Caliber/Gauge . [1] The guard was called a shotgun messenger although the phrase riding shotgun was not coined until 1919. Wells, Fargo & Co. began regular stagecoach service from Tipton, Missouri to San Francisco, California which was a 2800 miles long route. "Just like grandpas EAA hammer double: a darn good traditional hammer-gun fit for all manner of uses", "Testimony of Virgil Earp in the Preliminary Hearing in the Earp Case", "Decision of Judge Wells Spicer after the Preliminary Hearing in the Earp-Holliday Case", "Wyatt Earp and the Buntline Special Myth", "Their aim is true: Taking stock of America's gun culture", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Coach_gun&oldid=993867785, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 12 December 2020, at 22:32. Since a "coach gun" is simply a side-by-side double-barrel shotgun with a barrel from 18 to 24 inches in length, such a shotgun was used by shotgun guards on gold shipments on stagecoaches. From 1908 to 1918 all Wells Fargo shotguns were made by Ithaca. Item Code: G1114. Reportedly, Wells Fargo & Co. Express delivered supplies for the expedition. All of these coach guns are ideal for Cowboy Action shooting and home defense. In 1864 the company acquired the Pioneer Stage Company, and in 1866 it bought the stage lines of Ben Holladay. Any Action . The family moved to Indiana nine years later. [3], These shotguns featured external hammers and were manufactured primarily by Remington Arms, Ithaca, Colt's Manufacturing Company, Parker, L.C. Frame size – 1, Weight of barrels - “4 2”,Grade ? His 1883 design was a shotgun that automatically cocked itself when the breech was closed. Preferred weapon to defend the lawless lands of the American far west. Breakable barrel and working cocking and trigger mechanism....R In 1866, Wells Fargo bought out Ben Holladay's expanding network and combined it with the Pioneer and the Overland Mail stagelines to create the largest stagecoach empire in the world. [10], Modern coach guns are commonly encountered in Cowboy Action Shooting competitions, among collections of Western guns, as home-defense weapons, and even as "scrub guns" for hunting grouse, woodcock, rabbit, hare, and/or wild pig in scrub, bush or marshlands, where the 24"+ barrels of a traditional shotgun would prove unwieldy. Though available in lever action and pump actions, Wells Fargo kept using side-by-side double-barrel shotguns because they believed there were too many reliability problems associated with both the new lever-action and pump-action designs. As the guards later discovered, those gun barrels turned out to be sticks tied to branches and a stagecoach robber was born. [8] However, according to another account, both men used Greeners. Boles cracked open the strongbox with an ax before escaping on foot with the gold. beauty. Side by Side . James Wales Miller – A stagecoach driver for Wells-Fargo who saved a $30,000 payroll from robbery. James B. Hume was miner, trader, and lawman in California after the Gold Rush began, but left his mark on history as a Wells Fargo detective who captured stagecoach robbers such as Black Bart.. James Bunyon Hume was born in Delaware County, New York to Scotch parents, Robert and Catherine Rose Hume on January 23, 1827. The two masked men who hailed the Eureka-to-Pioche stagecoach near Ward, Nevada, on the evening of February 27, 1877, made two big mistakes: First, they chose a stage guarded by a shotgun messenger. Action . Wells Fargo Belgium Double Barrel 12 GA. a howdah gun ! Australia and New Zealand have slightly different laws for length, with NZ requiring a minimum overall length of 30" (anything shorter is considered a pistol) with no minimum barrel length and Australia requiring an 18" barrel and a 30" overall length. [6] They stood in such close proximity that the town mortician was able to cover McLaury's wound with one hand. Shotguns were popular long before the Henry rifle, the Winchester 1873, the Smith & Wesson American, or the Colt Single Action Army. On November 1, 1866, Ben Holladay sold his stagecoach company to Wells, Fargo. The Wells Fargo stage line started up operations in California on March 18, 1852 as a subsidiary of The American Express Company. And yes, they were a huge number of shotguns that came West by pioneers. Stage Coach Shotgun. When using a lever-action rifle, one's aim matters more than when using a short-barreled shotgun with a wide shot pattern. As early as 1864… Over and Under . Brand: Denix. & Co. The right side of the stock bears a badge marked “W.F. Typically, a cut-down shotgun would be carried by the messenger sitting next to the stagecoach driver, ready to use the gun to ward off bandits. a howdah gun ! Be the first to review this product . The guard was called a shotgun messenger although the phrase riding shotgun was not coined until 1919. Saved by Mindy Pollack. A coach gun is a modern term, coined by gun collectors, for a double-barreled shotgun, generally with barrels from 18" to 24" in length placed side-by-side. People also love these ideas. Simply put, shotguns were much more widely available and used by more Americans in the 1800s than any other firearm of the period. He later developed the mechanism to automatically eject the shells when the breech was opened. 