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{{trope}}
[[File:lucky luke 8747.jpg|link=Lucky Luke|rightframe]]
 
{{quote|''"There was a blur, and then shootin'. I didn't see no draw."''|Sheriff Root, '''[[Preacher (Comic Book)|Preacher]]''', on the Saint of Killers}}
 
The one-on-one gunfight is a derivation of the more ancient practice of duelling. Thus, a key characteristic of many [[The Gunslinger|gunfighters]] is their ability to field their weapon of choice with lightning speed. This is critical to their ability to deliver the [[Instant Death Bullet]] rather than receive it, although they may choose [[Blasting It Out of Their Hands|to blast the gun out of their adversary's hand]]. [[The Western]] [[Showdown At High Noon]] is the classic setting for this trope, although it appears in pretty much every genre with guns.
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Also see [[Single-Stroke Battle]], [[Fastest Gun in the West]], [[The Gunslinger]]. See [[Iaijutsu Practitioner]] for a related sword technique.
 
{{examples}}
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==
 
== Anime and Manga ==
* ''[[Golgo 13]]'' has a notoriously quick draw speed. In one episode, a hitman measured it at 0.16 seconds.
* [[Kino's Journey|Kino]] is extremely talented when it comes to drawing and using guns at a moment's notice. Doesn't have a reputation, so doesn't count as [[Fastest Gun in the West]].
* ''[[Trigun]]'' has an episode called "Quick Draw", in which Vash and Nicholas enter a quick draw competition to give the reward to a family in need. Vash being [[Thou Shalt Not Kill|Vash]] and Nicholas being a priest, both are opposed to killing, but [[Technical Pacifist|they can manage]] [[Just a Flesh Wound|nonlethal shots]]. One gunman uses a particularly novel trick; he wears his clothes backwards and uses a [[Latex Perfection]] mask to pretend he's walking backwards before the draw when he actually never faces away from his opponent, so he doesn't have to turn around to shoot.
 
== [[Comic Books]] ==
 
* The Saint of Killers from ''[[Preacher (Comic Book)|Preacher]]'' is explicitly described as having a draw so fast the policemen attacking him only saw blurs.
== Comic Books ==
* The Saint of Killers from ''[[Preacher (Comic Book)]]'' is explicitly described as having a draw so fast the policemen attacking him only saw blurs.
* Despite his reluctance to use guns, [[Batman]].
* [[Lucky Luke]]: his signature move is ''[[Up to Eleven|outdrawing his own shadow]]''.
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* In a ''[[Hitman]]'' story, one-shot antagonist Manko was able to light a cigarette, drop the lighter, draw, shoot three men, re-holster his gun, and then catch the still-lit lighter before it hit the ground.
 
== [[Film]] ==
 
== Film ==
* [[Sergio Leone]]'s Spaghetti Westerns are also famous for this. [[Clint Eastwood]]'s Man With No Name has been known to take out four men in one draw, and the climactic showdowns are something to watch. Especially the final showdown in ''[[The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly]]'', which had all three principal characters facing off in a graveyard clearing.
* ''[[Desperado]]'' is an neo-Western, featuring a gunfighter who often produces two pistols [[Nothing Up My Sleeve|from his sleeves]].
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* In ''[[Maverick (film)|Maverick]]'', the eponymous character has very fast hands, and uses his quick draw skills to bluff his way out of confrontations. He's actually not a gunfighter at all.
* [[Deconstruction|Deconstructed]] slightly in ''[[Unforgiven]]''. Sheriff Daggett demonstrates to an author that he is indeed quick on the draw, but explains that accuracy goes out the window and it's all next to useless unless the shooter keeps a cool head. He also recalls a man who tried to hard to draw quickly and ended up shooting himself in the foot. Demonstrated in the finale where Munny {{spoiler|does ''not'' rapidly gun down Daggett's men with a flick of the wrist, but instead draws and kneels down, deliberately aiming and gunning down the terrified Mooks who all miss him in their panic}}.
* Parodied in ''[[Toy Story (franchise)|Toy Story]]'', with Woody telling an Etch to draw, followed by him drawing a picture of a gun.
* Subverted in ''[[Rio Bravo]]''; when asked why he carries a rifle, Sheriff Chance ([[John Wayne]]) replies that he found there were lots of men faster with a pistol.
* Jimmy Ringo in ''[[The Gunfighter]]''.
* Ned in ''[[¡Three Amigos!|Three Amigos]]'' gets challenged to such a duel when a former fan of his films claims he used trick photography to '''appear''' to be a quick draw expert. {{spoiler|He didn't.}}
 
