How would a mare's leg shoot?
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DM~
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You can doubt it all you want, but i've dispached hundreds of animals (no exaggeration) with CB's with revolvers, semi auto pistols, and rifles. There's absolutely no question in my mind what works better and what doesn't! With full power ammo, all of them work, but with CB's, a short bbled rifle easily out performs the handguns! Then there's the animals you meet on the trail, that are further than a fet feet away...
Some of us trap in places that we don't want the noise of full powered ammo, so....
DM
DM~
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BUT, it's STILL a single shot!
DM
DM,
Looks like you're talking about two different uses.
For trapped animals, yes, you'll get a boost in CBs, but you'll get a reduction in handiness.
For animals along the trail, same thing.
By all means get one if you think you want one.
I'm just trying to say that the things are not particularly practical & do not work as well overall as some people are thinking in actual practice.
A .22 mare's leg from Henry, for instance, will be fairly heavy, slower to aim, slower to fire more than one shot if needed than a 6-inch barreled revolver.
If you have to have CBs because you don't want to be heard, you'll get a velocity increase, but you may not like the rest of the package that goes with it.
Looks like you're talking about two different uses.
For trapped animals, yes, you'll get a boost in CBs, but you'll get a reduction in handiness.
For animals along the trail, same thing.
By all means get one if you think you want one.
I'm just trying to say that the things are not particularly practical & do not work as well overall as some people are thinking in actual practice.
A .22 mare's leg from Henry, for instance, will be fairly heavy, slower to aim, slower to fire more than one shot if needed than a 6-inch barreled revolver.
If you have to have CBs because you don't want to be heard, you'll get a velocity increase, but you may not like the rest of the package that goes with it.
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bigfatdave
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Why not?
My Henry Lever Carbine cycles them just fine.
Again, same action, same controls, just a shorter barrel/mag tube/"stock"
pricedo
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It wouldn't matter if I posted the formula for the Cure for Cancer on a gun forum.......it wouldn't take long before some Auntie Doleful would start knocking it.
I've heard everything from "dumb purchase", "useless fraking gun", "an expensive wall-hanger" from people who have NEVER held a Mare's Leg in their hands.
What is it about people that makes them run off at the mouth with negative crap about something they know nothing about?
Just an innate desire to pee on somebody elses parade I guess?
I purchased a Chiappa Takedown Mare's Leg in .44 Remington Magnum after checking one a friend owned out as a inconspicuous firearm I could carry around in a fisherman's pack-sack for just-in-case protection from the many black bear, coyote & wolves in my area.
The gun is well built & has an excellent set of fully adjustable iron sights unlike the Rossi 92s I bought albeit for 1/3 the money of the Chiappa.
The gun disassembles/assembles into 3 @ 1 foot-long parts in seconds and I can put all the shots (full power 240 grain SPs) inside a shiny aluminum pie plate (8" diameter) after a couple of hours practice at 25 yards shooting from the hip & at 50 yards shooting the gun with the forearm supported by a tree branch using the iron sights & that its MOBB (Minute of Black Bear) accuracy & good enough for the intended purpose.
Will I be taking it on my next elk, moose or sheep hunt??........NO!
But as a fishing season silent companion that vanishes inconspicuously into a small pack-sack without invoking any stupid "whuddya carryin a gun for?" dumb questions & the hassle resulting from dropped dimes & puts out 1400 foot-pounds of muzzle energy from the 12" non-vented barrel it is exactly the tool for the job.........at least in my hands because I took the time to practice & learn to use it.
I've heard everything from "dumb purchase", "useless fraking gun", "an expensive wall-hanger" from people who have NEVER held a Mare's Leg in their hands.
What is it about people that makes them run off at the mouth with negative crap about something they know nothing about?
Just an innate desire to pee on somebody elses parade I guess?
I purchased a Chiappa Takedown Mare's Leg in .44 Remington Magnum after checking one a friend owned out as a inconspicuous firearm I could carry around in a fisherman's pack-sack for just-in-case protection from the many black bear, coyote & wolves in my area.
