Origin of the Mare's leg

[Working Man]

I was looking around for info. on the trigger set on the 1895GS .45-70 and
found pic of Steve McQueen with a sawed off Winchester in .45-70.



Just though the fans might find it interesting.

 

[Jim Watson]

The GUN is a sawn off 1892 to shoot 5 in 1 blanks.
The prop man just furnished the .45-70s for his cartridge belt because they looked impressive. He was never seen to be reloading from his belt. Couldn't.

 

[cuchulainn]

... and I bet those spurs got in the way when power shifting.

 

[czhen]

I've always wonder was model use the rifleman.

CZhen
FL

 

[Manedwolf]

Yes, and the same rifle was carried in the show Firefly and movie Serenity by the character of Zoe...still called the Mare's Leg in a nod to McQueen.

 

[Flatfender]

You can buy an new one here:
http://www.jbcustom.com/marespec.htm

 

[Jim March]

JB has a new version up at:

http://www.jbcustom.com/new-mares.htm

Apparantly he got ahold of some more recievers. This series is also available in 357Mag.

Oh yeah. Daddy *like*. A lot. Dayum!

Legal note: JB is a licensed handgun manufacturer. These recievers were never used in rifles, they were bought new and assembled as handguns - there is NO special paperwork involved, no BATF approval, etc. They're just plain handguns.

It says "six shooter" but that may be with one in the chamber. Still...

You know what'd be better? Ruger makes that funky 44Mag levergun with a magazine instead of a tube, and a VERY short lever stroke. Wouldn't that make a slick little "modern Volcanic" handgun? 6" or 8" barrel? Get some high-cap mags instead of those silly 4rd critters? Big fun.

 

[One of Many]

So can anyone remember the name of the TV show, and the character name that was Played by Steve McQueen, using this rifle?

I believe he was a bounty hunter in this show.

Another western show in the same time frame had a character played by Nick Adams; Johnny Yuma - was the Rebel (an ex confederate soldier).

There was a different show starring Rory Calhoun; he was a gunfighter.

I think most of us remember Paladin, and Rawhide, and Wagon Train, and Gunsmoke, and Bonanza, and Cimmaron, and The High Valley, and The Virginian, (the list is incomplete - my memory is starting to go). How many of us can remember the actors names, or their character names. Clint Eastwood played a character named Roddy Yates; I think it was on Wagon Train.

 

[kjeff50cal]

The name of the TV Show is the same as a popular rock song of the 80s "Wanted Dead or Alive". The bounty hunter's name Josh Randall .

 

[Ohen Cepel]

I love the new custom version!

Just have a hard time spending that amount of $$ for it. Would be a great gift (need to drop hints to the Wife )

It's really just too cool. I'm glad to see someone make a legal functional version.

 

[Bobo]

The Clint Eastwood series was "Rawhide".

 

[Dionysusigma]

Here's my preferred version:

Vector Arms V-51 Pistol

So... um... has anyone ever actually fired one of these things?

 

[444]

"Here's my preferred version"

Sorry to sidetrack the thread, but I have something like that coming. Mine is an SBR and not a pistol however. http://www.investmentgradefirearms.com/G3kconversion.htm When and if it is ever finished. 7.62 NATO, 12" barrel. Katie bar the door.

 

[mustanger98]

The more westerns I've watched the more I've seen those old '92 Winchesters got around. Most John Wayne films they had 'em too...

I don't know about the trigger in Steve McQueen's "Mare's Leg", but in Chuck Connor's '92, he had a screw in the trigger guard to trip the trigger every time he slammed the lever shut which is what made the rapid fire possible for him.

I do know on Bonanza, they never reloaded. I've seen 'em fire their sixguns 40 times in a scene or two and never even made the pretense of reloading. But, I do recall one scene where Pernell Roberts- Adam Cartwright on Bonanza- guested on Gunsmoke as a hired gunfighter and they made a point to dramatically show him reloading.

The Clint Eastwood series was "Rawhide".

Right. His character's name was "Rowdy Yates"; not "Roddy Yates".

Another show mentioned... "The High Valley" was actually named "Big Valley" and starred Barbara Stanwick, as well as Linda Evans and Lee Majors in their younger days. I watched several of these old shows when I was a kid- I watched 'em in syndication as I'm 31 now- and thoroughly enjoyed them.

Guns and horses...

