Mare's Leg
| Mare's Leg | |
|---|---|
Rossi Ranch Hand
|
|
| Type | cut-down lever-action rifle |
| Place of origin |
 United States
|
| Production history | |
| Designer | Kenny "Von Dutch" Howard |
| Designed | 1958 |
| Produced | 1958, 1993 |
| No. built | 3 (1958), ~2 (1993) |
| Specifications | |
| Length | ~2 ft (61 cm) |
| Barrel length | ~12 in (30 cm) |
|
|
|
| Cartridge |
44-40 (actual) 45-70 (fictional) .30 WCF (fictional; according to script dialogue in season one) .44 Magnum (actual) .38 Special/.357 Magnum (actual) .22 Long Rifle (actual) |
| Action | Lever-action |
| Feed system | 6-round Tubular magazine |
| 1892 Mares Leg Lever Action Pistol | |
|---|---|
| Type | Lever action pistol |
| Place of origin |
United States
|
| Production history | |
| Designer | Jim Buchanan |
| Designed | 2005 |
| Manufacturer | J.B. Custom |
| Produced | 2005— |
| No. built | ~50 |
| Specifications | |
| Length | 24 in (61 cm) |
| Barrel length | 12 in (30 cm) |
|
|
|
| Cartridge |
.45 Colt, .44-40 Winchester, .38-40 Winchester, .44 Magnum, or .357 Magnum |
| Action | Lever-action |
| Feed system | 6-round Tubular magazine |
The Mare's Leg (aka Mare's Laig; both sometimes spelled without the apostrophe) was the name given to a customized shortened rifle used by Steve McQueen's character on the television series Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958–1961). McQueen's character was named Josh Randall, and the gun has also been referred to as a Winchester Randall, or a Randall Special. "Mare's leg" is now a generic term for a Winchester Model 1892 (or modern derivative) with a shortened barrel and stock.
The term "mare's leg" was introduced in 1957 in the TV series Trackdown, where Steve McQueen first appeared as a bounty hunter. Steve McQueen and his "mare's leg" went on to star in the CBS TV series Wanted Dead or Alive.
Designed by Kenny "Von Dutch" Howard, an experienced artist and gunsmith, the original mare's leg was made by cutting down a .44-40 caliber Winchester Model 1892 rifle to a size that could be worn in a large leg holster and used with one hand. The barrel was cut to a length of nine inches, and much of the butt-stock was removed. The original mare's leg did not have sights. McQueen was involved in the final design, suggesting the duck-bill hammer and enlarged lever loop, and initiating a redesign of the custom holster. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms was not consulted before the program aired and producers had to pay taxes totalling $1100.
During filming three guns were made, each with an enlarged loop on the cocking lever. After filming started, the size of the levers was made smaller on all 3 guns. The second and third guns bore octagonal barrels instead of a round one. In a continuity oversight, a gun sometimes changed partway through a given scene. While the guns were chambered for the .44-40 round, McQueen wore more impressive looking .45-70 rounds in the loops of his gun belt. In season one a doctor, after removing a bullet fired from the Mare's Leg from the back of a criminal, identified the removed bullet as a 30-30 round.
As of the 1980s, one of the original guns was on display at the Fort Spaghetti Restaurant and Museum (999 Ball Road, Anaheim, California). Another is in the Autry National Center of the American West. There have been a number of toys based on the Mare's Leg, from small cap guns to larger detailed toys complete with a holster.
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Wikipedia