What Was the Wild West?
A blog overview about the Infamous American Wild West and what it was really like
The term "Wild West" is surely familiar to most people, but could they describe to you what it truly was?
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The American Wild West is somewhat tricky to define due to the fact that it represents not just an era in America's history, but a set of ideals as well. Really, the Wild West was heavily tied to Westward expansion in the grander scheme of things. As the United States saw a tremendous gain in land from the Louisiana Purchase and later the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, two things became apparent; there was both a need from the US government to develop the new territory, as well as an opportunity for Americans to travel to the frontier for a chance of a new life. Unfortunately, not everyone in the Wild West had good intentions.
Typically, the "Wild West" aspect refers to the small, sparsely populated towns and settlements that existed between the years of 1865-1895 (or 1900 depending on the source) that emerged during the development of the western territories. These areas seldom had established police forces. In place of the more formally organized police counterparts in more urban areas, there were more localized authorities in the newly-developing regions such as Sheriffs, Deputies, and Marshals. Although order was attempted to be maintained by local authorities, various criminals proved to be somewhat of opportunists and saw the remote lands without formal police forces as a good environment to flee from existing warrants or to commit new crimes.
Although the infamous outlaws and gunslingers in the west were relatively rare, the more chaotic and crazy stories that occurred as a result of their doings have become established in not only the history books, but media as well...Notable Events in the Wild West:
The Wild West in History Compared to Media:
Because the Wild West is such a hot topic in history, it has received much attention from the media. Movies such as the beloved "Spaghetti Westerns" and video games, books, tv shows/ series, pertaining to the Old West have all been hugely successful in captivating people's interests; but the question is, how accurate are they? Media has a tendency to "hollywoodize" real historic events to make them more appealing at the cost of accuracy. How often does this happen with the Wild West? Perhaps this question can best be answered by observing the various archetypes that have been formed over decades (or even a century's) worth of the Wild West's portrayal.
The Outlaw
Outlaws in media: Much of the notoriety of the Wild West can be attributed to its hardened outlaws. In media, outlaws are presented ad nauseum as murderous gunslingers that would go out of their way to commit crimes either to A) illegally obtain money- I.E., bank and train robberies-or B) get even with or revenge someone. Names like the infamous "Billy the Kid" evoke a sense of trepidation in people, as they imagine a ruthless killer who would feel nothing as they pull the trigger. These violent criminals often in movies are fleeing from the law or live in a way that distances themselves from the rest of society.
What the Media Gets Right About the Outlaws of the Wild West: In the real world, the Wild West was certainly no stranger to the aforementioned gunslingers who would not hesitate to kill in cold blood; that much can be said as true. Often these outlaws would affiliate themselves with gangs who lived on the fringe of society. Many of the bandits commonly felt estranged to civilized life and had rough backgrounds, causing them to turn to a life of crime. Often outlaws in the west saw lucrative opportunities in the form of train or bank robberies; as the bandits exacted such crimes, they made enemies along the way. Shootouts were often the cause of outlaws being caught in the act of a crime or as a result of vendettas formed against other outlaws or law enforcement. For these criminals, if killing was deemed necessary, so be it. Some of the gang members already had criminal histories and a few notably were even guerillas or unconventional fighters during the Civil War. It is fair to say that the media's representation of the worst outlaws is not completely fabricated or totally fictionalized.
What the Media Gets Wrong: The greatest inaccuracy of the Wild West outlaws in the media's portrayal has to do with their sheer frequency. While Billy the Kid was one of the 'baddest' outlaws, he is not representative of the majority of them. Truthfully, many of the outlaws in the Wild West amounted to little more than drunkards. Typically, entertainment platforms love to focus in on infamous gunslingers and murderous bandits as the star villains, while underrepresenting the chronic alcoholics that were not only also considered outlaws, but were arguably more common at that; the simple explanation for this is due to the fact that the rare but dangerous gun-slinging criminals escaping swift justice in the form of a noose or bullet make for a better story. With that said, many forms of entertainment that are brushed aside for not being credible do at least acknowledge historical facts. For example, in the video game, Red Dead Redemption 2, the fictional "Van der Linde Gang" are comprised of both ruthless murderers and hard drinking do-nothings. Perhaps a fair takeaway can be summarized by saying that not everything pertaining to gunslingers in the West is fictionalized or fabricated, but in many instances are not accurately put into perspective in terms of commonality.
