#5: Gun Slinging in the American Frontier
Contrary to the myth perpetuated by Spaghetti Westerns and popular belief, the American Wild West actually enforced strict gun control measures. In many frontier towns, cowboys and visitors were required to surrender their firearms to the local sheriff upon entering, retrieving them only when leaving town.
This practice aimed to prevent gun-related violence and maintain order in often turbulent frontier settlements. The portrayal of the Wild West as a lawless region of rampant gunfights is largely a fictionalized depiction that overlooks the efforts made to regulate firearms and maintain public safety in frontier communities.