Although the majority of famous gunfights that took place in the Old West have been heavily embellished, the fight at Blazer's Mills is one of the few where reliable sources have described a feat of profound ability and toughness.
He worked for James Dolan, thus, when the Lincoln County War broke out he became a target of those loyal to John Tunstall and Alexander McSween.
On April 4, 1878, Roberts rode his mule into Blazer's Mills, a sawmill and trading post located on the Rio Tularosa in hopes his check had arrived.
One slug grazed Doc Scurlock and another struck George Coe in the right hand, destroying his thumb and trigger finger.
Roberts, seeing the cloud of gun smoke from the log pile, sighted in and fired when Brewer raised his head, striking the cowboy in the eye and killing him.
A few aspects of the real Roberts' life are recreated in the film, such as his status as a grizzled, veteran gunfighter and his preference for riding a mule.
But the scene in the film is a mostly fictionalized shoot-out where Roberts tracks The Regulators in hopes of collecting a bounty placed on Billy the Kid.
After a brief conversation where he matter-of-factly states his intentions, Roberts opens fire on the gang, wounding a number of them before retreating to an outhouse for cover.
After firing continuously at the outhouse, Dick Brewer (Charlie Sheen) dares Billy the Kid (Emilio Estevez) to see if Roberts is still alive.