Like stagecoaches, swinging saloon doors and Pony Express riders, there are many innovations of the Old West that have long faded from use and live on only in Western movies and history books. But there are still a few frontier staples that were so effective and ahead of their time that they remain in use today. Take, for instance, the intimidating octagonal barrels commonly found on the repeating rifles of that period. These heavy-duty workhorses sported added mass and extra weight to aid in heat absorption, making them the forerunners to the bull barrels used on modern target and varmint rifles.