In various articles on here, I've talked about how I see personal protection as a fundamental Constitutional Right and an absolute civic duty rooted in the concept of individual accountability. I absolutely reject the idea that personal safety is something citizens should fully outsource to law enforcement. And yes, I whole heartily believe that citizens should be self-reliant for their self-defense and security.
In DeShaney v. Winnebago County (1989), the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the government and its agents generally have no Constitutional duty to protect individuals from private violence or harm. And in Town of Castle Rock v. Gonzales (2005), the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed that police do not have a constitutional duty to enforce restraining orders to protect individuals, even when mandatory arrest statutes apply.
So yes, that's why I believe Americans should stop depending on others and instead take responsibility for their personal safety and security. Folks should do this by combining personal preparedness with an understanding of our legal rights to ensure that our safety measures are adequate and lawful.
My believe is that our self-reliance on our self-defense is the ultimate expression of the "Cowboy Code," because self-reliance in the Old West in regards to self-defense emphasizes that we are our own first responder.
This is something that I firmly believe we should all accept. No one should be waiting passively for a government agency to rescue them during a violent encounter. To do so is not only insane, it's giving up, it's quitting, it's an abdication of your personal responsibility to yourself and others. When it comes to issues of our security, or issues dealing with life in general, the fact is that no one should wait for the U.S. Cavalry to come riding over the rise to your rescue.
My believe is that our self-reliance on our self-defense is the ultimate expression of the "Cowboy Code," because self-reliance in the Old West in regards to self-defense emphasizes that we are our own first responder.
We have to take total ownership of our personal safety, and reject the mindset of depending entirely on law enforcement to protect us. Since law enforcement may be distant and fairly sparse, we need to actively discover and rely on our own mental and physical resources -- just as our pioneers did.
This is something that I firmly believe we should all accept. No one should be waiting passively for a government agency to rescue them during a violent encounter. To do so is not only insane, it's giving up, it's quitting, it's an abdication of your personal responsibility to yourself and others. When it comes to issues of our security, or issues dealing with life in general, the fact is that no one should wait for the U.S. Cavalry to come riding over the rise to your rescue.
The cavalry isn't coming to your rescue. You need to buck-up to survive. You need to be your own first responder.
The concept of being "our own first responder" accurately reflects the realities of the American frontier. Because formal law enforcement was hours or even days away, survival demanded American individualism. With vast, unpopulated expanses dominating the American frontier, towns relied on county sheriffs or town marshals whose jurisdictions were massive and response times were non-existent. That's why self-reliance for self-defense was fundamentally about practicality in the Old West.
While Hollywood secured a place for the Colt Single Action Army and Winchester 1873 in our cultural memory, the reality of frontier economics made long guns like the 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun the true workhorses of the American West.
The fact is that shotguns were a lot more affordable, and they were considered utilitarian tools essential for both survival and protection. They could easily take down everything from flying game birds to larger predators using readily available lead shot, and their wide spread made close-quarter defense highly forgiving for novice shooters or stagecoach guards. Because of this, hardware stores and merchants across the entire western frontier stocked them in far greater numbers than expensive repeating rifles or premium metallic-cartridge revolvers.
During the late 1800s, buying a firearm was a major financial investment. It was a huge decision. Because a typical cowboy or laborer earned about $30 a month, a Colt Peacemaker was considered an expensive luxury. In comparison, a standard shotgun was an accessible, multi-purpose investment that was affordable by frontier prices. Both standard retail and mail-order prices during the 1870s and 1880s had a Colt Peacemaker, (Single Action Army) selling for $17.00 to $20.00. That was a specialized luxury sidearm that cost over half a month's wages. A premium Double-Barrel Shotgun, such as a European import shotgun, sold for $25.00 to $50.00. That high-end craftsmanship made them out of reach for average Americans.
On the other hand, the utilitarian Double-Barrel Shotgun, the standard American made brands, $12.00 to $15.00. That made the standard household shotgun the American workhorse because it was seen as more affordable than a Colt Peacemaker. As for those surplus, single-shot shotguns, and muzzleloaders that were everywhere at the time because they were left-overs and often created from modified Civil War surplus, they sold for anywhere from $2.00 to $8.00 each.
