Quick draw and hip shooting was a rare skill in the West, and only a handful of historically known gunslingers were known to be fast, such as Luke Short, John Wesley Hardin, and Wild Bill Hickok.
Who was the most feared gunslinger in the Old West?
One — John Wesley Hardin
Hardin was one of the most notorious gunslingers of the Wild West. He is said to have killed over 40 men, including his first victim at 15. He was known for his quick draw and his willingness to shoot first and ask questions later.
Who was considered the fastest gun in the Old West?
Bob Munden was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as “The Fastest Man with a Gun Who Ever Lived”. One journalist reckoned that if Munden had been at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, on October 26, 1881, the gunfight would have been over in 5 to 10 seconds. He could whip out his Colt .
CELEBRATED ACTOR Glenn Ford was billed as “the fastest gun in Hollywood” – able to draw and fire in 0.4 seconds – even faster than James Arness (“Gunsmoke”) and John Wayne. The son of a Canadian railroad executive and raised in Southern California, Ford regularly played well-meaning men caught in extreme circumstances.
TOP 10 DEADLIEST Gunslingers In The History Of OLD WEST
Was Doc Holliday faster than Billy the Kid?
By reputation, Billy the Kid was lightning fast but only of average accuracy for a gunfighter. According to Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday was 'the deadliest and fastest man with a six-gun he had ever seen.
There might be more famous outlaws out there who roamed the Wild West, but few of them, if any, were deadlier than John Wesley Hardin. He bragged about gunning down over 40 men, although newspapers of the time were only able to corroborate around 25 victims.
CELEBRATED ACTOR Glenn Ford was billed as “the fastest gun in Hollywood” – able to draw and fire in 0.4 seconds – even faster than James Arness (“Gunsmoke”) and John Wayne. The son of a Canadian railroad executive and raised in Southern California, Ford regularly played well-meaning men caught in extreme circumstances.
In the wake of multiple shootouts, his legend grew, culminating at the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Amid bullet after bullet, he never took one himself, adding to his Old West mystique. But back in 1969, Wyatt Earp carried no such reputation, charisma or swagger. He was just a young man seeking his niche.
Revolvers were a popular weapon to gunfighters who were horsemen, cowboys, and lawmen because of their concealability and effectiveness on horseback. The Winchester rifle was also a popular weapon among gunfighters. Dubbed the "Gun that Won the West", it was widely used during the settlement of the American frontier.
The Colt Frontier Six Shooter Revolver and the Winchester Model 1873 or the Winchester Model 1892 in .44-40 WCF caliber were one of the most common combinations seen in "the Old West".
According to Pat Garrett, Billy was “quick as a flash.” While a good shot, he said, Billy “was no better than the majority of men who are constantly handling and using six-shooters. . . .”
After murdering an estimated 25 men (mostly law officers), committing at least 43 robberies, 12 or more one-on-one hold ups and making at least six jail breaks Harry Tracy, the last gunfighter of the Old West, was dead at age 27.
The Wyatt Earp gun on display at the Arizona History Museum. Inside the Arizona History Museum beside the University of Arizona campus, held in a glass display, is a cream handled Colt . 45 revolver that museum officials say once belonged to Tombstone legend Wyatt Earp.
You know Jesse James, Billy the Kid, and the Dalton Brothers. Now meet Harry Tracy, the Old West's last outlaw. Tracy was a walking bundle of contradictions.
The period of the Wild West was between the years 1865 and 1895—only 30 years! This was very brief for so many iconic characters that still serve as role models among American heroes.
The F-8 retained 20mm cannon as its primary armament at a time when radar guided missiles were becoming the norm, hence the nickname "Last of the Gunfighters." A superbly performing aircraft, the F-8 was credited with 18 downed enemy aircraft over Vietnam.
Though many gunfighters were remembered to be dangerous with a pistol during the American frontier, only a few known historical individuals have been noted by historians as "fast", such as Wild Bill Hickok, Doc Holliday, John Wesley Hardin, Luke Short, Tom Horn and Billy the Kid.
Who is the man Matt Dillon shoots at the beginning of Gunsmoke?
Arvo Oswald Ojala (February 21, 1920 – July 1, 2005) was a Hollywood technical advisor on the subject of quick-draw with a revolver. He also worked as an actor; his most famous role was that of the unnamed man shot by Marshal Matt Dillon in the opening sequences of the long-running television series Gunsmoke.
Doc's weapon of choice early in his western career was an 1851 Colt Navy revolver given him by his uncle, one of four. The remaining three pistols were given by Uncle John to his own sons. Later Doc carried a nickel-plated . 41 caliber Colt Thunderer or the .
The days of the Old West aren't over yet. States like Colorado, Texas, California, South Dakota, Oregon, Wyoming, New Mexico, and Arizona all have wild west towns or ghost towns you can visit for a step back in time.
Many infamous outlaws terrorized the Old West, gunslingers like Billy the Kid and John Wesley Hardin. But one name stands out as the most efficient, elusive killer of the bunch—Deacon Jim Miller. His dastardly deeds included the first documented murder on the South Plains.
