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Did Most Old West Towns Have “No Carry” Gun Laws?

by | Jan 5, 2018 | Ask the Marshall, Departments

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Did most Old West towns have “no carry” gun laws? Gerard Smith Coos Bay, Oregon As frontier towns matured, city fathers realized they needed gun control ordinances. Alcohol, gambling and a shortage of women could set off men and have them reaching for their guns. Tombstone, Arizona Territory, offers a good example. One could wear guns when arriving or leaving town, but in between, the gun had to be checked. But enforcing Tombstone’s gun law could be problematic. The October 26, 1881,


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