The gun is well built & has an excellent set of fully adjustable iron sights unlike the Rossi 92s I bought albeit for 1/3 the money of the Chiappa.
The gun disassembles/assembles into 3 @ 1 foot-long parts in seconds and I can put all the shots (full power 240 grain SPs) inside a shiny aluminum pie plate (8" diameter) after a couple of hours practice at 25 yards shooting from the hip & at 50 yards shooting the gun with the forearm supported by a tree branch using the iron sights & that its MOBB (Minute of Black Bear) accuracy & good enough for the intended purpose.
Will I be taking it on my next elk, moose or sheep hunt??........NO!
But as a fishing season silent companion that vanishes inconspicuously into a small pack-sack without invoking any stupid "whuddya carryin a gun for?" dumb questions & the hassle resulting from dropped dimes & puts out 1400 foot-pounds of muzzle energy from the 12" non-vented barrel it is exactly the tool for the job.........at least in my hands because I took the time to practice & learn to use it.
I have two Ruger Redhawks that carry quite inconspicuously, are much easier to hit with, fire much quicker, reload much quicker, can be operated much easier with one hand, distribute recoil comfortably, and offer plenty of power for the animals you mention with the right load.
If you like the concept & are happy with the extra effort it takes to end up with an inefficient platform, it's your choice.
Denis
If you like the concept & are happy with the extra effort it takes to end up with an inefficient platform, it's your choice.
Denis
pricedo
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AGREED! .......on all counts!!
BUT!!.......I do most of my bush stuff in Canada.
Up there the Mare's Leg is a "non-restricted" (carry just about anywhere, anytime) firearm like any other hunting class rifle......no NFA restrictions like in the US for "short barrels".
The Ruger Redhawks being handguns are "restricted" in Canada & unless you're a judge, a high ranking Mountie or PM Harper you're not going to get the permit required to carry one.........and being caught with an illegal handgun & ammo that fits it gets you a 4 year MINIMUM sentence in Her Majesties penitentiary system.
The Mare's Leg is my choice & I'm getting better at shooting it every time I go to the range & I was always a big Steve McQueen/Josh Randall fan.
rcmodel
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But, if the mares leg is made as a handgun, advertised as a handgun, imported as a handgun, and sold as a handgun,
why doesn't Canada think it is a handgun??
rc
pricedo
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Who knows?
Whoever told you firearms laws had to make sense was full of it !
I have an RCMP issued registration certificate in my pocket for my Mare's Leg which classifies it as NON-RESTRICTED........in other words GOOD TO GO.
Everybody thinks Canada is a Gestapo Hole for gun owners.........true for "restricted" firearms (handguns)........not true for "non-restricted" long guns (ordinary hunting rifles & shotguns).
I prefer Canadas laws for guns that aren't handguns:
1) short barrels are legal with no restrictions.......I own a 12 gauge shotgun with a 10" barrel.
2) we can mail firearms to each other quite legally through the common mail.......no FFL dealer or license required.
3) the laws are generally the same from coast to coast to coast to coast........firearms law in Canada is constitutionally exclusive federal jurisdiction. No fear of inadvertently crossing into New Jersey with hollow point ammo or into New York with a handgun and no New York pistol permit and doing 5 years in the slammer for an honest mistake.
4) no magazine limitations for rim fire rifles.......I have a 25 shot magazine for my Ruger 10/22.......legal as paying taxes.
5) access to cheap Chinese made (Norinco, Dominion Arms) knock-offs that are 1/3 - 1/2 the price & in some cases as good as the brand name guns.
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wleoff
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Here's my Rossi also with a Marlin 1894S Trapper, both in 45 Colt. I shoot the Rossi best with my arms extended, like a pistol. I can hit within about 3" at 25 yards. I have to be careful, because there is a tendency, for me, to pull it back to better see the sights. This hurts the nose because I'm shooting 250 XTPs handloaded at 1000 fps. I'm going to try some light loads to see how they work. Though it is cumbersome, it would make an intimidating truck gun. Most people just want to point and shoot from the waist. I just always wanted one since I watched McQueen as a kid. Now I need a holster.
