The gunslinger of the Old West remains one of the most distinctive and legendary figures in American culture. Despite the harsh and mostly dull reality of life out on the plains, in the desert or the Rocky Mountains, the mystique surrounding both lawman and outlaw became the heart and soul of the American story and infused itself indelibly into popular culture here and abroad. Although the last real cowboy disappeared 100 years ago, we remain enamored of his image.

The popularity of stories about the old West has been in decline, displaced by more sensational, technologically souped-up genres. Over the past 25 years, Marvel Studios producers have tried to humanize their comic book characters by implanting more complex emotional traits. Batman, Spiderman, Ironman have acquired dark moods, and antagonists like the Joker have been refurbished to provide sadistic humor.

While superheroes may have greater world market appeal than old cowboy shows, the efforts to give them souls fall flat; they are artificial beings, and it seems to me their stories are devoid of any real pathos. And, despite their superpowers, they lack the most intriguing and vital tool of the American survival story – the good, old-fashioned gun – the Colt 45 “Peacemaker,” the Smith and Wesson model 3, the Remington model 1875, and Winchester and Sharps Rifles.

These were the real instruments used by those who became the legends of the Old West.

Some gun collectors are historians who strive to reconstruct the Wild West. They study the evolution of guns as part of the greater social conditions that imbued Dodge City, and which brought wealth to the real-life counterparts of Ben Cartwright and Victoria Barkley. They have visited the real places through which Charlie Wooster led his caravan and Rowdy Yates drove cattle. They know about black cowboys and the cultural differences among Native tribes. And they know well what Miss Kitty did for a living!

Doc Holiday, Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp, Billy the Kid, Jesse James and other gunfighters were boys or young men during the Civil War. They grew up fully aware of its dire consequences. For them, the movement west must have seemed like an opportunity to live and die on their own terms.

One hundred years after the Civil War, the Vietnam War was spawning a cultural revolution among young people. Featured within that movement was a blossoming of musical creativity. Folk singers like Dylan and Baez were bringing social issues into the mainstream, while bands like Pink Floyd, King Crimson, and Grateful Dead were making deep dives into the hippie culture. This was also the era of the first guitar slingers. Jimi Hendrix, Terry Kath, Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, and Jeff Beck emerged as masters of the electric guitar. They would set the standard for creative improvisation for decades to follow.

Guitar collectors know all about the guitar slingers. Like the gun collectors, they bring historical context to the conversation. They know who played what and on which stage. And they understand the importance of the ’60s and ’70s in terms of music and social change in America.

America in 2025 is a very different landscape for both guitar players and gun users. Today there are countless extraordinary guitarists. Yet I would argue that none stands out as a bonafide “slinger.” Rather, today’s guitarist is more a trained technician than a creative artist. And, with AI infiltrating the industry, it seems inevitable that even human imperfections – the unique quirks of the soul – will become “perfectly” copied by technology.

For gun enthusiasts, there is no more Wild West. The dream of escaping into new frontiers is dead in America. From sea to shining sea, it has all been settled or appropriated. There is no more free land, no more gold in them thar hills, no legendary lawmen or outlaws. Hence, no glory for the gun.

Yet the notion that guns give us power and purpose seems to be ingrained in our collective subconscious. For some, especially sociopaths and other deeply disturbed individuals who feel trapped, the gun is the one-way-out, and the gateway to the lost frontier. Killing, especially en masse, is an act of retribution, desperation, and suicide.

Guns today are frightening mutations of their ancestors. They have evolved into absolute killing machines. There is no art to their usage, no need for quickness or hand-eye coordination; just pull the trigger and mutilate everything in front of you. They are strictly war machines, and I question the motives of any private citizen who covets them.

Personally, guitar is not my instrument. And I have very little interest in guns. But if I had to choose one over the other, I would rather “slay” an audience with music than an enemy with bullets. And I’d rather have calluses on my fingers than scars on my heart.

Pete Howard, a musician, writer, teacher, and painter, lives in Dunkirk.