| Mr Brightside | 11 Oct 2009 3:43 p.m. PST |
How common were they really? Most western movies and TV act like they were an established profession but apart from marshals hired by a town I have never heard of a historical incident involving them. |
| GreyONE | 11 Oct 2009 3:53 p.m. PST |
Look up: Johnson County War. I believe around 150 hired guns were hired for the fight (I have been to the museum at Buffalo, Wyoming and was amazed at their gun collection from the period). As a rule of thumb, Hollywood usually gets it wrong, but… hired guns were available. Not sure what sort of quality you would get. |
| rddfxx | 11 Oct 2009 4:49 p.m. PST |
Attrite is the verb, the "i" is long |
| The Shadow | 11 Oct 2009 5:53 p.m. PST |
>How common were they really?< Not always the way you might think. Greyone mentioned the "Johnson County War", which is famous, but hired guns were used as strike breakers, guards, and for other reasons. Tom Horn was used by Cattlemen as a "range detective" to fight rustlers, but he has also been called a killer for hire. |
John Leahy  | 11 Oct 2009 6:40 p.m. PST |
Gunmen who were worth the money probably found ready employment. However, I doubt they were normally called hired gunmen. Sherrifs, deputies, constable, enforcer, gambler and so on. Thanks, John |
| Norman D Landings | 12 Oct 2009 8:24 a.m. PST |
Great link, Terrement… there goes my evening. |
| Inkpaduta | 12 Oct 2009 9:52 a.m. PST |
If you are thinking in the termsof Hollywood ie the professional hired gun that rides from twon to town looking to be hired, not at all. If you mean men you could find who would be willing to kill someone for money, then yes. Of course you could do that today if you looked hard enough.
But therw were no professionals who that was their occupation. The staple of TV and Hollywood westerns for years. |
| Gunfreak | 12 Oct 2009 10:14 a.m. PST |
Hired gun is nothing more then renta cop or private security agancy. In my book Pinkertens were hierd guns, they might have slightly more trainig then a self made man, but basicly you hired them to get their skill with guns |
| Mr Brightside | 12 Oct 2009 5:50 p.m. PST |
Ok thanks great link Terrement. Certainly interesting about the Johnson County War. I will have to look that up. |
| RockyRusso | 13 Oct 2009 12:31 p.m. PST |
Hi johnson county has been done THREE times as a movie, but never "right". A fascinating little range war. Years ago, I did the war up as a board game that I got nibbles on, but no bites. But some of the things that happened are too weird to actually game, but when I DID the campaign, I discovered that gamers came up with their own oddites without help! Rocky |
| Mr Brightside | 13 Oct 2009 5:47 p.m. PST |
I am working on some simple ideas to run a campaign of a feud or land war. I will see what everyone at my group says. If it works out I will seet that everyone receives a full report. |
 mmitchell | 14 Oct 2009 10:25 a.m. PST |
Gunfreak: I couldn't agree more. Based on my reading, many of the Pinkertons were trigger-happy thugs. |
