Famous Gunslingers and Their Weapons in the Wild West 

We all have fond memories of playing Cowboys and Indians as children, but when it comes to the real-life thing, it was quite different than the lighthearted childhood game we reminisce on. The Wild West during the 19th century involved large open deserts and prairies, which gave outlaws ample opportunity to conduct robberies, including cattle rustling, a popular pastime with many, and bank robberies. This area was almost impossible to police, but towns, especially small communities, needed someone to stand up to these lawbreakers.  

Enter the expert gunslingers. These people—think of someone Clint Eastwood-esque—varied from famous outlaws to law-abiding citizens who ensured, with their skill and popularity, that everyone was safe. Here are the most famous gunslingers in the Wild, Wild West. 

Billy the Kid 

Let’s talk about the most famous gunslinger of them all, Billy the Kid. During his formative years, he moved to New Mexico, where he worked as a cowboy. After killing the sheriff of the town he lived in, he was sentenced to death. But in true Billy the Kid style, he escaped his sentence by organizing a successful jail break. This was the first in a string of jail breaks that would go on to create the legend of the “adolescent bandit.”

But alas, this was short-lived as he succumbed to his wild lifestyle during an intense shootout with the town’s sheriff that resulted in his death at only 21 years old. During his short but fun-filled life, Billy the Kid was known to favor the Colt Single Action Revolver, one of the most powerful revolvers in the world. 

Wild Bill Hickok 

Wild Bill Hickok is a gunslinger who has been through it all. He has one of the most interesting stories and was invested in spreading his fame. He started his adult life as a stagecoach driver in Kansas and Nebraska. During this time, he was involved in a shooting with the infamous McCanles Gang, but later cleared his name and fought a bear, which he killed by slashing its throat. He was known for carrying two Colt Model 1851 Navy revolvers, specifically .36 caliber, six-shot guns with ivory grips.  

When he was in the Army during the Civil War, he became a spy for the Union army. He was also a lover of gambling and drinking, which added to his wild nature. In his later years, he turned a corner and spent time as a marshal and sheriff, during which he was involved in many shootouts. He was eventually killed during a poker game over a gambling disagreement. He was shot in the back of the head, and in Hickock’s hand at the time was said to be a pair of aces and a pair of eights. This is where the phrase “dead man’s hand” comes from.  

Sam Bass 

Sam Bass is a well-known gunslinger who was involved in one of the most extraordinary robberies ever to be completed in the US. He robbed the Union Pacific gold train in San Francisco, which still remains unbeaten as the largest robbery of any train throughout the Union Pacific Railroad. During his adolescence, he dabbled in petty thefts and other illegal acts, but this train robbery, which was worth a staggering $60,000, projected his name throughout the US as a big-time gunslinger.

He liked to use guns such as .44-40 snubby revolvers made from the Colt Single Action .45 Peacemaker. He wasn’t captured by law enforcement until during a bank heist in Tennessee after one member of his gang turned informant. In true gunslinger style, he managed to escape but was subsequently shot and killed the next day. 

Annie Oakley 

While Annie Oakley was not an outlaw or a part of any law enforcement, it was her sharp-shooting skills that made her famous throughout the country. She gained her shooting skills during her teenage years, when she was forced to hunt and sell food for her family. This venture proved to be wildly successful, and by the age of 15, she had paid off her mother’s mortgage.  

She then married Frank E. Bulter, a sharpshooter exhibitionist, and they both set out on the road touring with Buffalo Bill’s Wild, Wild West show. She toured all over the world, and her abilities were legendary. Her show included many trick shots like shooting a cigarette out of her husband’s mouth and splitting a playing card edge-on. During these trick shots, she would use various guns such as the Marlin Model 1891 lever-action rifle and a Parker Brothers double-barrel shotgun. After a series of accidents and health crises, she died in 1926. Throughout her life, she campaigned for women’s rights, and it is believed she taught over 15,000 women how to shoot.  

These gunslingers shaped the Wild, Wild West era, and some of their tales are talked about and used by children and adults alike. If you are interested in any of the tales, guns mentioned, or would like to widen your gunsmithing horizon, then look no further than MGS Trade School. They have a wide variety of interesting articles, resources, and courses for people starting their gunsmithing hobby to people who want to hone their craft. Start your journey of knowledge today with MGS Trade School. 

Written by: Ryan Clancy, Engineering HQ