• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer
Zippy Facts Logo

Zippy Facts

Interesting Random Facts

  • Animals
  • Culture
  • Firsts
  • Food
  • Geography
  • Health
  • History
  • Inventions
  • Language
  • Mythology
  • Odds
  • People
  • Religion
  • Science
  • Space
  • Universe
  • World
You are here: Home / History / How often did gunmen in the Wild West do the quick-draw shoot-out duel like in the movies?

How often did gunmen in the Wild West do the quick-draw shoot-out duel like in the movies?

April 4, 2020 by Karen Hill

Gunmen in the Wild West did do the quick-draw shoot-out duel nearly as often as in the movies.

In fact, there isn’t a single documented case of it ever happening like the movies portray it.

The whole quick-draw myth came from early dime novels. When Wyatt Earp was asked about quick-draw shoot-outs in the 1920s, he told an interviewer that the guy who drew his gun and shot quickly invariably missed.

The way to survive a gunfight, Earp said, was to take a second before shooting to steady your hand and aim.

Related Facts

  • What was a song duel and How did the Inuit use song duels to settle disputes?
  • Who were the Wild Rice People and How did Native Americans harvest wild rice?
  • What happened in the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr?
  • What Does the Phrase "Cut To the Quick" Mean and Where Did the Saying Come From?
  • Where Did the Term "Military Raid" For a Quick Attack Come From and What Does the Word Raid Mean?
  • How dangerous was it to live in an American Wild West town?

Filed Under: History

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

Previous Post: « How dangerous was it to live in an American Wild West town?
Next Post: What did the Native American Indian word “how” mean? »

Footer

Follow

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • GitHub
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Medium
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Accomplishments Animals Culture Firsts Food Geography Health History Inventions Language Mythology Odds People Religion Science Space Universe World Your Body

About

Zippy Facts empowers the world by serving educational content that is accessible to everyone.

A tribute to growing up, zippyfacts.com showcases interesting and unusual facts about the world.

Our mission is to use technology to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing.

Copyright © 2021 Zippy Facts

  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy