Unlike Gunsmoke, Have Gun - Will Travel went from TV to radio, where John Dehner played Paladin. It’s more of a description than a name. A paladin was a knight-errant, a “free-lancer”, who owed no particular loyalty to anyone, but offered his services as a mercenary. On one of the radio episodes, a client checked up on his background. Supposedly, he was from a prominent eastern family, and a West Point-educated officer in the Civil War - he came out as a major, but was forced to resign his commission over false charges. To avoid being an embarrassment to his family, he moved west and changed his name, becoming a mercenary who used his wits, fists, and gun to solve others’ problems. Time for my nap.
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One of my favorite old westerns 
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Fun fact!
I remember wstch it with my dad, who loved the western shows. Richard Boone played the lead part in Paladin.
I used to watch all of those old westerns with my family as well. some of them had special guns that I assumed we could never really get in the US. Was it Johnie Ringo that had a shotgun under the barrel of his 45? Maybe my favorite was Wanted dead or Alive where rather than a handgun he had a sawed off lever action in his holster? Then I noticed Henry make the Mare’s leg in 45 and realized I could have a “hand” rifle as well.
I never saw the TV show. Don’t watch TV. I do, however, love the radio show. I have never cared much for westerns, but Paladin is a show I really enjoy.
I found this
very interesting. All episodes are available on YouTube. 25 min per episode… ideal for me. Like old ZORRO show from 1957 
Thx @KURT17 for bringing my attention to this TV show !
You can get a Paladin or a Josh Randall rig from some maker out in CA - if you look at Randall’s rig, the bullets on it are for a .45-70, to make it more intimidating.
The baddest cat of the West.
i was a Zorro fan - Guy Williams later moved to Argentina, and became a huge star there. RIP Walt Disney.
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So that’s his card. I’ve heard of it, but never actually seen it.
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Apologies for necroposting, but I just remembered the thread. This is the episode that made me love Have Gun Will Travel.