Joined: Nov 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 490 Location: Arizona Karma: 25
Mare's Leg - practical for survival? « Thread Started on Jun 9, 2012, 5:50am »
So, I've actually been thinking about buying a Mare's Laig (sic) [leg] pistol. I'd like one in .45 Colt, so I could use the same cast bullets as in my .45 acp once I start reloading, but am thinking about getting one in .22 LR right now to play with, see if I like it. I'm thinking it could be shot off a pack in the field pretty accurately, but is really a silly affectation in a lot of ways.
This is the cut-down lever action Steve McQueen used in 'Wanted: Dead or Alive' and Zoe, the XO of 'Firefly' used as well. It's advantage is it's size and weight - about 2' long, 5# or so. Has a velocity advantage over a pistol, but the firepower is the same as a revolver. (The .22 is 10 rounds IIRC but .45 LC is only 5+1)
I like the simplicity of it however, and in a TEOTWAWKI situation, a slightly longer rifle stock could be put on it w/o the worry of the BATF knocking on your door. I kind of like the Rossi 'Ranch Hand' better than the Henry's because of the standard 1892 loading gate.
I think the main thing it would give you would be the psychological 'cha-chunk' of a sawed off shotgun, and being a big bore, it would get people's attention. At close ranges, say out to 50 yards, I think you could get pretty good with it, but it would really shine in dark hallways. Also is CA legal, and you could carry quite a bit of ammo. .357/.38 would likely be the best survival caliber, but it'd make a good .22 I think too. The .22 is like $300 and I've seen the .45 for as little as $375. Useful or toy? Useful toy maybe?
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Joined: May 2012 Gender: Female Posts: 93 Location: California, USA Karma: 5
Re: Mare's Leg - practical for survival? « Reply #1 on Jun 9, 2012, 11:35am »
Anything that uses a .45 is going to be louder and have a larger kick, and will just otherwise be frivolous in comparison to a <.45 cal clone. But you probably know this.
In my opinion, a gun is only as good as what it's being used for, and who's using it. If you're going to be using for crowd control or as an assault weapon, you should go with a smaller caliber model, as that style of lever-action is actually pretty useful in that respect. If you're just going to use it for hunting or defensively, I'd suggest getting something cheaper, or simply reinforcing the ones you have.
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Joined: Nov 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 490 Location: Arizona Karma: 25
Re: Mare's Leg - practical for survival? « Reply #2 on Jun 9, 2012, 5:07pm »
Well, I guess I could put pot in it...you California people. Crowd control I'd pick a shotgun. The .22 version is probably the most useful - you could shoot it off the pack and use it for small game, but less useful than other .22's probably. Hell, as a cool toy the .22 is worth it to me.
The odd thing about the .45 Long Colt is, the weapon weighs less than the comparable .38/.357 because the hole is bigger, OD of barrel the same. The .45 Colt peacemaker weighs less and handles better according to some folks than the .357 version. The .357 is also much more powerful than the .45 LC, which is an old, slow cartridge at what? 850 fps? It will still definitely do the job on human animals, but I figure it would be pretty easy shooting in this, since the review I read of the .357 version said it felt like a .22 recoil wise. Seeing as the .45 is even softer shooting, I think it'd be a hoot.
Like I said, the main thing I can see it for is a 'get out of Phoenix gun' - At 25" long it'll fit in a pack, doesn't have a magazine sticking out the bottom to catch on things. It's low key but fired from the waist even at 20 feet or so I think it would be effective. Just pointed at someone and racking the lever would be a strong deterrent - similiar to a pump gun. Anyway, this is my thinking. I need another gun like a hole in the head - have 4 AR builds I am finishing, 2 of them SBR's, an M1 carbine that is my current GOOPHX gun, but the value has gone up enough that I hate to have it just kicking around in a bag, thus my thoughts about this.
