Gunslinger's Guns, also called Peacemakers, Widowmakers or The Big Guns, were once the guns of
Arthur Eld and were handed down from father to son for over a thousand years.
Roland inherited the Guns of Eld from his father shortly after his time in
Mejis. A plate was added to each gun so they were weighted to his hands, as
Steven Deschain was not as tall or as heavy as Roland. Known for their loud, crashing KA-BLAM when fired, they are worn low on his hips for easy grasping.
After losing two fingers of his right hand, one of Roland’s revolvers was shared and kept by
Eddie and
Susannah Dean. After leaving Roland’s world and re-entering
New York, Susannah sadly threw one gun in a trash bin in
Central Park. Roland, upon reaching the Dark Tower, laid his remaining gun at its entrance, in order to enter the doors.
The Guns of
Eld were made from the blue-grey steel of
Excalibur and their grips are made from scented
sandalwood. At the end of each muzzle is an engraving of the mark of
The White, which was the dinh mark of
Arthur Eld. It is not truly known from where the blue-grey steel or the sandalwood originated. Some believe Arthur pulled
Excalibur from inside of a pyramid in a far land of
Mid-World, others think he traveled with the
Manni to another world and obtained his weapon there. Still others believe Excalibur came from the Dark Tower itself.
The six-shooters of Eld were forged after a crippling battle Arthur and his knights had with a giant snake. Arthur’s first guns were destroyed so he reluctantly gave over his sword to the smithies of Mid-World so they could make him new ones from its steel. The smithies also created replicas of these new guns (but not made from the blue-grey steel of Excalibur) so that Arthur’s knights could carry these awesome weapons as well. Those that carried these replicas, the knights and their descendants, are called
Gunslingers.
Inconsistencies in The Dark Tower Series
While possessing Mort's body in New York in the second novel
Drawing of the Three, Roland discovered that his revolvers took the same shells as a Winchester .45. However, no such gun exists in our world. Winchester was famous for the .45 caliber Rifle, but also manufactures .45 caliber shells. Most likely the closest resemblance in our world is a Colt .45 Peacemaker. A possible explanation can be found in later books where it is discovered there are many similar worlds with small differences, and therefore many New Yorks.
King also describes scenes where the gun is a single action revolver, as well as scenes where the gun is a double action (also describing a fanning of the trigger - not the correct fanning of the hammer).
Original artwork by Jae Lee and Richard Isanove
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References
David, Peter, & Furth, Robin. The Gunslinger Born #1. Marvel Comics, 2007.
David, Peter, & Furth, Robin. The Gunslinger Born #2. Marvel Comics, 2007.
David, Peter, & Furth, Robin. The Gunslinger Born #3. Marvel Comics, 2007.
David, Peter, & Furth, Robin. The Gunslinger Born #4. Marvel Comics, 2007.
David, Peter, & Furth, Robin. The Gunslinger Born #5. Marvel Comics, 2007.
David, Peter, & Furth, Robin. The Gunslinger Born #6. Marvel Comics, 2007.
David, Peter, & Furth, Robin. The Gunslinger Born #7. Marvel Comics, 2007.
King, Stephen. The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower, Book I, Revised). Viking Adult, 2003. ISBN 0670032549
King, Stephen. The Drawing of the Three (The Dark Tower, Book II). Viking Adult, 2003. ISBN 0670032557
King, Stephen. The Waste Lands (The Dark Tower, Book III). Viking Adult, 2003. ISBN 0670032565
King, Stephen. Wizard and Glass (The Dark Tower, Book IV). Viking Adult, 2003. ISBN 0670032573
King, Stephen. Wolves of the Calla (The Dark Tower, Book V). Donald M. Grant/Scribner, 2003. ISBN 1880418568
King, Stephen. Song of Susannah (The Dark Tower, Book VI). Donald M. Grant/Scribner, 2004. ISBN 1880418592
King, Stephen. The Dark Tower (The Dark Tower, Book VII). Donald M. Grant/Scribner, 2004. ISBN 1880418622