The realities of frontier economics was such that dropping $17 on a new Colt Single Action Army was hard for an ordinary settler or cowboy to justify. It was a slow-loading, heavy iron weapon that serves only one purpose: It is a personal defense against human threats.
The family shotgun was seen as versatile. While a high-end imported double-barrel could run up to $50 in the Old West, a basic trade-brand double barrel and single-shot shotgun was a lot cheaper. More importantly than cost was its dual use. While it can be used as a personal defense against human threats at a ranch or homestead, or in town, a shotgun put food on the table. It could fire cheap, locally recast lead shot to harvest birds and small game, or be loaded with heavy buckshot to deter predators and trespassers.
Then there was what was known as the "Suicide Specials." Those were the cheap handguns for those folks who were broke but desperately needed a concealable handgun. They couldn't afford a Colt, so they bought cheap, unnamed pocket revolvers for as little as $1.50 to $5.00. They were often called "suicide specials" because the user didn't know it would fire or not, blow up in the hands, or somehow get them killed.
Daily survival relied on assessing likely threats and choosing tools that could double as everyday working implements. Functionality took precedence over flashy showmanship. Firearms were seen as tools for protection against both human and animal threats. The iconic Colt Single Action Army revolver and the Winchester 1873 rifle later became legends of the era, but more folks in the Old West owned shotguns.
While Hollywood secured a place for the Colt Single Action Army and Winchester 1873 in our cultural memory, the reality of frontier economics made long guns like the 12-gauge double-barrel shotgun the true workhorses of the American West.
The fact is that shotguns were a lot more affordable, and they were considered utilitarian tools essential for both survival and protection. They could easily take down everything from flying game birds to larger predators using readily available lead shot, and their wide spread made close-quarter defense highly forgiving for novice shooters or stagecoach guards. Because of this, hardware stores and merchants across the entire western frontier stocked them in far greater numbers than expensive repeating rifles or premium metallic-cartridge revolvers.
During the late 1800s, buying a firearm was a major financial investment. It was a huge decision. Because a typical cowboy or laborer earned about $30 a month, a Colt Peacemaker was considered an expensive luxury. In comparison, a standard shotgun was an accessible, multi-purpose investment that was affordable by frontier prices. Both standard retail and mail-order prices during the 1870s and 1880s had a Colt Peacemaker, (Single Action Army) selling for $17.00 to $20.00. That was a specialized luxury sidearm that cost over half a month's wages. A premium Double-Barrel Shotgun, such as a European import shotgun, sold for $25.00 to $50.00. That high-end craftsmanship made them out of reach for average Americans.
On the other hand, the utilitarian Double-Barrel Shotgun, the standard American made brands, $12.00 to $15.00. That made the standard household shotgun the American workhorse because it was seen as more affordable than a Colt Peacemaker. As for those surplus, single-shot shotguns, and muzzleloaders that were everywhere at the time because they were left-overs and often created from modified Civil War surplus, they sold for anywhere from $2.00 to $8.00 each.
The realities of frontier economics was such that dropping $17 on a new Colt Single Action Army was hard for an ordinary settler or cowboy to justify. It was a slow-loading, heavy iron weapon that serves only one purpose: It is a personal defense against human threats.
The family shotgun was seen as versatile. While a high-end imported double-barrel could run up to $50 in the Old West, a basic trade-brand double barrel and single-shot shotgun was a lot cheaper. More importantly than cost was its dual use. While it can be used as a personal defense against human threats at a ranch or homestead, or in town, a shotgun put food on the table. It could fire cheap, locally recast lead shot to harvest birds and small game, or be loaded with heavy buckshot to deter predators and trespassers.
Then there was what was known as the "Suicide Specials." Those were the cheap handguns for those folks who were broke but desperately needed a concealable handgun. They couldn't afford a Colt, so they bought cheap, unnamed pocket revolvers for as little as $1.50 to $5.00. They were often called "suicide specials" because the user didn't know it would fire or not, blow up in the hands, or somehow get them killed.
