The term “gunfighter” refers to professional gunmen of the Old West who worked on both sides of the law. In movies, they are often portrayed with superhuman skills, but in reality, they relied on practical approaches to their weapons. The noon showdown and young toughs challenging experts were mostly myths. A gunslinger’s reputation was often as valuable as their skill, and stories tended to grow with repeated telling. The Shootout at the OK Corral made Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday legendary, and some gunslingers engaged in self-promotion.
A “gunfighter” is a modern term used to describe a professional gunfighter of the Old West in the United States. Nineteenth-century gunslingers worked on both sides of the law and could be highwaymen, hitmen, sheriffs, or Pinkerton detectives. At that time, the term “gunslinger” was not yet in popular use, and these men were more likely referred to as gunmen, shooters, gunslingers, or bad men. While rooted in history, this role has since taken on mythic forms, populating Western films and literature alongside other types of characters such as the cowboy and the gold digger.
In the movies, the gunslinger often possesses near-superhuman speed and skill with the revolver. Whirling guns, lightning bolts, and shooting gallery are standard fare for big-screen gunmen. In the real world, however, gunmen who relied on flashy, theatrical tricks died quickly, and most took a far more practical approach to their weapons. Real gunslingers didn’t shoot to disarm or to impress, but to kill.
Another classic of cinema, the noon showdown, in which two well-matched gunslingers have agreed to meet for a climactic formal duel, is also largely a matter of myth. Often, the firefights were more spontaneous, a fight turning deadly when one side reached for a weapon, and the consumption of alcoholic beverages was often involved. Firefights could be won with simple distraction, or guns could be emptied as the gunmen fought from behind cover without injury. When a gunslinger took sides, he seldom did it with another gunslinger. The gunslingers usually stayed away from each other, and it was rare for two famous faces to face each other.
The gunslinger’s reputation was often as valuable as any skill one possessed. In Western movies and books, young toughs often challenged an expert gunslinger in the hopes of building a reputation, but this rarely happened in real life. A strong reputation was enough to keep other civilians and often spared a gunslinger from conflict. Even other gunslingers would probably have avoided any unnecessary confrontation.
In Old West days, stories tended to grow with repeated telling, and a single fight could turn into a career-making reputation. For example, the Shootout at the OK Corral made Wyatt Earp and Doc Holiday legendary, but they were relatively minor figures before that conflict. Some gunslingers, such as Bat Masterson, actively engaged in self-promotion. Johnny Ringo has built a reputation as a gunslinger despite the fact that he has never taken part in a gunfight.
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