This is alist of Old West gunfighters, referring tooutlaws orlawmen, of theAmerican frontier who gained fame or notoriety during theAmerican Wild West or Old West. Some listed were never gunfighters. The termgunslinger is a modern, 20th-century invention, often used in cinema or other media to refer to men in the American Old West who had gained a reputation as being dangerous with a gun. Agunfighter may or may not be an outlaw or a lawman. An outlaw had usually been convicted of a crime, such asBlack Bart, but may have only gained a reputation as operating outside the law, such asIke Clanton. Some of those listed may have also served in law enforcement, like MarshalBurt Alvord who subsequently became an outlaw, and some outlaws likeJohnny Ringo were deputized at one time or another. Some of the gunfighters listed included professionals,scouts, businessmen, and evendoctors.
The majority of outlaws in the Old West preyed on banks, trains, and stagecoaches. Some crimes were carried out by Mexicans and Native Americans againstwhite citizens who were targets of opportunity along the U.S.–Mexico border, particularly in Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.
For example,Pancho Villa was abandit fromDurango,Mexico who also conducted cross-border raids into New Mexico and Texas. Some individuals, likeJesse James, became outlaws after serving in theCivil War. Some were simply men who took advantage of the wildness and lawlessness of the frontier to enrich themselves at the expense of others. Some outlaws migrated to the frontier to escape prosecution for crimes elsewhere.
Law was present, if spread thin, in the American Old West. It was usually present on three levels: theDeputy U.S. Marshal, the countysheriff, and thetown marshal orconstable. Sometimes their jurisdictions overlapped which could lead toconflicts like those between Deputy U.S. MarshalVirgil Earp andCochise County, Arizona SheriffJohnny Behan. When an outlaw committed a crime, the local sheriff or marshal would usually form aposse to attempt to capture them. Rewards were posted for outlaws which encouraged citizens to capture or kill them for the reward, leading to the profession ofbounty hunter – people who would find and capture/kill those with abounty placed on their head by the law.
