"In the untamed West, pioneers came to test their fortunes -- and their wills. The Wyoming territory was a harsh, unforgiving land, with its own unwritten code of honor by which men lived and died. Into this rough landscape rides the Virginian, a solitary man whose unbending will is his only guide through life. The Virginian's unwavering beliefs in right and wrong are soon tested as he tries to prove his love for a woman who cannot accept his sense of justice; at the same time, a betrayal by his most trusted friend forces him to fight against the corruption that rules the land. Still as exciting and meaningful as it was when first published one hundred years ago, Owen Wister's epic tale of a man caught between his love for a woman and his quest for justice exemplifies one of the most significant and enduring themes in all of American literature. With remarkable character depth and vivid passages, The Virginian stands not only as the first great novel of American Western literature, but as a testament to the eternal struggle between good and evil in humanity."
It's fiction. In reality, there wasn't a whole lot of difference between the black hats and the white hats. Most would be considered grey hatted. And the West wasn't nearly as bad as you think it was. Most Cowboys owned a short gun of some kind or another. But they couldn't hit the broad side of a barn with it. The weapons of choice were Rifles and Shotguns. You have no idea that I am from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado which many penny dreadfuls also wrote about.
The book you are talking about was a novel of a penny dreadful. But it's still read even here as are many other "Western" novels that really don't get history correct. You try and put out a truthful book about the West and it's going to bore you to tears.
You read between the lines but there was nothing to read. The reason why people had guns back then was that there was no government. But if you like to read some unusual story, I recommend The Fiery Cross, North Carolina in 1770.
Being the real deal and having the first 18 years of my life doing the cowboy trade, I can always tell a fake from a Western Metro City that tries to pass themselves off as a Cowboy. The Cowboy is dead. It's gone forever. And it didn't die off that long ago. The last phony I heard, he was riding around on his horse, roping (he didn't know the difference between a single rig and a double rig) and could fire his Colt 44 mag keeping the tin can in the air (he's about 5 foot 6 and slight wrists). Have you ever fired a 44 Mag? You might (doubtful) hit the can once on the ground but unless you are quite large (I am), the 44 mag has no second shot capability. You ride the recoil out. Even the 44-40 and Colt 45 Long Colt is a handful. In the older guns (44-40 and 45 long colt) you had better make your first shot count. I usually let it pass but his story was so "Dreadful" that I had no choice. He then complained asking why no one would believe him on that subject.
Guns were tools just like a shovel. Rifles and Shotguns put meat on the table and were used for protection. Pistols were used as much as a light hammer as it was a firearm. It made a very loud noise that nature would run from. If you shot a bear with one, all you did was piss the bear off. The best gun in the world for bear country is anything that is loud. Don't shoot the bear. I am sure you have heard where Cowboys shot the heads off Rattlers. Here is a bit of information on that. Using a subsonic bullet, you almost have to try and miss. The Rattler will actually strike your bullet even when you miss if you are close enough. You can do the same thing with any subsonic cartridge. Unless you spent a bunch of time on a firing range, the real affective range for a hand gun is only about 7 yds for someone that doesn't have a bunch of range time. Anything past that bring a shotgun or rifle. There were less than 10 top guns in the west and they never faced each other. There was a very high probability that both would have perished so they were courteous to each other when the met. And there was only ONE John Wesley Harding and he was a mean sadistic SOB that just didn't care. It got him hung.
I am the same way with War Movies. I watch them first for entertainment. Then I watch them again and really pay attention. Most are BS from way back. The Worst I can think of was on TV; Baa Baa Black Sheep. I talked to Robert Conrad and he is just full of crap. The wrong Aircraft used, the ranges were all wrong and most were shot in South America. He said that he couldn't locate enough P-38s for the Yamamato shoot down. Wrong, there were and still are a group of 7 P-38s that make the circuit. Or how about F-4Us being used for B-24 long ranged escort duty. The early F-4U in 1943 didn't have nearly the range. In the Yamomoto shootdown, he used 2 P-51D models that weren't available until 1944. The Shootdown happened in 1943 so the only bird that could have that type of range was the P-38G. I really enjoyed the show the first time around but the second time around, my BS meter pegged. Especially about halfway through our conversation. It was his show that I was allowed to speak but I was just dumbfounded. I wasn't much of a guest so I left as graceful as I could and let others keep their dreams.
