Where can I obtain a Winchester 1892 Mare's Leg?

Status
Not open for further replies.
R

Rudolf_Ushiromiya

Inactive
I am extremely into Western films, one of my favorites being Wanted: Dead or Alive, I have been looking all over for a specific one but all I can find are Henry or Chiappa mares legs, while practical and resemble the one I'm looking for, it doesn't quite fit the bill. I can find replicas but I was looking for a actual working firearm. I own a few guns and use them at shooting ranges and the original mare's leg is one that I have been searching for. For reference I am looking for one that looks like this:
MSH-RIFLE-RANDAL-BK_mark1.jpg


joshr.jpg


latest

no sights or anything and with black metal finish, not silver. It's quite hard to find, I know it's not too practical nowadays but I really prefer the classics. Any idea where or how I would get one? Or would I need that kinda thing custom made? If so any tips on going about that?
 
As I understand it, they never really existed regarding Winchester.

The ones on the market are built as "pistols" and are not cut down 92s which
would violate federal law.

Reportedly Steve McQueen hated the darn thing(s) and note in the series how
often he has the belt rig off and just carries the rig in his hand. He by necessity nearly always shot not using a true aimed fire---in real (not reel) life very dangerous. Most people aren't all that good in what's called "point shooting."

So, really the so-called replicas are all that are available.
 
I don't think Winchester ever offered a reproduction of the television "mare's leg," but I think Uberti or Pietta (or maybe Rossi?) was offering one a few years ago. I have no idea if they are still being made.

I wouldn't characterize a mare's leg as a "classic," since it's historical only in the sense that it was made somewhat famous as having been created as the gimmick for a television western. As to making your own, I don't believe you can. The one used in the show was so short that it would today be classified as a short-barreled rifle, which is an NFA item. The copy (whoever was making it) was actually slightly longer than the one in the show in order to be a legal firearm that's not an NFA item.

Here you go -- it was Rossi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkYP0QjL3Dk

It's still on their web site: http://www.rossiusa.com/product-list.cfm?category=17

RH92_57203_012.jpg
 
Last edited:
Rudolf_Ushiromiya said:
Where can I obtain a Winchester 1892 Mare's Leg?
UncleEd said:
As I understand it, they never really existed regarding Winchester... The ones on the market are built as "pistols" and are not cut down 92s which would violate federal law.
Click to expand...
Aguila Blanca said:
I don't think Winchester ever offered a reproduction of the television "mare's leg"... The one used in the show was so short that it would today be classified as a short-barreled rifle, which is an NFA item.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Rudolf, since this is evidently your first post, let me give you a little background information. :)

AFAIK Winchester never made a "Mare's Leg" (+1 UncleEd and AB) and any Winchesters what exist in this form were cut-down from rifles.

In the USA, the National Firearms Act of 1934—commonly referred to as the "NFA" for short—places special taxes and transfer restrictions on certain classes of firearms. One of these is a "Weapon Made from a Rifle", which is defined in 26 U.S.C. 5845(a) as:
...a weapon made from a rifle if such weapon as modified has an overall length of less than 26 inches or a barrel or barrels of less than 16 inches in length...
Click to expand...
A "rifle" is, per 26 U.S.C. 5845(c) and 27 CFR 479.11:
...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 the explosive in a fixed cartridge to fire only a single projectile through a rifled bore for each single pull of the trigger, and shall include any such weapon which may be readily restored to fire a fixed cartridge.
Click to expand...
(My emphasis in boldface)

Requirements for registering, transferring, and/or building NFA weapons are complex and have been more than adequately covered elsewhere on the Interwebz and on this forum, so I won't attempt to explain them here.

That said...

The key thing to understand is that modern "Mare's Leg" replicas did not start out as rifles and are thus exempt from the NFA definition of "Weapon Made from a Rifle". They are legally considered to be pistols since they were originally built as such—the stock is short enough that the firearm is not considered to be "intended to be fired from the shoulder". Hence, they can be owned and transferred without jumping through extra NFA hoops.

Yes, at an intellectual level this makes little sense, but the law is the law. :rolleyes:

[FOOTNOTE: I'm not aware of the exact details, but as I understand it, the creators of the show inadvertently wound up in legal trouble because they either didn't understand or disregarded the NFA as it relates to the operable "Mare's Leg" guns used for filming, and had to register them and pay the taxes after the show had already aired! :eek:]
 
Last edited:
"...a Winchester 1892 Mare's Leg..." You can't. Those are movie/TV props only.
You can have one of these toys though. Very expensive toy it is too. $919.99 at Cabela's. $849.99 from Basspro. Assuming either have 'em in stock.
https://www.henryrifles.com/rifles/mares-leg/
Not surprising McQueen didn't like to haul it around. 5.79 lbs. and 25" long.
 
Mine is the Rossi version in 45C. Neat toy and yes I used to watch Wanted Dead or Alive when I was a kid. I like the pistol/rifle and I have a holster. They only sell for around $450.
 
I also have one of the Rossi's but in 44 mag so I can shoot specials in it.
The gun is the most useless fire arm I have ever had and I wouldn't give it up for twice I paid for it.
Its just that much fun to shoot.
At 7 yards I can keep all fired rounds within center mass shooting quickly. At 15 I cant guarantee to hit the target.
To shoot it using the sights the best way is a two handed hold and hold the gun up and far forward so it doesn't hit your head. Its still not very accurate.
Since the Rossi's action is much like a Winchester it seems to be strong and mine was well built.
The safety is the only piece of crap on the gun.
 
