# Is "The Ferguson Rifle" by Louis L'Amour a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Ferguson Rifle by Louis L'Amour (Bantam Books, 1973) is identified by: Bantam paperback original, 1973, Bantam catalog number N7568, with the price printed on the cover. True first US edition; a Bantam paperback original (catalog N7568).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Bantam paperback original, 1973, Bantam catalog number N7568, with the price printed on the cover
- There was no earlier hardcover, so this softcover is the true first appearance in print
- A first printing shows no printing statement beyond the first on the copyright page; later Bantam printings add a printing line and often a revised catalog number
- Publisher imprint reads Bantam Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Louis L'Amour |
| Publisher | Bantam Books |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Bantam paperback original, 1973, Bantam catalog number N7568, with the price printed on… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Bantam paperback original, 1973, Bantam catalog number N7568, with the price printed on the cover. There was no earlier hardcover, so this softcover is the true first appearance in print. A first printing shows no printing statement beyond the first on the copyright page; later Bantam printings add a printing line and often a revised catalog number.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition; a Bantam paperback original (catalog N7568). There is no preceding hardcover.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition applies; the true first is the 1973 Bantam paperback original.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Ferguson Rifle* by Louis L'Amour a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-ferguson-rifle
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.