I take fiction for a way to keep my mind entertained the first time around even if I know better deep down it's purely made up. I try not to analyze the first time around. But I will make it a point the second time around on the same book. Fiction is just Fiction and Entertainment only.
I doubt all the cowboys had pistols. A pistol cost about 12 Dollars when a whole ranch cost 5000.
As for WWII movies/books, most are nonsense. Take for example the Remagen bridge movie. The movie comes up with completely different units and virtually claims the bridge has not been destroyed in the end but has somehow been retired after the war or something.
Here´s what actually happened (German MOD report):
03.08.1945:
The Enemy reached the Remagen Bridge, that was seemingly full of escapees, crossed it and established a toehold. A counter attack in the early morning was not successful. The 11th Panzerdivison is coming from Bonn, but it has rare fuel.
03.09.1945:
10 aircrafts against the Remagen Bridge, 2 hits. The airforce and navy shall peruse, what is possible, because this bridgehead could have unforseeable consequences.
The 78th infantrydivison, parts of the 9th infantrydivision and parts of the 9th tankdivison crossed the Remagen Bridge. Against it the Gruppe General v. Kortzfleisch.
03.10.1945:
32 aircrafts against the Remagen Bridge, 2 hits.
The 7th infantrydivison crossed the Remagen Bridge into the bridghead. The 5th American Armycorps is free now.
03.11.1945:
20 aircrafts against the Remagen Bridge, 3 hits, 5 casualties.
The Remagen Bridge attracts the whole American army like magnetic.
03.12.1945:
Some aircrafts against the Remagen Bridge, no results yet.
The enemy could not enlarge his bridgehead. The Panzer-Lehr-Division assaulted it from the south-east successfully. Thruts of the enemy to the east have been repulsed. The enemy´s artillery is very vividly.
03.13.1945:
360 fighters, thereunder jet fighters, against the Remagen Bridge, 4 casualties, 4 shot downs. Numerous hits, but apparently no hits on the bridge. One aircraft subsided to 450 metres and pitched a 1000 kg bomb, that did not explode on the bridge and recoiled from the bridge pier into the water.
At Remagen the enemy pushed forwards.
03.14.1945:
100 aircrafts against the Remagen Bridge, 24 casualties, 3 shot downs. Because of the hard enemy defense, the effect could not be ascertained.
Now in the toehold: The 7th tankdivision, the 9th, the 99th, the 18th infantrydivision and the 9th tankdivision. On the western waterside: The 2nd infantrydivison. The 5th American Armycoprs is busy with clean up (i.e. elimination or capture of the last enemies there) backwards.
03.15.1945:
21 jet bombers against the Remagen Bridge, 6 casualties, no effect ascertained.
The press wrote about, that Remagen lies at the wrong place and there are troubles. This massage could have the intention, to dull the hopes for a fast advance into Germany, because the army lead wants to destroy the German forces before crossing the Rhine.
03.16.1945:
150 allied bombers against Remagen.
3 jet bombers against the Remagen Bridge and 1200 fighters for „free hunting” there.
At Remagen more fights in progress. To the north and the east broadening of the bridgehead. The Drachenfels (small mountain) got lost. Battles at Königswinter. The enemy is only 1000 metres off the motorway. In the east, he made 3 km headway (Redenscheidt in enemy tenure, just Vettelschoß in own). In the south slight battles. The 3rd Panzergrenadierdivison is coming.
03.17.1945:
At the Remagen Bridge, the enemy guided more forces to join. In the northeast loss of territory. Königswinter got lost. But the Ölberg could be repossessed. Another fights at Ägidienberg, where the enemy is pushing to the motorway and the 3rd Panzergrenadierdivison pushes against it. Nondistinctive situation in the south.
03.18.1945:
At Remagen, the 3rd Panzergrenadierdivison pushed forward but was delayed. One municipality got repossessed. In the east silence. In the south loss of territory. The remains of the 18th and 167th Volksgrenadierdivision get pulled up from the south.
03.19.1945:
At Remagen more loss of territories in the north and northeast. The 3rd Panzergrenadierdivison attacked again. The own casualties are grievous, the casualties of the enemy, too. In the east single burglaries. In the south weak attacks only. By English massages is the Remagen Bridge in cause of the German Attacks fully sagged.