The basis for the series was the 1953 to 1954 radio series "The Six Shooter", starring James Stewart, and created by Frank Burt. Many of the series' season one episodes were adapted from episodes aired on the radio.
As in the radio series, "The Six Shooter", the lead character's horse was named Scar.
The pilot aired as an episode of Schlitz Playhouse (1951) on March 29, 1957. John Payne's character was called "Britt Ponset", but when it became a series, his name was changed to "Vint Bonner".