Why was O.K. Corral gunfight so famous?

This gunfight involved a fairly large number of men, 4 on the Earp side and 5 on the Clanton side. Also the participants, especially the Earps and Doc Holiday were fairly well known. The gunfight was not really an isolated event but part of what became known as the Arizona War, or the Cochise County War. This lead to accounts of the fight being widely published which made it notable at the time.

In modern times the gunfight has been portrayed in numerous Western films. It has come to symbolize the struggle between legal authority and banditry and rustling in frontier towns of the Old West, where law enforcement was often weak or nonexistent.

History and Hollywood chose to make the gunfight at the O. K. Corral immortal. Americans have always looked to the West for defining moments in our national character. “The shootout continues to fascinate because it has all the elements of classical mythology while being anchored in hard reality.” Everyone loves a legend.

In the days of black powder the 10 gauge was most common; and I remember from somewhere that being mentioned regarding the OK Corral shootout.