The main issue for me is, I don't want to add another caliber. Since I'm already shooting .45 ACP, just having some brass and a reloading press would allow me to load both pretty easily. I know it sounds like I'm trying to justify the purchase of one of these - hell, I probably am, but am thinking to get the .22 version first to try out. I don't like it, I'll sell it, if I love it, well then I'm thinking the .45 LC would be great. I do want a SAA someday after all.
tistine is a troll. No matter what you say, he will find a way to ridicule it. I encourage everyone to simply boycott him. Witness the responses I got from him. He's not worth the effort.
Joined: Nov 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 490 Location: Arizona Karma: 25
Re: Mare's Leg - practical for survival? « Reply #3 on Jun 9, 2012, 5:11pm »
Recoil wise, remember you are shooting that .45 or .357 out of something that weighs 5# or so, whereas a typical pistol or revolver would be half that or less. Makes a big difference in felt recoil. That is one cool thing about this. As far as actually hitting stuff, check out Youtube for videos showing people shooting them - they are hitting what they are shooting at at 50 yds, no problem. I'm sure there's a learning curve, like any weapon, but I see this as more useful than say, an AK or AR pistol, since you now have a pistol shooting a rifle cartridge, so blast and recoil will be more, whereas this is the opposite. Just one more thought.
tistine is a troll. No matter what you say, he will find a way to ridicule it. I encourage everyone to simply boycott him. Witness the responses I got from him. He's not worth the effort.
MEGATØN The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla member is offline
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Re: Mare's Leg - practical for survival? « Reply #4 on Jun 9, 2012, 9:52pm »
You've got me thinking that I might look into one also. I had that Ruger Blackhawk in .357 but I sold it back to the shop as trade on the 9mm 1911 I picked up. But I didn't have a chance to shoot off my .357 ammo, so I've got several hundred rounds of it in my gun safe with no .357 gun to shoot it with.
The range I shoot at (metallic silhouette) allows .22 rifles or any size handgun, so since the Mare's Leg is technically a handgun, it's ok to shoot there.
I have a .22 lever action that I really like, so I think the Mare's Leg in .357 would be fun too, as kind of a hybrid lever but not shouldered weapon, but also with a fairly big bang, compared to the .22 I usually shoot.
Morg, what do you think about the Henry vs the Rossi Ranch Hand? Any preference?
May the road gangs never meet you. May the wind be fallout-free. May the sun shine through the ashes, hot rain not fall on thee. And until we meet again, may no one hold your flesh in the palm of their hand.
Joined: Nov 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 490 Location: Arizona Karma: 25
Re: Mare's Leg - practical for survival? « Reply #5 on Jun 10, 2012, 9:57am »
Megaton - I think the Henry is better made, and made in America, which is a good thing, but unfortunately they used a tube magazine similiar to a Marlin .22 - not a real issue on the .22 Mare's Leg, but it would take a lot of time to reload the .45 or .357 - I wouldn't want to be ducked down behind a dumpster trying to finger rounds into the end of the thing with the follower in one hand. The Rossi has the advantage there - it loads through a gate in the receiver like a normal lever action - much easier and faster to load. For that reason alone I'd have to go with the Rossi, but I don't see it as a disadvantage on the .22 Henry, no more so than a normal .22 and it'd be a great pack gun for small game.
The thing is, I'd be better off spending that $300 on ammo - I really need more 5.56 !!!!
tistine is a troll. No matter what you say, he will find a way to ridicule it. I encourage everyone to simply boycott him. Witness the responses I got from him. He's not worth the effort.
MEGATØN The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla member is offline
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 1,995 Karma: 43
Re: Mare's Leg - practical for survival? « Reply #6 on Jun 10, 2012, 5:47pm »
I looked into it a bit, and I don't think the Henry comes in .357 but the Rossi does, and my local gun shop has the Rossi in stock right now, so I might go down and check it out.
