Back in 1866

[Bob McDowell]

Gentlemen, just in case any of you are history buffs and/or western fans, I'm looking for some input for one of my projects. See, I'm a gamer from way back, and while this typically includes dragons, elves, spaceships, and the like, the oldest boy has requested our next game be set in the Wild West. Right now I'm doing my research and am trying to get things ready.

I think I've settled on the Power River area in 1866 for our setting. The 'main character' here will probably start off as a cowhand. I grew up with some of this, and have learned a thing or two along the way, but still have lots of work left to do. So, for starters...

Firearms? I understand that by this time breech loaders were becoming very common. (http://armscollectors.com/gunhistorydates.htm) What does that mean to me? Springfield Trapdoor, maybe? Does anyone know what would have been in common use at that time?

Prices? I thought I'd go fetch a Sears and Roebuck for that year and use it as a price list, but it seems 1866 was when things were just getting started in the mail order business model. Sears itself won't actually be founded until 1893, and thirty years will probably have an impact on the technology... Does anyone have any good sources, preferably internet reachable?

Railroad? Am I reading things right that the railhead is only about as far as Grand Island by this point in time? (http://utahrails.net/up/up-timeline-1864-1880.php) This is a nice map, but it doesn't seem to mark out the railroads at all - http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/co...l-1866.jpg

Stories? I know a lot of you guys grew up in the era of the spaghetti western, whereas my western fiction is going to be more along the lines of the Clint Eastwood work. My boy is almost 12, so I'd be open to any story ideas, conflicts, and/or interesting events from that period to work into the game.

Basically, if you want to shoot the bull as to what it 'might be like' in that particular point in history, please pipe up. I could use the input.

[Bob McDowell]

Actually this may have answered my own question on the rifles...

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springfield_Model_1866

"The Model 1866 was issued to U.S. troops in 1867, and was a major factor in the Wagon Box Fight and the Hayfield Fight, along the Bozeman Trail in 1867. The rapid rate of fire which could be achieved disrupted the tactics of attacking Sioux and Cheyenne forces, who had faced muzzle-loading rifles during the Fetterman massacre only a few months before. The new rifles contributed decisively to the survival and success of severely outnumbered U.S. troops in these engagements."

Next up, pistols!

[Kurt]

Bob.

There is a book called 14 old gun catalogs. It has old guns from 1859 to 1902 By L.D. Satterlee By the Follett Publishing Co. out of Chicago, Illinois.
It has a lot of documentations from the users of the popular long guns and handguns of that time.

Kurt

[Bob McDowell]

http://www.amazon.com/Old-Gun-Catalogs-1...B000MKT1C6 ??

[Kurt]

http://www.amazon.com/Old-Gun-Catalogs-1...B000MKT1C6 ??

That's the one I have. I read it so much the pages are falling out
I like to read the testimonials. I found one from a guy that lives here in my home town and I took the book to the Historical Society in town and sure enough they had him in the archives.
A lot of interesting reading in this book.
It's quite plain that the Sharps was on the top of the favorite list.
A few writings from troopers stationed at Ft Laramie Wy. territory 1870's

Kurt

[Bob McDowell]

I see there were Volcanics and Henry's out in the wild back then as well:

http://books.google.com/books?id=T-Irz4q...st&f=false

[Kurt]

You dont hear about a volcanic rifle to often. very few know what one is but it is the forerunner of the 1866 Winchester.
I would suspect the repeating rifles like the spencer and Henrys caught favor over the single shots for a self defence rifle but the heavier single shots were still favourite for the hunting rifles.

[Smokin Guns John]

Bob - What kind of game? Board - like Monopoly? Electronic like PACMAN? Card like Hearts or UNO? Anyway -
Maybe take some creative license with the Donner-Reed Party that got hung up in the Sierra-Nevada's, even though that tragedy was some 20 years before. Maybe a short-cut that might be shorter on a map but really turns out to be terribly wrong. A family of 10-12 people from newborns to 60+ Grams and Gramps with 3-4 wagons, 3-4 prize bulls and cows for breeding at their destination. 6 die of natural cuuses and the cattle are eaten or stolen by the BGs.