I just had time to read this month's issue of
GUNS Magazine, and found an interesting article by Senior Field Editor
John Taffin on the
JB Custom Mare's Leg.
Those of you at least as old as me will remember TV's
Wanted: Dead or Alive, where
Steve McQueen portrayed
Josh Randall, a bounty hunter who carried one of the more memorable firearms of western fiction, the "Mare's Leg."
Starting with a Model 1892 Winchester, the gunsmith cut the barrel back to 12", removed most of the buttstock and re-shaped the lever to a larger more triangular affair. While he was at it he also increased the power significantly by converting the .44-40 to the larger and longer .45-70.
Every month I link to a cool and unique feature on the
GUNS website,
the issue of their magazine from 50 years earlier. It invariably invokes nostalgia for a simpler time, particularly an era when "gun control" laws were far less onerous and pervasive. Taffin's article reminds us of a stark reality of the time:
The Mare's Leg...was highly illegal by federal standards and required special agents on the set while being used.
So how does JB Custom produce a modern equivalent?
While it is illegal to turn a rifle into a handgun as done by Randall it is not illegal to produce such a firearm as a handgun original.
Yeah, I guess. At least until some evil traitor starts screaming "Loophole!"
I want one.
ReplyDeleteOn the short-lived TV series "Firefly" the character Zoe used a Mare's Leg, probably in .45 Colt.
ReplyDeleteI WANT one of those!
The Randall mare's leg was not rechambered. He had 45-70 rounds in his belt loops but not in the gun. The gunsmith who built it was better known as a painter of hot rods - Kenny "Von Dutch" Howard, whose signiture now appears on stupid tee-shirts.
ReplyDeleteNever ever let it be said that identical outcome realities ever intruded upon the alleged reasoning of the ATF***Everybody bunch.
ReplyDeleteI already called the ATF for this one
ReplyDeleteso long suckers.
ReplyDeleteATF informant
Go ahead Anonymous, call the ATF all you want. The modern Mare's Leg is completely LEGAL!
ReplyDeleteLike the article says, chopping a rifle into a pistol is illegal. However, building the same pistol from scratch IS legal.
I don't think it's even actually illeagal to chop down a winchester to pistol length. You just have to pay a fee ($200 I think) and get BAFTE approval(good luck).
ReplyDeleteactually the AOW tax (any other weapon) and SBR tax (short barrel rifle) are only 5 dollars BUT it takes about 3 months to put the paper work through and get it back, then you can chop the hell out of what ever rifle you want.
ReplyDeleteWhere can I purchase a =quality= repro of Josh Randall's Mare's Leg with belt, ammo loops and leg strap. No junk, just quality workmanship in a legal product.
ReplyDeleteI'm serious and would like serious referrals to serious craftspeople. I live in Nevada where most gun laws and procedures tend to be reasonable.
Dick Flanagan
dick@k7vc.com
Nevada CWP
Google JB Custom.
ReplyDelete