Were Winchester rifles really as commonly used during the Wild West as portrayed in media today?

  • The average daily wage for an unskilled worker during the 1870s-1880s was less than $2.
  • Meanwhile, the price of a Winchester rifle in the year 1877 was $40.
  • That means to afford a Winchester rifle, the average person would need to spend around a month's worth of their earnings. And this is not even taking into account the other expenses a person would have to worry about, such as food, housing, clothing, etc.
  • Was having a Winchester rifle worth the expense to most people?