The 1958 CBS Western series 'Wanted: Dead or Alive' is celebrated for two defining elements: Steve McQueen and his distinctive Mare's Leg. The original Mare's Leg, the onscreen hero gun carried by The King of Cool in the role that launched him to stardom, is offered in Rock Island Auction Company's upcoming August 15-17 Premier Auction in Bedford Texas.

Birth of the Mare's Leg

The guns of Hollywood have become a top prize for arms collectors in recent years, with icons such as Han Solo’s blaster, Quigley’s Sharps, and John Wayne’s revolver turning heads at auction. Of the many guns toted by Steve McQueen throughout his storied career, the Mare's Leg became far and away the actor's most memorable onscreen firearm, ranking alongside the legends of the industry.

The story of the Mare's Leg began with the CBS television series 'Trackdown.' In the March 7, 1958 episode, ‘The Bounty Hunter,’ Steve McQueen guest starred as Josh Randall. Producer John Robinson and Beverly Hills production company Four Star International opted for an eye-catching weapon for McQueen's bounty hunter character, who was already being considered for a possible spin off series.

Most Westerns of the era featured Colt Peacemakers and Winchester rifles. The team at Four Star International wanted Josh Randall's character to wield something audiences had never seen before, and the Winchester Model 92 offered a perfect platform for modification.

'The Rifleman,' another Western from Four Star International, would also bring a standout firearm to screen in the Fall of 1958 with Chuck Connors' large loop Winchester Model 1892. McQueen's Mare's Leg would prove even more iconic.

Mare's Leg Design

Numerous books and articles report McQueen collaborating with Kenneth Robert "Von Dutch" Howard on the Mare's Leg. Von Dutch was an accomplished gunsmith, artist, and mechanic celebrated for his contributions to the 1950s Kustom Kulture movement, particularly in crafting custom choppers, hot rods, and intricate pinstriping.

In 'The Life of Steve McQueen' by Dwight Jon Zimmerman, McQueen is quoted as saying “We took a Model 92 Winchester lever-action rifle and turned it into a belt gun by sawing off most of the barrel and fitting it with a special stock. This gave us the power and accuracy of a rifle with the mobility and easy handling of a revolver. And it looked fierce!"

According to documentation included with the lot, the gun offered this August at RIAC, Winchester Model 1892 serial number 852678, was the first onscreen Mare's Leg and the same example McQueen fired when he originally named the famous gun.

Fast draw leather craftsman Andy Anderson designed a custom holster rig for McQueen’s Mare’s Leg that is also included with the lot. Anderson's creation allowed the Mare’s Leg to be on full display at almost all times and be quickly drawn like a revolver. The holster is of an open design with a hanging hook and spring type clip to secure the gun's saddle ring to the belt. The producers of the show decided to fit the cartridge loops with .45-70 cartridges that would look far more imposing for the camera than the gun’s actual .44-40 rounds.

Steve McQueen's Mare's Leg started life as a standard Model 1892 rifle produced in 1918. The magazine tube and forearm have both been shortened to match the 9 inch barrel length, with a carbine type barrel band and an additional barrel band being employed.

The left of the receiver has a brazed on saddle ring staple and saddle ring, and the stock has been shortened to a grip length and fitted with a handmade brass "buttplate." The large tear drop-shaped lever loop allowed McQueen to flourish the weapon dramatically and perform the famed Hollywood flip-cock technique.

In the June 1959 issue of ‘TV and Movie Western Magazine,’ McQueen discussed his extensive practice with the Mare’s Leg, recounting, "I drew and fired that gun until I had blisters on my hands. I can outdraw an average fast man with a revolver, and at least tie with the fastest, and without the aid of camera tricks."

Naming the Mare's Leg

According to 'American Rifleman,' McQueen took his Mare's Leg to the range and shot live ammunition through it. As the Autry Museum states, "McQueen gave it that name because he said the gun was like a hog’s leg, only it kicked harder at both ends."

The Mare's Leg, with its lightweight frame, lack of stock, and shortened 9 inch barrel posed a formidable challenge to fire, even for a seasoned shooter like Steve McQueen.

In the aforementioned interview with ‘TV and Movie Western Magazine,’ McQueen recalls adjusting to the Mare’s Leg’s substantial recoil, even with blanks. "The first time I took the gun on location, the gun was pointed toward the camera. The blast nearly knocked me down, blew the hat off of the cameraman's head, and knocked all of the pages out of the script girl's hands. After that, we attached a plastic shield to the camera and returned to quarter-powered blanks, even for outdoor scenes."

In the weapon's debut appearance on 'Trackdown,' Robert Culp (Hoby Gilman) asks McQueen if his distinct weapon had a name. McQueen replies, "Well, I call it a Mare’s Leg. Kind of like a Hog’s leg but not quite so mean."

Steve McQueen's Original Mare's Leg

Two more Mare’s Leg guns were later made as spares for use in filming. The two extras both sported octagon barrels, setting them apart from the example available for auction this August.

