# Is "Heller with a Gun" by Louis L'Amour a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Heller with a Gun by Louis L'Amour (Fawcett Gold Medal, 1955) is identified by: Gold Medal paperback original, number code #478 on front cover and spine, the printed price cover price; April 1955; Walter Baumhofer cover. True first US; Gold Medal paperback original under the L'Amour byline.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Gold Medal paperback original, number code #478 on front cover and spine, the printed price cover price
- April 1955
- Walter Baumhofer cover
- First-printing copies carry the #478 code; later Gold Medal reprints bear different codes (#728 in 1958, and a 1960 movie-tie-in printing)
- Publisher imprint reads Fawcett Gold Medal
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Louis L'Amour |
| Publisher | Fawcett Gold Medal |
| Year | 1955 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Gold Medal paperback original, number code #478 on front cover and spine, the printed… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Gold Medal paperback original, number code #478 on front cover and spine, the printed price cover price; April 1955; Walter Baumhofer cover. First-printing copies carry the #478 code; later Gold Medal reprints bear different codes (#728 in 1958, and a 1960 movie-tie-in printing).

## Is this the true first?
True first US; Gold Medal paperback original under the L'Amour byline.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition; paperback original.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Heller with a Gun* by Louis L'Amour a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/heller-with-a-gun
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.