Paramount+ has slowly become one of the most popular video streaming platforms in the United States, driven in no small part by it being the home to the Yellowstone spinoff 1923, which instantly became a hit with viewers when it debuted last December. In fact, the 1923 sneak peek on the Paramount network (not the streaming service) brought in 7.4 million viewers – surpassing the 4.9 million watchers that turned in for the 1883 preview a year earlier, becoming also the biggest debut on a cable service since 2015.
The Guns of Yellowstone: From 1883 & 1923 to John Dutton’s Family
Clearly, Yellowstone series creator Taylor Sheridan has struck gold in the hills and woods of Montana, and viewers simply can’t get enough. The appeal of the franchise is due to its ability to tell a compelling story of family, loyalty, sacrifice, and conflict. The latter often resolves through sheer willpower as firepower. And this series remains at its heart a “Western,” complete with no shortage of notable firearms.
From the opening scenes (spoilers) of the Yellowstone premiere episode “Daybreak,” iconic guns are present in the hands of nearly all the principal characters. However, it is series patriarch John Dutton’s (Kevin Costner) choice of weapon that essentially sets the tone for what is to come.
Costner carries a stainless steel Ruger Blackhawk revolver to put down a badly injured horse following an automotive wreck near his sprawling ranch. Though Taylor Sheridan likely couldn’t have known when the show debuted that we’d see not one but two prequels, the gun represents a fitting choice for a rancher that spurs change or progress. It essentially comprises a modern take on the Colt Single Action Army revolvers seen in the hands of multiple characters in 1883 and 1923.
The basic revolver that tamed the Old West clearly still has a place in our very modern world.
The Ubiquitous Lever Action
Yellowstone, being a noir Western, also features numerous “lever-action” rifles, arguably the most American of all firearm designs. These simple but never simplistic firearms remain reliable, accurate and rugged. So cowboys of the 21st century carry them as much as their forefathers did a century and a half ago.
A Marlin Model 336, a contemporary take on the Marlin Model 1893, shows up in the series pilot. Meanwhile, the Winchester Model 1894–considered the “ultimate lever-action design” by firearm historians R.L. Wilson and Hal Herring–appears in every season of Yellowstone to date. Though the Model 1894, for obvious reasons, isn’t present in the prequel series 1883, a number of other lever-actions that were common in the era, including the Winchester Model 1866 “Yellow Boy,” and Model 1873, are present.
Moreover, the Winchester Model 1894 becomes the firearm of choice for forefathers Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford) and John Dutton, Sr. (James Badge Dale) in the second Yellowstone prequel series 1923. By the time of the series’ setting, the Model 1894 was already among the most famous and popular hunting rifles of all time.
Pump Action or Double Barreled
A number of shotguns show up throughout the three series, including a Remington 870 and Mossberg 590 in Yellowstone. Again, these tie in nicely to the Winchester Model 1897 “Trench Shotgun” carried by Sgt. Spencer Dutton (Brandon Sklenar) during a flashback to the First World War in 1923. That latter weapon is now infamous in that the German government actually protested its use during the conflict, while it served as the forerunner of the “room sweepers” to come.
Likewise, the iconic double-barreled shotguns so well known for their depiction in countless Western movies play a prominent role in 1883 as James Dutton (Tim McGraw) carries a distinctive coach gun – likely a Colt Model 1878 – with exposed hammers. The same firearm appears in the hands of his wife Margaret Dutton (Faith Hill).
Spencer’s African Double Rifle
Some viewers suggested in online forums that the characters’ son, Spencer, carries a double-barreled shotgun in Africa in 1923. But Spencer almost assuredly wields a Holland & Holland Double Rifle, the type favored by big-game hunters in the interwar era. Fans of the show have, however, debated the exact make, model and chambering. The general consensus points to a rifle chambered in .500 Nitro Express, a widely used cartridge for hunting large and dangerous game animals in Africa and India.
Eagle-eyed viewers may also note that Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren) carried a hammerless 12-gauge double-barreled shotgun in the opening sequence of 1923. It appears again in the third episode of the series. Interestingly, Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) carries a very similar looking 12-gauge in the season four premier of Yellowstone. Though unlikely the same firearm, this time around Taylor Sheridan likely did want viewers to make a connection.