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 bird hunting guns), either by the factory or from owners and gunsmiths cutting down the barrels. There is a debate if Wyatt Earp used a 12 gauge or a 10 gauge coach gun to murder Frank Stilwell in Tucson? It was not proven that he intended to commit bodily harm on the workmen of the Corralitos Water Co. [3][4], According to one account, Doc Holliday used a 10 gauge Wm. Denix Replica Non-firing Condition New £ 119 1864 WELLS FARGO STAGECOACH SHOTGUN Favoured by Confederate cavalry and Guerilla bands, this non firing replica is a worthy addition to any collection. The concept of a Wells Fargo stageline was conceived by two directors, Henry Wells and William Fargo of the American Express Company in 1851. Moore & Co.[5] coach gun to shoot Tom McLaury point-blank in the chest with buckshot during the Gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, on Wednesday, October 26, 1881. Oct 22, 2011 - Find quality non firing dummy guns & accessories, such as this Double Barreled “Sawed-Off” Stagecoach Shotgun, at Atlanta Cutlery The phrase "riding shotgun" was no teenage game to the men who guarded stagecoaches and trains of the Western frontier. In 1864, Aaron went to Salt Lake City to manage stagecoach operations for the Overland Mail Company, which Wells Fargo controlled. 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. Single-Shot, Break-Action . [1][4] The modern coach gun can be had in a variety of configurations suitable for both Cowboy Action Shooting competition and hunting. Phoenix 1961, 38f. The shotgun of choice was a short 10- or 12-gauge double-barreled shogun, called “messenger shotguns” or “coach guns.” Follow the Rules In each Wells Fargo & Co. stagecoach, a list of rules was posted. 1864 Wells Fargo Stagecoach Shotgun favoured By Confederate Cavalry and guerilla bands this non firing replica shotgun is a worthy addition to any collection. Product Code: G1114. 18. So here goes. All of these coach guns are ideal for Cowboy Action shooting and home defense. Qty: Add to Cart. It was the gun that Virgil told Holliday to put under his coat so that the public would not see it and become alarmed. It is because of this gun and its usage that the term "Riding shotgun" came to be. I was trying to get a ball park value on this Wells Fargo coach gun made by Parker in 1885. Whether it was a brand new shotgun or one passed down from father to son, shotguns were considered the general-purpose firearm of the time. As the shotgun said nothing, and could not be made to testify, Rich and the shotgun were discharged. Stage Coach Shotgun. Stagecoaches carrying the Wells, Fargo & Co. name rolled from Nebraska to California via Denver and Salt Lake City. Through the 1870s and 1880s, Boles, who adopted the name Black Bart from a dime novel, robbed Wells Fargo stagecoaches of their gold. The term "coach gun" emerged in 1858 when Wells, Fargo & Co. began regular stagecoach service from Tipton, Mo., to San Francisco, Calif. Add to Wish List. Stoeger Coach Guns single and double trigger shotguns are based on the Old West stagecoach guard’s shotgun of choice. Details. The verse he left behind scribbled on a Wells Fargo waybill taunted authorities and became part of Western lore: ... meet a stagecoach with a shotgun … The company issued shotguns to its guards for defense. Some say he used a 12 gauge Greener to kill Stilwell. [2] Shotgun messengers guarded express shipments, not stagecoaches. £195.00. Pump . The true stories of the Wild West heroes who guarded the iconic Wells Fargo stagecoaches and trains, battling colorful thieves, vicious highwaymen, and robbers armed with explosives. This is a collectable gun, not a shooter. Any Caliber/Gauge . 1864 Wells Fargo Stagecoach Replica Shotgun With Pistol Grip. beauty. Andy Hall, 19, the youngest member of the expedition, returned to Arizona to become a Wells Fargo shotgun messenger, guarding treasure boxes on stagecoaches crossing northern Arizona. Ich biete hier eine legendäre Stagecoach Shotgun, die auch Market monitoring: 1864 Wells Fargo Stagecoach Shotgun - Street Howitzer - schießunfähige Replika von der Fa. Chambered for 2-3/4 and 3-inch shells Email. Prior to Mr. LeFever's design, all side-by-side shotguns used as coach guns featured external hammers. March 9, 1864, 7« John and Lillian Theobald, Arizona Territory Post Offices and Postmasters. Wells Fargo President SKU. The Wells Fargo stagecoach was a key element in stitching up the budding civilization of the American West. Brand: Denix Even the standard 7.5" barrel of the 1873 Colt Single Action Army was considered too long by most lawmen in the 1800s. [9], Modern coach guns are manufactured by ER Amantino (sold as Stoeger) (Brazil), IZH/Baikal (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 Century International Arms and Interstate Armscorp.