Infamous Names of the Wild West:
- Jesse James- Bank robber, guerrilla, and leader of the James-Younger Gang.
- Billy the Kid- Infamous gunfighter. He slayed eight other men before finally being killed in a gunfight at the age of 21.
- John Wesley Hardin- Killed his first victim at the age of 15. He is notorious for having an extremely high body count (some say 27 kills by the age of 21). He died at age 42.
- Butch Cassidy- Bank and train robber. He notably fled to Bolivia where he was supposedly killed in a gunfight.
The Lawman
Image:
Lawmen in the Media: Lawmen of the Wild West are often portrayed by the media in one of three ways. There is usually either the heroic lawman, that represents good in the story, the crooked/corrupt lawman that represents the force of evil, or the ones who simply do nothing for whatever reason and are more of a neutral character. Similar to the outlaws in Old West-related media, the blatantly good or bad lawmen in are typically experts at firearm handling and pose a serious threat to anyone who crosses them.
What the Media Gets Right: Perhaps what the media most accurately assesses about lawmen of the Wild West were their somewhat unpredictable behavioral patterns. Also, similar to the most infamous outlaw gunslingers of the Wild West, there were many formidable lawmen who were handy with firearms as well.
What the Media Gets Wrong: Lawmen befall a similar fate to outlaws in the sense that they are somewhat sensationalized; the law-enforcing gunslingers with the grizzliest encounters are typically the ones that receive all the attention. Perhaps another, more important, inaccuracy has to do with the black and white nature of lawmen in movies. It often was not as simple as the supposedly "good" lawman being innately good or the "bad" lawman being innately bad. The proverbial saloon and brothel-filled towns of the Wild West unsurprisingly attracted many unsavory individuals: both true for the civilians and law enforcement alike. Often the lines between who was good and who was bad or who was right and who was wrong were blurred. Some lawman even had criminal backgrounds or would befriend outlaws who had a common enemy with other gang affiliates. With the Old West, perhaps a more accurate way to summarize law enforcement would not be bad versus good or vice versa, but rather the 'not great' lawman versus an 'even worse' outlaw or criminal.
Note: Another way in which the Old West is sensationalized by the media is in the depictions of how violent encounters supposedly happened. Not every encounter between lawmen and outlaws was as violent or chaotic as the Gunfight at the OK Corral; on the flip side, other engagements made it look tame in comparison.
The Bounty Hunter
Image:
The Media's Portrayal of Bounty Hunters: Movies such as "Spaghetti Westerns" typically have a plot that revolves around some form of vigilante or bounty hunter. The character is often portrayed as a type of antihero who seeks revenge for being wronged by another outlaw or perhaps as a nihilist who does not provide much background information and just wants the money. In the well-known movie, Outlaw Josey Wales, the main character was initially a family man living on a homestead. After his family was murdered, he became an outlaw and vigilante who sought revenge.
The Bounty Hunting Vigilante: The idea of a lone wolf bounty hunter chasing after dangerous criminals as is seen in the movies is not technically incorrect. Bounty hunters in the real western frontier could consist of many types of different individuals. Civilians, veterans of the Civil War, law enforcement, affiliates of law enforcement, private agencies, and even other outlaws could play the role of bounty hunters. In the case of the Reno Brother Gang, several members were hanged, albeit after being imprisoned, by a mob of vigilantes. A More Reasonable Depiction of Bounty Hunters: While being a bounty hunter had the potential to be a job for pretty much anyone willing, many bounties were handled by law enforcement or private agencies. Groups like the Pinkerton Agency were often the ones to deal with bounties and in other instances, even the US Army became involved in arresting gangs of outlaws.