Ah, I see, thanks for the help, and carguychris, I did not know that, very interesting. Unfortunately I fear you guys are right, makes sense considering I could never find the thing even being reviewed. The best and closest I could find were these two
pix383748864.jpg

81eda17a960404444e393b011a447ff1.jpg


The second one was sold years ago. I had no idea the actors got in legal trouble over the use of that gun, that's really interesting actually. I was kinda hoping I could just have a gun smith modify a Rossie, Chiappa, or Henry into a copy of the original but it seems that wont work either. It's fine though, the Henry looks just as amazing and is much more practical anyway. I'm just a fan of old western weapons.:p
 
Sometimes the tv/movie "specials" actually work, and sometimes even have a practical utility. Sometimes.

I never felt that way about the "Mare's Leg". Perhaps because it was in one of the few shows I never watched, so the "cool factor" is lost on me, and all that remains is the foolish impracticality of it.

You COULD have one made, and done legally in the US, but it requires getting the govt licenses FIRST, and is neither simple, nor cheap.

There are a number of fantasy guns in TV and movies, and certainly many of then would be worth having as a collector. As an actual working useful firearm, most aren't that good, but as a (personal) collectible there is little better.
 
If you read up on the original Mare's Leg and the television show, you'll eventually come across the tidbit that even the ammo was fake. It was chambered in a pistol caliber (.44-40), but that didn't look impressive enough, so the cartridge belt Steve McQueen wore was filled with rifle ammo (.45-70) just to make his unique firearm look all the more macho.

Again, there is NOTHING historic or authentic about the Mare's Leg.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mare's_Leg
 
You CAN have an existing Mare's Leg from Chiappa, Rossi, or Henry modified to look more like the original TV gun.

They tend to come with 12-inch barrels & longer stock "nubs" than the show gun.

I had a Rossi bobbed at both ends & the sights removed, looks much more authentic to the McQueen gun (which actually was TWO slightly different versions as the show progressed).

Without any sights at all, I can hit a man-sized silhouette out to at least 30 yards with it.
Denis
 
the rossi is an actual re-production of the Rifleman's, that's what they were going for. they are sweet shooters in 357/38, I don't own other calibers so not sure how the big bore's run. but mine feeds awesome, pretty much any kind of ammo I desire outside of full wad-cutters. 38 sounds like a .22 and .357mag is still stout enough to put a little hurt on, in a good way. not to mention these are affordable as you can get, they also sell a stock conversion, but not sure how the law pertains to that here, popular in Canada to have them with a full stock. the brass can smack you in the face since there isn't anywhere for it to go but up, work the lever with authority to bring the brass up and behind you, work it easy and it may smack you in the tooth. I think they are very handy and useful backpacking guns. they fit perfect in the tent area or sleeper mattress area of your backpack and light enough to not know it's there. read the reviews on Bud's, they are nice guns and serve a role.

450$
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/64706

I was under the impression that since the stock was cut, that the barrel can be as short as you want, it's technically sold as a pistol. if wanted the barrel chopped down to six-inches, then go for it. same as AR pistol, kind of a loophoe with the AR's, but these "Mare's Leg"'s are actually difficult to shoulder, so the pistol category is accuate IMO

edit: nevermind the above, I misunderstanding, I see that you were contemplating cutting down an actual Winchester "rifle". the rossi action is a great clone of the 92 action, you'd like it and never know the difference, and it's actually stronger.
 
Last edited:
Clarifying:
You CANNOT cut down a RIFLE in the US without doing federal paperwork & paying the $200 tax stamp.

You CAN cut down one of the MARE's LEG models sold by Chiappa, Rossi, and Henry, and make it as short as you want, since ATF classifies those as a handgun.

My Rossi that I had cut at both ends now has a 9-inch barrel, more like the TV guns.
You can go as short as function allows, we used 9 inches to retain a certain mag capacity.

Neither of my MLs is a practical gun for any purpose but fun.
The Chiappa remains un-altered, and it's much longer than McQueen's versions.
Unlgainly & inefficient as a handgun, too short to be truly efficient as a rifle.

But, I watched that show as a kid & wanted one for decades.
When they came out, had to have one.

And finally, you won't find a genuine Winchester Mare's Leg unless it's a Class III gun that somebody had modified.
Winchester never made one.
Denis
 
It should be needless to say, but cutting down a Winchester 92, even if done legally, would be pretty foolish. converting a desirable collector gun into a movie-prop junker.

Jim
 
James,
While I do agree about the foolishness of converting a desirable collector 92, I feel strongly compelled to protest about calling the Mare's Leg a "movie prop junker".

At the age of 6 I was so taken with the McQueen gun (a TV prop, not a movie prop) that I lusted after one for half a century before acquiring my first.
Junker, indeed!

Consider yourself roundly & soundly reprimanded! :)
Denis
 
I will so consider myself, and also will administer three strokes with a wet noodle for saying the TV show was a movie.

Seriously, I never owned a "mare's leg" but I recently played with one a little bit, and I just can't imagine any real-world use for the thing. It is too bulky to be a handgun, holds no more ammo, is slower to use, and requires two hands to operate.

I remember an old saying about "Gunsmoke."

Question: Why does Matt Dillon* win all his gunfights?

Answer: The script writer is on his side.

*The television marshal, not the "drugstore cowboy."

Jim
 
Yeah If I were to cut down a Rossi then remove the sights and replace the large loop lever with a tear drop shaped one (Or one resembling the once used by McQueen) it would indeed be closest to the real thing, but I would feel a bit guilty haha. I always thought of the gun for something just for fun, not a real survivalist gun or top notch but just a nice fun gun especially for fans of the old show it was based off. S long as the gun gets used it's not too much of a problem.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top