Mare's Laig

["DoubleAction"]

From the '50s television series, Wanted Dead Or Alive, starring Steve McQueen, the Mare's Laig is being offered as a functional firearm from JB Custom. Claimed to be classified as a BATF legal pistol.

www.jbcustom.com/new-mares.htm

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mare's_Leg

www.mcqueenonline.com/gunsquarterlyarticle.htm

The John Taffin Review :

www.jbcustom.com/mares.htm

["DoubleAction"]

The Non Functional and Fully Functional Authentic Reproduction:

www.bountyhunterspecial.com/

A comment from shooter's forum :

Well, live and learn. I contacted Eagle Squadron Productions www.eaglesquadron.net/ and sent them an e-mail. I don't think I was derogatory. Was I?

Here is the email.

To whom it may concern,

I love what you are doing but unfortunately I cannot afford a Bounty Hunter Special. I'm not interested in a non-firing model. I have thought about making my own by cutting down a Winchester 1892 that I have. But I will need a lever. Can I purchase an early model lever from you? I would also like to be able to purchase a leather rig. Is this possible?

But on another note. These Bounty Hunter Specials are priced way over that many cannot afford. So I have an idea. Diamond Jim Buchanan www.wildwestmerchandise.com/ is coming out with a Mare's Leg that is a legal pistol(BATF approved). They are made out of Winchester 94 receivers that he purchased from Winchester.

So is here is my idea. Why can't you contact Rossi www.ampro.co.nz/products/rossi/rossi.htm and have them make a Mare's Leg out of their Rossi 92's. Since they are made into pistols at the start they would not need a tax stamp. You could sell them at a price that more people could afford.

For that matter you could contact United States Repeating Arms and have a special run of Bounty Hunter Special II's like Davidsons did with the 1892's. But they would start out as pistols. No paperwork. Even you could own one.

Just a thought.

Thank you,

Frederick L. Serna

Here is the reply.

----- Original Message -----
From: Eagle Squadron Productions
To: [e-mail]
Sent: Monday, March 15, 2004 1:32 PM
Subject: Mare's Laig Rigs


Mr Serna:

Just a thought Steve McQueen and Chuck Connors never had a "Rossi" or a Winchester Model 1894 on their show. The guns they had were authentic Winchesters 1892 produced from 1892-1941.

Since you think that I charge too much for my product consider the fact that I have to pay alot of money to by Orginal '92's, Unfortunately, I do not make Rigs or Finger Levers to sell both pieces would cost you $800.00. There is a lot of work involved in making these by hand. I know Mr. Diamond Jim and if he wants to make Mare's Laigs out of Model 94's that is fine.

Only the puriest collectors purchase my authentic Mare's Laig and Rigs and all of them agree that I am extremely fair on my prices. Each is certified and my customers have no problem paying the A.T.F. tax registration because, they have an authentic real "Mare's Laig."

My profit is very little in the manufacturing in these custom guns. I do it for the pleasure of making the sincerest fans receive what they pay for a Josh Randall gun.

I occasionally get ignorant people that call me on the phone telling me they want to make their own Mare's Laig out of junk guns such as (Rossi's Model '94's).

I am not worried about my loyal customers that know me worldwide as the Mare's Laig authority. So as you can see I do not cater to your $1.98 people who want to believe they can do like I can.

Thank you
Sincerely,
Mr. Robert Lanthier

Now I'm PO'd. Fricken jackarse and SNOB. He live's in California and legally can't own a firing model.

__________________

["DoubleAction"]

["DoubleAction"]

[glow=white,2,300]My Next Handgun[/glow]

Thanks to My Brother
I will soon have mine ;D

[glow=white,4,300]The
Fully Functional
Mare's Laig[/glow]

[mtnboomer]

A bit of trivia on the Mare's Leg Winchester Model '92 carried by Steve McQueen in the "Wanted. Dead or Alive" TV series. We are all aware that Fedeal law restricted that kind of "sawed-off" rifle, but most don't realize that California already had some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country in the 1960's. The Mare's Leg used in the TV series was a non-firing replica with an aluminum barrel. Also, while the Model '92 usually fired the .44-40 WCF, the director had McQueen carry .45-70 Gov't rounds in his cartridge belt for looks.