The Cowboy
Image:
Cowboy Rendition from the Media: The idea of a cowboy is left somewhat open ended in much of the media. Many movies refer to vicious outlaws as cowboys or perhaps the nihilistic bounty hunter-vigilante type is referred to as a cowboy. In other films, such as The Cowboys, starring John Wayne, the fictional "William Anderson" is a rancher going on a cattle drive.
The True Cowboys of the Wild West: The cowboys of the Old West really revolved around the need to transport cattle across long distances in order to help fuel the growing market for cattle in the mid-19th to early 20th century. As the industry gained ground, mass relocations of cattle, known as "cattle drives" were performed as a necessary measure to prevent harsh winters from killing off herds. Often cattle drives involved long, arduous journeys in harsh conditions which helped shape the modern image of the rugged cowboy. During a drive, the herd usually had to cover long distances (ranging anywhere 10-24 miles a day) to reach either the nearest railroad where they could be sent the rest of the way as cargo or until they arrived on foot at another pasture. Directing a herd of cattle long distance was no small feat. Typically, an entire crew was needed to operate for the full 24 hours out of the day. Cowboys rode on horseback often with other, unmanned horses riding along. Each crew consisted of a minimum of 10 (usually 12-15) cowboys to guide the herd and surround them on all sides. Assigned duties were given to each member of the group, so that the drive may be performed in an efficient manner. There were the wranglers who were typically the rookies of the group; Their duties involved being responsible for the spare horses during the ride as well as keeping watch over other cowboys' horses at night. In a typical group were also the cook who handled food and the trail boss who acted as the leader.
The Cowboy's Association with Gunslingers: Part of the reason why cowboys are so closely associated with gunslingers is due to the job of being a wrangler often attracting the rougher types of lower social classes. In fact, some of the most notorious criminals of the Old West, like Henry McCarty (also known as Billy the Kid), started off as wranglers before becoming renown bandits.
The Native American
The Native Americans in the Wild West Movies: Native Americans of the Western frontier are not as easily categorized as some other groups in the Wild West. the films typically portray them playing a plethora of different roles. Usually in the movies they are outlaws in gangs, tribe members, or individuals who conform to white standards that just want to keep a low profile.
Traditional Native Americans in the Wild West: In the real Wild West, Native Americans and the people they affiliated themselves with were quite different. Some of the traditionalists recognized the US government's encroachment on their territory and actively sought to fight against it. The Sioux Wars were one example of the longstanding turmoil between the US government and the Native Americans turning to bitter conflict. Many agree that the height of the feud between the Natives and the government occurred during the Wounded Knee Massacre, where 150+ (usually estimated to be 250) Lakota Native Americans were killed by the US Army, many of whom were women and children.
Assimilated Native Americans: Not all Native Americans adamantly opposed the US Government; many were known to "assimilate" to whiteness and fulfill roles that were seen as such. Some Native Americans went on to live their lives in a way that conformed with European-American values, while others, such as Sam Sixkiller became lawmen in the West.
Cowboys Vs. Indians- A Big Misconception
The notion of "cowboys versus Indians" is possibly the greatest misconception pertaining to the Wild West. The possibility of true cowboys, who were cattleman, encountering violent Native American groups during an event such as a cattle drive was not impossible, but very unlikely. Typically, cattle drives happened farther south than where the violent Native Americans were located and encounters between the two were infrequent and uncommon. The horse-riding gunslingers that are incorrectly referred to as the cowboys that fought Indians were actually US troops who, without a doubt, were the worst adversary to Native Americans in the west, as is exemplified through the various conflicts that took place.
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick Cody, more commonly known as Buffalo Bill was a true showman and one of the more interesting personas of the Wild West. The legacy he established undoubtedly helped contribute to much of the fame and many of the stereotypes of the Old Western cowboy and gunslinger. The shows that he put on often involved extreme gun-handling talents from the likes of sharp shooters such as Annie Oakley; his performances proved to be hugely popular amongst many people. Despite being a showman, he also had a fierce reputation in the real world. Cody served as a scout in the US army during the Indian Wars and received the Medal of Honor, although it was later revoked. Cody also befriended other infamous names of the Wild West, including Wild Bill Hickock.
