Winchester Model 1892 44-70 Rifle

By Crusader1307

Perhaps the most widely ''known'' Western Rifle (at least in American Film and Television), was the vaunted Winchester Model 1892 Lever Action Repeating Rifle. One of Winchester Arms last of the classic 19th Century Rifles, the mass production (well over 2,000) meant that many survived into the 20th Century. As such many Model 1892 Rifles found their way into feature Films (and later) Television (despite being used in films and such from earlier times, such as the 1870s and 1880s). Manufactured to chamber everything from a .32 Caliber to the more tradition 44-70 Cartridge, it wasn't until 1958 that The Model 1892 would become truly ''famous''. That was the year that the still iconic ''The Rifleman'' premiered. Starring American actor Chuck Connors as one ''Lucas McCade'' (a former Soldier turned Farmer). Along with His young Son, He would only fight ''Bad Guys'' when pushed to. Conversely, it was His Winchester which was really the ''Star'' of The Show. The Rifle was modified to replace it's standard Trigger Guard Ring (which both chambered a round of ammunition and ejected the spent cartridge). A slender (tapered) Ring into which the first 4 fingers of the firing hand was slipped to accomplish the motion of firing – Hollywood ''added'' a much wider Ring. This was large enough to practically place One's entire Firing Hand into. For added ''flair and panache'' , Connors would (with one hand), flip The Rifle forward, thus cocking the weapon and quickly chamber and fire His round. Also, Hollywood prop makers modified the trigger ''pull'' to cause the Rifle to be able to be fired in an almost automatic weapon style. As such, a whole generation grew up believing such a Model Rifle REALLY existed. From plastic toy guns (marketed to young fans), to the later manufactured REAL versions, unfortunately NO SUCH ''version'' ever existed. But the effect of such would permeate ''Western Film Lore'' for many Decades.