While the iconic Colt Single Action Army was common, lawmen and traveler alike favored "palm guns" or "belly guns." Those small, hammerless .32 or .38 caliber pocket revolvers were designed for immediate, close-quarters defense. In more populated cities in the Old West, like San Francisco and Denver, gentlemen at the time were known to carry walking sticks, walking canes, were also widely used as defensive weapons during physical altercations.
For working folks in the Old West, those who worked their farms, the rancher, the working cowboy, those townsfolk who held regular jobs in town, self-reliance in regards to self-defense was about being pragmatic and understanding the possible threats. It's true. for working folks in the American frontier, self-reliance was about situational awareness rather than paranoia.
For working folks in the Old West, those who worked their farms, the rancher, the working cowboy, those townsfolk who held regular jobs in town, self-reliance in regards to self-defense was about being pragmatic and understanding the possible threats. It's true. for working folks in the American frontier, self-reliance was about situational awareness rather than paranoia.
They had to be grounded in sheer pragmatism and situational awareness. They had work to be done and couldn't afford to carry nine guns and paranoid. At the same time, in a rugged environment far from centralized law enforcement that may or may not exist in town, being armed allowed individuals to focus on daily work and survival without constantly worrying about their safety.
True self-reliance in regards to being prepared for self-defense required folks back then to have a mental toughness and remain calm under pressure, not give in to frantic suspicion. A person who was excessively paranoid or quick-tempered was seen as a liability, a loose canon in the community.
For farmers, ranchers, cowboys, and townsfolk, survival depended on them having an understanding of their everyday threats and choosing practical tools and strategies to mitigate them. For them, firearms and other defensive tools were treated as practical implements, much like an ax or a saddle. They were essential for protecting livestock from predators, providing food, and ensuring peace of mind.
Let's keep in mind, other then Hollywood's notion that everyone in the Old West had to be ready at any moment for a quick-draw duel, the reality of how these different groups approached self-defense reveals a deeply practical mindset.
For farmers and homesteaders, those working the land, threats came less from outlaws and more from the environment, wildlife, and occasional property disputes. Farmers didn't usually carry handguns. For one thing, wearing a handgun got in the way. For another, they were expensive and inaccurate at a distance. Instead, they relied on shotguns or rifles, which were dual-purpose tools used for hunting food and keeping predators away from livestock. Self-defense for a farming family meant securing the home. Fortifying cabins, keeping reliable watchdogs on hand, and maintaining a clear line of sight around the property were the primary lines of defense.
For ranchers and working cowboys, most cowboys and ranchers operated in remote, isolated areas where law enforcement was hours or days away, making self-reliance an absolute necessity. Understanding where they lived and worked made a cowboys accept the fact that their primary threats were apex predators, like cougars or wolves, rabid animals, and the terrifying prospect of a cattle stampede.
While a firearm was often used to signal for help or to put down an injured horse, wearing a gun on a gun-belt, especially during brandings, meant they got in the way and were seen as totally unnecessary. There was no need for a ranch hand to wear a handgun while painting a barn, fixing a water trough, or being down in the dirt castrating a calf in the Old West or today.
In the Old West, cowboys castrated bull calves during spring roundups using a pocket knife, a quick slice, and teeth or hands to pull the spermatic cord. They disinfected wounds with pine tar or grease, and occasionally seared vessels with a hot iron to prevent bleeding. Now, let me explain that again.
Americans in the Old West took immense pride in their freedom and independence, their self-reliance and resourcefulness, as well as their ability to solve problems without relying on others. They understood how important it is for us to take total ownership of our personal safety, and reject the mindset of depending on others like law enforcement for our personal security. By rejecting such a mindset of depending on others, we becoming better at depending on ourselves.
True self-reliance in regards to being prepared for self-defense required folks back then to have a mental toughness and remain calm under pressure, not give in to frantic suspicion. A person who was excessively paranoid or quick-tempered was seen as a liability, a loose canon in the community.
