"Greatest Gunfighter" Topic

Who do you think was the greatest? I would say that Buckshot Roberts was one of the most impressive and died the way a gunfighter is supposed to. Hickock and Hardin split second place because they lived up to the Hollywood reputation for a gunfighter.

Doc Holiday!

Hickcock…

Surely it's all about being – or becoming – a Legend.
In that respect, I don't think anyone else comes close – maybe Buffalo Bill Cody, who dedicated his life to self-publicity (but doesn't fit the criteria of 'gunfighter'.)

As if the name wasn't enough – I mean, seriously, "Wild Bill", how cool is that? – Hickock's reputation is such that if you could travel back in time, & walked down the main street of Deadwood, you might actually, visually recognise the man… the hair, the pistols worn in a sash… who else can you say that about?

And he was the genuine article with a gun – one of the few men to have actually fought a face-to-face 'quick-draw' gunfight and a well-documented marksman.

Compared to most of his contemporaries, he was as close as you'll find to a genuine 'white hat', managing to stay on the right side of the law (almost) all the time. Certainly a much less ambiguous figure than, say, Wyatt Earp. (However impressive John Wesley Hardin was with a gun, he wasn't an admirable character.)
His career is a checklist of Western landmarks: Underground Railroader, Kansas Border Raider, Army Scout, Pony Express Rider, Gambler, Dime novel Hero, and most famously, lawman.

His death might not have been a Blaze of Glory, but it's undeniably famous. Is there anyone who HASN'T heard of the Dead Man's Hand?
Consider – Hardin was killed in very similar circumstances, while playing dice. Who remembers what his last roll was…?

Doc Holiday was a larger than life personality for sure.

As a gunfighter though his record is pretty poor.

I vote for Hickok also although Wyatt Earp gets a nod for having been in so many fights without getting hit.

Earp also gets points for dying of old age!

Hickok gets my vote.

Wild Bill gets my vote to.
He got it all, "good" morals, uniqe look, uses cap & ball guns.

Wyatt Earp is overrated, I prefer his Brother Virgil, the only real lawman of the brothers.

Hickcock

reasons are well stated above.

mjc

As a gunfighter, I vote for James Butler Hickock. How did he get the name Wild Bill when he had the same first name as me--James?
Count Natokina.

Hi

Elfago Baca. Won a fight against a whole town, won a lot of fights, and had a reputation such that bad guys turned themselves in rather than be hunted by him.

Oh, and a legend.

Rocky

Count- you really don't need to sign every post with your handle…

>>a gunfighter, I vote for James Butler Hickock. How did he get the name Wild Bill when he had the same first name as me--James?<<

I've read that "Bill" was his nickname because he had a protruding upper lip, like a duck bill. "Wild" was added later for obvious reasons.

>Count- you really don't need to sign every post with your handle…<

I see no reason why not. Except of course if your nickname is so long that, as in my case, it is inconvenient.

Festus.

It would have to be Hickock. He was the Jimi Hendrix of gunfighter. He did could do things with a pistol – shot wise- that others simply could not do. Wild Bill was the guy that Ned Bluntline based his Dime-novel heroes off of.

What about Bandidoes? I've heard of Lampaio but who else was in their premier league?

Paladin

Billy the Kid

Billy the Kid has to be up there in that he became a Legend. Toss up between the Kid and Wild Bill.

Billy the Kid's first killin' was in a "fair" fight. That gives him a point for Hollywood Gunfighter. He has also had more movies made with him in them than any other historical figure or so I have read. Legendwise he is tops.

Ben Thompson or Bill Longley.

Coopersteve,
I sign to take responsibility for what I have written. It is a habit left over from school.
Count Natokina.

"Nigger Killer" Bill Longley? Did he ever particiapte in a real gunfight. Thought his forte was killing the unarmed and the ambushed, not gun fighting.

Just about any Deputy Marshal working out of Fort Smith that survived to retire probably could lay some claim to the title too : )

Whaaaat???!! Rory Calhoun? Ambushing and shooting unarmed citizens??!! (-:

link

The Shadow.

Oh Lordy that is a new one for me!

Of all the people they could have made TV shows about they had to choose that loon?

He was as big a sociopath as Wes Harding and a lot less charming : )

Another casualty of the wah-ah.

M c and Terrement

Right. Only his name was used. I guess it sounded good to someone. (-: Anyway, it was a fairly decent half hour show from Desilu that didn't last very long.

Here's a good excerpt on the historical Longley:

link

Note that most cases where it is recorded that the other guy fired first, this fact seems to have been related by Longely himself so far as my research has shown.

Some great scenarios here if like me you don't mind a really short game.

Bob

Fine, Count N., but the program does that for you anyway!

Hi

Actually, being fair, the Wyatt Earp TV show did a 4 episode sequence on the OK corral that is quite good and accords nicely with the Tombstone Epitaph version.

Rocky

Hi

Oh, and surprisingly, the disney version of Elfago Baca isn't too bad either! The only problem is that he is TOO hispanic. That is, he was from St.Louis and a lawyer by trade and learned border mexican/spanish later not as a native speaker.

Rocky

>>Actually, being fair, the Wyatt Earp TV show did a 4 episode sequence on the OK corral that is quite good and accords nicely with the Tombstone Epitaph version.<<

I enjoyed that sequence too.

There might not be another authentic old west character more proficient with their handguns or more willing to use them than J.W. Hardin. His amazing accuracy and lightning draw was witnessed and well documented over and over again.

He isn't a Hollywood Hero and does not have the coolness factor of flashier shootists, but stack any of them up against Hardin in a fight and I think J.W. comes out on top.

That's my two bits. :)

Jesse James

Hickhock would be the only one to challenge Wes Hardin. They were pretty near equal. A testament to that fact is that neither ever took one another on. Both new that a fight against the other would could be bad.