F-gunfighter-photosSome of these badmen were so tough the only way to get a photograph of them was in death.

Other gunfighters posed for many a picture (Wild Bill Hickok is one example). As time went on—and camera shutter speeds improved—a photograph emerged that showed a gunfight in progress (shown on this spread). What follows are some of the best photos of Western gunfighters, many scanned from the originals so you can see the fine details. In fact, five of these incredible images have never before been published—to the best of our knowledge. Enjoy!

Related Articles

  • john waynes brother

    Did gunfighters practice shooting? Tom Clinkenbeard Glendale, Arizona They sure did practice shooting. They pretty…

  • long-branch-saloon-in-1874-blog

    This was borne out in the spring of 1879 in the Long Branch Saloon in…

  • ast-kind-words-saloon_larry-mcmurtry

    For over half a century, author Larry McMurtry has brought the West alive to readers…