Everyone knows the scene…a lone, rugged cowboy trudges across a dirt road with a pistol or two strapped into a beaten leather holster riding low at his waist. The image of a western gunslinger is popular in the media, but did you know that it was predominately created by the media? The Hollywood version of a gunslinger is vastly different from what we know to be historically correct.
During the 19th century, America was expanding and industry was growing along with it. It was a time of much chaos, since law enforcement couldn’t keep up. US marshals and county sheriffs faced the challenge of watching their territories expand beyond reason. There was too much ground to cover and not enough law enforcement officials for the job. Outlaws and bandits could easily outrun law enforcers by crossing state lines, and jails were often corrupt and easy to escape.
Authorities began offering rewards for those who brought in wanted outlaws, dead or alive. This created the rise of the hired gun, or bounty hunter. And because they would receive a reward on a “dead or alive” basis, many bounty hunters would kill their targets to minimize the danger involved. Then they would deliver the body and collect the reward.
Being a sheriff, marshal, or hired gun meant that you were skilled with a firearm and prepared to face hardened criminals. Not everyone was up for the job. This meant that many individuals who had been hired guns were hired as law enforcement officers due to their fearsome reputation. It was common for a town sheriff and a gunslinger to be one in the same, though perhaps at different times throughout their lives. These gunslingers were also hired by businesses and individuals to protect shipments, guard cattle, and any number of additional jobs that required their expertise.
This historic notion of a gunslinger paints a picture quite different from the quick-draw pistol duels you’re used to seeing in front of dusty saloons. In fact, anything resembling a European duel was extremely rare in the American west. The term gunslinger wasn’t even used back then; rather, it was a Hollywood creation that emerged in 1920. Hired guns of the time instead referred to themselves as gunmen, shootists, or pistoleers. And most of these men favored short-barreled shotguns or rifles over pistols, because the first two options offered more accuracy than handheld pistols. As outlaw Wyatt Earp said, “Fast is fine. Accurate is final.”
Tell us about your favorite film, book, or TV series depicting the Wild West. Commenting below will serve as your entry for our May giveaway. But remember to keep it classy; inappropriate comments will be deleted and disqualified. Submit your comment (one comment only please) by May 20, 2018. One winner will be randomly selected on May 21, 2018 to receive a Gunslinger 1 oz silver round from our exclusive Prospector series.
Good luck and aim true!
All the Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns. I can watch them over and over.
And zany as it was and is, the Three Amigos cracks me up many times throughout the film! Here’s to Steve Martin, Martin Short, Chevy Chase, the singing bush and a cast of actors!
True grit. Definitely true grit
Louis L’Amour ‘s The Sackett’s Saga. Reading those books makes you feel that you are there and seeing everything.
The magnificent 7! The old one of course!
Blazing Saddles was epic. Would not be done today with all the PC issues surrounding it
The good,the bad,and ugly. When Clint Eastwood buries the guy up to his neck and leaves him to die in the desert.
THe GOod, the bad and the ugly. What a great way to spend a few hours watching a quality movie 😉
I’d never say no to a night in watching tombstone with Sam Elliot and curt Russell
It has to be true grit it shows a time where there were values and people stood up for the honor and respect of their family and revenge…sweet revenge for things done wrong to their family
Wyatt Earp! I live in Wyoming and my nickname is “Doc” This is one of my favorite movies. It depicts the lifestyle that we still live here. Frontier Justice. This is one of my favorite coins.
Tv show the wild west..campy fun…
Clint was always my favorite–good, bad and ugly! for sure
Annie Oakley could outshoot em all.
High Noon. A Western with a lot of layers
I’ll be your huckleberry.
Doc Holiday Tombstone
Gunsmoke still my favorite.
Gunsmoke, the longest running TV Western of all times. outstanding TV Western Series ever made.
the movie, my name is nobody, with henry fonda and terrence hill. spaghetti western. funny and dramatic. Good against evil. One man against many. awesome movie.
“Outlaw, Josie Wales,” featuring Clint Eastwood & Morgan Freeman, was one of my favorite Western movies.
The rifleman was a favorite of mine. Always seemed to be things that made you think.
Growing up I always looked forward to and watching The Lone Ranger!
The Wild Wild West series with their fabulous opulent train. I just bought a six horse trailer fashioned into the Wild Wild West train. What a hoot! Too bad I can’t add a picture or two!!
Hang ’em High. Love all of Clint Eastwood’s westerns but the hired gun turning into a law man (or vice versa) in several of Eastwood’s movies echoes the theme of your post. Hang ’em High, I think, maybe best of all in that category for the vision of awful vigilante justice and the charismatic sheriff turning bloodthirst for revenge into a frustrated but respectful hunt for justice. Scenes like the crowd singing memorable and time-appropriate bible hymns as criminals were walked up the gallows are hauntingly striking even on the 3rd, 4th, 5th watch.
The “Young Guns” movies. I remember waiting for those movies to come out when I was in high school.
“Regulators ” , “Did you see the size of that chicken?”
Jesse James, I always liked the part when they rode into Minnesota (where I am from) and were chased out of town after robbing the Northfield First National Bank.
My favorite western movie is 3:10 To Yuma with Christian Bale and Russel Crowe. Great action movie!
Clint Eastwood-actor,director. Top of gunslingers!
Unforgivin,Josey Wales-Fist full of dollars Trilogy
Gunsmoke! Watching repeats with my grandpa in the late 70s is a fond memory. Every episode he would say “Matt’ll get ‘em”. Good times.
Dying ain’t much of a live.