BTW - I had a Mare's Leg cap gun modeled after the TV series as a kid!

["DoubleAction"]

Based on the gun that cowboy character Josh Randall carried in the 1950’s TV series ”Wanted: Dead or Alive,” Legacy Sports International presents the Bounty Hunter Model 92. Manufactured in Italy by Chiappa Firerms,the Bounty Hunter is considered by Federal Law a handgun, not a rifle. It’s 12” barrel and 24” overall length make it ideal as a pack gun or a nostalgia collectible. With a six round magazine, the Bounty Hunter also features a large, ¾ loop lever and the same beautiful wood and metal finish as the new line of full sized Model 92’s. Available in .45 Colt, .44-40 or .44 Magnum.

www.legacysports.com/products/puma/puma_bhunterm87shot.html

U.S. Code

TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 44 > § 921

§ 921. Definitions

(29) The term “handgun” means—
(A) a firearm which has a short stock and is designed to be held and fired by the use of a single hand; and
(B) any combination of parts from which a firearm described in subparagraph (A) can be assembled.

(7) The term “rifle” means a weapon designed or redesigned, made or remade, and intended to be fired from the shoulder and designed or redesigned and made or remade to use the energy of an explosive to fire only a single projectile through a rifled bore for each single pull of the trigger.

www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/search/display.html?terms=short%20barreled&url=/uscode/html/uscode18/usc_sec_18_00000921----000-.html

["DoubleAction"]

Read More on The Mare's Laig; You might want to download these pages in a Viewing File for magnification.

["DoubleAction"]

The Original Mare's Laig

Designed By Kenneth Graeme Howard

Kenneth Graeme Howard (September 7, 1929–September 19, 1992), also known as Dutch, Von Dutch or J.L. Bachs (Joe Lunch Box), was a motorcycle mechanic, eccentric, artist, pinstriper, metal fabricator, knifemaker, and gunsmith.
Von Dutch was a major influence in the customizing of vehicles in the 1950s to today. Some of his famous works include the flying eyeball and the custom Kenford truck[1], along with numerous custom motorcycles and many award-winning custom cars. Among many custom car and motorcycle enthusiasts, he is thought of as one of the fathers of Kustom Kulture.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Howard#Work

“Mare’s Leg”
Type cut-down lever-action rifle
Place of origin United States
Production history
Designer Kenny “Von Dutch” Howard
Designed 1958
Produced 1958, 1993

Number built 3 (1958), ~2 (1993)

Specifications
Length ~2 feet[1]
Barrel length ~12 inches[1]

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Cartridge 44-40 (actual)
45-70 (fictional)
Action Lever-action
Feed system 6-round Tubular magazine

In 1958, Von Dutch designed and produced the "Mare's Leg", a cut-down Winchester rifle for the television series Wanted: Dead or Alive.

Other appearances
The gun makes an appearance as the favorite weapon of key characters in a film sequel to the McQueen series, and two later series, that use the weapon as an homage.

The film Wanted: Dead or Alive (1987) starred Rutger Hauer as Nick Randall, the grandson of Josh Randall. Nick keeps his grandfather’s Mare’s Leg in a display case in his office.

The television series The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. (1993–1994) starred Julius Carry as Lord Bowler, whose weapon is a Mare’s Leg.

In the television series Firefly (2002) — and its film sequel Serenity (2005) — Gina Torres plays Zoe Alleyne Washburne, whose weapon of choice is a Mare’s Leg. The prop used was the same one created for Brisco County, Jr..

At the beginning of the film "Once Upon A Time in the West," one of the three gunmen (played by Woody Strode in a silent cameo) sent to kill "Harmonica" (played by Charles Bronson) is armed with a "Mare's Leg."


Replicas
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.

A number of companies have marketed functional reproductions of the Mare’s Leg, making them the same way as the original, by cutting down Winchester rifles. These reproductions also have the same legal restrictions as the original; a rifle may not have a barrel length less than 16 inches without a Class 3 weapons permit, available in only some states.[5]

Because of the legal problems, non-functional prop-quality replicas have also been produced by the same companies that make functional copies.

www.worldlingo.com/ma/enwiki/en/Mare's_Leg

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Howard#Work

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mare's_Leg

en.academic.ru/dic.nsf/enwiki/6082875