TEXT:  
   
  This article is a combination of reprints from “The Fastest Guns That Never 
  Lived” articles and some new entries. Since many of the first articles (and the 
  most famous stars) appeared in issues of Strategic Review and The Dragon 
  that are out of print, it seems logical to reprint them so that new readers and 
  players of the revised BOOT HILL game could enjoy them. It must be stressed 
  that these “guns” are far stronger than most player characters and will 
  unbalance the game unless caution is exercised, but special scenarios using 
  one or two of them might be enjoyable.  
  Movies and television have given us some of the greatest gunslingers of 
  all time. Their abilities are far superior to those of any gunfighter who really 
  lived, or so it seems from the old shows. Some of those heroes and villains 
  are presented here for the benefit of those who would like to see what they 
  could do. The ratings correspond to terms of TSR’s Boot Hill game rules for 
  gunfights with counters or miniatures.  
   
   
   
  GUN  
  THROWING  
   
   
  SPECIAL  
  NAME  
  SPEED  ACCURACY 
  ACCURACY 
  BRAVERY
  STRENGTH
  EXPERIENCE 
  ABILITIES 
  The Lone 
  Ranger  
  9 2  
  98 
  78 
  98 
  95 
  11+  
  A,E,F,G,H,J  
  Tonto  
  80 
  91 
  96 
  89 
  83 
  9 
   
  The 
  Rifleman  
  9 0 
  9 8  
  51 
  91 
  91 
  11+  
  C,D,E,F  
  Matt Dillon  
  8 8  
  95 
  45 
  95 
  99 
  11+  
  E,F,G  
  Paladin  
  98 
  98 
  80 
  98 
  94 
  11+  
  A,B,E,H  
  Josh 
  Randall  
  91 
  90 
  66 
  91 
  82 
  11+  
  E,F  
  Hopalong 
  Cassidy  
  87 
  8 6  
  65 
  91 
  79 
  11+  
  A,E,F,G,H,J,K  
  Yancy 
  Derringer  
  94 
  97 
  70 
  90 
  77 
  11+  
  B,E  
  Pahoo  
  9 0  
  8 4  
  100 
  90 
  95 
  8 
  D  
  Johnny 
  Yuma  
  91 
  8 8  
  65 
  90 
  66 
  11+  
  E,F  
  The Cisco 
  Kid  
  8 8  
  9 6  
  66 
  96 
  67 
  11+  
  A,B,E,G,H, J  
  Pancho  
  3 8  
  66 
  3 4  
  34 
  76 
  8 
  G  
  Bret 
  Maverick  
  89 
  76 
  47 
  88 
  77 
  8 
  E,G,K  
  Bart 
  Maverick  
  85 
  77 
  45 
  72 
  79 
  8 
  E  
  Beau 
  Maverick  
  85 
  77 
  45 
  72 
  79 
  8 
  E  
  
