'Mare's Leg' on sale!

POSTED BY: cljohnston108
UPDATED: Monday, May 30, 2011 01:36
VIEWED: 12283
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CLJOHNSTON108

Friday, May 27, 2011 12:18 AM

Just posted on Neatorama...

Quote:
Steve McQueen TV Rifle Now for Sale
http://www.neatorama.com/2011/05/26/steve-mcqueen-tv-rifle-now-for-sal
e/
By John Farrier on May 26, 2011 at 4:43 pm

Wanted: Dead or Alive was a half-hour Western television show which ran from 1958-1961. It starred Steve McQueen as the bounty hunter Josh Randall. The character was noted for wielding a modified Winchester 1892 .44-40 lever-action rifle called the “Mare’s leg”. With a reduced stock and a barrel cut down to less than a foot long, Randall could carry it holstered on his hip. It was his signature piece, and now gunmaker Rossi is selling it in .44 magnum, .45 Colt, and .38 special/.357 magnum.

Of this design, Tamara Keel writes:

When I was younger, I used to think cut-down lever guns, a la Steve McQueen’s “Mare’s Leg” were just the coolest thing ever.

Now that I am older and actually know a little bit about firearms, I think they make about as much sense as a kickstand on a tank.

They still look cool though, and, y’know… Firefly.

It probably wouldn’t hurt their sales for Rossi to come out with a Firefly special edition.

http://www.rossiusa.com/product-list.cfm?category=17
http://booksbikesboomsticks.blogspot.com/2011/05/i-dont-get-it-either.
html

________________________

"Spry for a dead fella!"

KWICKO

Friday, May 27, 2011 1:20 AM

Suddenly I find myself wanting a rifle in a .44Mag!

HARDWARE

Friday, May 27, 2011 3:03 AM

Kickstand on a tank. ROFL!

Yeah, if I had the spare cash I'd think about it.

The more I get to know people the more I like my dogs.

...and he that has no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. Luke 22:36

KWICKO

Friday, May 27, 2011 3:25 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Hardware:
Kickstand on a tank. ROFL!

Yeah, if I had the spare cash I'd think about it.

Kinda brings to mind Anthony's discussion of rifles chambered for pistol rounds. And I find myself actually wanting a pistol-chambered rifle! :)

Probably not terribly accurate, but probably more accurate than a pistol, just by dint of the longer barrel. And the prices aren't prohibitive, either - around $360-380.

"Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservatives." - John Stuart Mill

NEWOLDBROWNCOAT

Friday, May 27, 2011 4:21 AM

seems like I remember seeing a story on here somewhere, in one of the discussions of this piece, that it kicks like a ... well, a mare's leg. They supposedly gave one to McQueen on set one time, with a real but reduced powder load, he fired it, and it knocked him on his ass.

Also, with the cut off tubular magazine, what does it hold? 3, maybe 4 rounds ?

But it does LOOK REALLY BAD-ASS...

FARFLY

Friday, May 27, 2011 2:33 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Kwicko:
Quote:
Originally posted by Hardware:
Kickstand on a tank. ROFL!

Yeah, if I had the spare cash I'd think about it.

Kinda brings to mind Anthony's discussion of rifles chambered for pistol rounds. And I find myself actually wanting a pistol-chambered rifle! :)

Probably not terribly accurate, but probably more accurate than a pistol, just by dint of the longer barrel. And the prices aren't prohibitive, either - around $360-380.

"Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservatives." - John Stuart Mill

I have a Marlin Camp carbine, in 45 ACP. It was my first rifle and still my favorite. There are a number of reviews for this gun on the web, here's one:

http://www.notpurfect.com/main/campgun.htm

Sadly, Marlin discontinued this item in 1999 but there are still lots floating around

HARDWARE

Friday, May 27, 2011 2:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by NewOldBrownCoat:
seems like I remember seeing a story on here somewhere, in one of the discussions of this piece, that it kicks like a ... well, a mare's leg. They supposedly gave one to McQueen on set one time, with a real but reduced powder load, he fired it, and it knocked him on his ass.

Also, with the cut off tubular magazine, what does it hold? 3, maybe 4 rounds ?

But it does LOOK REALLY BAD-ASS...

If it was an original chambered in 44-40 I expect the kick to be less than a 44 magnum. If it was chambered in 45-70, then the kick would have been apocalyptic. Approximately that of a Mosin-Nagant carbine. Or a single barrel break shotgun firing a slug.

The real fault in these guns is that in pistol calibers they hold 6 shots. Exactly that of a revolver.

The more I get to know people the more I like my dogs.

...and he that has no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. Luke 22:36

CLJOHNSTON108

Friday, May 27, 2011 5:17 PM

KWICKO

Friday, May 27, 2011 11:08 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Hardware:
Quote:
Originally posted by NewOldBrownCoat:
seems like I remember seeing a story on here somewhere, in one of the discussions of this piece, that it kicks like a ... well, a mare's leg. They supposedly gave one to McQueen on set one time, with a real but reduced powder load, he fired it, and it knocked him on his ass.

Also, with the cut off tubular magazine, what does it hold? 3, maybe 4 rounds ?

But it does LOOK REALLY BAD-ASS...

If it was an original chambered in 44-40 I expect the kick to be less than a 44 magnum. If it was chambered in 45-70, then the kick would have been apocalyptic. Approximately that of a Mosin-Nagant carbine. Or a single barrel break shotgun firing a slug.

The real fault in these guns is that in pistol calibers they hold 6 shots. Exactly that of a revolver.

The more I get to know people the more I like my dogs.

...and he that has no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. Luke 22:36

Heh. I've got the "short-barreled" Mosin-Nagant. It's a beast. Kicks like a mule on crack. But they cushion the blow by putting a steel kick-plate on the end of the stock! :) If I put 10 rounds through it at the range, I'm bruised the next day. And to think, they put these monsters in the hands of female snipers!

The PSL, although chambered for the same round, kicks a helluva lot less. I chalk it up to the gas-driven reloading system, versus the solid bolt-action loader of the Nagant, which puts all the recoil straight into your shoulder, while the PSL puts a major portion of it into cycling the action for the next round.

"Although it is not true that all conservatives are stupid people, it is true that most stupid people are conservatives." - John Stuart Mill

MOOSE

Saturday, May 28, 2011 2:31 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Kwicko:
Kinda brings to mind Anthony's discussion of rifles chambered for pistol rounds.

Got a link to that?

Quote:
Originally posted by Kwicko:
Heh. I've got the "short-barreled" Mosin-Nagant.

Just reading that makes my shoulder hurt...

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