For farmers, ranchers, cowboys, and townsfolk, survival depended on them having an understanding of their everyday threats and choosing practical tools and strategies to mitigate them. For them, firearms and other defensive tools were treated as practical implements, much like an ax or a saddle. They were essential for protecting livestock from predators, providing food, and ensuring peace of mind.
Let's keep in mind, other then Hollywood's notion that everyone in the Old West had to be ready at any moment for a quick-draw duel, the reality of how these different groups approached self-defense reveals a deeply practical mindset.
For farmers and homesteaders, those working the land, threats came less from outlaws and more from the environment, wildlife, and occasional property disputes. Farmers didn't usually carry handguns. For one thing, wearing a handgun got in the way. For another, they were expensive and inaccurate at a distance. Instead, they relied on shotguns or rifles, which were dual-purpose tools used for hunting food and keeping predators away from livestock. Self-defense for a farming family meant securing the home. Fortifying cabins, keeping reliable watchdogs on hand, and maintaining a clear line of sight around the property were the primary lines of defense.
For ranchers and working cowboys, most cowboys and ranchers operated in remote, isolated areas where law enforcement was hours or days away, making self-reliance an absolute necessity. Understanding where they lived and worked made a cowboys accept the fact that their primary threats were apex predators, like cougars or wolves, rabid animals, and the terrifying prospect of a cattle stampede.
While a firearm was often used to signal for help or to put down an injured horse, wearing a gun on a gun-belt, especially during brandings, meant they got in the way and were seen as totally unnecessary. There was no need for a ranch hand to wear a handgun while painting a barn, fixing a water trough, or being down in the dirt castrating a calf in the Old West or today.
In the Old West, cowboys castrated bull calves during spring roundups using a pocket knife, a quick slice, and teeth or hands to pull the spermatic cord. They disinfected wounds with pine tar or grease, and occasionally seared vessels with a hot iron to prevent bleeding. Now, let me explain that again.
Calves were roped, dragged to the branding fire, and held down by two cowboys working on the ground. One cowboy would flank the calf, pinning its head and one shoulder to the ground, while the other cowboy secured the legs. Cowboys used their everyday, sharp folding jackknives rather than specialized veterinary equipment.
The cowboy grabbed the scrotum, cleaned it, and made a single longitudinal cut. The testicles were popped out, and the spermatic cord was either severed with the knife, scraped away slowly to induce clotting and reduce bleeding, or pulled completely. To finish, the cowboy applied pine tar, pitch, or axle grease to the open wound to keep insects away and prevent infection.
The cowboy grabbed the scrotum, cleaned it, and made a single longitudinal cut. The testicles were popped out, and the spermatic cord was either severed with the knife, scraped away slowly to induce clotting and reduce bleeding, or pulled completely. To finish, the cowboy applied pine tar, pitch, or axle grease to the open wound to keep insects away and prevent infection.
Now, try that while wearing a gun and tell me if it doesn't feel in the way? And yes, that's why that image of a ranch hand wearing a handgun while going about his daily chores is a Hollywood myth. In both the Old West and today, carrying a pistol while performing hard, physical labor is uncomfortable, dangerous, and impractical. Castrating or branding cattle demands both hands and close, hands-on work in dust and manure. Any rancher or working cowboy knows that.
Besides, the last time I checked, there aren't a lot of uses for a pistol during a branding. Cows hardly ever cheat at cards. And no, I've never heard a cow say they'd be my "Huckleberry."
Tasks like painting a barn, repairing a water trough, or working in the dirt with livestock require bending, kneeling, and constant movement. A strapped handgun would simply get in the way of using tools or carrying materials. When Hollywood depicts some young cowboy with a pistol hanging on his hip breaking a horse, I immediately understand how little the producers know about anything.
As I said earlier, as a matter of fact, in the 19th century, a working ranch hand usually couldn't afford an expensive pistol like a Colt Peacemaker. Besides, if a firearm was needed for clearing predators, hunting small game, or putting down a sick animal, a rifle was usually used rather than a handgun.
