Phil Spangenberger

The master of the long shot, indeed Based on the research of Art Burton Bass Reeves was also a master of surprise and disguise. Illustrations by Bob Boze Bell June 15, 1884 On his forays into the Indian Territory, Deputy U.S. Marshal Bass Reeves and his crew often rounded up as many as 17 fugitives and criminals, they then had to guard every night on the return trip to Fort Smith.

General John “Black Jack” Pershing assigned the Apache scouts from the 10th and 11th cavalry the task of tracking Pancho Villa. (Enjuh! It is good, they acknowledged.) The taste of new adventure and the hunt for the elusive bandit and his soldiers stirred their warrior souls. The violence and upheaval of the Apache campaigns of the 1880s were long past.

Considered one of the world’s best hunting rifles since its inception, it’s also been a favorite with cowboys and lawmen. Whenever riflemen make a list of classic hunting rifles, Winchester’s 1894 lever-action is sure to be at or near the top. Sometimes known as “America’s Deer Rifle,” its lightweight and easy-to-carry design, combined with a smooth, fast-shooting capability, continues to rank the Model 1894 as a favorite short-range hunting rifle, well over a century after its introduction.