American Gun: A History of the U.S. In Ten Firearms (42 page)

Maxim guns and, 173

and Smith & Wesson revolvers, 68–69

Salman Pak, Iraq: attack in, 255–58,
256

San Jacinto, Battle of, 24, 27–28, 29

San Jacinto Monument, 29

San Juan Hill, Battle of, 112, 113–21,
114
,
117
,
120
, 123, 126–27

The Sand Pebbles
(film), 141

Santa Anna, Antonio L¢pez de, 24, 27, 28,
28

Saratoga, Battle of, 1–3, 8, 10–12,
13
, 23

Savage Arms, 184

Saving Private Ryan
(movie), 141

Sawyer, Craig, 212–13

Schlieffen, Alfred von, 21–22

scopes

for assault rifles, 238

improvement in, 140

for M14 rifles, 211

for M16 rifles, 250

for Mk11 rifle, 251

night, 212

on Springfield M1903 Rifles, 136–37

Scott, Doug, 105

SEALs

AR-15 Assault Rifles used by, 251

CQB rifle of, 212,
213

Kyle as, 5, 54, 139, 250–51

and M14 rifles, 212,
213

M1911 commemorative model for, 149

and role of special operation forces, 54

and .38 cartridges, 139

Second Caco War (1919–20), 158

Secret Service, U.S., 162, 216, 218–20

self-loading rifles

development of, 193, 195

Spencer repeater as forerunner of, 55

Selma, Alabama, Battle at, 51–52

semi-automatic weapons, 153, 155, 163, 193, 195, 209, 228–29.
See also specific manufacturer or model

Seminole War, 63

Sharps Manufacturing, 38

Sharps rifles

accuracy of, 44, 100–101

Big 50, 98–99

“California Joe” with,
43

in Civil War, 41, 42–45,
43
, 52, 98

price of, 44

range of, 100–101

reliability of, 44

Springfield rifles compared with, 42–43

Winchester’s purchase of, 95

sharpshooters

in Civil War, 37,
43
, 44–45

See also
sniper(s)

Sheetz, Brian, 149

Shepherdstown, Battle of, 45

Short Land Pattern Musket, 7

shotguns

double-barreled, 80

See also specific manufacturer or model

Siege of Cicero (1926), 165–66

Sig Sauer 516 Rifles, 252, 255

Sig Sauer pistols, 139, 229

sights

on Colt Official Police revolvers, 225

and computer guns, 140

laser, 250

on long rifles, 6

on M1 Garands, 199, 202

on M14 rifles, 211

on M16 rifles, 246, 250

telescopic, 44

on Winchesters, 91

simplicity: evolution of firearms and, 32

Singer Sewing Machine Company, 158

“six-shooters,” 65

Smith & Wesson Corporation

advertising for revolvers for,
223

Colt as competitor of, 222

founding of, 222

police use of weapons from, 229

snub-nosed pistols of, 225

.38 Police Revolvers of, 273

Winchester purchase of, 34

See also specific model

Smith & Wesson .342PD revolver, 225

Smith & Wesson M1 Revolvers, 222

Smith & Wesson M3 Revolvers, 68, 222

Smith & Wesson M10 Revolvers (Military and Police Revolvers), 223–24

Smith & Wesson pistols, 78

Smith, Horace, 222

Smith, W.H., 133

smokeless powder, 224

sniper(s)

AR-15 weapons used by, 251

and Army M24 Sniper Weapon system, 138

black powder cartridges and, 117

in Civil War, 44

and computer guns, 140

development of weapons for, 138–39

gauging of accuracy by, 138

Haskins Rifles for, 139

in Iraq, 137, 250–51

Kyle as, 1, 5, 137, 139, 156, 250–51,
253

long rifles and, 8

M14 Rifles and, 211

M16 Rifles and, 250–51

in movies, 141

in Revolutionary War, 18–19

Springfield M1903 Rifles and, 136–37, 141

in Vietnam War, 211

Winchester M70 and, 137

in World War II, 137

See also
sharpshooters

Soldana, Rafael, 25

Spanish-American War (1898), 103,
117
, 174.
See also
Cuba/San Juan Hill

Spanish M1893 Mauser rifle “Spanish Hornet,” 115–16,
116
, 117–18, 119,
120
, 123, 124,
125
, 269