Even today, while I know of a lot of ranchers who carry "ranch rifles" or "truck guns" for emergencies like putting down an animal or taking a shot at a predator, modern ranch hands rarely carry handguns for daily chores. It's true. Unless they are dealing with specific, situational threats like dangerous wildlife or livestock protection, most don't see the need of a handgun when working. Although in their trucks, along with their ranch rifle, you'll for a extra pocket knife, pliers, and fencing tools.
While Hollywood and today's popular culture depicts every working cowboy with a low-slung Colt revolver, most working cowboys found pistols too heavy and cumbersome for backbreaking work or all-day saddle work. If they carried a firearm, it was often a carbine rifle secured in a scabbard on their saddle.
As for townsfolk and merchants in the Old West? For business owners and townsfolk, self-reliant self-defense meant locking doors, utilizing safes, having a pistol hidden under a cash drawer, having a shotgun propped indiscreetly behind a door, and mostly relying on the town marshal. When violence did occur, it was typically fueled by alcohol in saloons, which average working citizens simply avoided.
Now I would love to say that, all in all, in established frontier towns, self-defense was a lot more pragmatic structured to protected commerce and family life. But, the fact is that shopkeepers and clerks faced a different danger, primarily dealing with opportunistic thieves in more densely populated areas.
Of course, while Hollywood focuses on bank robberies, it's a fact that shopkeepers and clerks in the Old West actually faced far more threats from sneak-thieves, shoplifters, and short-changers. Like today, in those days, business owners had to balance customer service with tight security to protect their physical merchandise.
Unlike the Hollywood image of masked gangs riding into town to blow open safes, historical data shows that actual bank or high-profile store robberies were very rare. Instead, merchants were the real everyday targets of property crime. There was shoplifting and sneak-thievery where small, high-value goods like tobacco, pocketknives, fancy fabrics, and ammunition were frequent targets for opportunistic individuals looking to pocket items when a clerk's back was turned.
Of course, there are those who tried to pass fake money and short change cashiers. Counterfeiting was a real problem and clerks had to routinely authenticate various forms of currency, ranging from gold dust and foreign coins to unbacked paper bank notes, making them vulnerable to fraud. As for burglary, that was usually reserved for after a business was closed.
Besides, the last time I checked, there aren't a lot of uses for a pistol during a branding. Cows hardly ever cheat at cards. And no, I've never heard a cow say they'd be my "Huckleberry."
Tasks like painting a barn, repairing a water trough, or working in the dirt with livestock require bending, kneeling, and constant movement. A strapped handgun would simply get in the way of using tools or carrying materials. When Hollywood depicts some young cowboy with a pistol hanging on his hip breaking a horse, I immediately understand how little the producers know about anything.
As I said earlier, as a matter of fact, in the 19th century, a working ranch hand usually couldn't afford an expensive pistol like a Colt Peacemaker. Besides, if a firearm was needed for clearing predators, hunting small game, or putting down a sick animal, a rifle was usually used rather than a handgun.
Even today, while I know of a lot of ranchers who carry "ranch rifles" or "truck guns" for emergencies like putting down an animal or taking a shot at a predator, modern ranch hands rarely carry handguns for daily chores. It's true. Unless they are dealing with specific, situational threats like dangerous wildlife or livestock protection, most don't see the need of a handgun when working. Although in their trucks, along with their ranch rifle, you'll for a extra pocket knife, pliers, and fencing tools.
While Hollywood and today's popular culture depicts every working cowboy with a low-slung Colt revolver, most working cowboys found pistols too heavy and cumbersome for backbreaking work or all-day saddle work. If they carried a firearm, it was often a carbine rifle secured in a scabbard on their saddle.
As for townsfolk and merchants in the Old West? For business owners and townsfolk, self-reliant self-defense meant locking doors, utilizing safes, having a pistol hidden under a cash drawer, having a shotgun propped indiscreetly behind a door, and mostly relying on the town marshal. When violence did occur, it was typically fueled by alcohol in saloons, which average working citizens simply avoided.