Common Firearms of the Wild West
The Revolver
The most iconic firearm of the Wild West is indisputably the revolver, particularly models such as the Colt single-action M1873 which was the standard issue revolver for the US Army Calvary. Revolvers, often referred to as "six-shooters" were reliable and powerful. Around the time of the Wild West, semi-automatic handguns were largely unheard of.
The Lever Action Rifle
Lever actions rifles are another firearm commonly seen in depictions of the Wild West. The lever action rifle featured an internal tube magazine and higher-powered rounds than handguns giving it greater range and stopping power. The rifle in the photo is an 1860 Henry rifle.The Bolt Action Rifle
Bolt action rifles were the longer-ranged, higher-powered counterparts to revolvers and were generally more reliable, accurate, and powerful than lever action rifles. The Krag-Jorgenson rifle was the standard issue bolt action for the US Army during the Wild West period and was also in the Spanish American War. It was replaced by the M1903 Springfield.
The Shotgun/ Coach Gun
Shotguns, specifically, the double barrel shotguns, or coach guns as they are often referred to, were the weapon of choice for many. Despite only having two rounds, a single shot from a 12 gauge, 16, or 20 gauge proved to be devastating. Double barrel shotguns were also very reliable and could easily be maintained.
One could be forgiven for mistaking the above image as being photoshopped, but it is the very real punt gun. Punt guns were essentially supersized shotguns used from the late 19th to early 20th century for the purpose of fowl hunting. Although they were never used in actual encounters during the Wild West times, one can feel free to use their imagination. One punt gun is currently being stored at the Cody Firearms Museum in Cody, WY.
The American Wild West is somewhat tricky to define due to the fact that it represents not just an era in America's history, but a set of ideals as well. Really, the Wild West was heavily tied to Westward expansion in the grander scheme of things. As the United States saw a tremendous gain in land from the Louisiana Purchase and later the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, two things became apparent; there was both a need from the US government to develop the new territory, as well as an opportunity for Americans to travel to the frontier for a chance of a new life. Unfortunately, not everyone in the Wild West had good intentions.
Typically, the "Wild West" aspect refers to the small, sparsely populated towns and settlements that existed between the years of 1865-1895 (or 1900 depending on the source) that emerged during the development of the western territories. These areas seldom had established police forces. In place of the more formally organized police counterparts in more urban areas, there were more localized authorities in the newly-developing regions such as Sheriffs, Deputies, and Marshals. Although order was attempted to be maintained by local authorities, various criminals proved to be somewhat of opportunists and saw the remote lands without formal police forces as a good environment to flee from existing warrants or to commit new crimes.
Although the infamous outlaws and gunslingers in the west were relatively rare, the more chaotic and crazy stories that occurred as a result of their doings have become established in not only the history books, but media as well...
Typically, the "Wild West" aspect refers to the small, sparsely populated towns and settlements that existed between the years of 1865-1895 (or 1900 depending on the source) that emerged during the development of the western territories. These areas seldom had established police forces. In place of the more formally organized police counterparts in more urban areas, there were more localized authorities in the newly-developing regions such as Sheriffs, Deputies, and Marshals. Although order was attempted to be maintained by local authorities, various criminals proved to be somewhat of opportunists and saw the remote lands without formal police forces as a good environment to flee from existing warrants or to commit new crimes.
Although the infamous outlaws and gunslingers in the west were relatively rare, the more chaotic and crazy stories that occurred as a result of their doings have become established in not only the history books, but media as well...
Notable Events in the Wild West:
The Wild West in History Compared to Media:
Because the Wild West is such a hot topic in history, it has received much attention from the media. Movies such as the beloved "Spaghetti Westerns" and video games, books, tv shows/ series, pertaining to the Old West have all been hugely successful in captivating people's interests; but the question is, how accurate are they? Media has a tendency to "hollywoodize" real historic events to make them more appealing at the cost of accuracy. How often does this happen with the Wild West? Perhaps this question can best be answered by observing the various archetypes that have been formed over decades (or even a century's) worth of the Wild West's portrayal.
