Mare's Leg

hillman

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Ok, I admit it, I don't understand how Mare's Leg pistol, I guess it's a pistol, came to be a thing. Was someone holding a lever action rifle and thought "Man, this thing is waaaay too big. I'm gonna cut it down. Pistol grip? No, just cut what's there down to a really weird shape." Was there ever a time when this thing provided an advantage over a pistol or rifle?

But also, I want one.
 
Ok, I admit it, I don't understand how Mare's Leg pistol, I guess it's a pistol, came to be a thing. Was someone holding a lever action rifle and thought "Man, this thing is waaaay too big. I'm gonna cut it down. Pistol grip? No, just cut what's there down to a really weird shape." Was there ever a time when this thing provided an advantage over a pistol or rifle?

But also, I want one.
Look into the obrez, or any other example of sawn-off long gun. Somebody, somewhere, said "gee, I wish I had a pistol but all I have is this {e.g., Mosin Nagant}." Often for concealability.

I think there's also a bit of circumventing the NFA going on. "I wish I could SBR this Henry Big Boy, but I hate the idea of paying a tax to the feds" brings us quickly to flagrant, letter-of-the-law solutions.
 
All I really want is a lupara (sawed off side by side 12ga) but I can't have one in MA.
 
I'm looking for a really heavy handgun. It needs to be manually cycled, not double action or anything, and require both hands to shoot more than a few times. When I cycle it, I definitely want it so that I can't keep the sights on the target. Oh, and please make it so that I can't hold it anything like the way I hold my other handguns. Thanks.
 
Are we talking about the gun? or, oh never mind.

Yes. Mares leg in .44 is a lot of fun. It actually inspired me to get in to the cartridge and now I have an 1894 and a 629, drawer full of H110. Expensive outing, I guess.
Sorry I forgot we referred to that other thing as my mares leg too
 
Wanted dead or alive with Steve McQueen
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Ok, I admit it, I don't understand how Mare's Leg pistol, I guess it's a pistol, came to be a thing. Was someone holding a lever action rifle and thought "Man, this thing is waaaay too big. I'm gonna cut it down. Pistol grip? No, just cut what's there down to a really weird shape." Was there ever a time when this thing provided an advantage over a pistol or rifle?

But also, I want one.
it was kept at the saddle side, makes perfect sense if you are on a horse - i would think.
 
At a gun show a few years back there was a Mares leg for sale. I was stumped on how it was defined as a pistol.

A couple tables down was the ATF. I asked one of the guys if he could help me understand.

He looked at it and said no idea. He was just as confused. Since it came from a reputable manufacturer he felt it was likely a valid designation. But he didn't know why.

I may get one to add to my novelty collection.
 
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Wasn't it from a TV show?

15 posts before it was figured out. Sheesh. I'm even too young to recall the show and I knew that. Back when Steve McQueen was a TV star. (So was Clint Eastwood. Hell, so was Bruce Willis for that matter. And George Clooney. But I digress.)
 
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