Phil Spangenberger
Phil Spangenberger has written for Guns & Ammo for nearly 30 years, and he is best known for his "Gun Smoke" column and articles on Old West firearms. He's appeared on the History Channel's Tales of the Gun and Wild West Tech series and A&E's The Story of the Gun. He is also a Hollywood gun coach, with Mel Gibson, Charlton Heston and Will Smith among his past students.
Stories by Phil Spangenberger
Clean Shots
The most successful gunfighters in the Old West were firm believers in maintaining their firearms.
The First Western Holster
Sleek scabbards housed frontiersmen's six-guns from the days of the California Gold Rush through the closing of the frontier.
John Wayne's Silver Screen Shootin' Irons
In True Grit, Rooster Cogburn says "a gun that's unloaded and cocked ain't good for nothin'," yet that's not the case when it comes to motion picture firearms.
A Gambler's Fifth Ace
"You gonna pull those pistols or whistle 'Dixie?'"
"Hoppy's Favorite" Six-Guns
Together, "Hoppy" and Boyd made their own Western history, and in the process became one iconic figure for generations.
Rifle Packin' in the Old West
While the six-gun may have reigned as king of the silver screen West, in the real Old West, it was a different story.
Cowboy Mounted Shooting
The thunderous sound of pounding hooves and staccato bursts of gunfire breaks the silence of the still air as the lone horseman smoothly guides his mount through the maze of carefully positioned opponents.
