Interesting site on Rifleman and his gear and technique.

[Canuck Bob]

http://www.riflemansrifle.com/the_riflemans_rifle.htm

[FWiedner]

I read another article regarding the trick levering that Connors did with the Rifleman rifles, and that one of the only other actors able to perform similar tricks without putting out an eye was John Wayne. I seem to recall seeing him do the trick levering in a couple of his movies.

Tall guys with long arms.

Don't try this at home.

[Malamute]

One important difference between Wayne and Conners rifles, Waynes as used in Stagecoach, was a short carbine (15 1/2" barrel). I believe Conners was a standard 20" carbine. The shorter barrel would much easier to spin cock without putting an eye out.

Wayne with his carbine, from Stagecoach, at 16 to 18 seconds,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Pu9V85Njg8

[piller]

Chuck Connors was a very tall man. How many Centers for the Boston Celtics were short? And, as an athlete who was in 2 different professional sports, he was talented with his muscular coordination. Still, that rifle in the rifleman was a little bit tricked out so that it would not throw the cartridge out while it was spinning, and there was a set screw fixed up so that it could be adjusted to fire when the lever closed. None of this takes away from Connors' talent, but it shows that the gun design was not meant for what he could do with it. John Wayne and Yakima Canutt were the ones who modified the lever for the movie Stagecoach, and that was the first example of spinning the rifle to cock it.

[gak]

An admitted huge fan to the extent I had the large loop from my 16" Rossi trapper swapped over to a 20" just to have one of my carbines with the Rifleman look. It also seemed to "fit" the scale of the longer carbine better as well -- versus the shorty. As many have said, actual less functional than my several with standard levers, but it looks cool! Figured it'd make a great "fireplace gun" and the large loop is useful for gloved hands on a cold winter day. I've hunted two seasons with it (.44 - close in brush-deer). Alas, no deer but it felt imminently useful tromping around--then sitting long hours--on those chilly mornings. I've got small hands and they barely fit in a standard lever. Realizing we've gotten bigger as society, it's one aspect I always thought should have been enlarged maybe 10%, even just 5%--barely noticeable aesthetically--on modern variants.

By the way, whatever became of the remake CBS announced ("in the works") two years ago? Think I know the answer (PC environment/timing with some national incidents)...but never heard more officially.

[Hagler]

Bob, et al.,

Way back in 2003, I sold an early-WWII Walther PP, and bought me a Henry H001L ("Lever Carbine"), with the Large loop lever, just because I wanted to be like Chuck. I had researched The Rifleman, online, and I found Northfork Productions. It was the now-late Moe Hunt's Web site, and we talked a few times about his Flip Specials. Once I got my Henry, I learned how to spin it, like Connors did. Then, I decided to add the trigger-tripping screw, too. Here it is:




I shot a video, to send to the man that now owns http://www.riflemansrifle.com , Mike DiMuzio. He was also in contact with Moe. I no longer have the video, because of hurricane Katrina, but I did make a montage from the video, and sent it to Margie, who runs the "McCain Ranch" Web site. Here is that montage, showing me trying to play Lucas McCain, in my back yard, shooting Aguila Super Colibris:



Here is an empty being ejected from the Henry:




The Henry makes it near-impossible to have a round fly out of the rifle, while your spinning it, or handling it in any way. On the other hand, rounds do not fly out of my B-92, or my Rossi 92, when I spin them. They do, however, fly out of these two rifles, when I "swing cock" them.

When you handle these rifles this way, your trigger finger is not near the trigger, until very close to the end of the spin:



...and here's Chuck, doing the same:







Of course, we need to see the original rifle spinner:



Click this link, for a larger copy of The Duke:

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/John_Wa ... ch_Big.jpg

Shawn

[Hagler]

...and we cannot forget Lucas McCain's trigger-tripping methods:

The Rifleman's pilot episode's, The Sharpshooter, lever & stud:



McCain's lever and screw, from early episodes of the series:



Shawn

[Hagler]

...here is Chuck, performing at an exhibition:



Shawn

[Grizzly Adams]

Here's a little related item.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=p ... rOPVo5GFY4

[Bullard4075]

Does anyone remember why the Rifleman refused to use a pistol and used a rifle (like a pistol) instead of a pistol?

[DPris]

Because he knew thousands of kids like me needed a levergun of incomparable coolness to lust over for many decades until they could actually get one.

Honest.
That's the true reason.
Really.
No kidding.
Denis

I had the toy version in 1961, but it didn't hold up nearly long enough.

[BrentD]

Somebody (not me) needs to study this and report back.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nrOPVo5GFY4

Poor Mark saw a lot of blood spilled when he was a kid....

[Hagler]

Bullard4075,

The producers of The Rifleman wanted a different gimmick for their main character. All of the famous cowboys knew how to handle a sixgun, so the trick rifle became Lucas' trademark. I believe that it is never stated why McCain prefers a rifle to a handgun, and we see him use a sixgun a couple of times. I guess for the character's preference, he'd be more like Matthew Quigley: McCain can use a sixgun, but rathers a rifle.

Lucas McCain fought for the North, in the Civil War. He came to New Mexico Territory, from Oklahoma ("The Nations"), with Mark, after Mrs. McCain died. The first episode of The Rifleman takes place in 1882. In a few episodes of the series, it is said that Lucas used to hang out with rabble- rousers, and was pretty wild, but he finally settled down. At least one character has commented on how Lucas is "still carrying that rifle".

Shawn

[wvfarrier]

Lord we need a good western on TV. With a hero to be proud of.

[Buck Elliott]

I never could figure out how McCain could hit anything with his carbine, waving the muzzle around like a band-leader's baton...

[DPris]

He obviously bought the most accurate blanks in Hollywood for his 92.

This thread has persuaded me to get going on Winchester's new large-loop 92 carbine.
It's more the later John Wayne version, and much-modified from the original Winchester design, but it may make a decent companion to my 16-inch Rossi.
Denis

[DPris]

Came across a Youtube 9:47-minute compilation of all the men McCain killed during the show's run, most with the rifle.
120.

Even with the set-screw, he could run that 92 in a helluva hurry.
And sometimes he even aimed!
Denis

[Buck Elliott]

Saw the video.. That's when it dawned on me that he was thw Lawrence Welk of the Levergun...

[DPris]

It was claimed early on that he could actually run it that fast in an un-altered gun, but studio execs insisted on the set-screw to avoid injury to his finger & production downtime.

One unique approach to the TV western that made it stand out then, and still today.
Denis