Semi-automatic pistol (inspired by the BorchardtC93)
- The granddaddy of self-loading pistols, this revolutionary
German-produced handgun was the first semi-auto to see significant
mass-production. Very costly to make, much less purchase, and with a
kick like a mule, gunslingers at the time still couldn’t resist the
attraction of its amazing self-feeding mechanism that enabled it to
fire in rapid succession.
Mauser pistol (inspired by the Mauser C96)
– Its distinctive box magazine in front of the trigger and even more
unique wooden walnut handle (earning it the nickname the "broom
handle”) only partly explains why this pistol acquired such cachet as
an elite and exotic firearm. The power and penetration of its 7.63mm
rounds went unrivalled for decades, and its range was excellent as
well. Winston Churchill was among this pistol’s many loyal fans.
(Left: In Red Dead Redemption, the Mauser is a rare and coveted gun that will even earn you a special Achievement/Trophy ("Exquisite Taste”) just for purchasing it from a gunsmith; Right: The genuine article - original photo of an 1895 Mauser C96. [Wikimedia Commons])
High power pistol (inspired by the Browning M1903)
- This key forerunner of the modern semi-automatic pistol was designed
by legendary gunmaker John Browning for military purposes and became
very popular for civilian-self defense (and with outlaws) due to its
accuracy, light weight, quick reload and most of all reliability, as
soldiers from Belgium, Holland and Sweden to Turkey, Russia and the US
could attest.
Bolt-action rifle (inspired by the Krag Jorgensen)
– Invented in Denmark, this weapon won a competition held by the US
Military on New York’s Governors Island and beat out several dozen
competitors, including domestic weapons manufacturers who howled in
protest. Among its attractive features was its improvement upon the
standard top-loading rifle models of the time - the bolt-action loaded
rounds much more quickly, smoothly and efficiently.
(Left: Marston takes aim with the
bolt-action rifle based on the Krag Jorgensen. Right: US troops fight
from the trenches using the Krag Jorgensen during the
Philippine-American War in 1899. [Wikimedia Commons])
Pump-action shotgun (inspired by the Winchester M1897
– aka "the ol’ ‘97”) – A classic of American firearms, the pump-action
shotgun surpassed its predecessors with an easily removable barrel (for
those preferring varying lengths), a slide lock that greatly reduced
misfires and jams, and an overall sturdier frame. Nearly a million such
rifles were produced during the first half of the 20th century.
Browning Machine Gun (inspired by the Browning M1917
prototype) - Invented in 1890 by John Moses Browning, and ultimately
with later models becoming a fixture of World War I combat – the
Browning Machine Gun is a water-cooled, recoil-operated, fully
automatic piece of bullet-firing mayhem; and one of the most
cutting-edge, rare and indeed deadly of all the weapons John Marston
lays his trigger finger on.
(Left: John Moses Browning - one
of the most brilliant innovators in the field of weaponry at the turn
of the 20th century. [Wikimedia Commons]; Right: Marston at the helm of
Browning's revolutionary machine gun.)
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