== [[Literature]] ==
 
== Literature ==
* The Rangers in ''[[Ranger's Apprentice]]'' do this with bows.
{{quote|"I saw him fire one shot in warning...no, actually I didn't. It just sort of...happened" --Sir Norris}}
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* Morgan Kane, from the book series of the same name, is said to draw and fire in 1/5th of a second, making him one of the legendary gunslingers of the Old West. He is, however, knowledgeable enough to know that his accuracy is sacrificed in a quick draw, so he usually fires more than once.
* In ''[[Honor Harrington|Field of Dishonor]]'', Honor puts four rounds into a professional duellist, before he can even get one shot off.
* Jack Holloway in ''[[H. Beam Piper|Little Fuzzy]]''. Someone cried a warning,. heHe turned, going for his pistol, and saw a [[Mook]] pointing a gun at him. As two different people commented afterward, pulling a gun on Jack Holloway is simply a way of committing suicide.
** Also from H. Beam Piper is "Bish" Ware, the town drunk [[Remittance Man]] in ''Four-Day Planet''. Never being completely sober somehow hasn't slowed him down noticeably or affected his accuracy. The person quoted below was looking directly at Bish when he drew:
* ''[[Hammers Slammers]]''' Joachim Steuben. It took three-fifths of a second from the moment he reached for his [[Bling Bling Bang|highly ornamented pistol]] to his having killed three men, all of whom had their weapons drawn; at least one of them was already aiming at him (and '''very''' eager to shoot). He fired so quickly, in fact, that he wouldn't have been able to get off a fourth shot, because the plastic cartridge disc of the third shot melted from the heat of his rapid firing and jammed the pistol's action.
{{Quote|Then there was a gun going off in his hand. I didn't see him reach for it, or where he drew it from. It was just in his hand, firing....}}
* ''[[HammersHammer's Slammers]]''' Joachim Steuben. It took threetwo-fifths of a second from the moment he reached for his [[Bling Bling Bang|highly ornamented pistol]] to his having killed three men, all of whom had their weapons drawn;. atAt least one of them was already aiming at him (and '''very''' eager to shoot). He fired so quickly, in fact, that he wouldn't have been able to get off a fourth shot, because the plastic cartridge disc of the third shot melted from the heat of his rapid firing and jammed the pistol's action.
* E.C. Tubb's Earl Dumarest was [[Super Reflexes|blurringly fast]] and accurate — with a thrown knife, having at least once killed a man who already had a gun leveled at him. Earl was no slouch with a gun himself, either, but he was '''never''' willingly without [[Knife Nut|the knife]].
 
== [[Live -Action TV]] ==
 
== Live Action TV ==
* Occurs in the first episode (but in no other) of ''[[Deadwood]]''. Wild Will Hickok and Seth Bullock are interrogating a man. When he suddenly goes for his gun, Bullock and Hickok beat him to the draw and gun him down. Bullock earns some bad ass cred by being ''almost'' as fast as Hickok.
* The late Edward Woodward had quite a quick draw demonstrated in both ''[[The Equalizer]]'' and ''[[Callan]]''.
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* ''[[Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger]]'' has Captain Marvelous battling one of the enemies like this and won. Despite the enemy cheating.
* In an episode of ''[[The Adventures of Brisco County Jr]]'' Brisco not only outdraws an opponent but puts his bullet right down the barrel of the other shooter's gun before the man can fire.
* Michael Westen of ''[[Burn Notice]]'' prefers not to kill, but on one occasion he drew his gun so quickly he killed a man who already had his weapon drawn and aimed at Michael.
 
== [[Music]] ==
 
== Music ==
* The Marty Robbins song ''Big Iron'' describes a duel between an [[One Riot, One Ranger|Arizona Ranger]] and an outlaw named Texas Red:
{{quote|"''There was forty feet between them when they stopped to make their play
''And the swiftness of the ranger is still talked about today
''Texas Red had not cleared leather fore a bullet fairly ripped
''And the ranger's aim was deadly with the big iron on his hip" }}
* The song [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXNnPuIme48 'The Quick and the Blue'] by [[The Megas]] interprets the fight against [[Mega Man 2|Quick Man]] as being one of these.
{{quote|''My circuits slow;
''I'm not scared anymore.
''Reach for my weapon, and in turn,
''You're reachin' for yours.
''My circuits slow;
''What they said is a lie.
''The shots are heard and the
''Bullets scream death as they fly.'' }}
 
== [[Tabletop Games]] ==
 
== Tabletop Games ==
* ''[[GURPS]]'' has the Fast-Draw skill for this. For a heavy penalty characters can draw in less time than it takes a normal person can pull the trigger on a gun. It is also possible to buy a holsters designed to make a Quick Draw easier, see the Bridgeport Rig below.
* ''[[Dungeons and& Dragons]]''
** 1st Edition ''Oriental Adventures''. The Iaijutsu skill allowed the user to draw a melee weapon with blinding speed, thus avoiding any combat penalties.
** Edition 3.5 has this as an a feat that allows you do draw your weapon (anything from a hand crossbow to a knife to a [[BFS]]) as a free action. Very useful for rogues, ninjas and other stealthy types, as well as general fighting in difficult places.
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* ''Witch Hunter: The Invisible World''. The Fast Draw and Lightning Draw talents allowed a character to do this with no penalty.
 
