The Guns You Think You Know — And the Myths Everyone Gets Totally Wrong

In the final new episode of the year, Logan Metesh of High Caliber History and Allen Forkner of GunBroker.com go hunting for sacred cows and digging into some of the most persistent myths in the gun world. From whether Doughboys liked the 1911, to who actually carried Colt SAAs, to the truth behind trench guns and the Old West, the guys separate legend from history with equal parts humor and heresy. 🔥 The 1911 Wasn’t Loved at First • Early troops distrusted semi-autos and preferred revolvers. • Logistics, mixed training, reliability fears and unfamiliar manuals of arms fueled complaints. • The 1911 became an icon later — not on day one. 🔥 The Luger: Beautiful, Complicated and Misunderstood • Though seen today as refined and elite, the Luger began as an economical option. • Its toggle system was gorgeous but finicky in mud, dirt and combat. • Many “bringbacks” aren’t proven — and prices often ride on collector myth, not fact. 🔥 The Gun That Won the West… Didn’t • The Winchester 1873 became a legend through marketing and Hollywood, not widespread frontier use. • Real settlers relied more on simple doubles, single shots, cap-and-ball conversions and inexpensive pocket revolvers. • Price, durability and repairability mattered far more than style. 🔥 Colt SAAs in the West • Ranch hands and cowboys were far more likely to carry Harrington & Richardsons, Iver Johnsons or Merwin-Hulberts. • SAAs appeared more with ranch owners, gamblers, travelers or cavalry. • Conversions from older Colts far outnumbered factory SAAs in frontier towns. 🔥 Trench Guns: Iconic but Overhyped • The heat shield, bayonet and slam fire look incredible — but true trench use was rare. • They saw more service as guard guns, POW control or utility weapons. • Heavy uniforms, limited capacity and slow reloads undercut the myth of the “trench broom.” 🔥 Why We Believe the Legends • Hollywood cemented many myths: 1894s used in 1870s Westerns, trench guns glorified, derringers kept alive by screen time. • Firearms carry stories like no other tools — part history, part nostalgia, part marketing. Tell us in the comments: 1. Which myth today surprised you the most? 2. Do you own a “legend gun,” and why? 3. What myths or tropes should we tackle next year? • Vote for us in the Gundies — Category 18 of 19 at gundies.com. • Catch up on past episodes during the holidays. • Like, comment, subscribe and share to keep the show growing. • New episodes return January 2026. Thanks for more than two years of support. Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year — and may Santa deliver something worthy of the safe. And as always: 👍 Like the episode 💬 Leave a comment 🔁 Share it with a fellow firearms enthusiast 📲 Subscribe and follow ⭐ Leave a review wherever you listen Every rating, review, and share helps us bring more firearms history and industry insight each week. Follow No Lowballers on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ for behind-the-scenes content, historical deep dives and weekly drops every Thursday. Find Logan at ⁠⁠High Caliber History⁠⁠ and Allen at ⁠⁠GunBroker⁠⁠.