  Will Sonnet  
  9 0  
  9 9  
  72 
  92 
  58 
  11+  
  A,E,H,K  
  Jeff Sonnet  
  8 6  
  88 
  76 
  89 
  8 4  
  5 
  A,E,H  
  Jason 
  McCord  
  88 
  88 
  79 
  92 
  91 
  11+  
  E,G,H,J  
  Ben 
  Cartwright  
  75 
  76 
  51 
  92 
  75 
  11+  
  A  
  Adam 
  Cartwright  
  8 6  
  90 
  47 
  94 
  87 
  11+  
  A,E  
  Hoss 
  Cartwright  
  70 
  75 
  45 
  92 
  100 
  9 
  A  
  “Little Joe” 
  Cartwright  
  81 
  75 
  47 
  92 
  75 
  7 
  A  
  Don “Red” 
  Barry  
  92 
  96 
  66 
  98 
  59 
  11+  
  A,B,E,H  
  “Wild Bill” 
  Elliot  
  95 
  90 
  78 
  96 
  84 
  11+  
  A,E,F,H,K  
  “Hoot” 
  Gibson  
  88 
  90 
  81 
  98 
  91 
  11+  
  B,G,J  
  William S. 
  Hart  
  8 9  
  9 0  
  72 
  96 
  77 
  11+  
  A,E,F,H  
  Tim Holt 
  91 
  91 
  4 8  
  94 
  63 
  11+  
  A,E,F,H  
  “Rocky” 
  Lane  
  97 
  90 
  52 
  95 
  97 
  1 1 +  
  A,B,E,H  
  Col. Tim 
  McCoy  
  88 
  99 
  69 
  9 4  
  82 
  11+  
  A,B,E,H  
  Joel 
  McCrea  
  95 
  94 
  59 
  95 
  77 
  11+  
  A,E,F,H  
  Tom Mix  
  9 6  
  90 
  88 
  98 
  98 
  11+  
  A,B,C,E,G,H,J,K 
  The 
  Durango 
  Kid  
  97 
  95 
  42 
  96 
  45 
  11+  
  A,B,E,H  
  Bob Steele  
  99 
  9 6  
  55 
  97 
  59 
  11+  
  A,B,F,H  
  John 
  Wayne  
  96 
  96 
  60 
  96 
  97 
  11+  
  A,B,C,E,G,H  
  Clint 
  Eastwood  
  100 
  100 
  96 
  99 
  85 
  11+  
  A,B,E,H  
  Lee Van 
  Cleef  
  98 
  98 
  63 
  99 
  77 
  11+  
  B,E,H  
  Eli Wallach  
  95 
  85 
  80 
  60 
  78 
  11+  
  E,F  
  The 
  Magnificent 
  Seven: 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Yul 
  Brynner  
  92 
  95 
  94 
  98 
  92 
  11+  
  B,E,H  
  Steve 
  McQueen  
  91 
  92 
  80 
  98 
  90 
  11+  
  B,C,D,E,H  
  James 
  Coburn  
  95 
  83 
  100 
  99 
  92 
  11+  
  B,E,F,H  
  Charles 
  Bronson  
  91 
  89 
  74 
  100 
  91 
  11+  
  A,B,D,E,H  
  Robert 
  Vaughn  
  88 
  92 
  68 
  15/99  
  85 
  11+  
  E,F,H,K  
  Horst 
  Buchholz  
  88 
  90 
  62 
  95 
  85 
  11+  
  A,E,H,K  
  
  Juan 
  Mateos  
  72 
  80 
  71 
  97 
  77 
  2 
  B,H  
   
   
   
  SPECIAL ABILITIES  
  A—½ penalty when shooting from horseback. 
  B—Never surprised. 
  C—Double the length of medium range when shooting. 
  D—Shoulder arms are considered as “fast”. 
  E—May “hipshoot” with no penalty. 
  F—No penalty for giving opponent first move. 
  G—Treat wounds as one type lower when shot. A “Mortal Wound” result becomes a “Serious 
  Wound”, etc. 
  H—½ penalty when shooting at moving target 
  J—Must use Sharpshooting rule, and must fire at “gun arm/hand’ only  
  K—No penalty for “wrong hand” shooting  
   
  The Lone Ranger (Clayton Moore) is probably the premier hero of the western sagas, 
  going back into the days of radio adventures. Together with Tonto (Jay Silverheels), his 
  faithful Indian companion, they were a match for any bad men.  
  The Rifleman was played by Chuck Connors on TV in the early Sixties. Deduct 20 
  from his chance to hit when he uses any weapon but a rifle.  
  Matt Dillon, the marshal of Dodge City on “Gunsmoke,” was portrayed by William 
  Conrad on radio and James Amess on television.  
  Paladin (Richard Boone) was the finest example of the paid gunman. His card read 
  “Have Gun, Will Travel”—which was also the name of the show.  
  Josh Randall was played by Steve McQueen on “Wanted: Dead or Alive.” Josh was 
  the perfect bounty hunter; he carried a special handgun which has the effect of a single-
  action revolver, except that it is “very fast” and has a range that is 2” (or spaces) longer 
  in all categories.  
  Hopalong Cassidy (William Boyd) was one of the early TV heroes of the Fifties. 
  “Hoppy” was the two-gunned champion of justice. Yancy Derringer (Jack Mahoney) 
  and Pahoo, his Indian sidekick, were a tough pair. Yancy has a Gambler Rating of 
  14. Johnny Yuma was played by Nick Adams on “The Rebel,” a TV series of the early 
  Sixties.  
  The Cisco Kid (Duncan Renaldo) and Pancho (Leo Carrillo) wisecracked their way 
  across the television screens of the late Fifties and early Sixties. “The Cisco Kid” is still in 
  syndication in some areas.  
  Bret, Bart, and Beau Maverick were played respectively by James Garner, Jack Kelly, 
  and Roger Moore in one of the most popular and well-written television shows ever 
  produced. The “tall, dark strangers” all have Gambler Ratings of 02, and they all prefer 
  talking their way out of trouble to shooting; they will, however, support their friends to the 
  end.  
  Will (Walter Brennan) and Jeff Sonnet were grandfather and grandson, looking for a 
  missing gunslinger (Will’s son and Jeff’s father) on “The Guns of Will Sonnet.” Will claimed 
  the prodigal son was the third fastest gun in the West. “He’s good, but Jeff’s better—and 
  I’m better than both of ‘em.” No brag, just fact.  
  Jason McCord was portrayed by Chuck Connors in the TV series “Branded.” Every time 
  