== [[Video Games]] ==
 
== Video Games ==
* The last part of ''[[Metal Gear Solid]] 3'', with Naked Snake and Ocelot doing a strange quickdraw slash [[Russian Roulette]] thing.
** In the earlier boss battle, if you stand in plain sight and unequip your pistol. Ocelot will come out of hiding for a quick draw duel.
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* John Marston of ''[[Red Dead Redemption]]'' fame is quite the quick draw, as can be seen in the duel minigame and cutscenes.
 
== [[Web Original]] ==
 
== Web Original ==
* Ballistic, a superhero from the ''[[Global Guardians PBEM Universe]]'' is said to be the fastest draw in the world with a handgun. He is also a [[Improbable Aiming Skills|expert marksman]], and a master of [[Gun Fu]].
 
== [[Real Life]] ==
 
* The Nobel-winning physicist Niels Bohr once did an impromptu research project to find out why good guys in movies always win quick draw duels. After many mock gunfights against fellow physicist George Gamow, Bohr concluded that the villain always tries to draw his gun first (and so must consciously move his hands), while the hero always reacts and draws by reflex as soon as he sees the villain moving. Bohr theorized that reflex is always faster than conscious action, therefore, the good guy always wins. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120515183114/http://scienceblogs.com/notrocketscience/2010/02/why_does_the_gunslinger_who_draws_first_always_get_shot.php Research shows] that "reactive advantage" is about 10% faster than conscious initiation, but this only shaves an average 21 milliseconds from a 200-millisecond action - not enough to out-draw an opponent. The researchers conclude that Bohr's anecdotal victories in all his mock duels "suggest that Bohr was a crack shot, in addition to being a brilliant physicist."
== Real Life ==
* The Nobel-winning physicist Niels Bohr once did an impromptu research project to find out why good guys in movies always win quick draw duels. After many mock gunfights against fellow physicist George Gamow, Bohr concluded that the villain always tries to draw his gun first (and so must consciously move his hands), while the hero always reacts and draws by reflex as soon as he sees the villain moving. Bohr theorized that reflex is always faster than conscious action, therefore, the good guy always wins. [http://scienceblogs.com/notrocketscience/2010/02/why_does_the_gunslinger_who_draws_first_always_get_shot.php Research shows] that "reactive advantage" is about 10% faster than conscious initiation, but this only shaves an average 21 milliseconds from a 200-millisecond action - not enough to out-draw an opponent. The researchers conclude that Bohr's anecdotal victories in all his mock duels "suggest that Bohr was a crack shot, in addition to being a brilliant physicist."
* Today, quick draws abound. There are competitions worldwide where shooters compete by emptying revolvers upon a target, sprint through training courses, and all sorts of feats ''as fast as humanly possible''.
* Longhair Jim Courtright invited Luke Short outside to discuss their ongoing feud. They went out into the street and faced each other. Courtright then proceeded to threaten Short, before reaching to pull his gun. It got caught on part of his clothes, and then Luke Short drew his own gun and fired it from the hip. The shot hit Courtright in the thumb before traveling into his body. As Courtright attempted to shift the gun to his other hand, Short raised his own gun and fired into him four more times, killing him. It was ruled a justifiable homicide.
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* Ted Blocker is the current record-holder in quick draw, using a speed-rig of his own design, from a visual start signal to the bullet hitting the target, in 0.25 seconds. That is, ''a quarter second''. Gun guru Bill Jordan is on film doing it from a normal holster in 0.27 seconds.
* In 1978, police officer Ed Cantrell (sitting in the front passenger seat of a car) saw his aggressive and somewhat unstable deputy, Michael Rosa (sitting in the back seat) mouth at him "You motherf-cker" while going for his pistol. In the time it took for Rosa to lean back and unsnap his holster, Cantrell drew and shot over his shoulder, hitting Rosa between the eyes. Cantrell was actually arrested and tried for murder, and his lawyer (Gerry Spence) proved self-defense by the way Rosa's body was positioned. At the trial, in order to illustrate Cantrell's speed, Spence had a bailiff aim an unloaded pistol at Bill Jordan, and told him to pull the trigger the instant he saw Jordan go for his gun. Jordan drew and fired a blank so fast that the poor bailiff never had a chance. As everyone in the courtroom sat stunned, Spence turned to Jordan: "Mr. Jordan, you've seen Cantrell shoot before. How fast is he?" "Oh, he's a mite faster than me."
* Former Senator [[Al Franken]] is actually a quick-draw champion. In ''[[Lies And The Lying Liars Who Tell Them]],'' he claims to be third in the US.
 
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Guns and Gunplay Tropes]]
[[Category:Dueling Tropes]]
[[Category:Quick Draw{{PAGENAME}}]]