Revolvers as we know them have been around for over 150 years. Yet, in an age of hi-tech sci-fi weaponry, powerful sniper rifles, and unmanned drones, this relic from a bygone age is still a common sight in games and movies today.

From Red Dead Redemption and Metal Gear Solid to The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly, the legendary revolver has become one of the most iconic weapons in all of pop culture. But how did the weapon that won the west end up in our fiction, and why has it endured?