One of the great things about being a gun writer is that you never know what the day’s mail will bring. For instance, I just recently got a great book from Jim Muschett at Rizzoli International Publications, Inc. It is titled, Colt: The Revolver of the American West, and is written by Jeffrey Richardson.

Richardson is the Gamble Curator of Western History at the Gene Autry Museum in Los Angeles. In order to celebrate the history of Colt firearms, Richardson has selected the museum’s 100 most important examples to document and celebrate the history of Samuel Colt’s revolutionary invention.

Along with some early examples of the Colt Patterson and Colt Walker, you’ll see and read about Colt Single Action Army, serial #1, Wild Bill’s Colt Navy, and Wes Hardin’s 1876 Colt Double Action. Not to be outdone, Richardson also includes guns used by Ken Maynard, Gene Autry, and Clayton Moore (the one and only Lone Ranger).

Unlike a lot of “coffee table” books, Colt: The Revolver of the American West includes a lot of information about the 100 guns chosen and includes great professional photographs. The book is an extremely good blend of entertainment as well as in-depth research.

Order your copy from your local book store or online book dealer. I’d write more about Colt: The Revolver of the American West, but I am going to pour another cup of coffee and look at some more of the cool sixguns that this book depicts.