 

[Draco Kid]

Inexpensive Legal Mare's leg

I realize I'm putting my 2 cents worth in about a buck short but the Mare's Leg has always had a special place in my weapon fantasies. I've legally own a "Mare's Leg" since 1985. True it has a 16" bbl as opposed to the 12" on the prop guns; however, the overall length is 26.5" which makes it perfectly legal with no gov't nitpickers screwing things up. I have a 92 and a 94 in .45 Colt.
Both guns can be cocked one-handed by spinning, but the 92 drops the new cartridge on the ground without the spring-loaded pin the propman mounted above the chamber to prevent the drop out when the gun was upside down. The 94 functions perfectly. Because of the shortness of the bbl and the reduced weight, the stress on the action is not as much as doing speed rifle in CAS competition. I've shot my Mare's leg in CAS (not spin cocking since that breaks the 170 degree rule) but as a rifle one-handed or supported with cheek to comb and a rigid grip. No problem at all and still fast target acquisition. As I said I don't have an exact repro of the gun and leather, but I have an inexpensive and fun conversation piece at every CAS meet I attend.

 

[Freedomv]

Welcome to THR Draco kid.
You have answered an un-asked quistion that was on my mind, "Does anyone use one of these with any satisfaction as to its functioning and usefullness, etc?"

I can see that they would/could be some fun for some types of shooting. Especialy in 45-70.

Vern

 

[GeezerwithGuns]

I'd much rather have the car in the photo....Looks like a C type Jag.

 

[MatthewVanitas]

@ Draco Kid:

Can you post a pic of your piece? That'd be most cool to see.

-MV

 

[Steve H]

The name of the TV Show is the same as a popular rock song of the 80s "Wanted Dead or Alive". The bounty hunter's name Josh Randall

and I thought that I was the only one around old enough to remember that show

 

[No_Brakes23]

I'd much rather have the car in the photo....Looks like a C type Jag.

I believe it is a Jag D-type, since McQueen owned one of those, IIRC. Specifically i think his was the road-legal XKSS.

Man, if only Jag made cars like that now, instead of the overdressed Taurus' that churn out now.

 

[Seancass]

sorry about the large image. also legally a handgun because they are assymbled as such. i actually had forgotten they where pumps when i went looking for the pic. production has started, available soon.

 

[pcosmar]

Seancass
Thanks, that is WAY cool, I have liked the Lightning for some time, but this is neat.

 

[Bob F.]

Rory Calhoun was, I think, "The Texan". Rode a little Pinto. Remember "Tales of Texas Rangers" and "26-men", I think, about the early Arizona Rangers?
Sorry to re-sidetrack, but just couldn't resist. Love the old westerns. "Paladin" was Richard Boone, now deceased.

Rowdy Yates and Gil Faber, the trail boss, on "Rawhide", Ward Bond on "Wagontrain"

Might have to buy me a Stetson!!

Bob

 

[mustanger98]

"Paladin" was Richard Boone, now deceased.

Richard Boone was the one who hated horses. He said so and did as little of his own riding as possible. When he did have to ride, they put him on an older calmer horse who didn't care to put on a show. They said it was hard to look like they woke that horse up to get him out of a lazy walk. If you notice, when they filmed "The Shootist", Richard Boone was playing one of the bad guys and he had nothing to do with a horse. They had him on one of those early horseless carriages.

Might have to buy me a Stetson!!

I really enjoy mine, and I have four Stetsons, two Resistols- all 4X fur felt- and three Atwood palm leaf hats... folks around town don't recognize me without one or another of them.

As for this "mare's leg" thing, well, the more I think of it, the less I figure I need one. I figure a 94AE with 16" barrel and 10rd capacity and standard stock is short enough to be handy without sacrificing accuracy or firepower for the .44mag and .45Colt chamberings within their reasonable ranges. I know somebody said they could in fact aim, but I just can't see it for myself. I'd just much rather stick with my sixgun for anything shorter.

 

[ChiefThunderstick]

In Wanted Dead Or Alive, McQueen's character never drew his weapon. He just swiveled it, and fired it from the hip. It was specially mounted to do that. It also surprised the s*** out of the bad guys, who dropped in their tracks after that. I loved that show. Wasn't he also the star of Johnny Yuma?
Oh I've got me a Miller 3X beaver 10 gallon hat in black.