When expressing worries about lawlessness and violence, people often will reference “the wild West” era as an example of unchecked criminal gunplay.

Frankly, such a characterization is unfair to cowboy gunslinger movies. After all, in the era of Wyatt Earp, the real-life Gunfight at the O.K. Corral lasted just 30 seconds, and the good guys won against a gang of bad guys with only five members ...