Americans. Are fascinated. By their firearms.

There may well be over 400 million privately owned firearms in the US today, with approximately 20 million new ones being bought annually. Whether you are a proud owner of a firearm or an anti-gun proponent, or someone in between those opposing poles, there is one constant—firearms have been a part of American history and culture since the early days of the Republic, in fact, way before the Second Amendment was written into the U.S. Constitution. Indeed, during the expansion westward in the 1800s, firearms such as the Winchester Model 1873 rifle and the Colt Single Action Army were as abundant as whispering tumbleweeds rolling across the barren but soon-to-be populated lands.

Arguably the most famous and recognizable rifle of the Old West, the Winchester 1873, is a true icon of the frontier days—no self-respecting lawman, rancher or outlaw would be found without one. Indeed, some half-million were made before the turn of the 19th Century.

Consequently, from the “Guns of the Confederacy” to the “Guns of the Union” during the Civil War (1861-65), to those used during the gunfight at the O.K. Corral (1881) and by gunslingers like Billy the Kid, you can imagine the amazing stories that those rifles and revolvers have told.

Well, award-winning and responsible gun enthusiast and actor Joe Mantegna has loved those stories so much, he continues to host a fascinating documentary-history series called Gun Stories which airs on Outdoor Channel. Season 12 began airing in early 2023, and has featured episodes like The Colt-Browning 1895, The Whitney Navy Revolver and The Whitney Wolverine (“The Gun of the Future”).

In the past, episodes have told compelling stories about “The Guns of Elvis Presley,” “The Guns of John Wick” (yes the character that actor Keanu Reeves plays in the modern and thrilling action franchise), and “Guns Made Famous by Hollywood” (in which Mantegna examines guns made famous by fictional heroes like Dirty Harry and James Bond).

Mantegna, who stars in the long-time TV series Criminal Minds, which now airs as Criminal Minds: Evolution on Paramount+ (VOD service) tells his own interest in “gun stories,” once explaining that he has had an interest in shooting sports (trap shooting and skeet) since his early twenties, when he got introduced to safe and responsible skeet shooting at a range in downtown Chicago: “Since then it's been a hobby for me. I've shot skeet, sporting clays, and traps. So, when The Outdoor Channel asked me if I'd be interested in hosting a show based on historical firearms, I was intrigued by their proposal.”

Now, Gun Stories is into its twelfth season, and one of the many absorbing episodes is called The Firearms of Annie Oakley. In the intro, Mantegna says of Phoebe Ann Moses, “She was the most rooting, tooting cowgirl that ever lived, astounding audiences with her sharp shooting skills around the world. Her sisters called her Annie, and taking the name of the nearby Ohio town as her professional surname, she would be forever known as Annie Oakley.”

Born Phoebe Ann Moses in 1860, Oakley became the star attraction of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show—a rousing and widely popular 19th-century traveling show known for its romanticized portrayal of frontier life in the American West. Oakley’s reputation was crafted by her husband Frank Butler and the promoters of the Wild West Show.

Some of the intriguing insights brought up by this Gun Stories episode on Oakley was that firearms have been presented as the domain of men. In fact, history is mostly written that way. BUT there is another take, with one historian noting that while men came to the West, so did women: “And in many instances, they manned (handled) guns, too. But here you had a young girl (Annie) who outshot everyone in the country. She was extraordinary and did it with such grace.”

The firearms that Mantegna and producers choose to feature for the series are ones that have become classic by enduring the test of time, like the Colt 1911, which Mantegna has suggested is "the world's greatest handgun”, the Colt .45 and the 1894 Winchester. Mantegna adds, “We choose some firearms due to their popularity from film and television, such as the Walther PPK, which became famous as James Bond's gun. And, each season we try to do a cross section of guns that have made an impact socially, economically...not just in this country, but everywhere in the world.”

Drop in on Gun Stories on Outdoor Channel. And, check out Criminal Minds: Evolution which goes back into production for a new season in April. Check out all episodes on Paramount+ — and, drop in on Joe Mantegna’s website.