All three of the guns were initially fitted with a modified "D-loop" lever, then later modified to the current tear-drop shaped lever shortly after the first season began airing. The work was done by Stembridge Gun Rentals, with an included October 16 1958 dated Stembridge invoice noting all three guns by serial number (852678, 468096, and 130985).

An invoice dated October 14 reads "#852678 issued to Steve McQueen 10/10/58." It is noted that the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division (later called ATF) were not consulted prior to the airing of the show, and that the producers ended up having to pay an additional $1,100 in taxes and fees to make the Mare's Legs compliant with the National Firearms Act of 1934.

Scans of the original registration documents for serial number 852678 and number 468096 are included with the Mare's Leg. Of these three guns, only 852678 and 468096 were found in May of 1970 when David Weisz had purchased MGM Studios props and costumes.

At the time of this sale, Walter O’Connor and Doug Boyer were tasked with making all of the firearms ready for sale. It was O’Connor and Boyer who removed the original functional barrels from the two Mare’s Legs so they would no longer be classified as Class III firearms by the ATF. The two guns were buried at the bottom of a box of miscellaneous parts, which Boyer then purchased for $40.

Boyer later replaced the barrels with solid stock so they could be reassembled, gave this Mare's Leg example to Walter O’Connor in appreciation for helping him land the job, and later sold serial number 468096 to the Autry Museum of the American West, where it resides today.

Mare's Leg Predecessors

Few lever action pistol models were offered before the Mare's Leg. Even the most famous example, the Volcanic line of lever action pistols sold by Smith & Wesson, Volcanic Arms, and New Haven Arms, saw fewer than 8,000 produced between 1853 and 1857. From that point onward, New Haven Arms and its Winchester successor were content to compete in the long gun market and never offered a pistol version of their progressively improved lever action designs.

In the 19th century, hunters and trappers would sometimes cut down the stocks or barrels of their firearms to make them more compact. In the case of shortened barrels, Winchester offered a factory version catering to that market starting with the Model 1873 called "Special Short Carbines." These "Trappers" were never a cataloged option and were discontinued in 1933, leaving only a limited number available for today's collectors.

These short barreled carbines found a home in the American West not only in the hands of hunters and fur trappers but with anyone who needed handy, portable firepower. They were also popular with law enforcement agencies in the early 20th century. Many of these guns saw hard use, and high condition Trappers like the example below are especially rare.

Another possible influence on the Mare's Leg was the "whippet" shotgun. In the 1930s, the Barrow Gang popularized the term for sawed-off semi automatic shotties like the Remington Model 11. Both the barrel length and stock length were cut down so that the weapon could be easily concealed beneath a jacket or stored in the tight confines of an automobile and whipped out quickly. Cut-down shotguns and rifles were a serious enough threat to prompt Congress to pass the NFA in 1934.

The Mare’s Leg Today

After its debut with Steve McQueen, the Mare’s Leg surged in popularity. Various companies, including Marx and Denix, produced toy versions of the unique firearm that continue to populate store shelves today. Airsoft versions also found a niche, with Double Bell producing a model called the "Winchester M1892 CO2 Real Wood Randall" after McQueen’s famous character.

The Mare's Leg has made a number of notable appearances in the media since McQueen introduced the gun in 1958. Woody Strode toted the weapon in 'Once Upon a Time in the West.' Gina Torres wielded a Mare's Leg in 'Firefly' and 'Serenity,' and Woody Harrelson famously carried the gun in the 'Zombieland' franchise. In Final Fantasy VII, Vincent's Mare's Leg in the Japanese version of the game is called "Randaru," the katakana spelling for "Randall."

Fully functioning versions of the Mare's Leg became popular with firearm fans willing to pay the ATF fees associated with a short barreled rifle. Today, multiple companies produce versions of the Mare’s Legs, with most manufactured as pistols to avoid SBR classification.

To ensure a Mare’s Leg meets this criteria, they must be built and sold as a pistol and include no shoulder stock. Overall length is typically under 26 inches. Owners must avoid modifications like adding a stock, and additional restrictions may apply in some states.

Modern Mare's Legs have been produced by numerous manufacturers over the years including the J.B. Custom 1892 from 2005, the Chiappa Firearms Puma 92 Bounty Hunter introduced in 2008, the Rossi Firearms Ranch Hand from 2010, 2023’s Settler Mare’s Leg from Heritage Manufacturing, and the recently introduced GForce Arms Saddlehorn Pistol.

Most famously, numerous rimfire and centerfire Mare's Leg options are produced by Henry Repeating Arms. Like their full-sized rifle siblings, Henry Mare’s Legs can be found in a range of chamberings, from .22 Short, Long, and Long Rifle, .22 WMR, to heavy hitters like .45 Colt, .357 Magnum, and .44 Magnum.

Mare’s Leg For Sale

Many of the modern Mare’s Leg models mentioned above seek to closely follow the aesthetic of Steve McQueen's original gun, with a limited run from Eagle Squadron Productions basing their .44-40 offering specifically on the 'Wanted: Dead or Alive' Mare’s Leg. While these firearms are fantastic options for Western fans and shooting enthusiasts, there's nothing like owning the gun that started the entire genre, and it's offered this August at Rock Island Auction Company.

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