Actually it was "Wanted Dead or Alive" that Josh Randal (McQueen) carried it as a side arm. They are heavy, awkward and hard to shoot. Had one in .45 Colt for a week and traded it off for a Brace of Uberti Cattlemen in the same caliber. Iffin ya just want a wall hangin' conversation piece it is OK.

 

BTW, Nick Adams as the rebel had a cut down hammered side by side 12 GA he called his "hog leg".

 

Bingo, that's the show!

 

You are correct! My childhood memory is a bit rusty.

 

It just seems awkward to me. Hard to shoot. Price is $600 for the Henry, but I could buy other things with that money. My friend is sort of in a financial jam, but stil...

 

The advantage of senility, you can remember way back but forget what you had for breakfast.

 

Actually, I say, "I can remember what I did when I was 10 years old, but I can't remember what I did 10 minutes ago".

 

You know me then! Lol

 

A friend who regularly visits Svalbard on a regular basis has given consideration to purchasing one of these firearms as a protection against polar bears. It is quite necessary to have a heavy duty firearm permanently at hand because polar bears are believed to be the only predators that will instinctively stalk and kill humans. In fact he has already shot one in the course of being attacked. Carrying a rifle can be cumbersome and might be placed out of reach when working, and a pistol can have legal difficulties.

Polar bear attack inspires Ice Bear Alarm business | Nottingham Post

 

A friend who regularly visits Svalbard on a regular basis has given consideration to purchasing one of these firearms as a protection against polar bears. It is quite necessary to have a heavy duty firearm permanently at hand because polar bears are believed to be the only predators that will instinctively stalk and kill humans. In fact he has already shot one in the course of being attacked. Carrying a rifle can be cumbersome and might be placed out of reach when working, and a pistol can have legal difficulties.

Polar bear attack inspires Ice Bear Alarm business | Nottingham Post

In this particular circumstance, when it is illegal to carry a "pistol" or revolver, the mare's leg, if subject to the same regulations as a rifle, might be a viable option.

But a school chum of mine, who works in Alaska bear country, says that the recommended bear protection up there is a 12-ga. pump shotgun loaded with 00 buckshot or slugs, unless you have an M1 Garand handy. As you say, long guns can be cumbersome, but a short-barrelled .44 magnum has energy and penetration which compares only to a .44-40 black powder rifle, which would not be your first choice as a bear gun.

The liberal do-gooders in state government up there tend to recommend MACE Bear Defence spray.

I asked my friend about this and he remarked, "well, you know what we tell outsiders how to tell grizzly bear scat from black bear scat?"

"Well." he said, "black bear scat contains seeds and tiny rodent bones, and has a rich, earthy smell."

"Grizzly scat," he says "contains large bone fragments the size of your finger, with bits of colored nylon and canvas fabric, scraps of wool and bits of crumb rubber, and pieces of shoelace, AND IT SMELLS LIKE PEPPER SPRAY!"

 

Those things look fun to me. I've seen where people make butt pads that stick on and make it long enough to shoulder. I don't know if that's legal.........

 

You might check retail price. Seems like I saw them less than $500 new.

 

They would be well suited as a CQB pistol against large dangerous animals, but I wonder if it wouldn't be better to shell out another couple hundred dollars and just buy a large framed revolver like a used Super RedHawk instead. It would be a pistol you could actually aim and shoot, not to mention not have to rack the action in an emergency.

Where it would really shine would be sending off for an SBR stamp from the ATF and putting a full sized stock on it. It would be a dandy brush gun for hog or deer, and still be short enough to extend your arm to shoot if you had to.

Image stolen from the webz...

 

Sorry. This contraption is where I fail to live up to the forum status as an enabler. I see no redeeming quality for a mare's leg. No influx of polar bears in my circle of travels.

best,

 

I can see where one in 30-30 or something larger might have an advantage over a 44 or 50 revolver.A friend had one made from a 336 in 30-30.He had a SAA grip frame welded to the upper and lower tangs and about a 12 inch barrel topped with a Holo sight.It done pretty good off sand bags but was too heavy and kicked to hard to shoot with one hand.The guy(now deseased) was a BATFE agent and wanted something that would shoot through a car door but still hide in his front seat.