speedloaders, 228

Spencer, Christopher, 38, 50–51, 266

Spencer M1865 Carbines,
39

Spencer Repeaters

accuracy of, 40, 47

in Civil War, 31, 38,
39
, 40–42, 45–48,
46
, 49–50,
49
, 51–52, 53–54, 55, 95

design and development of, 31–32, 34–38, 40

firing of, 95

as forerunner of modern guns, 55

and guns as products of their time, 259–60

limitations of, 95

Lincoln and, 38, 40, 50–51, 52, 266

loading of, 266

overview of, 266

pictures of,
31
,
39
,
46
,
49
,
266

popularity of, 95

price of, 41

psychological advantages of, 54, 55

Spotsylvania, Battle of, 45

Springfield Arsenal (Massachusetts), 122–23,
197
, 269

Springfield M1842 Rifles, 32

Springfield M1861 Rifle-Muskets, 34

Springfield M1873 Trapdoor Carbines, 102–3, 116–17, 123

Springfield M1903 rifles

accuracy of, 126

ammunition for, 126, 137, 269

barrel for, 126

bayonet on, 124, 126, 134

cartridges for, 126, 127, 269

design and development of,
117
, 124, 175

loading/reloading of, 201

Mauser influence on, 124,
125
, 269

in movies and novels, 140–41

overview of, 269

pictures of,
113
,
117
,
125
,
269

Roosevelt (Teddy) views about, 124, 126–27

snipers and, 136–37, 141

training program for use of, 131

in World War I, 127,
130
, 131, 132–33

in World War II, 136–37, 201, 269

Springfield M1911 TRP Operator, 156

Springfield rifles

M1 Garands compared with, 199, 202

muzzle-loading,
33

Sharps rifles compared with, 42–43

Springfield Smoothbore Muskets, 35–36

Springfield, Missouri: Hickok-Tutt Gunfight in, 72–77

sprung loading tube,
39

St. Valentine’s Day Massacre (Chicago, 1929), 178

Steele, John, 159

Stewart, Jimmy,
108
, 268

StG44 Assault Rifles, German, 204, 237, 238

Stilwell, Joseph, 186

Stoddard, William O., 35, 36

Stoner, Eugene, 239, 240, 274

Stuart, James Ewell Brown “Jeb,” 48–50

Sudden Impact
(movie),
215

Summers, Harrison C., 186–87

Sundance Kid (aka Harry Longbaugh), 69, 71

Supica, Jim, 228

Sutton, Willie, 183

SWAT teams, 254, 262

Szima, Alex, 199, 200

T25 Rifles, 209

Taft, William Howard, 126

Tarleton, Banastre, 15, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22–23

Taubert, Albert A., 157–58

Taurus International, 273

Tefertiller, Casey, 79

telescopic sights, 44

Terrell, Kate Scurry, 28

Texas Rangers

Colt Revolvers and, 57–62,
60
, 63, 65

founding of,
60

M1911 and, 162–63

sketch of,
60

Texas Wars, 23–25, 27–29.
See also specific battle or person

.38 Long revolver, 224

.38 Short revolver, 224

.38 Special + P Revolvers, 224, 225

.38 Special Revolvers

advantages of, 224

and attempted assassination of Truman, 215–16,
217
, 218–20

as classic American wheelgun, 214

as main gun of law enforcement agencies, 163

in movies,
215

overview of, 273

pictures of,
215
,
273

police departments and, 220–22

popularity of,
217

Ruby-Oswald killing and, 233

See also specific model

Thomason, John W., 134

Thompson, “Big Bill”: robbery of wife of, 180–81

Thompson, John Taliaferro, 174–76,
177
, 178, 184, 271

Thompson Submachine Guns “Tommy Guns”

accuracy of, 168–69

advertising about,
177
,
179

ammunition for, 175–76, 184, 186

and attempted assassination of Truman, 218

barrel of, 184, 186

British and, 184,
185

Colt Corporation and, 176

design/development of, 174–76, 178, 271

and development of rapid-fire guns, 169–74, 271

gangsters and, 165–69, 176, 178,
179
, 180–83

and guns as products of their time, 260

in Korean War, 168

law enforcement and, 176,
179
, 180

mass production of, 184

military and, 176, 184, 186–89

in movies,
167
, 168

overview of, 271

pictures of,
165
,
177
,
179
,
185
,
271

popularity of, 176

price of, 176

problems with, 184

reputation of, 168, 184, 190, 260

sound of, 168

Spencer Repeaters as forerunner of, 55

Vietnam War and, 168, 189–90

weight of, 189