Billy Carson, looking for rustlers, kills Bradley in a gun fight. Arrested, the judge finds him innocent but jails him anyway. When the rustling resumes he is released and posing as a Mexican cattle buyer he hopes to trap the culprits.
Not quite as memorable as his previous Riders in the Sky, Gene Autry's Sons of New Mexico is still well up to the star's standard. This time, Gene tries to reform Randy Pryor, a would-be juvenile delinquent, played by Autry-protégé Dick Jones (who later starred in the Autry-produced TV series Range Rider and Buffalo Bill Jr). To this end, Pryor is enrolled at the New Mexico Military Institute, where much of this film was lensed. The kid chafes at the school's regimen and escapes, heading back to his criminal mentor Pat Feeney (Robert Armstrong).
During the mid 1860s, brothers Dick and Jim Marston are drawn into a life of crime by their ex-convict father Ben and his friend, infamous cattlethief Captain Starlight. Making their way to Melbourne with the proceeds of a recent raid, the brothers meet and romance the Morrison sisters, Kate and Jean, whom they eventually marry; but just as they are poised to start a new life in America, Captain Starlight and his gang arrive in town, planning a raid at the local bank.
Gene and Frog, out to stop a bunch of cattle rustlers, assume the identities of what they believe to be dead bandits, which soon gets them in big trouble.
The line between the good guys and the bad guys blurs as ruthless bounty hunters No Name and Dynamite Davenport shoot their way through the Wild West, collecting rewards and making more enemies than friends. With the outlaw John Wilkes Booth on the run and gold hidden in the hills, justice must be served.
Cattle king wants Reagan's small ranch, and Latina beauty Lola McLaughlin. His men kill Reagan's pregnant wife. Reagan leaves his tin badge on Consuela's grave, and with Winchester, scattergun, and Colt, rides alone against a hundred.
A young man who has lost his memory, escapes from prison with three other convicts. The other men help him find back bits of his past, until they arrive at a village where two warring families recognize him. Apparently he has a reputation for being a fast gun, and he has been paid to kill a man - who says he is his father. His younger brother is jealous of the attention the prodigal son receives, and things come to a dramatic end.
Luke Ram seeks revenge against the white renegade who lead a Sioux raiding party against his father's stagecoach way station, killing all the inhabitants except himself. He's joined by his mining partner, young Sam Weller, not realizing that they man they seek is Weller's father, in whose gang Sam rode as a young man.
Knowing that is contains valuable helium gas, a gang of bad guys first tries to purchase the ranch which Gene straw-bosses. When that fails, they lay a hidden pipeline to snag the gas.
Red and Carraucho, after escaping from jail, reach the border to Mexico and are hired by Morgan, a rich silvermine owner. Disgusted by the latter's cruelty, especially against the local peones, the two support a revolt organized with the aid of Mrs. Vivian, wife of the ruthless tyrant.
Gunfighter Billy Ringo decides to hang up his guns, buy a ranch and marry Arlene Reach. His brother Matt, father of Chip, the nephew Ringo is trying to keep on the straight and narrow, with three other outlaws, Dixon, Hollaway and Hoke, frame Ringo into pulling a bank robbery with them. Pretending to side with them, after accidentally killing Matt, Ringo informs Marshal Wyatt Earp of their plan to rob a Wells Fargo express wagon. A gunfight ensues at the robbery and the three outlaws are killed and Ike Clinton, the ringleader, is turned over to Marshal Earp by Ringo. Written by Les Adams
Judge Kirby is being blackmailed and forced to let outlaws go free. He was once the partner of Roy's father and when Roy reads in the paper that he is in trouble he heads out to help him. Arriving, Roy quickly realizes he has been mistaken for one of the outlaws and is not wanted in town. However he stays, and now posing as that outlaw, hopes to learn who is causing all the problems.
In the Colorado Rockies, Sheriff Scott, heads a posse that is after four escaped convicts, and thought it is his sworn duty to return the men dead or alive, he is, as always, reluctant to kill his fellow man. He is accompanied by Jaynes, a tavern owner, who takes much delight in his telescopic rifle, and by "Smitty," a gas station held up the escapees and more than ready to show she can be as tough as any man, although she seems to have some other motive for getting to the leader of the convicts, Kaygo.
Finding Indians stealing from his ranch, Gene learns they are suffering from malnutrition. Store owner Martin is cheating them and now he is after the Chief's valuable necklace. When the dying chief is found, having been attacked and robbed, Martin blames Lakhona who would become the new chief. When Gene helps Lakhona they soon find themselves fleeing from the law.
While Sam Houston in in the nation's capital trying to get Texas into the Union, his aide is trying to impose a self-serving tax on the use of the Santa Fe trail. The lady owner of a wagon train is using the trail, and a Texas Ranger comes to her assistance.