How Would You Like a Gunslinger Costume this Halloween?

If you love the old west and have sand in your boots then you can easily travel back in time and transform into a Gunslinger if you wear any of the following Gunslinger Halloween costumes!

Maybe you’re not quite sure what a gunslinger is. A gunslinger, after all, is a fairly new kind of nick name, especially used in movies and literature, for a Gunfighter back in the American Old West who was known as being really dangerous with a gun such as a rifle or, most usually, a pistol – maybe even a pair of them.

Now if you want to be really authentic and use real actual terms from that particular day and time, these guys were known by the terms: “gunfighter”, “bad man”, “pistoleer”, “gunman”, or even “shootist”.

When you think of the term gunslinger or gunfighter, what comes to mind first? I don’t know about you, but for me, when I think Gunslinger, I think cowboys, the sound and smell of gunfire, Western movies, horses and cows and even western novels.

Hmmm, what else? I also think of these marksmen with gun belts worn low on the hip and outer thigh, with the shiny pistol ready at any time for a smooth and quick draw. I also think about twirling revolvers, tinkling spurs and the smell of gunfire – another trademark trick of all really good gunslingers.

Now some people just think cowboys and gunslingers are basically the same thing right? Wrong! This is totally not the case. For the most part cowboys were found working on ranches while gunslingers were usually outlaws ready for fast draw gun play at the drop of a hat, robbers or murderers, or maybe even agents of the state, such as a bounty hunter or sheriff, hunting outlaws to bring to justice.

The mythology of gunslingers includes their famous skills with weapons. Exaggerated? Maybe. But fun to copy? Are you kidding?! Yeah!!! Who doesn’t want to be a cowboy – or cowgirl?

So what do we need for a great Gunslinger costume? A reputation for having killed several men already? The lifestyle associated with robbing banks and trains? All sorts of weapons?

Well, it’s not so easy to do without really getting yourself into some hot water – and really, would you really want to do this anyway? But how about just getting the Gunslinger look down pat for now? Now that I can help you with – no problem!

Now that we’re past the history lesson let’s get right into the mind of a gunslinger and learn all we’ll need to know to have the best and most authentic gunslinger costume at any Halloween party, masquerade, parade, school play that you’ll be going to. So here are some option to help you become the gunslinger that you’ve always wanted to be. So here we go…

First of all, before we go any further, while not a piece of clothing but maybe just as important, you’ll need a good gunslinger alias. Now this is what you’ll be known by – not your real name – what reputable gunslinger can you remember going by the name  “Mark”, “Frances”, “Eugene”, “Terry” or “Tiffany”?

You’re going to need a really good name, something tough sounding – something like “Missouri Moses”, “Preacher Tom”, “Smokin’ Lead Fred” or “Kid Perry” – if you don’t want to get laughed right out of town. I think you get my drift, right?!

Next, even though blue jeans were popular even back in the old west they just don’t make the look authentic on a properly dressed Gunslinger – unless you’re dressing down. Usually on a more reputable gunfighter, you’ll dress in a nice dark fitted suit, but black jeans could be substituted too.

As for shirts, there are many types to choose from and they’re all pretty authentic: striped shirts, solid colored shirts, paisley shirts, collarless shirt, collared shirts, bib shirts, and in your choice of colors so that you can pretty much pick whatever kind of shirt “tickles” your fancy. But make sure it is long sleeved and buttoned up all the way and at the wrists too.

Do you want a pair of chaps too? They’re optional for a gunslinger outfit but they do set you apart from any other cowboy trompin’ around your halloween function. You absolutely don’t need them – but if you’re going dressed up in your best gunslinger costume, just know that once you have a pair of chaps that you’ll absolutely want to wear them. And leather chaps, just like any other cowboy gear, can come in many styles and colors and sizes too.

All right, how about a nice vest. Now this is entirely optional but, depending on all your other gear, this can really add an extra layer of authenticity to your gunslinger costume. You can get them in fabric or leather too and they’re also handy if you decided to wear a pocket watch – pretty common at the time, and many gunslingers carried these pocket watches.

All right, now we’re about to get into the very items that separate gunslingers from ordinary cowpokes out on the range. And there are many things that very definitely separates the two. First let’s talk about the duster (cowboy coat in case you’re not in the know).

Nothing screams authentic old west Gunfighter quite like a full length duster.  And there are many styles available to fit every pocketbook: you can buy classic Old West styles in both full length and in a shorter 3/4 length too and then there is an Australian style duster that has the additional ‘cape’ around the shoulders.

Next, the hat. Most people have an idea in their mind what a cowboy hat looks like, plus, they can come in many shapes and colors. And that’s good too because most folks couldn’t tell the difference between a really authentic period hat of the old west or a modern day cowboy hat if their lives depended on it. Plus, they can also come in many different color and styles and are made up of many different materials making your options better to get just the perfect cowboy hat for you.

So what about cowboy boots? This is without a doubt the most predominant featured footwear  for gunslinger costumes worldwide. And just like cowboy hats, cowboy boots also come in many different colors and styles and are made up of many different kinds of materials.

And they also come in a lot of different price ranges. And if you don’t have any cowboy boots right now and can’t afford a brand new pair you can always check out your local thrift stores for a pair. Sometimes you can find a used pair of cowboy boots that’ll work for you dirt cheap.

And if you want to make those cowboy boots even better and your gunslinger costume much more authentic you can always add a set of spurs – or spur straps too if you want to go extra fancy. There is just nothing quite like hearing the jingle jangle of a pair of spurs singing as you mosey down the hot, dusty streets of your favorite old west town. And to really complete the ambiance of your gunslinger costume wardrobe, why not add some spur straps too?

What about gun leather? This is another area where you can spend a pretty penny if you’re not careful. Some choices are that you could buy a no frills cartridge belt or even a couple of gun holsters, cross draw or side draw, your choice. Keep in mind that your choice of any gun leather is a matter of personal taste.

So what do you do now? If I were you I’d check Google or Bing for a term like “western gun belts” until you found one that suits your budget and your style. There are many styles and colors of them available.

And we’ve saved the most important article of any gunslingers costume for last – his gun. As you can imagine, your choice of guns can pretty much be the single most expensive part of your gunfighter outfit.

Here again you’ll have all sorts of options to choose from and price ranges available to you. You can always buy a toy gun, but if you’ve gone to the trouble of getting “real” looking items why mess up your gunslinger costume now – unless you happen to find a really good toy gun? But if you want to really go the extra mile, let me tell you right now there are even non-firing replicas of many of the guns used in the old west available to complete your ultimate gunslinger costume.