I had to change the magazine spring in mine because it was weak.
I had to change the magazine spring in mine because it was weak.
pricedo
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Life is full of compromises.Here's my Rossi also with a Marlin 1894S Trapper, both in 45 Colt. I shoot the Rossi best with my arms extended, like a pistol. I can hit within about 3" at 25 yards. I have to be careful, because there is a tendency, for me, to pull it back to better see the sights. This hurts the nose because I'm shooting 250 XTPs handloaded at 1000 fps. I'm going to try some light loads to see how they work. Though it is cumbersome, it would make an intimidating truck gun. Most people just want to point and shoot from the waist. I just always wanted one since I watched McQueen as a kid. Now I need a holster.
I had to change the magazine spring in mine because it was weak.
It's an age old quandary with firearms .
To maximize portability & reduce weight you sacrifice accuracy & you are also constrained by the laws of whatever jurisdiction you are in.
I needed a gun that would discretely fit into a small fishing sized pack sack without "printing" or identifying parts sticking out & advertising "GUN" to every passer-bye.
In Canada where near-impossible-to-get permits to carry handguns are required the Chiappa Takedown Model Mare's Leg is it. The longest part (of 3 parts) is 12" long when it is disassembled.
I'm not a small man & can shoot my ML with great accuracy in pistol grip mode & even more accurately in rest forearm on branch mode. The Chiappa ML has a really nice set of fully adjustable iron sights.
A few hours of practice & a couple of hundred rounds made up for the MLs mechanical inefficiencies & enabled me to take advantage of the MLs sealed system 12" barrels ballistic efficiencies over a vented revolver.
Those 240 grain SPs are moving significantly faster from a 12" sealed barrel than from my Model 29s vented 6" barrel..
From the perspective of a practiced & skilled ML user who decided to train rather than complain & practice rather than criticize I think it's an excellent platform.
I make it a rule to actually hold any given gun in my hands & range test it before commenting about it.
I ordered a holster from Cochise Leather Company.........$150.
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Carl N. Brown
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The gun appears to have been introduced in the late 1950s with the TV series "Wanted: Dead or Alive".
How does it shoot? About as accurately as a .44-40 pistol with 12 inch barrel or a "Trapper Special" carbine held loosely in the hand. (Steve McQueen practiced instinctive point shooting with a firearms coach, and one of the TV prop guns had no sights, although another prop gun used on the series did have sights.)
Mostly "mare's laig" is a range toy for fans of "Wanted Dead or Alive" or "Firefly", especially nowadays fans of "Firefly", both guys who find Zoe Washburn (Gina Torres) "hawt" and gals who find her empowered.
I don't recommend it as a first or only gun. However, it will do for hunters and trappers most of the functions of the Trapper Specials, 12" to 14" barrel lever carbines made before 1934 and the National Firearm Act (NFA or Title II) which virtually outlawed concealable firearms made from rifles or shotguns by mandating federal registration and taxation. (Original trapper specials made before 1934 have been removed from NFA (Title II) restrictions are on the curios & relics list as GCA (Title I) rifles; see the ATF web page for models and serial number ranges.)
Made by the factory (Rossi, Henry, Chiappa, etc) the "mares laig" is made and sold through commercial channels as a pistol, subject to concealable weapons laws, but a pistol as far as the federal gun laws are concerned. IF made from a rifle, you have to go the ATF NFA Form 1 route, and get permission to make and register it with the feds as a SBR short barrel rifle.
If you look at the photo of the modern trapper special above, 16" barreled carbine, with the "mares laig" just below it, the carbine is not that much bigger, I think carbine would be more versatile.
How does it shoot? About as accurately as a .44-40 pistol with 12 inch barrel or a "Trapper Special" carbine held loosely in the hand. (Steve McQueen practiced instinctive point shooting with a firearms coach, and one of the TV prop guns had no sights, although another prop gun used on the series did have sights.)
