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This article is about the Old West profession or avocation. For the Stephen King book, see The Gunslinger.

Gunslinger, also gunfighter, is a name given to men in the American Old West who had gained a reputation as being dangerous with a gun.

Origin of the Term

According to the Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang the word was first used in the 1928 novel Whispering Range by Haycox. It was soon adopted by other western writers such as Zane Grey and became common coinage. In his introduction to The Shootist author Glendon Swarthout says that gunslinger and gunfighter are modern terms and that the more authentic terms for the period would have been gunman, pistoleer, or shootist. While Swarthout seens to have been correct about gunslinger we know that Bat Masterson used the term gunfighter in the newspaper articles he wrote about the lawmen and outlaws he had known.

Use of "Gunslinger"

Often the term was applied to men who would hire out for contract killings or at a ranch embroiled in a range war where he would earn "fighting wages." Others, like Billy the Kid, were notorious bandits and still others were lawmen like Pat Garrett and Wyatt Earp. A gunslinger could be an outlaw, a robber or murderer who took advantage of the wilderness of the frontier to hide from, and make periodic raids on, civilized society. Or, the gunfighter could be an agent of justice, sometimes a lone avenger, but occasionally a sheriff, whose duty was to face the outlaw and bring — or likelier, personally wreak — justice upon him.

Gunslingers frequently appear, along with cowboys, as stock characters in Western movies and novels. In Western movies, the characters' gun belts were often worn low on the hip and outer thigh, with exposed trigger and grip for a smooth fast draw, shot and reholster. Twirling revolvers was a stylish trademark of gunslingers, and spinning the gun was from time to time a habit. Fast draw artists can be distinguished from other movie cowboys because their guns would often be tied to their leg. Long before holsters were steel lined, they were soft and supple so they could be comfortably worn all day long. These old rigs molded themselves around the wearer and almost became a part of the person using them. Tie-downs were used to keep the pistol from catching on the holster as it was drawn.

Notoriety, fact vs fiction

Many men of the old west became associated with the term gunfighter. Contrary to popular belief, however, most of those men associated with that term never killed as many men as they were often given credit for. The famous Wyatt Earp was only known to have killed one man in a gunfight prior to the Gunfight at the OK Corral. Billy the Kid was given credit for killing twenty one men in his lifetime, but less than ten are actually known to have been his victim. Although well known as being fast with a gun and having a reputation as being a dangerous man, Johnny Ringo was actually known to have killed less than five men in his lifetime. Bat Masterson was better known as an Indian fighter than a shootist, and is only known with confirmation to have killed one man in a gunfight, whereas his lesser known brother James killed at least three, but received no notoriety. "Doc" Holliday, whose reputation would suggest otherwise, is known with confirmation to have shot and wounded several people, usually while drunk, but there are factual accounts of less than five men actually killed by him during gunfights throughout his entire lifetime, despite his fame. The Sundance Kid, said to have been the fastest gun in the west during his days of riding as "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" is never known to have killed anyone prior to the infamous shootout with Bolivian soldiers when he and Butch Cassidy were alleged to have been killed. Bill Hickok, while without a doubt and with historical confirmation did kill better than twenty men during gunfights, is viewed with some skepticism on the claim of his having killed over one hundred men in his lifetime.

It was, then, mostly spread by word of mouth, their reputation rather than actual events that led them to be so infamous as gunfighters. Word would travel, their names would become well known, and with that came fame. As word spread, their exploits would be stretched with each telling. And thus, they became famous as a gunfighter. Often, that word of mouth exposure was their own doing, as they would tell and retell their own exploits. In other cases, upon hearing of a certain exploit they were alleged to have done, they often simply did not comment, knowing it to be false but at the same time relishing in the added notoriety the false story brought them. There were few if any easy ways to varify a claim, and often even newspapers would repeat a claim to fame that was little more than rumor, giving even more credence to whetever that claim might be.

Clay Allison and King Fisher, both lesser known than many others considered gunfighters, actually better fit the definition of a gunman than many of their counterparts, as they were both involved in several documented instances that are normally associated with a gunfighter shootout. In the case of Bill Hickok, he was made a star by Dimestore Novels of his exploits, which often made him appear bigger than life, although most of these were fictional accounts.