The Outlaw
Outlaws in media: Much of the notoriety of the Wild West can be attributed to its hardened outlaws. In media, outlaws are presented ad nauseum as murderous gunslingers that would go out of their way to commit crimes either to A) illegally obtain money- I.E., bank and train robberies-or B) get even with or revenge someone. Names like the infamous "Billy the Kid" evoke a sense of trepidation in people, as they imagine a ruthless killer who would feel nothing as they pull the trigger. These violent criminals often in movies are fleeing from the law or live in a way that distances themselves from the rest of society.
What the Media Gets Right About the Outlaws of the Wild West: In the real world, the Wild West was certainly no stranger to the aforementioned gunslingers who would not hesitate to kill in cold blood; that much can be said as true. Often these outlaws would affiliate themselves with gangs who lived on the fringe of society. Many of the bandits commonly felt estranged to civilized life and had rough backgrounds, causing them to turn to a life of crime. Often outlaws in the west saw lucrative opportunities in the form of train or bank robberies; as the bandits exacted such crimes, they made enemies along the way. Shootouts were often the cause of outlaws being caught in the act of a crime or as a result of vendettas formed against other outlaws or law enforcement. For these criminals, if killing was deemed necessary, so be it. Some of the gang members already had criminal histories and a few notably were even guerillas or unconventional fighters during the Civil War. It is fair to say that the media's representation of the worst outlaws is not completely fabricated or totally fictionalized.
What the Media Gets Wrong: The greatest inaccuracy of the Wild West outlaws in the media's portrayal has to do with their sheer frequency. While Billy the Kid was one of the 'baddest' outlaws, he is not representative of the majority of them. Truthfully, many of the outlaws in the Wild West amounted to little more than drunkards.
Typically, entertainment platforms love to focus in on infamous gunslingers and murderous bandits as the star villains, while underrepresenting the chronic alcoholics that were not only also considered outlaws, but were arguably more common at that; the simple explanation for this is due to the fact that the rare but dangerous gun-slinging criminals escaping swift justice in the form of a noose or bullet make for a better story. With that said, many forms of entertainment that are brushed aside for not being credible do at least acknowledge historical facts. For example, in the video game, Red Dead Redemption 2, the fictional "Van der Linde Gang" are comprised of both ruthless murderers and hard drinking do-nothings. Perhaps a fair takeaway can be summarized by saying that not everything pertaining to gunslingers in the West is fictionalized or fabricated, but in many instances are not accurately put into perspective in terms of commonality.
Infamous Names of the Wild West:
- Jesse James- Bank robber, guerrilla, and leader of the James-Younger Gang.
- Billy the Kid- Infamous gunfighter. He slayed eight other men before finally being killed in a gunfight at the age of 21.
- John Wesley Hardin- Killed his first victim at the age of 15. He is notorious for having an extremely high body count (some say 27 kills by the age of 21). He died at age 42.
- Butch Cassidy- Bank and train robber. He notably fled to Bolivia where he was supposedly killed in a gunfight.
The Lawman
Image:
Lawmen in the Media: Lawmen of the Wild West are often portrayed by the media in one of three ways. There is usually either the heroic lawman, that represents good in the story, the crooked/corrupt lawman that represents the force of evil, or the ones who simply do nothing for whatever reason and are more of a neutral character. Similar to the outlaws in Old West-related media, the blatantly good or bad lawmen in are typically experts at firearm handling and pose a serious threat to anyone who crosses them.
What the Media Gets Right: Perhaps what the media most accurately assesses about lawmen of the Wild West were their somewhat unpredictable behavioral patterns. Also, similar to the most infamous outlaw gunslingers of the Wild West, there were many formidable lawmen who were handy with firearms as well.
