old lever questions
- Thread starter gerber
- Start date
I believe the purpose of the saddle ring was to allow a lanyard to be tied to the rifle, to secure it to the saddle to prevent loss of the rifle if the "operator" lost control.
I think the John Wayne lever is the big ring that your whole hand can fit through verses the standard "4 finger" slot. Edit: I do not know the purpose of the big lever.
I think the John Wayne lever is the big ring that your whole hand can fit through verses the standard "4 finger" slot. Edit: I do not know the purpose of the big lever.
- Location
- southern sask
I think I read somewhere that the oversized loop was mad for the movies
- Location
- St. Paul AB
The saddle ring on the left side of the receiver actually served a purpose. One would thread a leather thong through the ring. The thong would then be tied to itself at its ends with a simple hitch knot. It's simpler than it sounds, sorry, I have no photographs. The leather thong all nicely tied to the rifle would then be slung over the saddle horn and kept at the ready. Faster getting into action rather the having your arbine sheathed in a scabbard.
Don't worry about feeling stupid over that question... I wondered for years what that dangly thing on my Model '92 SRC was for. I'd have cut the bloody thing off.
As for the lever loop made famous by Marion Morrison (aka John Wayne). The big lever loop I think was just a Hollywood creation. Don't know the name of the film it was first featured in, but I suspect it was for the sole purpose to enable the famous "twirl cocking." Trying to twirl #### a stock '92 will hurt the fingers. Terminator 2 featured a Model 1887 shotgun with a big lever for the same purpose.
I have heard of a historical precidence of special order Model 1894's with a larger lever loop or rifles going to Alaska, NWT, and the Yukon. This was to enable operation of the action with mitts.
Don't worry about feeling stupid over that question... I wondered for years what that dangly thing on my Model '92 SRC was for. I'd have cut the bloody thing off.
As for the lever loop made famous by Marion Morrison (aka John Wayne). The big lever loop I think was just a Hollywood creation. Don't know the name of the film it was first featured in, but I suspect it was for the sole purpose to enable the famous "twirl cocking." Trying to twirl #### a stock '92 will hurt the fingers. Terminator 2 featured a Model 1887 shotgun with a big lever for the same purpose.
I have heard of a historical precidence of special order Model 1894's with a larger lever loop or rifles going to Alaska, NWT, and the Yukon. This was to enable operation of the action with mitts.
- Location
- St. Paul AB
Yeah I tried it once, and caught the front sight blade on the collarbone, and my fingers got caught in there too. Just glad noone else as there to witness that, and it was before the days of YouTube.
Here's the opening of the rifleman's show from the 1950's
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSE0ff8j2CE
Here's a compilation of shootouts from the show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xXBAoxHYpM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSE0ff8j2CE
Here's a compilation of shootouts from the show
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xXBAoxHYpM
- Location
- Toronto, Ontario
John Wayne was spinning winchesters in "stagecoach" 30 years before "true grit" and don't forget Chuck Connors, that was his bread and butter, the guy made an career out it. Steve Mcqueen too with the "Mare's Laig" in wanted dead or alive (a creation of Kenneth "Von Dutch" Howard)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSQaEvSfTl4 -McQueen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSQaEvSfTl4 -McQueen
Today large loop levers can serve a very useful purpose, some of the big recoiling leverguns, benefit from them. The 45/70 can kick quite a bit, and the larger Loop Lever may prevent your hands from getting damaged by recoil. One of my 45/70s have an aftermarket large loop lever from DRG, although price is excessive.
Buffalo Creek Law Dog
Regular
As the story goes, John Wayne's hands were huge and he had trouble getting his fingers in the normal sized loop. It was Yakima Canutt who designed the larger loop for him. Even Richard Widmark stated while making "The Alamo", that Duke's hands were the size of hams.