Now I would love to say that, all in all, in established frontier towns, self-defense was a lot more pragmatic structured to protected commerce and family life. But, the fact is that shopkeepers and clerks faced a different danger, primarily dealing with opportunistic thieves in more densely populated areas.
Of course, while Hollywood focuses on bank robberies, it's a fact that shopkeepers and clerks in the Old West actually faced far more threats from sneak-thieves, shoplifters, and short-changers. Like today, in those days, business owners had to balance customer service with tight security to protect their physical merchandise.
Unlike the Hollywood image of masked gangs riding into town to blow open safes, historical data shows that actual bank or high-profile store robberies were very rare. Instead, merchants were the real everyday targets of property crime. There was shoplifting and sneak-thievery where small, high-value goods like tobacco, pocketknives, fancy fabrics, and ammunition were frequent targets for opportunistic individuals looking to pocket items when a clerk's back was turned.
Of course, there are those who tried to pass fake money and short change cashiers. Counterfeiting was a real problem and clerks had to routinely authenticate various forms of currency, ranging from gold dust and foreign coins to unbacked paper bank notes, making them vulnerable to fraud. As for burglary, that was usually reserved for after a business was closed.
Rather than confronting the possibility of an armed owner during the day, thieves preferred breaking into general stores or warehouses under the cover of night to steal bulk provisions. That's why there are so many news accounts of shopkeepers hearing a noise like a break-in, going downstairs to investigate, and being killed by unknown assailants.
As for an armed deterrence, as a matter of self-defense, clerks and store owners frequently kept loaded pistols tucked under their counters and shotguns at the ready discreetly tucked behind a door. Of course, since there were no such thing as theft insurance as we have in the modern world, many shop owners proudly displayed their shotgun as a matter of letting would-be thieves know that there was no incentive to robbing his establishment. So yes, merchants, whether they were shopkeepers or blacksmiths, wheelwrights, or saloon owners, there were those folks who made it well known that protecting their livelihoods with force was always an option. They knew they had to depend on themselves to protect their businesses.
Since I know that someone will write to ask, yes, there were towns that actually had strict ordinances against open carry of guns. Of course, that was as effective as "Gun Free Zones" are today. In fact, the only thing those city ordinances did was make townsfolk and visitors rely on easily concealed smaller pocket pistols and discreet knives, instead of openly carrying heavy Colt Peacemakers worn in a holster.
As for an armed deterrence, as a matter of self-defense, clerks and store owners frequently kept loaded pistols tucked under their counters and shotguns at the ready discreetly tucked behind a door. Of course, since there were no such thing as theft insurance as we have in the modern world, many shop owners proudly displayed their shotgun as a matter of letting would-be thieves know that there was no incentive to robbing his establishment. So yes, merchants, whether they were shopkeepers or blacksmiths, wheelwrights, or saloon owners, there were those folks who made it well known that protecting their livelihoods with force was always an option. They knew they had to depend on themselves to protect their businesses.
Since I know that someone will write to ask, yes, there were towns that actually had strict ordinances against open carry of guns. Of course, that was as effective as "Gun Free Zones" are today. In fact, the only thing those city ordinances did was make townsfolk and visitors rely on easily concealed smaller pocket pistols and discreet knives, instead of openly carrying heavy Colt Peacemakers worn in a holster.
In the Old West, self-reliant self-defense was a daily necessity due to harsh frontier conditions, dangerous wildlife, and scarce law enforcement. Pioneers depended on situational awareness, easily concealable weapons, and everyday items such as walking sticks for personal protection. Long before drawing a weapon, pioneers relied heavily on listening, "reading a room," and tracking visual cues to avoid predators, dangerous livestock, and hostile people.
We need to understood what they understood. We need fully grasp how important it is to rely on our own mental and physical resources for our safety -- all while remembering that the Frontier Code forbids us from ambushing unarmed men and shooting someone in the back no matter if they are our enemies.
Tom Correa
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