In most cases, there would usually be one particular documented and publicized event that would make their reputation. In the case of Wyatt Earp, it was the OK Corral and his infamous vendetta ride afterward, both happening in 1881. For noted gunfighter and gambler Luke Short it was his 1887 shootout with gunfighter and lawman Jim Courtright in Fort Worth, Texas. For Commodor Perry Owens, it was his single handed 1887 shootout with four members of the Blevins gang in Holbrook, Arizona. With lawman Heck Thomas, it was his 1896 killing of outlaw Bill Doolin. For Billy the Kid, it was the Lincoln County War. Anything before or after those events were only foot-notes in their lives.

Most gunfights are portrayed in films or books as having two men square off, waiting for one to make the first move. This was rarely the case. Often, a gunfight was spur-of-the-moment, with one drawing their pistol, and the other reacting. Often it would develope into a shootout where both men scampered for cover. Other times, one or both were drunk, and missed several normally easy shots. Many times the shootout was little more than one taking advantage of the other looking away at an opportune moment. Regardless of popular folklore, the men who held a noteworthy reputation as a gunfighter were not anxious to match up against another gunman with the same reputation. On the contrary, in cases where two men held a similar reputation, both reputable gunmen would avoid confrontation with one another whenever possible. They rarely took undue risks, and usually weighed out their options before confronting another well known gunman. This respect for one another is why most famous gunfights were rarely two or more well known gunman matched up against one another, but rather one notable gunman against a lesser known opponent or opponents.

Many well known gunfighters were so feared by the public because of their reputation, however, that when they were eventually killed, they died as a result of ambush, rather than going down in a blaze of glory. Gunfighters like King Fisher, Ben Thompson, Billy the Kid, and Bill Hickok all died as a result of an ambush. On the contrary, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Commodore Perry Owens, and Luke Short all died of natural causes, living out the remainder of their lives on reputation only, avoiding conflict in secluded retirement.

In many cases the term gunfighter was applied to lawmen. Despite Hollywood and at times history painting a more noble picture of these lawman/gunfighters, there are very few instances where lawmen were dubbed gunfighters but were working only as lawmen. Generally, they were either both lawman and gambler, or lawman and business owner/operator, or outlaw. These very different means of employment, held at the same time, were more often than not the reason for many of their shootouts, rather than their noble enforcement of the law. In the case of Marshall Jim Courtright, for example, he did clean up the town while serving as town marshall for Fort Worth, Texas. However, it was his habit of strong-arming local businesses in the area into paying him for protection that ultimately led to his fateful gunfight with gunman and saloon owner Luke Short, in which Courtright was killed. Scenarios similar to that were repeated often throughout the old west, and the lines between outlaw/gunfighter/lawman were more times than not very thin.

Regardless, this in no way diminishes the events that gave fame to gunfighters. They were, without a doubt, men of a different breed. This trait made them men to fear, and with their names becoming more and more well known, each would often be faced with glory seekers, who wished to bolster their own reputation by taking on someone better known. However, it is safe to say that often, it was as much the attitude and personality of these men than their actual exploits that would lead to their overall fame as being a gunfighter.

List of famous historical gunfighters

While there is historical dispute about the authenticity of the records of most (or all) of these men, they all have had a reputation as dangerous gunfighters. In fiction the term gunslinger has anachronistically been tied to them.

List of famous fictional gunfighters

This list is not limited to the fictional characters of the American west. It includes many characters from science fiction westerns as well.

