Clay Allison: Known for his unpredictable personality and violent temper, Clay Allison was a gunfighter who is remembered as one of the deranged outlaws of the Old West. Allison fought in the Civil War, but was discharged after a blow to the head started causing erratic behavior in him. Historians believe this event explains some of his shockingly brutal actions. Despite surviving the civil war and being involved in a multitude of gunfights, Allison is most remembered for killing a suspected murder, cutting off his head and bringing it to his favorite bar to share a drink. He met an unimpressive death when he fell from his wagon and broke his neck in 1887. His gravestone is said to read: ”Clay Allison. Gentleman. Gun Fighter. He never killed a man that did not need killing.”

Tom Horn Jr.: Respected lawman and Pinkerton detective Thomas Horn was in actuality one of the most cold-blooded killers of the Old West. Tom made a name for himself as a tracker, bounty hunter, and was eventually hired as a detective by the famous Pinkerton Detective Agency. Quickly becoming known for his volatile temper and propensity for violence, he was forced to resign his position with the Agency after becoming linked to the murders of over a dozen people. Following his resignation, Horn quickly developed a reputation as a killer-for-hire, and is said to have been responsible for as many as 50 murders in his 43 years of life.

James ‘Killer’ Miller: One of the darkest and most sadistic figures of the Old West was James “Killer” Miller, a paid assassin and gunslinger known to have killed at least 14 people, though legend has that number closer to 50. Also known as ‘Deacon Jim’ because he regularly went to church and did not smoke or drink, Miller openly stated that he would kill anyone for money. His rate reportedly somewhere ranged between $150 to $2,000 per kill. Miller’s murderous days came to an end when he was placed in jail in Oklahoma (for you guessed it, murder-killing the shit out of someone). A lynch mob stormed the jail, took Miller and hung him in a barn. The last words of a man who earned the nick name of ‘killer’? “Let ‘er rip!”

John Wesley Hardin: The son of a Methodist preacher, John Wesley Hardin was anything but pious. At age 14, John prison-shanked a boy in the schoolyard for taunting him. A year later, he shot and killed an ex-slave who had been his friend, who accidentally scratched his face rough-housing. John was known for carrying two pistols in holsters strapped to his chest, which enabled him to be one of the fastest guns in history. John was shot in the back of the head (probably 5 more times, for good measure) playing dice in El Paso, Texas. He is credited with killing no fewer than 42 people.

Wyatt Earp: One of the most famous lawman of all time, Wyatt Earp was also an accomplished gunslinger who was greatly feared by the outlaws of the era. After traveling the likes of Wichita and Dodge City, he set up shop in the famous city of Tombstone, where he became one of the most feared and respected lawmen of all time. He participated in some of the most legendary shootouts of the Old West, but is most known for leading his ‘Vendetta Ride’. After one of his brothers was shot dead, Earp and his good friend Doc Holliday led a group of gun fighters and were responsible for hosing at least 30 men connected to the murder.

Henry “Billy the Kid” McCarty: Arguably one of the most well known gunslingers, Henry “Billy the Kid” McCarty started his life of crime with petty theft and horse thievery, and is said to have made his first kill at the age of eighteen. Often portrayed as a cold-blooded killer, history shows that he actually entered a life of crime out of necessity, not meanness. In fact, people who knew him called him brave, resourceful, loyal, and possessing a remarkable sense of humor. But when you’re leading a group known as ‘The Regulators’, it’s understandable why people might label you as a cold-to-the-core killer. Hounded by law enforcement, the group was eventually disbanded. After three months of running, Billy was killed in 1881 by the equally famous, Sheriff Pat Garrett. All told, Billy the Kid is said to have killed a total of 21 men, one for each year of his life.

John King Fisher: One the lesser-known but more violent pistoleros of the Old West, gunfighter and one-time lawman John King Fisher was in and out of prison from the age of sixteen. He is said to have had a very flamboyant style, always dawning brightly colored clothes and carrying his signature twin-ivory-handled pistols. But it was his propensity for aggression that really helped him make a name for himself. Among his killing exploits (something that doesn’t help your traditional resume), he is known for gunning down members of his own gang, beating people to death with a branding iron and even shooting unarmed men. He is also believed to have killed no less than 16 men.