Mostly "mare's laig" is a range toy for fans of "Wanted Dead or Alive" or "Firefly", especially nowadays fans of "Firefly", both guys who find Zoe Washburn (Gina Torres) "hawt" and gals who find her empowered.
I don't recommend it as a first or only gun. However, it will do for hunters and trappers most of the functions of the Trapper Specials, 12" to 14" barrel lever carbines made before 1934 and the National Firearm Act (NFA or Title II) which virtually outlawed concealable firearms made from rifles or shotguns by mandating federal registration and taxation. (Original trapper specials made before 1934 have been removed from NFA (Title II) restrictions are on the curios & relics list as GCA (Title I) rifles; see the ATF web page for models and serial number ranges.)
Made by the factory (Rossi, Henry, Chiappa, etc) the "mares laig" is made and sold through commercial channels as a pistol, subject to concealable weapons laws, but a pistol as far as the federal gun laws are concerned. IF made from a rifle, you have to go the ATF NFA Form 1 route, and get permission to make and register it with the feds as a SBR short barrel rifle.
If you look at the photo of the modern trapper special above, 16" barreled carbine, with the "mares laig" just below it, the carbine is not that much bigger, I think carbine would be more versatile.
pricedo
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As a geologist/prospector who works a lot in Canada I can disassemble my Chiappa Takedown Model Mares Leg in .44 Mag., wrap the 3 x @ 1 foot long pieces in socks (to keep out dirt & prevent scratching) & put them in my office briefcase which I always take into the field with me & in much less than one minute assemble & load a platform capable of dispatching a big predatory black bear boar (1300 - 1600 ft.-lbs. of muzzle energy depending on ammo).
The Chiappa Takedown Model Mare's Leg is expensive but is the only ML that can be disassembled to my knowledge & the workmanship & iron sights are excellent.
Can't really see the 1 piece carbine fitting into an ordinary office size briefcase.
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pricedo
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Must be nice !!
I don't have the money to tie up in purely recreational firearms, wall hangers & furniture guns.
If it isn't pragmatic or practical you won't find it in my gun safe.
Like any other well made gun my Chiappa Mare's Leg is capable of far greater accuracy than most shooters are.
The limitations on how the gun shoots are the ability & training of the shooter.
My Chiappa has an octagonal barrel on which I'm going to attach a low profile Picatinney rail so I can OPTIONALLY mount a good quality pistol scope (2-6x33mm Bushnell Elite 3200) on it with Warne Quick Release mounts that will let me use the iron sights when I choose not to attach the scope. I expect good accuracy using the scope with the gun supported by a rest, bag or tree branch........whatever the situational circumstances provide.
The 3 gun parts & the scope will all fit in a briefcase or pack sack with plenty of spare room for accessories, clothing, shaving gear, etc.
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I would be hard pressed to pick one over say a carbine in the same caliber(38/357), the mares leg, I believe, is a good idea, even for hollywood, even if it is limited in practical uses. I'd say a pack gun, to go with your revolver, or if shotguns are not your thing you could use this in any of the same type situations. I also agree for the same money you could get a kel tec plr 16, that uses standard AR mags of 30 rounds, add tac lights and optics and be better off defensively. both are cool factored, but the comparison...like revolvers to semi autos, two different animals, in my opinion...
I personally don't care about TV shows, but I could find a place for one, being able to cross ammo between weapons is great, especially for a hand-loader; pistol, long pistol/carbine, rifle/ carbine, full rifle. thats convenient fun and practical.
I personally don't care about TV shows, but I could find a place for one, being able to cross ammo between weapons is great, especially for a hand-loader; pistol, long pistol/carbine, rifle/ carbine, full rifle. thats convenient fun and practical.
That's closer to the truth than you realize. When the Mare's Laig was first created, someone commented "It's recoil is like getting kicked by a mare's laig!"
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