  McCord comes into a town there is a 75% chance that someone will recognize him who 
  had a close relative who was killed at Bitter Creek, and will challenge McCord to a gunfight.  
  Ben, Adam, Hoss, and Little Joe were the Cartwrights of “Bonanza,” played by Lorne 
  Greene, Pernell Roberts, Dan Blocker, and Michael Landon. Little Joe was the only left-
  handed gun in this powerful ranching family, and he also had the quickest temper.  
  Don “Red” Barry is probably most remembered for his starring role in the movie series 
  “The Adventures of Red Ryder” from 1940 to 1944. His last starring role was in “Iron Angel” 
  (1969) but he has appeared constantly in supporting roles in movies such as “Johnny Get 
  His Gun” (1971) and “Showdown” (1973) since then.  
  William “Wild Bill” Elliot rose to fame by starring in the movie serial “The Great 
  Adventure of Wild Bill Hickok” in 1938. In 1944 he took over the lead of the “Red Ryder” 
  series from Red Barry in 1950 and 1951 he ran the “Wild Bill Elliot” series on the radio. He 
  continued to make top westerns until the later 50’s.  
  “Hoot” Gibson was one of the first cowboy stunt men. “Action” (1921) began his rise to 
  stardom. During the 1920s. Hoot ranked second only to Tom Mix as the leading cowboy 
  star. His pictures were fast, full of action, but mainly nonviolent. By the 1930s Hoot’s popu-
  larity declined with the rise of the talkies, but he kept some attention by starring in the first 
  of the “Three Mesquiteers’ series (which would later feature such greats as John Wayne 
  and Bob Steele). He later starred in the “Trail Blazers” series in 1943.  
  William S. Hart, probably more than any other of the early western stars, portrayed the 
  Old West as it really was. Films such as “Tumbleweeds” (1925, 1939) are now classic 
  westerns. When realism in the westerns no longer had box office appeal, Hart retired from 
  his movie career. He never made a talkie!  
  Tim Holt was a real star. Admittedly, much of the acting, in even the finest of the old 
  western movies, was not top notch. However, Holt displayed a quality of acting ability far 
  above most of his contemporaries. In the late 30’s and into the 40’s Tim was one of the 
  leading box office draws. In 1946 he made “My Darling Clementine” along with Heny 
  Fonda, Victor Mature, Walter Brennan and Ward Bond which portrayed the events leading 
  up to the famous Gunfight at the OK Corral. It was a top effort. His career ended in the 
  early 50’s, but he appeared as late as the 60’s in a segment of “The Virginian.”  
  Allan “Rocky” Lane achieved cowboy stardom in the mid-40’s. He developed a 
  character who was neat, kind, pleasant, handsome, quick on the trigger and tough in a fist 
  fight. In 1946, he replaced Wild Bill Elliot as the lead in the “Red Ryder” series. His career 
  faded out, along with most of the other movie cowboys, with the rise of TV in the early 50’s.  
  Colonel Tim McCoy was most remembered for the series of films in which he played 
  Lightning Bill Carson. McCoy developed a screen character who was “The Detective of the 
  Range.” His character frequently donned disguises during the course of a movie. He 
  starred from the late 20’s through the early 40’s when he joined the army and attained the 
  rank of Lieutenant Colonel.  
  Joel McCrea rose to stardom in the mid-30’s on the strength of some fine non-westerns. His 
  popularity was slipping when, in 1944, he made “Buffalo Bill.” After 1945 Joel made mostly 
  westerns, including the title role in “The Virginian.” He portrayed various historical figures including 
  Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson and Sam Houston. In the late 40’s and early 50’s, he did the radio serial 
  “Tales of the Texas Rangers” and in 1959 starred in TV’s “Wichita Town.” He is still active (starring 
  in “Mustang Country” in 1975) and is currently the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the 
  Cowboy Hall of Fame.  
  