The Most Modern Guns of the Day
An underlying theme in Yellowstone paints progress as the greatest enemy of the Yellowstone Dutton ranch. This proves a bit ironic, given how John Dutton flies around the ranch in his helicopter in the early seasons. 1923 reinforces this point when the primary villain drives a Studebaker automobile, while the Dutton clan relies on a horse-drawn wagon.
More importantly, their lever-action rifles become easily outgunned by more modern firearms of the day.
Yet, the Duttons – and those who work for them – do turn to the most advanced firearms of the respective eras to help defend what is theirs. That is notable in 1883 when James Dutton used a Winchester 1885 High Wall rifle, fitted with a Hi-Lux Optics Malcolm 6x 30-inch long rifle telescopic sight to fend off bandits. The rifle’s usage proves anachronistic, however, High Wall production began two years after the show’s setting. But some suggested the rifle simply stands in for the similar-looking Sharp’s 1874 that served a similar role. Likewise, Dutton carries a Winchester Model 1873 lever-action, one of the most advanced rifles of the era.
Outgunned by the Thompson
Clearly, the Dutton clan fell behind the times by 1923, as rival Banner Creighton (Jerome Flynn) outguns them with his Thompson M1921AC submachine gun – a fitting weapon as its maker Auto Ordnance actively marketed the firearm to ranchers after it failed to gain interest from the United States military. It would be interesting, however, to see how the sheep rancher was able to afford not only the car but the Thompson, which had a retail price at the time in excess of $150 – equal to about $2,600 in today’s money!
Other modern firearms appear during the flashbacks to the First World War. Spencer Dutton’s troops carried a Springfield M1903 bolt-action rifle. Later, he engages the enemy with a Browning M1917A1 water-cooled machine gun. He also carries a Colt M1911 pistol both during his military days and as a big game hunter in Africa.
Even Jacob Dutton, not one open to a whole lot of change, carries a Smith & Wesson M&P as his sidearm of choice. This marks quite an upgrade from the Colt Single Action Army still carried by nephew John Dutton, Sr., and great nephew Jack Dutton (Darren Mann).
Guns of the Noir Western
It is of course in the original Yellowstone where the mix of iconic lever-action rifles appear alongside modern black guns. Meanwhile, polymer-framed semi-automatic pistols show up less than the classic “six-shooters.” A notable example comes from eldest son Lee Dutton (Dave Annable), who in the series opener carries a Spike’s Tactical Punisher Custom AR. Meanwhile, several Native American tribesmen carry a Daniel Defense MK18 pistol. The Punisher shows up in season four as a weapon used by a Montana Livestock Agent – likely the same firearm repurposed by the show’s armorers.
In addition, a number of M4A1s are present throughout the five seasons of Yellowstone, while viewers can also spot such modern rifles as the Heckler & Koch HK416D, PWS MK107 “Diablo,” and Colt LE Carbine.
Modern Blasters of Yellowstone
When it comes to handguns, John Dutton may have stuck with his trusty Ruger in the pilot episode, but prodigal son Kayce Dutton (Luke Grimes) carried either a Glock 17 or Glock 19, while adopted son Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) and trusted ranch manager Rip Wheeler (Cole Hauser) as well as long time ranch hand Lloyd Pierce (Forrie J. Smith) can all be seen with the Kimber Ultra CDP II – the gun maker’s modern take on the Colt M1911. Other ranch hands and Montana Livestock Agents also went with the Kimber Custom TLE II, another contemporary version of the century-old design.
Even as the Dutton family, and the employees of the Dutton Yellowstone Ranch, must embrace the new, they clearly still also maintain the old ways when it comes to firepower. Though this can likely b e chalked up to the armorers supplying similar firearms for the different sets, the Duttons represent a family that appreciates tradition. Just like the ranch passed down through the generations, some of those same iconic old firearms of yesteryear would surely pass down as well.
Editor’s Note:
Rock Island Auction put together its own phenomenal coverage on The Guns of 1923: A Yellowstone Prequel. Not only that, visit their site and jump truly down the rabbit hole, learning about a real life John Dutton, auctions to build your own Yellowstone arsenal and more.
