Las Vegas Saloon Shootout (1880) - In January, 1880, Las Vegas, New Mexico was firmly in control of a criminal cartel called the Dodge City Gang, which included a number of men who had migrated to New Mexico from the cowtowns of Kansas, hence the name. Acting in the capacity of lawmen, the Dodge City Gang strictly enforced a rule that no one was to carry arms in the city, with the exception of them, of course. On January 22, 1880, four rough-housing cowboys by the names of T.J. House, James West, John Dorsey, and William Randall were parading about town sneering, laughing, and looking for trouble. Word soon reached Marshal Joe Carson, who, along with Deputy "Mysterious" Dave Mather, found the men at Close and Patterson’s Variety Hall. When Carson demanded that the four men “check” their guns, they refused.  A wild gunfight ensued and Carson was killed immediately, while Deputy "Mysterious" Dave Mather killed Randall and dropped West. John Dorsey, though wounded, and T.J. House managed to escape.

Long Branch Saloon Shootout, aka: Richardson-Loving Gunfight (1879) - In the spring of 1879, the wicked little town of Dodge City, Kansas had yet to be tamed, a fact that would show itself once again in a gunfight at the Long Branch Saloon. The two men involved, Levi Richardson, a buffalo hunter, and “Cockeyed Frank” Loving, a professional gambler, had allegedly been feuding for some time, a dispute that had something to do with Mattie Loving, Frank’s wife. By April, the disagreement led to a gunfight in the Long Branch Saloon. When the smoke cleared, Richardson lay dead on the floor. Three years later, Loving would tangle again with another gunfighter in Trinidad, Colorado. In what is known as the Trinidad, Colorado shoot-out, Loving died at the hands of John Allen on April 16, 1882. More ...

O.K. Corral Gunfight (1881) - When the Earps arrived in Tombstone , Arizona in 1880, they were almost immediately at odds with the Clanton Gang, more often referred to as the "Cowboys." The Clantons and their group of ruffians had been "lording" it over Tombstone and the surrounding area without interference before the Earps arrived in town. Virgil Earp, who soon became Tombstone's marshal, immediately suspected the "Cowboys" of rustling cattle on a large scale and set out to stop their criminal endeavors. After a number of run-ins between the two factions, it came to a head on October 26, 1881 when Virgil arrested Ike Clanton and Tom McLaury for carrying firearms in the city limits. After the pair were released, they joined up with Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury, who had just arrived in town. Gathered near the OK Corral on Fremont Street, Virgil then decided to disarm Billy Clanton and Frank McLaury, as well. Marshal Virgil Earp recruited his brothers Wyatt and Morgan to help him in this dangerous task. Doc Holliday also insisted upon joining them. When the four men approached the "Cowboys," demanding their guns, at hell broke loose. In what has since forever been known as the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton made the mistake of cocking their pistols when approached by the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday. It is not really known who fired the first shot, but Doc’s bullet was the first to hit home, tearing through Frank McLaury's belly and sending McLaury's own shot wild through Wyatt’s coat-tail. The 30-second shootout left three Billy Clanton, Frank McLaury and Tom McLaury dead. Virgil Earp took a shot to the leg and Morgan suffered a shoulder wound. Sheriff John Behan arrested Virgil, Wyatt, and Morgan Earp, as well as Doc Holliday for the murder of Billy Clanton and Tom and Frank McLaury. However, Judge Wells Spicer, who was related to the Earps, decided that the defendants had been justified in their actions.