Mare's Leg - Why?

[Idiot]

This topic was inspired by the "Rossi Ranch Hand" topic and my desire to not hijack it.

Okay, I must be enlightened. What does one buy a mare's leg for? Within the few seconds thought I've given to this gun I've not been able to determine one practical reason for owning one. To me it's kind of like the sign in Bill Engvall's "Here's your sign" song. So please, mare's leg owners, what attracted you to this gun and what practical purpose does it serve?

BTW, I admit I'm kind of dense; I couldn't find any reason why anyone would be attracted to "The Judge" and it's clones either.

[adirondakjack]

And why not? It's a toy. A big boy's toy, like a second corvette. WHY NOT?

[Streetstar]

Same reason people have Desert Eagle .50 AE's but only shoot at the range, or people with trucks with 8" lifts who never take them off-road, women with augmentation, - we could go on and on

Because its America and we can ! If we were worried about what was reasonable and prudent, our country wouldn't be as great as it is still

[tman]

Marketing Research determined that enough cheaply made gimmick guns would turn a quarterly profit which all corporations are a slave to. It's like the auto industry, the powers to be stopped building cars that American's wanted and made efeminate euro boxes and jelly beans You can still buy the old guns, at a price , but u got something that should out live you and your son and grandson

[Idiot]

WHY NOT?

I get "why not." "Why" is what I'm curious about. If it comes down to nothing more than "why not" then I'll know that it has no practical purpose and is not a "tool" but instead just a "toy" and will know I'm not missing anything.

Besides, this is the "mare's leg" fans opportunity to tout the virtues of their chosen firearm. And maybe give a little better reason than "because" (AKA "why not").

[Idiot]

Same reason people have Desert Eagle .50 AE's but only shoot at the range, or people with trucks with 8" lifts who never take them off-road, women with augmentation, - we could go on and on

Because its America and we can ! If we were worried about what was reasonable and prudent, our country wouldn't be as great as it is still

Now this is "why not" with style.

[Streetstar]

WHY NOT?

I get "why not." "Why" is what I'm curious about. If it comes down to nothing more than "why not" then I'll know that it has no practical purpose and is not a "tool" but instead just a "toy" and will know I'm not missing anything.

Besides, this is the "mare's leg" fans opportunity to tout the virtues of their chosen firearm. And maybe give a little better reason than "because" (AKA "why not").

Your most likely not missing anything then --- you can do the same thing with a 7.5" Blackhawk if you can shoot it well i would think
-- i guess technically that longer barrel would give a bit more velocity if you try to shoot silhouettes with it though

[Idiot]

Marketing Research determined that enough cheaply made gimmick guns would turn a quarterly profit which all corporations are a slave to. It's like the auto industry, the powers to be stopped building cars that American's wanted and made efeminate euro boxes and jelly beans You can still buy the old guns, at a price , but u got something that should out live you and your son and grandson

I bet you've got a Winchester Model 71 stuffed somewhere in your house - don't you? Me too.

[Idiot]

WHY NOT?

I get "why not." "Why" is what I'm curious about. If it comes down to nothing more than "why not" then I'll know that it has no practical purpose and is not a "tool" but instead just a "toy" and will know I'm not missing anything.

Besides, this is the "mare's leg" fans opportunity to tout the virtues of their chosen firearm. And maybe give a little better reason than "because" (AKA "why not").

Your most likely not missing anything then --- you can do the same thing with a 7.5" Blackhawk if you can shoot it well i would think
-- i guess technically that longer barrel would give a bit more velocity if you try to shoot silhouettes with it though

I've got a 8" S&W Model 29 that might be an equal, both in ballistics and the toy factor.

[J Miller]

Idiot,

You are not missing anything. It's a Hollywood gimmick for a TV show. There is no practical use for the thing. Neither a rifle nor a handgun it's is just a toy to make money for some company.

Joe

[Idiot]

Thanks Joe. Just so you know, looking out my window it is sunny and around 71 degrees right now. Pack your bags and move back.

[Rimfire McNutjob]

Steve McQueen?

[adirondakjack]

I have one circa 1956, complete with a holster and cartridge belt. Looks like it has never been fired, still in the box.
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I won't tell ya what I paid for it, but it was not cheap.

[FWiedner]

I'm not sure I believe that your Mare's Laig is as old as you claim.

I just don't recall any thing having those orange nipples on 'em until sometime in the mid 80's.

[Idiot]

I have one circa 1956, complete with a holster and cartridge belt. Looks like it has never been fired, still in the box.

That's great!

[adirondakjack]

I'm not sure I believe that your Mare's Laig is as old as you claim.

I just don't recall any thing having those orange nipples on 'em until sometime in the mid 80's.

