The Winchester Mare’s Leg: A Look at Its History
The Winchester Mare’s Leg is a unique and iconic firearm that has left an indelible mark on popular culture, particularly in Western movies and television series. This compact and distinctive firearm is essentially a cut-down Winchester lever-action rifle with a pistol grip, making it a true hybrid of a rifle and a handgun. Its history is fascinating, and it has gained widespread recognition for its appearances in various forms of media, including the famous film “Zombieland.” Today, the Mare’s Leg is a generic term for all derivations of the iconic piece. It is no longer made out of a Winchester rifle and is in gun stores as a pistol, which avoids the ATF tax for a Short-barrel Rifle. (SBR) Ironically, this weapon was almost not included in the popular series as the producers and gunsmith failed to consult with the forerunner of the ATF, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax Division (ATTD), before they started filming. Because they didn’t, the producers paid $1,100.00 in taxes and license fees for the three Mare’s Legs they made for the show because they violated the National Firearms Act, but the gun was allowed in the series. Winchester Origins The term “mares leg” was first introduced in 1957. It was designed by Kenny “Von Dutch” Howard, an experienced gunsmith and artist, for use in the TV series “Trackdown.” Kenny “Von Dutch” Howard made the original Mare’s Leg by cutting down a .44-40 caliber Winchester Model 1892 carbine rifle manufactured by the Winchester Repeating Arms Company. In creating the initial Mare’s leg, the butt-stock was cut, and much of it was removed, and the barrel, which didn’t have sights at the time, was cut to a length of nine inches. Ironically, this weapon was almost not included in the popular series as the producers and gunsmith