Arisu Reiji (Namco X Capcom)
Xiaomu (Namco X Capcom)
Roland Deschain
Han Solo
Daisuke Jigen
Hannie Caulder
Rooster Cogburn
Marshal Matt Dillon
Jango Fett
Jonah Hex
The Lone Ranger
The Man with No Name
Lucas McCain
Paladin
Rawhide Kid
Revolver Ocelot (computer game character)
Josh Randall
The Waco Kid
Jim West
Yosemite Sam (cartoon character)
Lucky Luke (comic character)
Robocop (film)
Caleb (computer game character)
Vincent Valentine (computer game character)
Irvine Kinneas (computer game character)
Grit (computer game character)
Billy Lee Black (computer game character)
Alucard (Hellsing)
Dante (Devil May Cry)
Malcolm Reynolds
William Munny

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 Many men of the old west became associated with the term ''gunfighter''. Contrary to popular belief, however, most of those men associated with that term never killed as many men as they were often given credit for. The famous Wyatt Earp was only known to have killed one man in a gunfight prior to the [[Gunfight at the OK Corral]]. Billy the Kid was given credit for killing twenty one men in his lifetime, but less than ten are actually known to have been his victim. Although well known as being fast with a gun and having a reputation as being a dangerous man, [[Johnny Ringo]] was actually known to have killed less than five men in his lifetime. [[Bat Masterson]] was better known as an Indian fighter than a shootist, and is only known with confirmation to have killed one man in a gunfight, whereas his lesser known brother [[Masterson|James]] killed at least three, but received no notoriety. "Doc" Holliday, whose reputation would suggest otherwise, is known with confirmation to have shot and wounded several people, usually while drunk, but there are factual accounts of less than five men actually killed by him during gunfights throughout his entire lifetime, despite his fame. The Sundance Kid, said to have been the ''fastest gun in the west'' during his days of riding as "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid" is never known to have killed anyone prior to the infamous shootout with [[Bolivian]] soldiers when he and [[Butch Cassidy]] were alleged to have been killed. [[Bill Hickok]], while without a doubt and with historical confirmation did kill better than twenty men during gunfights, is viewed with some skepticism on the claim of his having killed over one hundred men in his lifetime.
-It was, then, mostly spread by word of mouth, their ''reputation'' rather than actual events that led them to be so infamous as ''gunfighters''. Word would travel, their names would become well known, and with that came fame. As word spread, their exploits would be stretched with each telling. And thus, they became famous as a ''gunfighter''. [[Clay Allison]] and [[King Fisher]], both lesser known than many others considered ''gunfighters'', actually better fit the definition of a gunman than many of their counterparts, as they were both involved in several documented instances that are normally associated with a ''gunfighter shootout''. In the case of Bill Hickok, he was made a star by ''Dimestore Novels'' of his exploits, which often made him appear bigger than life, although most of these were fictional accounts.
+It was, then, mostly spread by word of mouth, their ''reputation'' rather than actual events that led them to be so infamous as ''gunfighters''. Word would travel, their names would become well known, and with that came fame. As word spread, their exploits would be stretched with each telling. And thus, they became famous as a ''gunfighter''. Often, that word of mouth exposure was their own doing, as they would tell and retell their own exploits. In other cases, upon hearing of a certain exploit they were ''alleged'' to have done, they often simply did not comment, knowing it to be false but at the same time relishing in the added notoriety the false story brought them. There were few if any easy ways to varify a claim, and often even newspapers would repeat a ''claim to fame'' that was little more than rumor, giving even more credence to whetever that claim might be.
+[[Clay Allison]] and [[King Fisher]], both lesser known than many others considered ''gunfighters'', actually better fit the definition of a gunman than many of their counterparts, as they were both involved in several documented instances that are normally associated with a ''gunfighter shootout''. In the case of Bill Hickok, he was made a star by ''Dimestore Novels'' of his exploits, which often made him appear bigger than life, although most of these were fictional accounts.
 In most cases, there would usually be one particular documented and publicized event that would make their reputation. In the case of Wyatt Earp, it was the OK Corral and his infamous ''vendetta ride'' afterward, both happening in [[1881]]. For noted gunfighter and [[gambler]] Luke Short it was his [[1887]] shootout with gunfighter and lawman [[Jim Courtright]] in [[Fort Worth, Texas]]. For [[Commodor Perry Owens]], it was his single handed 1887 shootout with four members of the Blevins gang in [[Holbrook, Arizona]]. With lawman [[Heck Thomas]], it was his [[1896]] killing of outlaw [[Bill Doolin]]. For Billy the Kid, it was the [[Lincoln County War]]. Anything before or after those events were only foot-notes in their lives.