It looked like the set of "Gunsmoke" the past few days at the Oklahoma City Gun Club, only Marshal Dillon, Festus and Miss Kitty weren't there. However, there were plenty of people dressed like them.

Cowboy action shooting has grown in popularity over the last several years and now enjoys an international membership in excess of 80,000, with registered clubs in 50 states and six countries.

May 21—Cowboy action shooting — also known as Western action shooting, single-action shooting, cowboy 3-gun, and Western 3-gun — is a competitive shooting sport that originated in 1981. At its core, ...