Why are Ranch Hands / Mares Leg so popular?

These are awesome little rifles. Ive been debating on one for ages. Just for the badAss factor alone. Arent they like 22" and non-restricted. I have a holster for one, but not the rifle. Lol
 
These are awesome little rifles. Ive been debating on one for ages. Just for the badAss factor alone. Arent they like 22" and non-restricted. I have a holster for one, but not the rifle. Lol

I think the Rossi and Henry are closer to 25" and the Chiappa is 24". Either holster or single-point sling for me, or both! The nice thing about a short sling is that if you don't have the full-stock mod, you can sort of push it forward against the sling's tension when you shoot, if you set it all up right. Plus all 3 manufacturers put a little sling-mount ring on the side of the receiver.
 
...when fitted with a proper stock, sights and lever, it now becomes a nice compact carbine that's easy to aim and control.

Of course, then it's no longer a mare's leg, it's just a rifle with a short barrel. I chopped the barrel of my old 336 soon after getting it and have never regretted it, but this is a different kettle of fish.

I think they're about as useless as one could get for a firearm.

Why not just buy a 94?

I have to agree.

As for Hollywood weaponry, this is about as practical as Blain Cooper hand-carrying an 85 lb minigun in Predator.



All that said, it it turns your crank, have fun. It'd be a boring world if everybody was the same.
 
"Plus all 3 manufacturers put a little sling-mount ring on the side of the receiver."

Them non-modern manufacturers were real prescient. :)
 
Answer :

1.) Steve McQueen as Josh Randall, with his weapon of choice, the Mare’s Leg. Quite simply, the coolest bounty hunter to ever live.
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That a good opening bid. I'll counter on behalf of the bolt crowd with Lee Marvin:

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A mares leg with an extended stock doesn't make sense, then might as well just buy a carbine. It's like buying an economy car and modifying it forperformance. Or buying a musclecar and swapping in a small fuel efficient engine.

Now on the other hand a ranch hand with an extendable stock would be the cat's meow, short and compact to long and stable. To folding though, that would look cheap, but a nice telescopic stock that hides in the original stock

The woodwork on my 357 chiappa is so nice I could not get rid of it. The Rossi oh the other hand...

Why not just buy a browning lever, and get the barrel shortened? It would look sweet

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I think they are popular because they are the closest thing to being able to pack a handgun that most of us will ever see. Are they useless with the short stock? Maybe....I still intend to get one and learn it and then hunt with it, as it's the closest I'll get to handgun hunting in Canada.

I think that it will a fun challenge.
 
"Plus all 3 manufacturers put a little sling-mount ring on the side of the receiver."

Them non-modern manufacturers were real prescient. :)

So how was the saddle ring used? like a lanyard ring when carbine was in the scabbard or to secure the carbine tightly to the saddle with a slip knot of sorts?
 
Shortening a factory barrel below 18" makes it a prohib. If you could have factory barrels made at a shorter length however... then you could be in business.

I would like a little shorter stock in exchange for llonger barrel if it must be kept that 24 inches or longer overall a 18 inch barrel pistol grip lever action oh how nice that sounds
 
They look cool...

BUT they look awkward and heavy to hold/shoot "like a handgun" and they way your holding it I also believe it will not even be as accurate as a handgun would be. People seem to have a hard time hitting a clay disc at 20+ yards with these shooting "handgun" style...you really think this makes a good hunting set up?

...they also are only pretty much good for one shot as there is no way the animal would still be standing there after the time it takes to work the lever.

With a full butt stock attached they seem to work 100x better at least.

I wish we could have handgun hunting back but I do not think this is the answer...
 
They are cool, they are accurate enough for close range work, and with a little practice I am very good at shooting it from the hip up to 25 paces. It fits on the side of my fishing vest/pack combo and I sure was glad to have it with me when that big assed bear thought he was king of the stream a few weeks ago! One shot at his feet made him run away, but the second round was loaded and ready to hit square in the chest right now.
 
Just wait till you have your holster Troutseeker.... quick draws ! (you've seen the video?)

They are cool, they are accurate enough for close range work, and with a little practice I am very good at shooting it from the hip up to 25 paces. It fits on the side of my fishing vest/pack combo and I sure was glad to have it with me when that big assed bear thought he was king of the stream a few weeks ago! One shot at his feet made him run away, but the second round was loaded and ready to hit square in the chest right now.
 
I can shoot mine AS accurate at 50 yards, past 50 its better than my handguns.

They look cool...

BUT they look awkward and heavy to hold/shoot "like a handgun" and they way your holding it I also believe it will not even be as accurate as a handgun would be. People seem to have a hard time hitting a clay disc at 20+ yards with these shooting "handgun" style...you really think this makes a good hunting set up?

...they also are only pretty much good for one shot as there is no way the animal would still be standing there after the time it takes to work the lever.

With a full butt stock attached they seem to work 100x better at least.

I wish we could have handgun hunting back but I do not think this is the answer...
 
I can shoot mine AS accurate at 50 yards, past 50 its better than my handguns.

with or without full stock?

I think I would like one in 44 mag, with the longer stock sitting there if I wanted one and a holster.

Im pretty sure you make holsters, how hard is it to get longer stock?

Has anyone had any problems with these? At all? Ever?

Any idea what a package like that would run a guy $$$? may pick one up for ####s and gigs.
 
Because they are cool :cool:

I will be carrying mine in my Coho holster next Spring camping and 4x4ing.

Note photo is reversed as it's self shot through a mirror.

Mares_Leg_4.jpg
 
Coworker of mine took me to the range last winter to try out a few different items, including his mare's leg, i forget which caliber (fairly large anyway). Anyway, He put some twenty rounds through it, as Im watching him; he could barely put it on a sheet of paper at 25 yards. Im chuckling away at this, so he hands it to me. I look at this thing, having never fired an actual mare's leg before, so, first round was that very 'ginger' just holding and pulling the trigger in the general direction of the target to feel it out. Once I realized it wasnt going to rip my hands off, I thought ok, let's get serious.

Second round was 1" left off bullseye, perfect elevation, 25 yards. MAN, was he p!ssed. I still raz him bout that. (My shop is full of pricks and arses. Good naturedly.)


If I find one for a good deal, Im certain it will wind up tucked in my safe.
 
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