That was a faked pic (nipple is a marker cap) as required by Ebay when I listed it once. It has no such infernal abomination ;

[Lastmohecken]

Yeah, I have handled some of those mare's legs, and always kind of wanted one, when I was a kid, but really, it has no practical used except as a conversation piece and a novelty that actually shoots.

It can't be shot as fast and accurate as a good pistol and can't be shot as fast and accurate as a full sized rifle, and it don't even hold that many rounds. It's awkard to use, even though Steve McQueen looked cool shooting it.

I guess I am going to pass on this item.

[2ndovc]

Because I can.

To be truthful my all time favorite movie is "Once Uopn A Time in the West". I love the part when Woody Strode gets off a shot on Charles Bronson.

But it comes down to "Because I can". And I want one. Don't care if it's useful or not.

jb

[shooter]

It's just a cool factor gun. I've seen it shot with decent accuracy, but it's not really a practical firearm for hunting, target practice or home defense. It's just one of those things that some people think is cool, and want to own one. I see nothing wrong with it. I couldn't justify a purchase of one, but if I just had the extra money sitting around, maybe. Since I have to carefully plan out all purchases and make sure they are items I want and will use, I just couldn't get one at this point in time. Besides, there are so many other guns that I don't need that interest me much more. Gotta get all those first, then I'll revisit the mare's leg. I actually think it's a pretty neat little gun if you're just gonna have something sitting around for fun.

[adirondakjack]

Shooter, when my brother made over $125K one year, he left home without his sunglasses. He stopped at an upscale eye wear shop and tried a few on. When he found a pair he liked, he flipped his credit card on the counter and signed the reciept without even looking. His GF later flipped when she saw he'd spent over $300 for sunglasses. His reply was "So WHAT? I liked em and I can afford em, so I bought em." Every now and then, that's a good way to treat the soul.

[Old Savage]

They look useless to me.

[Hagler]

Idiot,

The first truly practical reason to buy one, that comes to my mind, is that it is easier to cock than any handgun. While I do not have a Mare's Leg of any kind, I do own some leverguns. My wife has great difficulty with all of the handguns that she has tried, but cocking & shooting my Henry .22LR carbine is a breeze for her. I imagine the smaller handgun version would be much easier for her to handle, too. While the Mare's Leg may not be the best gun in a fight, it may be a necessity for someone.

Shawn

[mikld]

Josh Randall, That's why. I'm sure for a "practical" type person a Mare's Leg has no practical purpose. Many other guns do much better at some things the 'Leg, but it's as much a part of American Hollywood Cowboy genre as Roy Roger's silver studded saddle. Any one ever purchase a 12" Buntline Special? Did anybody watch Highway 66 and then buy a Corvette? And who could possibly need a car that can go 125 MPH?Another reason to buy one is because we can. In this country we don't have to justify most gun purchases, even when that gun serves no "practical" purpose...

[Idiot]

Roger that - to all the responses - thanks.

[1894c]

Steve McQueen?

good point--nothing else need be said... :)

[Nate Kiowa Jones]

some folks buy them thinking they are going to add a buttstock to it. I get one or two inquiries every week asking if I have a butt stock for one. Then I have to explain the legal stuff why you really can't do that.

[tman]

Marketing Research determined that enough cheaply made gimmick guns would turn a quarterly profit which all corporations are a slave to. It's like the auto industry, the powers to be stopped building cars that American's wanted and made efeminate euro boxes and jelly beans You can still buy the old guns, at a price , but u got something that should out live you and your son and grandson

I bet you've got a Winchester Model 71 stuffed somewhere in your house - don't you? Me too.

[Old Ironsights]

Idiot,

The first truly practical reason to buy one, that comes to my mind, is that it is easier to cock than any handgun. While I do not have a Mare's Leg of any kind, I do own some leverguns. My wife has great difficulty with all of the handguns that she has tried, but cocking & shooting my Henry .22LR carbine is a breeze for her. I imagine the smaller handgun version would be much easier for her to handle, too. While the Mare's Leg may not be the best gun in a fight, it may be a necessity for someone.

Shawn

Good point. Someone with limited dexterity (or no trigger finger ) would be able to SAFELY handle/fire a maresleg with trigger actuator screw (short range/defensive) where they would not be able to cycle an auto or pull the trigger on a DA.



and a laser designator (a .45/70 boresight ?) and you suddenly have a Point-n-shoot short gun you can use for Self Defense in tight quarters.



Why didn't I think of that before?  They are ADA compliant Handguns! The Govt can never take them away now! >:D

Very good point.

[Buck Elliott]

Good point. Someone with limited dexterity (or no trigger finger ) would be able to SAFELY handle/fire a maresleg with trigger actuator screw (short range/defensive) where they would not be able to cycle an auto or pull the trigger on a DA.

