| Easterner JD Dunne arrived in Four Corners on a stage
that rolled into town during a raging gun battle. He decided then and there
that it was definitely where he wanted to be. It took him awhile to ingratiate
himself to the six older, wiser men, who at first viewed him as too young,
too inexperienced, and too much of a "greenhorn" to be of any possible use
to them. Told to "go home" and that he was "not the type," JD refused to
be ignored, and eventually earned his place as one of the Seven. For a time,
JD was the sheriff of Four Corners, having eagerly volunteered for the
appointment when no one else would step forward to take the job.
JD's background is open to speculation. It has not been said exactly where he is from, but by his own account, he grew up in wealthy surroundings, although not as a child of privelege. His mother, who raised him alone, was a chamber maid, and JD, an accomplished rider, worked as a stable boy. He has stated that he never knew his father, but it is not known whether they were merely strangers, or if JD does not know who his father is. His mother had hoped for him to have a college education, so it is likely that JD is a high school graduate, and therfore better educated than was the norm for that time. He arrived in Four Corners within a year of his mother's death, after discovering that the money she had saved for his education was less than what it would cost, so upon his arrival in Four Corners, he was probably somewhere around 17-19 years of age. JD's first name is John, although Andrew Kavovit has jokingly suggested that "JD" stands for "Juvenile Delinquent!"
JD's admiration for renowned gunfighter and Dodge City lawman Bat Masterson enables us to accurately date at least the first 9 episodes. Masterson's notoriety peaked around 1878, and by 1881, the Butterfield Stage (which carried JD into Four Corners) had ceased operation. Therefore, the time frame for The Magnificent Seven's first season is probably somewhere around 1878-1880. The bowler hat worn by JD was suggested for Andrew Kavovit while he was creating and researching his character, because Masterson customarily wore such a hat. Andrew was at first worried that viewers might not know who Bat Masterson was, but of course, the fans who didn't know quickly found out!
JD's Guns are a brace of .38 calibre, double-action 1877 Colt Lightnings (above) with ivory grips, ("double-action" means the gun does not have to be cocked first before it can be fired). The rifle he carries is a .44 calibre 1866 Winchester carbine (below), which had a 20" barrel that was 4" shorter than the standared .44 Winchester rifle. And what about that Navy Colt .44 he found in the desk in "One Day Out West"? Well, the Navy Colt was a .38 calibre. It was the Army Colt that was a .44, so this gun was likely manufactured in 1997 by Script Typos, Inc.
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