May the road gangs never meet you. May the wind be fallout-free. May the sun shine through the ashes, hot rain not fall on thee. And until we meet again, may no one hold your flesh in the palm of their hand.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 1,995 Karma: 43
Re: Mare's Leg - practical for survival? « Reply #7 on Jun 18, 2012, 4:10pm »
So I went ahead and paid for a Rossi Ranch Hand in .357. Since it's a handgun I'll have to do the 14 day waiting period, so I won't actually have it for a while. Can't wait to go out and shoot it.
May the road gangs never meet you. May the wind be fallout-free. May the sun shine through the ashes, hot rain not fall on thee. And until we meet again, may no one hold your flesh in the palm of their hand.
tistine is a troll. No matter what you say, he will find a way to ridicule it. I encourage everyone to simply boycott him. Witness the responses I got from him. He's not worth the effort.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 1,883 Location: The Mojave Waste Karma: 23
Re: Mare's Leg - practical for survival? « Reply #9 on Jun 19, 2012, 3:14am »
Aw hell Morg, if I send you some cash would ya buy me one? Fucking hell thats some good prices. Would this be your carry pistol? A .357 would probably do you good as it's a fairly common caliber along with the .38 special. With .45lc you could reload it with black powder as well. Would it be able to fire .45 acp or is that a pipe dream.
Joined: Nov 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 490 Location: Arizona Karma: 25
Re: Mare's Leg - practical for survival? « Reply #10 on Jun 26, 2012, 6:56pm »
No way would .45 ACP work in it - you need a rimmed case. .45 Long Colt would though, and as I plan on reloading for both eventually anyway, they could use the same bullets - just different cases/loadings.
I think for anyone who already has a .357 or .38 that caliber would be abetter choice - probably the best single choice for survival, as some Rugers have a spare 9mm cylinder, giving you the ability to use THREE different calibers, an important consideration when you're scrounging ammo after the fall. I'm pretty much already vested in too many calibers so hate adding yet another one, but I plan on getting a SAA at some point, so I can justify it.
tistine is a troll. No matter what you say, he will find a way to ridicule it. I encourage everyone to simply boycott him. Witness the responses I got from him. He's not worth the effort.
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 1,995 Karma: 43
Re: Mare's Leg - practical for survival? « Reply #12 on Jun 27, 2012, 1:43am »
Hey Morg, have you seen any cases made for the Mare's Leg/Ranch Hand? The shortest zipper cases I have in my area are about 38" so would be pretty big for the 24" Ranch Hand. I see a custom leather case on Ebay but it's about $200.
I need to case it to take it to the range, and a scabbard won't cut it.
May the road gangs never meet you. May the wind be fallout-free. May the sun shine through the ashes, hot rain not fall on thee. And until we meet again, may no one hold your flesh in the palm of their hand.
Joined: Nov 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 490 Location: Arizona Karma: 25
Re: Mare's Leg - practical for survival? « Reply #13 on Jun 27, 2012, 5:32am »
If nothing else, an M60 barrel bag should work great, and they are cheap too. LMK if you can't find one, I know a guy who has some for sale - Around $30 IIRC. Not a lot of padding, but my collapsible stock M1 Carbine is in one right now. I bought some beatup ones even cheaper. I'll look around for other alternatives. get it yet?
tistine is a troll. No matter what you say, he will find a way to ridicule it. I encourage everyone to simply boycott him. Witness the responses I got from him. He's not worth the effort.
MEGATØN The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla member is offline
Joined: Apr 2010 Gender: Male Posts: 1,995 Karma: 43
Re: Mare's Leg - practical for survival? « Reply #14 on Jun 27, 2012, 12:39pm »
I can pick it up after July 3rd. So I'll probably get it late next week, and then take it to the range over the weekend.
I'm curious about replacing the oversized loop with a standard lever. I don't see any replacement parts for the Ranch Hand in particular, but would any 1892 lever work on it? Or is it not that much of a clone of the Winchester?
May the road gangs never meet you. May the wind be fallout-free. May the sun shine through the ashes, hot rain not fall on thee. And until we meet again, may no one hold your flesh in the palm of their hand.
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