Very good point.

Well, that takes care of the THREE people in the country (out of 330 Million..) who might have a legitimate NEED for a "Mare's Leg.." no matter how else you look at it, it is still a 2-hand weapon, particularly for the users described above. it's a Stunt gun, McQueen and Strode notwithstanding..

[adirondakjack]

Folks buy pin fire rifles and .32 rim fires all the time, even though they are "useless". Just because they want em

[Buck Elliott]

Folks buy pin fire rifles and .32 rim fires all the time, even though they are "useless". Just because they want em

Irrelevant.. They don't buy those to Shoot...!

Or are we talking about 3 more people...?

[Old Savage]

McQueen never really shot anything with - now if I can get that cape, where are those tall buildings.

But, OI may have a good point here no pun intended.

[Old Ironsights]

Good point. Someone with limited dexterity (or no trigger finger ) would be able to SAFELY handle/fire a maresleg with trigger actuator screw (short range/defensive) where they would not be able to cycle an auto or pull the trigger on a DA.

Very good point.

Well, that takes care of the THREE people in the country (out of 330 Million..) who might have a legitimate NEED for a "Mare's Leg.." no matter how else you look at it, it is still a 2-hand weapon, particularly for the users described above. it's a Stunt gun, McQueen and Strode notwithstanding..

You would be surprised how many people (woodworkers & the like) who have lost their trigger finger(s). I know 3 myself. So I'm guessing there's many more than 3 out of 330 million...

You did know the "legitimate" (in whose eyes?) "need" argument is one of the oldest arguments foisted on us by the Anti Gunners diddn't you?

Nobody "needs" a "sawed off shotgun" - they have no military/militia purpose

Nobody "needs" military pattern guns or Full Autos - they have no "sporting purpose"

Nobody "needs" an "arsenal" of X number of guns or rounds of ammo

Nobody "needs" handguns...

"Need" has nothing to do with it.

[Griff]

I don't own a Mare's Leg... but I have a small hankerin' for one... for one reason, and one reason only:
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I coulda been:

[Buck Elliott]

IIRC, McQueen did take the first of those guns out into the desert, and spent half a day firing live ammo thru it, to get a good feel for its capabilities.. That's the kind of guy he was...

[Hobie]

Why do they make them? To sell. Why do we buy them? Because we can. What does one use one for? To have some fun!

JoshRandall_WantedDeadorAlive.jpg

[gak]

...Makes a better club after you run out of the ammo you didn't hit anything with That said, they are cool for the Hollywood McQueen factor and I'd like to have one "just because," though utility is questionable and priority for my stable low. A Thompson is another one of these type things folks get that come to mind. With the 16" barrel it lacks most of the "charm" of the shorter G-men/gangster and WWII originals which were so effective (within their spec) and people think they are emulating. Changes 'em entirely for me. Before, their full auto (capability) and handy trench sweeper profile made up for the enormous weight. Now they're just heavy and long--and less handy (not to mention can't shoot full auto. The latter can be forgiven as a fact of life. The rest of the changes, though also inevitable, ultimately change the desirability to me.). There are lighter, far more handy dormats to do the same thing now--Beretta CX4 and 45, etc. Still, some folks still want the Thompson despite its lack of utility.

I think that's the thing that is confounding to many here. True, there are a lot of guns we don't "need" but still have, ...but at least many of these have some (more) utility.

[Old Ironsights]

...I think that's the thing that is confounding to many here. True, there are a lot of guns we don't "need" but still have, ...but at least many of these have some (more) utility.

+1

[J Miller]

Just a comment:

A black powder loaded 44 wcf round would have made one heck of a fireball from that short of a barrel. Had the Holliewierd prop guys put regular 44 rounds in his gun belt rather than 45-70s it wouldn't have been so silly of an idea.

If, and it's a GREAT BIG "IF" I were to get one of these things, I'd shoot it with black powder only. No need to hit anything that way, just confuse the enemy with a smoke screen while you reach for a legitimate SD gun.

Joe

[Buck Elliott]

For those who somehow absolutely MUST, there is a nice write-up on the Rossi Ranch Hand , in the Fall, 2011 edition of GUNS OF THE OLD WEST, Put together by Dennis Adler..

[Mike D.]

Just because it was featured on a fantasy TV show of yore doesn't make it anything. Useless anyway. Why did Randall have that belt full of .45-70s to use in a little .44-40 '92? Never made a lick of sense to me.

[Paladin]

I always wanted one in 45 Colt with large heavy subsonic rounds for problems under 50 yards with a suppressor and a red dot on it but I don’t do that anymore.

[junkbug]

Its an easily reversible SBR if you want to buy the BATF tax stamp and your state allows it. No real metal work needed.

