In the American Old West, a person skilled with a gun, especially one who uses it dangerously or illegally; a gunfighter.
From 'gun' (firearm) plus 'slinger' (one who slings or throws, but extended to mean 'one who handles'). This compound is purely American, created in the late 1800s during the era it describes.
The 'quick-draw gunslinger' is almost entirely a myth invented by Wild West novels and movies—in reality, Old West gun violence was chaotic, rare, and most 'gunfights' happened at close range with poor accuracy!
Archetype historically male; Western culture erased women gunslingers (Jessie Little Bird, Cattle Annie), reinforcing false male-only frontier narrative.
Use 'gunfighter' (gender-neutral) when historical specificity isn't required. If referencing historical women, name them explicitly.
["gunfighter","sharpshooter","outlaw"]
Women gunfighters existed and were documented; restoring their visibility corrects erasure baked into genre tropes.
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