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Among the experts in the field, per se, who author Paul Pawela looks to for gunfighting advice is Wyatt Earp. Others include James “Wild Bill” Hickok, Frank Hamer, Bill Jordan, Jim Cirillo and Edmundo Mireles Jr., some of whom he wrote about in part one of this series.
MY TWO CENTS ON REVOLVERS AND GUNFIGHTING (PART TWO) Parsing the words of famed Old West lawman and OK Corral gunfighter Wyatt Earp.
STORY AND PHOTO BY PAUL PAWELA
I
n the April 2021 issue of American Shooting Journal, we talked about renowned gunfighters of yesteryear, how they used revolvers in gunfights, and how those hardfought lessons are still applicable to this day. We looked in-depth at the life of James Butler Hickok, better known as Wild Bill, and his famous exploits in gunfighting. This issue, in continuation of our exploration of famous gunfighters and
their lifesaving endeavors, we will cover perhaps one of the most well-known gunfighters ever, Wyatt Earp. Wyatt Earp is widely regarded as one of the most famous lawmen and gunfighters of the Old West. He is best known for being one of the last men standing at the gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, in 1881. In that gunfight, Earp, his brothers Virgil and Morgan, and his best friend and fellow gunfighter Doc Holliday confronted five desperados known as Cowboys. They were all confined in a small alleyway no wider than 15 feet and no more than 10 feet away from
each other. Two Cowboys broke and ran away, while the other three ended up in Boot Hill Cemetery, forever immortalized in the most epic gunfight in American history. Three lawmen were wounded in the fight, two with serious injuries, while the hero of the day, Earp, remained unscathed despite 30 rounds total fired at close range. This shootout was not Earp’s first, nor would it be his last. EARP’S GUNFIGHTS HAVE as much relevance today as they did in his time, and his gunfighting advice has been well documented. Here, we will take a look americanshootingjournal.com 39