What the Media Gets Wrong: Lawmen befall a similar fate to outlaws in the sense that they are somewhat sensationalized; the law-enforcing gunslingers with the grizzliest encounters are typically the ones that receive all the attention. Perhaps another, more important, inaccuracy has to do with the black and white nature of lawmen in movies. It often was not as simple as the supposedly "good" lawman being innately good or the "bad" lawman being innately bad. The proverbial saloon and brothel-filled towns of the Wild West unsurprisingly attracted many unsavory individuals: both true for the civilians and law enforcement alike. Often the lines between who was good and who was bad or who was right and who was wrong were blurred. Some lawman even had criminal backgrounds or would befriend outlaws who had a common enemy with other gang affiliates. With the Old West, perhaps a more accurate way to summarize law enforcement would not be bad versus good or vice versa, but rather the 'not great' lawman versus an 'even worse' outlaw or criminal.
Note: Another way in which the Old West is sensationalized by the media is in the depictions of how violent encounters supposedly happened. Not every encounter between lawmen and outlaws was as violent or chaotic as the Gunfight at the OK Corral; on the flip side, other engagements made it look tame in comparison.
The Bounty Hunter
Image:
The Media's Portrayal of Bounty Hunters: Movies such as "Spaghetti Westerns" typically have a plot that revolves around some form of vigilante or bounty hunter. The character is often portrayed as a type of antihero who seeks revenge for being wronged by another outlaw or perhaps as a nihilist who does not provide much background information and just wants the money. In the well-known movie, Outlaw Josey Wales, the main character was initially a family man living on a homestead. After his family was murdered, he became an outlaw and vigilante who sought revenge.
The Bounty Hunting Vigilante: The idea of a lone wolf bounty hunter chasing after dangerous criminals as is seen in the movies is not technically incorrect. Bounty hunters in the real western frontier could consist of many types of different individuals. Civilians, veterans of the Civil War, law enforcement, affiliates of law enforcement, private agencies, and even other outlaws could play the role of bounty hunters. In the case of the Reno Brother Gang, several members were hanged, albeit after being imprisoned, by a mob of vigilantes.
A More Reasonable Depiction of Bounty Hunters: While being a bounty hunter had the potential to be a job for pretty much anyone willing, many bounties were handled by law enforcement or private agencies. Groups like the Pinkerton Agency were often the ones to deal with bounties and in other instances, even the US Army became involved in arresting gangs of outlaws.
The Cowboy
Image:
Cowboy Rendition from the Media: The idea of a cowboy is left somewhat open ended in much of the media. Many movies refer to vicious outlaws as cowboys or perhaps the nihilistic bounty hunter-vigilante type is referred to as a cowboy. In other films, such as The Cowboys, starring John Wayne, the fictional "William Anderson" is a rancher going on a cattle drive.
The True Cowboys of the Wild West: The cowboys of the Old West really revolved around the need to transport cattle across long distances in order to help fuel the growing market for cattle in the mid-19th to early 20th century. As the industry gained ground, mass relocations of cattle, known as "cattle drives" were performed as a necessary measure to prevent harsh winters from killing off herds. Often cattle drives involved long, arduous journeys in harsh conditions which helped shape the modern image of the rugged cowboy. During a drive, the herd usually had to cover long distances (ranging anywhere 10-24 miles a day) to reach either the nearest railroad where they could be sent the rest of the way as cargo or until they arrived on foot at another pasture. Directing a herd of cattle long distance was no small feat. Typically, an entire crew was needed to operate for the full 24 hours out of the day. Cowboys rode on horseback often with other, unmanned horses riding along. Each crew consisted of a minimum of 10 (usually 12-15) cowboys to guide the herd and surround them on all sides. Assigned duties were given to each member of the group, so that the drive may be performed in an efficient manner. There were the wranglers who were typically the rookies of the group; Their duties involved being responsible for the spare horses during the ride as well as keeping watch over other cowboys' horses at night. In a typical group were also the cook who handled food and the trail boss who acted as the leader.
The Cowboy's Association with Gunslingers: Part of the reason why cowboys are so closely associated with gunslingers is due to the job of being a wrangler often attracting the rougher types of lower social classes. In fact, some of the most notorious criminals of the Old West, like Henry McCarty (also known as Billy the Kid), started off as wranglers before becoming renown bandits.
The Native American
The Native Americans in the Wild West Movies: Native Americans of the Western frontier are not as easily categorized as some other groups in the Wild West. the films typically portray them playing a plethora of different roles. Usually in the movies they are outlaws in gangs, tribe members, or individuals who conform to white standards that just want to keep a low profile.
Traditional Native Americans in the Wild West: In the real Wild West, Native Americans and the people they affiliated themselves with were quite different. Some of the traditionalists recognized the US government's encroachment on their territory and actively sought to fight against it. The Sioux Wars were one example of the longstanding turmoil between the US government and the Native Americans turning to bitter conflict. Many agree that the height of the feud between the Natives and the government occurred during the Wounded Knee Massacre, where 150+ (usually estimated to be 250) Lakota Native Americans were killed by the US Army, many of whom were women and children.
Assimilated Native Americans: Not all Native Americans adamantly opposed the US Government; many were known to "assimilate" to whiteness and fulfill roles that were seen as such. Some Native Americans went on to live their lives in a way that conformed with European-American values, while others, such as Sam Sixkiller became lawmen in the West.
Cowboys Vs. Indians- A Big Misconception
The notion of "cowboys versus Indians" is possibly the greatest misconception pertaining to the Wild West. The possibility of true cowboys, who were cattleman, encountering violent Native American groups during an event such as a cattle drive was not impossible, but very unlikely. Typically, cattle drives happened farther south than where the violent Native Americans were located and encounters between the two were infrequent and uncommon. The horse-riding gunslingers that are incorrectly referred to as the cowboys that fought Indians were actually US troops who, without a doubt, were the worst adversary to Native Americans in the west, as is exemplified through the various conflicts that took place.
Buffalo Bill
William Frederick Cody, more commonly known as Buffalo Bill was a true showman and one of the more interesting personas of the Wild West. The legacy he established undoubtedly helped contribute to much of the fame and many of the stereotypes of the Old Western cowboy and gunslinger. The shows that he put on often involved extreme gun-handling talents from the likes of sharp shooters such as Annie Oakley; his performances proved to be hugely popular amongst many people. Despite being a showman, he also had a fierce reputation in the real world. Cody served as a scout in the US army during the Indian Wars and received the Medal of Honor, although it was later revoked. Cody also befriended other infamous names of the Wild West, including Wild Bill Hickock.
Common Firearms of the Wild West
The Revolver
The most iconic firearm of the Wild West is indisputably the revolver, particularly models such as the Colt single-action M1873 which was the standard issue revolver for the US Army Calvary. Revolvers, often referred to as "six-shooters" were reliable and powerful. Around the time of the Wild West, semi-automatic handguns were largely unheard of.
The Lever Action Rifle
Lever actions rifles are another firearm commonly seen in depictions of the Wild West. The lever action rifle featured an internal tube magazine and higher-powered rounds than handguns giving it greater range and stopping power. The rifle in the photo is an 1860 Henry rifle.
The Bolt Action Rifle
Bolt action rifles were the longer-ranged, higher-powered counterparts to revolvers and were generally more reliable, accurate, and powerful than lever action rifles. The Krag-Jorgenson rifle was the standard issue bolt action for the US Army during the Wild West period and was also in the Spanish American War. It was replaced by the M1903 Springfield.
The Shotgun/ Coach Gun
Shotguns, specifically, the double barrel shotguns, or coach guns as they are often referred to, were the weapon of choice for many. Despite only having two rounds, a single shot from a 12 gauge, 16, or 20 gauge proved to be devastating. Double barrel shotguns were also very reliable and could easily be maintained.
One could be forgiven for mistaking the above image as being photoshopped, but it is the very real punt gun. Punt guns were essentially supersized shotguns used from the late 19th to early 20th century for the purpose of fowl hunting. Although they were never used in actual encounters during the Wild West times, one can feel free to use their imagination. One punt gun is currently being stored at the Cody Firearms Museum in Cody, WY.
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