William “Ice Wagon,” 196
Crystal Palace Exhibition (London), 119
Cummings, Homer, 227
Cunniffe, “Killer,” 195–96
Custer, George Armstrong, 128, 135, 138, 148–49
Customs, U.S.: and tommy guns, 192
da Vinci, Leonardo, 161
David and Goliath, 1–2, 3
Davies, John M., 119
Davis, Herman, 211
Davis, Jefferson, 101, 117
as Berdan target, 129
Dawes, William Jr., 50
De Milemere, Walter, 6
Deane, Silas, 68–69
Dearborn, Henry, 89
Declaration of Independence, 76
Defense Department, U.S., and assault weapons, 221. See also military, U.S.; specific branch of military
Deringer, Henry, 138
derringers, 138–39
detachable magazines, 206
Dickens, Charles, 112
Dillin, John, 27–28, 30
Dillinger, John, 196
District of Columbia
gun control laws in, 245, 246–47
and Heller case, 246–47
Dixon, Billy, 146–47
doctors, military, 159–60
Dodge City, 140–41
doglock muskets, 21
double-action revolvers, 138
double-barreled shotgun, 139–40
Douglass, Frederick, 241
Drucci, Vincent “the Schemer,” 193
duels, 132–33, 134–35, 150
Dyer, Alexander, 125