  Tom Mix was, before becoming a movie actor, once a U.S. Marshal and a Texas Ranger. By 
  1921 he was the “King of the Cowboys” of the movie western. His films had lots of action, chases 
  and fight scenes. He never smoked or drank on screen and usually no one was killed. He did all of 
  his own stunt work and suffered over eighty injuries during his professional career. He retired from 
  the movies in 1935 and died in an auto wreck in 1940.  
  The Durango Kid (Charles Starrett) rode across the screen in 56 movies starting in 1940. The 
  “Return of the Durango Kid” appeared in 1945 and continued until 1952. The Kid would appear from 
  nowhere, save the day and reappear as the mild-mannered nobody.  
  Bob Steele was probably the fastest draw of all of the old movie cowboys. He rose to fame in the 
  late 20’s. In the 40’s, he did a series as Billy the Kid and made 20 pictures in the “Three 
  Mesquiteers” series. He also starred in the “Trail Blazers” series. He has continued working until the 
  present and the younger generation may remember him as Trooper Duffy on TV’s “F Troop.”  
  John Wayne has appeared in a great number of western movies. These ratings represent a 
  composite of his various roles.  
  Clint Eastwood did appear in westerns on TV, but his career wasn’t in the “star” category until he 
  played the “man with no name” character in the “Dollars” movies. Definitely one of the finest 
  gunfighters ever seen, Eastwood has a Gambler Rating of 12.  
  Lee Van Cleef is one of the few “bad men” who has made it big in the western movies. He 
  played heavies on television and movies from the early Fifties all the way to his most successful 
  role, one of the three gunfighters in Clint Eastwood’s movie “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” This 
  launched him in a starring career in European westerns.  
  Eli Wallach has also achieved some notoriety as a villain, especially in “The Magnificent Seven” 
  and “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.” He was a scrappy, trouble-making gunfighter. 
  Yul Brynner has made several westerns, and the ratings are a composite of these, most notably 
  “The Magnificent Seven,” “Catlow,” and “Westworld.” 
  Steve McQueen played Yul Brynner’s friend in “The Magnificent Seven,” where he was a superb 
  rifle shot. 
  James Coburn is always as “cool as ice” in his best westerns. In “The Magnificent Seven” (on 
  which the ratings are based) his favorite weapon was a stiletto throwing knife with which he had 
  deadly accuracy and speed. 
  Charles Bronson has been excellent in many movies, including “The Magnificent Seven.” His 
  fearlessness and strength have won him the reputation of being a very tough hombre in a fight. 
  Robert Vaughn was also in “The Magnificent Seven.” He portrayed a cowardly con man who 
  overcame his cowardice at the end of the movie, where he died bravely. Before play begins roll 
  percentile dice and a score of 75 or below indicates that the lower bravery score should be used. 
  Horst Buchholz played the last of the professional gunfighters of “The Magnificent Seven.” He 
  was greedy and careful about the odds in a fight, but was dependable and steadfast when in action. 
  Juan Mateos played Chico in “The Magnificent Seven.” Brynner and McQueen were uncertain 
  about taking this brash, untried youth along, but finally gave in because he would make their 
  number seven— “for luck”. He survived that movie and reappeared in “Return of the Seven.” 
   
  
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