The Restless Gun (1957)

Name: The Restless Gun
Genre: Western
Rating: 7.5
Cast: John Payne

Western

The Restless Gun is an American western television series that appeared on NBC between 1957 and 1959, with John Payne in the role of Vint Bonner, a wandering cowboy in the era after the American Civil War. A skilled gunfighter, Bonner is an idealistic person who prefers peaceful resolutions of conflict wherever possible. He is gregarious, intelligent, and public-spirited. The half-hour black-and-white program aired seventy-eight episodes. Jeanne Bates appeared in varying roles with Payne in five episodes of The Restless Gun. The Restless Gun theme song begins: "I ride with the wind, my eyes on the sun, and my hand on my restless gun..." The song composer is probably Paul Dunlap, credited as the primary series composer, but could have been contributed to by either of the two other series composers, Dave Kahn and Stanley Wilson, also. Two versions are currently posted on YouTube, but neither posting lists any composer or performance credits.

IMDb rating: 7.5 (339 votes)
Episode average: 7.5 matches the IMDb rating
Seasons: 2
Language: EN
Type: TV series

Declining trajectory: each season no better than the last. Rising Shows ranks whole shows by the shape of their rating trend rather than one average score, which is how you find a show that got better rather than a show that started well. See every Declining show in the explorer →

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Ratings refreshed Oct 3, 2026 · 2 seasons indexed

Cast

John Payne Vint Bonner

Seasons

Season 1 (1957)

7.50 avg 39 episodes 7.2 → 7.5 30 min avg

Season 1 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Duel at Lockwood	7.2	53
2	Trail to Sunset	8.1	47
3	Revenge at Harness Creek	7.3	36
4	Rink	7.3	36
5	Jenny	7.8	41
6	The Shooting of Jett King	8.0	35
7	Jody	7.7	39
8	General Gilford's Widow	8.0	38
9	The New Sheriff	7.2	32
10	Man and Boy	7.7	41
11	Cheyenne Express	7.2	43
12	Thicker Than Water	7.7	41
13	Silver Threads	7.9	41
14	The Child	7.5	53
15	The Gold Buckle	6.7	39
16	The Coward	7.9	36
17	Friend in Need	7.4	32
18	Strange Family in Town	8.0	36
19	Hang and Be Damned	6.8	40
20	Quiet City	7.5	34
21	Hornitas Town	7.5	46
22	Imposter for a Day	7.9	38
23	A Pressing Engagement	7.0	32
24	Woman from Sacramento	7.9	41
25	Sheriff Billy	7.8	31
26	The Hand Is Quicker	7.9	40
27	The Suffragette	6.0	37
28	The Whip	7.5	37
29	The Crisis at Easter Creek	7.2	39
30	Aunt Emma	7.8	33
31	The Outlander	7.4	37
32	The Battle of Tower Rock	6.5	31
33	The Torn Flag	7.7	33
34	Hiram Grover's Strike	7.0	29
35	The Gold Star	7.6	35
36	More Than Kin	7.5	36
37	The Manhunters	7.8	33
38	The Peddler	8.0	32
39	Gratitude	7.5	33

Season 2 (1958)

7.48 avg 38 episodes 8.0 → 7.8 30 min avg

Rollercoaster

Season 2 episodes - IMDb ratings
#	Title	Rating	Votes
1	Jebediah Bonner	8.0	45
2	Day of the Dragon	8.2	33
3	Mercyday	7.6	36
4	Thunder Valley	7.3	35
5	The Nowhere Kid	7.1	34
6	Bonner's Squaw	6.6	40
7	Tomboy	7.7	39
8	Remember the Dead	7.9	37
9	No Way to Kill	7.5	36
10	Take Me Home	7.7	34
11	Multiply One Boy	7.7	35
12	Peligroso	8.1	44
13	A Bell for Santo Domingo	7.4	34
14	The Way Back	8.1	41
15	The Painted Beauty	7.0	38
16	Shadow of a Gunfighter	7.6	43
17	The Lady and the Gun	7.2	39
18	Blood of Courage	6.9	37
19	Better Than a Cannon	6.2	34
20	The Dead Ringer	7.9	34
21	The Last Grey Man	7.1	36
22	Melany	7.5	37
23	Ricochet	7.8	33
24	Dead Man's Hand	7.0	31
25	The Sweet Sisters	7.3	31
26	Incident at Bluefield	8.1	45
27	The Pawn	7.7	38
28	Four Lives	7.8	30
29	One on the House	7.3	33
30	Code for a Killer	7.7	39
31	Mme. Brimstone	7.8	30
32	Lady by Law	7.3	31
33	Ride with the Devil	6.9	36
34	A Trial for Jenny May	7.5	35
35	The Cavis Boy	7.7	32
36	The Englishman	7.1	31
37	A Very Special Investigator	7.1	32
38	The Hill of Death	7.8	29

The Restless Gun (1957)

Cast

Seasons

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