 

Think I would go with the Ruger .500 or .480 in 4" bbl for up close bears. And be ready to empty it in a hurry!

 

Looks pretty cool to me!! :top: - T.S.

 

I say buy a mare's leg, if for no other reason that you don't have one. Or to see if you can become as good as Josh Randall was in Wanted Dead or Alive

Also congratulations for recalling one of my favorite old westerns "The Rebel"..it still comes on TV from time to time on the ME (Memorable Entertainment) channel here in NC.

Wanted Dead or Alive is currently being shown on same channel

 

Every now and again, I'll get the opportunity to see reruns of The Rifleman starring Chuck Connors or reruns of Chuck in Branded. I'm still waiting to see reruns of: Paladin, Sky King, Rip Cord, The Virginian and the Rat Patrol, and so many others too numerous to mention. Sigh, now THOSE were halcyon days!

 

I can see where the shorter Mare's Leg would be a bit easier to wield in close quarters. If given a choice, I wouldn't use it for home defense or the like, I'd use my 1911 .45, or my Model 35 Glock in .40 S&W, or the Glock 32 in .357 Sig. The use of those would mean I couldn't get to my 12 gauge semi-auto stuffed with alternating #4 buckshot and flechette rounds.

 

Kevin,

I'll call ahead before I drop by. :ahhhhh:

T.S. :laugh:

 

This is the 336 thread, am I correct that you are considering a Marlin that had its stock cut? If so, and it's a good price (and it has a barrel of over 16") it may be fun, and can easily be made more practical with a new stock. If it is a Marlin of recent manufacture, and it's barrel is under 16" - RUN! It's a Short Barreled Rifle (SBR), as determined by the ATF even with a cut stock, and will easily get you years in a federal prison. AC

 

No, it isn't a Marlin. It's a Henry that was manufactured with a cut down stock. I posted here because I couldn't think of a different thread to post on. I'm only considering it because a friend is in a bit of a financial jam, not of his own making. Being a retired cop, I have absolutely NO intention of going to prison!:damnmate:

 

Maybe if all targets are within a few yards your are good to go. I have picked them up and put them down pretty fast. Not for me.

 

I would think a guy could get pretty good with it, instinct shooting, if you practiced and ran a few thousand rounds through it.

 

I think for me personally, I'd like to have one. Its a novelty to some, to others, its an answer to a problem.
I am a long gun kind of guy, have never ever felt comfortable holding, and or shooting a pistol. But at the same time,
I feel the need to have easy to get to truck gun.
I've heard mention its just a lever action pistol, which its not, its a shortened on both ends rifle. The government only calls it a pistol
so it can be easily controlled thru regulation.
So, to ask others if they think you should buy this gun? You should ask yourself, does this gun fit me and my needs, and can I have respect
for it, and get proficient in shooting at what I'm aiming at and with regularity.
I had a chance to get either a 45 LC, or a 44 mag a few weeks ago at a gun show here in kansas for 479.00. I think it was a rossi,. I picked it up,and
I liked the way it fit me. Wishing now I would have bought it.

 

Buddy of mine won a Mares Leg at gun blast. We shot a box of 50, was a let down. Thought it would be more accurate than revolver.
extremely clumsy. He sold it, good news I inherited a box of brass out of the deal. If I was worried about Polar bears, I would not
carry a "Range Toy". I don't think I would even mess with a hand gun. 12guage pump/ slugs, might be pain to carry, but will do the
job. Either you need it or you don't.

 

Magnum Research BFR in 30-30

 

Hickock45 (?) did a Youtube video on the Mare's leg. He explained that he happened to have a butt stock of normal size to fit it as he liked the rifle but couldn't get on with the shortened butt. He went on to explain that while he could go any purchase the Mare's Leg in the ordinary way, by putting the longer butt stock on it became a short rifle which then required some expensive federal authorisation. So, convert an easily concealable firearm into a less concealable firearm and you have to get a special dispensation? Proof positive that people who make stupid firearms laws are not defined by geographical boundaries.