Dallas Stoudenmire: Although not as well known as many of the others, Dallas Stoudenmire was a feared lawman in his day. After serving in the Civil War, during which he was wounded several times, Stoudenmire moved to El Paso, Texas to serve as sheriff, a town famous for having no law whatsoever. Only three days after signing on, Dallas was involved in one of the West’s most legendary gunfights, the infamous “Four Dead in Five Seconds Gunfight”. He killed six more men in gunfights over the next year, and gained a reputation as one of the most fearless lawmen in all Texas. In 1882 Stoudenmire was shot to death by group of outlaws during a verbal confrontation. Dallas is believed to have killed no less than 11 men.

‘Wild Bill’ Hickok: One of the most legendary figures of the Old West, James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok was an actor, gambler, lawman, and gunfighter who was regarded as one of the most skilled gunslingers of all time. After making a name for himself as a constable and rider for the Pony Express, Hickok gained a reputation for being handy with a gun after he killed outlaw David McCanles with a single bullet from 75 yards away. More accurately called a “shootist,” Hickok was one of the very few gunslingers who participated in actual, out-in-the-street “Western-style” quick-draw duels. He was shot in the back of the head during a poker game.

Henry Longabaugh AKA The Sundance Kid: The Sundance Kid earned his nickname when he was caught and convicted of horse thievery in Sundance, Wyoming. Despite his reputation as a gunfighter, he is not certain to have actually killed anyone. After his release from jail in 1896, he and Robert LeRoy Parker aka “Butch Cassidy” formed the gang known as the Wild Bunch. They were responsible for the longest string of successful train and bank robberies in American history.

Butch Cassidy: Born Robert Leroy Parker, Butch Cassidy was the leader of the Wild Bunch Gang who became notorious for robbing trains and banks in the American West. His last name, Cassidy, was a tribute to his friend and mentor Mike Cassidy who taught him how to shoot. He and three others robbed $21,000 from the San Miguel Valley Bank in Telluride in 1889, where he used his share to buy the infamous ‘Hole-in-the-Wall’ ranch, which was believed to be a cover for his illegal activities.

Jesse James: One of the most famous members of the James-Younger Gang, Jesse Woodson James became a criminal for robbing banks, stage coaches and trains. He was already a celebrity when he was alive, being featured in the newspaper as some type of folk here, but had became even more legendary after his death. He was shot in the back of his head on April 3, 1882 in his own home by his trusted friend, Robert Ford, who was hoping to collect the reward money. His mother, Zerelda James chose this epitaph for her son : “In Loving Memory of my Beloved Son, Murdered by a Traitor and Coward Whose Name is not Worthy to Appear Here.”

Doc Holliday: In the 125-year plus years since his death, the legend lives on as debates continue about the exact crimes that John Henry ‘Doc’ Holliday committed. He earned a DDS degree in dentistry before he became a renowned gambler and gunfighter. He moved to the southwest when he was diagnosed with tuberculosis at age 15, which is where he took up gambling and acquired a reputation as a deadly gunman. He rode with Wyatt Earp during the infamous ‘Vendetta Ride’, and is known to have killed no less than 10 men.

William “Curly Bill” Brocius: “Curly Bill” was so-called because of his head of thick, curly black hair. After the death of “Old Man” Clanton, he became the leader of the “Cowboys” gang of cattle rustlers in Tombstone, Arizona. Curly Bill was a heavy drinker who became even more rambunctious when drunk. He was eventually killed by Wyatt Earp for being tied to the murder of his brother Morgan.

Sam Bass: Sam Bass started out an honest man. He had a simple and modest dream of moving to Texas and becoming a cowboy. Eventually he did just that, but decided after one season he didn’t like it. While transitioning from simple farmer to famed outlaw might be a stretch for some, Bass did it seamlessly. He began robbing banks and stagecoaches, and became rather proficient at it. After his 7th stagecoach robbery, Bass and his gang turned their sights on bigger prizes and decided to rob trains. They eventually robbed the Union Pacific gold train from San Francisco, netting over $60,000, which is to this day the largest single robbery of the Union Pacific. He was wounded by Texas Rangers on the way to rob a small bank in Round Rock, and died two days later on his 27th birthday.