June High Noon Monthly eMagazine

This month, Smoke Signals talks with Bill Mackin about his life-long gun collection, now on permanent exhibition at the Northwest Museum of Colorado.

Bill Mackin with wife Mickee

Bill Mackin

What is likely one the world's most extensive and important cowboy and gunfighter collections had been on display at the Museum of Northwest Colorado for a number of years. Bill Mackin, owner of this collection, was preparing to retire from his "real" job as a mental health counselor and started dropping hints to the museum that he would need to begin liquidating, a.k.a. selling, some of these pieces. Well, the Museum and Moffat County was having none of this! They were not about to see their pride and joy and the perfect representation of a region built on the gritty history of the west, be relinquished elsewhere. Moffat County, home to Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid among other notorious types, is all about cowboys and gunfighters and the collection was going to stay where it was. And yes indeed, it has. The local government and community raised the money to buy this amazing collection outright from Bill and Mickee and, as Bill puts it, "Now I can have my cake and eat it too! Everyday, I can go see it and be part of it but I've got the money in the bank."

3 Pistols from Bill's Collection

It's this delightful humor and tenacity that makes Bill such a treasure in the world of the Wild, Wild West. But how did it all begin? These are always the best parts of the story.

Well, for Bill, it began at the age of 9, growing up in the Salt Lake Valley. He had a belt with a silver buckle, which a schoolmate coveted. His schoolmate had a Top Break pistol which Bill wanted - the trade was done and Bill's life of collecting began. It was at the age of 15 that Bill stumbled upon a gun which now resides in the permanent collection at the Museum. He was in a bar (I didn't inquire why he was in a bar at the age of 15...) and saw a very rare 15 inch barrel highwall Winchester Rifle under the cash register. It was illegal to own this weapon at the time and it took Bill another 15 years to be able to buy it and another 7 years to clear the ATF - that's dedication to collecting.

While over the past 50 years Bill has amassed this amazing collection, for him, it's always been about the story behind the pieces, the research, the owners and the makers. Even as a young boy, his thirst for knowledge of the authenticity and history of gunfighter gear made him a bit of a Hollywood movie critic or, as he puts it, the smart Alec in the front row of the theater who could tell you that there was no way that gun even existed during the Civil War - they're using the wrong gun in the movie...He has story after story about Hollywood's mistakes.

Bill has spent a life collecting but also sharing his knowledge with the world. In 1989, he published the most comprehensive book on the subject entitled Cowboys and Gunfighter Collectibles. A quick search finds this book available at Amazon, et al. He has written over 100 articles for national magazines and for 5 years had a regular column in Trail's End Magazine.

While his massive collection may now reside in the Museum of Northwest Colorado, his passion for the life of the gunfighter and cowboy still remains.

Among the many pieces housed in the permanent collection is the finest known Bridgeport Rig on a J.S. Collins Cheyenne belt and a very rare Mexican loop holster by E.L. Gallatin. Oh yes, and the 15" barrel high wall Winchester that took him 22 years to own is there too.

Craig, Colorado is where you'll find the Museum of Northwest Colorado, located in famous Moffat County, today, home to world-class dude ranches and hunter clubs. Yes, the West still lives on in Moffat County and Bill Mackin's collection is an important part of that world and ours.

The Museum of Northwest Colorado
590 Yampa Avenue
Craig, CO 81625
(970) 824-6360
www.museumnwco.org