But like th PS-43 that some people do convert to SBR's (legally) a person has to ask if the results will be worth it. Just how accurate would a rifle, when fired off-hand or kneening be, with that short barrel?

[DPris]

Buck,
Should be another piece on the one Steve has on his website coming up shortly in GOTOW.

Otherwise, the ML has little to zero practicality & does nothing better (or even as well) as a good long-barreled revolver in an equivalent caliber.
Slow to load, heavy, cumbersome, awkward, two-handed.
They can be comparably accurate, but not more so than a good revolver. Gain a slight advantage in velocity, but not enough to really offer a fair trade over the more efficient revolver.

That said, some of us (especially the OLDER some of us) have wanted one for over 50 years & can now finally get it.
Others just think they're cool.
I personally think they go WAYYYYYY beyond cool & I'm very fond of both of mine.
I do not see them as anything more than a total toy, but they're fun.
Denis

[Buck Elliott]

Denis, I'm not saying that anyone should not be able to buy any sort of fireaarm his heart desires, but I don't like seeing people get duped into buying something that isn't what it is promoted to be.. I 'get' the Bounty Hunter fantasy involved, though that has never been my own particular desire..

As you said, the ML is heavy, cumbersome, awkward without hours and days of dedicated practice, and, in the long run, less servicable than a revolver.. It requires both hands to operate, and lacks the finer virtues of either rifle or handgun.. It is a TOY, and should be enjoyed as such, and no more...

Oh, well.........

[Buck Elliott]

Just a comment:

A black powder loaded 44 wcf round would have made one heck of a fireball from that short of a barrel. Had the Holliewierd prop guys put regular 44 rounds in his gun belt rather than 45-70s it wouldn't have been so silly of an idea.

If, and it's a GREAT BIG "IF" I were to get one of these things, I'd shoot it with black powder only. No need to hit anything that way, just confuse the enemy with a smoke screen while you reach for a legitimate SD gun.

Joe

Don't forget that the .44 Winchester cartridge was also available in the SAA, from Colt's... I can imagine that a fully-loaded .44, fired from a 3" Storekeepers Model, in a dimly-lit saloon, would have looked like "Little Boy" goin' off on the Nevada desert, and would likey set fire to anyone within 5 feet in front of it...

[DPris]

Buck,
I've argu....er, discussed the ML with people who think it'd be ideal for backpack hunting, home defense, and other similar uses, all of which struck me as looking for a reason to justify buying it more than buying it because it actually offers any realistic advantage for those uses.
But, what do I know?

If people like the concept, by all means lay money down. My major concern is the idea of anybody trying to depend on one for HD; some shortcomings in life can be potentially fatal & best not discovered at the wrong moment.

I've worked with both of mine, I can hit my small steel buffalo silhouette at 75 yards freestanding with the Chiappa .44-40, and the gun is inherently accurate. But- I know I can hit the same steel buff out to at LEAST 100 yards with a 9.5-inch Ruger .44 Mag Redhawk with a scope, and undoubtedly farther if I wanted to. Could probably do it with irons at 100, but I was testing with a particular piece of handgun glass. Both guns are heavy & two-handed propositions, but the ML requires two hands not just to hold up, but to cycle, while the Ruger can be fired more rapidly & reloaded faster if necessary.

If both guns are .44 Mags, the Ruger will handle hot loads much easier on the hands than the ML will.

As far as the nostalgia thing goes, three guns I wanted bigtime in my childhood were the Rifleman's 92, the Mare's Leg, and the UNCLE Special.
I've got a ringlever 92 (minus the trigger screw, since I'm not real sure I want to risk it), I have the two Mare's Legs, and I've not been able to find anybody who'd agree to convert my commercial P-38 into the UNCLE pistol yet, but I have tried.
Denis

[Buck Elliott]

Home defense..? Maybe, but I saw a cut-off, pistol-grip '87 on the board a couple days ago that looks a lot handier..

And "back-pack hunting.....?" Seriously..? Those are the OCD boys who cut the handles off their spoons and toothbrushes to save fractions of an Ounce.. i can see them chopping off a ML just at the rear of the lever, and paring down the stock as far as they dared go; removing the fore-end and the magazine, and carrying only One cartridge, á la Barney Fife, in the cargo pocket of their rip-stop, cotton/nylon Safari shirt. The gun would have to be .45 caliber, to minimize the amount of steel in the barrel, and the bullet could weigh no more than 162.7 grains and would be shoved along by a tiny pinch of Titegroup or W-231...

[DPris]

Denis

[1894cfan]

The short gun I wouldn't mind having is the chopped shotgun that James Caan used in El Dorado. He looked kinda goofy grittin his teeth like JW, though.