Henry Rifle Forums

Hi All,
I like to do a lot of reading and a while back I read John Wayne’s biography. Ya’ll know the large loops on the leeever guns that we all love and has a big cool factor? Well the truth is none of our high riddin heeros ever used one, that large lever loop didn’t come about until 1939 when John Wayne made the movie Stage Coach. He had really big hands and was having trouble manipulating the 1892 Winchester he used for the movie. So the producers hired a custom smith to make a large lever loop especially for John Wayne, in-fact in almost all his cawboy movies irregardless of the time frame he used that same 1892 Winchester with the custom made large loop, and the rest is history. In the TV show The Rifleman Chuck Connors was another guy that had big hands, so a large loop was made for his 1892 Winchester as well, and that large loop along with a set screw installed in it so that the rifle would automatically fire every time he worked the lever is what made it possible for him to look so good in the opening seen of that TV show.
Paul

Interesting. Didn't know about the set screw in Connors gun. Think I'll google a pic of it. I wonder if that would be a legal mod these days?

its been a good while back but I seem to remember reading about John Wayne's large loop at a display in the The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City ===> https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/ .... we've visited this museum 3 times and would be delighted to go back again .... over the years we've visited many museums dedicated to various things and there are very few I can say that about

GunnyGene wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:48 am

Interesting. Didn't know about the set screw in Connors gun. Think I'll google a pic of it.

many years ago I had a toy replica of it .... it had the flap mounted on the lever that pulled the trigger .... that flap could be set to be out of the way so that the trigger worked as usual or set to pull the trigger when the lever closed .... it fired the old rolls of caps .... worked OK on single shot , not so with rapid fire

JEBar wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:58 am

GunnyGene wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:48 am

Interesting. Didn't know about the set screw in Connors gun. Think I'll google a pic of it.

many years ago I had a toy replica of it .... it had the flap mounted on the lever that pulled the trigger .... that flap could be set to be out of the way so that the trigger worked as usual or set to pull the trigger when the lever closed .... it fired the old rolls of caps .... worked OK on single shot , not so with rapid fire

Haven't done it in quite a few years, but on my old 9422m I could position my forefinger just right to fire when the lever closed using a finger flip to work the lever. Took some practice to get it just right.

When I was a kid I had one of those toy cap guns too, I really loved it, and yep it used the roll caps. I wounded if roll caps even made anymore.

Ya know that would be an interesting mod especially since the Henry large loops are only $50 bucks and don’t need any fitting. And why wouldn’t they be legal. Nobody ever bother Lucus McCain about his!!!!
Paul

JEBar wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:52 am

its been a good while back but I seem to remember reading about John Wayne's large loop at a display in the The National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City ===> https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/ .... we've visited this museum 3 times and would be delighted to go back again .... over the years we've visited many museums dedicated to various things and there are very few I can say that about

We've also visited the museum several times and each time they have added more. My first time was in 1980 when it was in it's old building. It was pretty cool then, but now it is spectacular. That is a very fine gun collection. I especially like the old western village they have installed there.
We stay at The Twin Fountains RV Resort and always have a burger or two at Braum's just down the road.

Couple of my high riddin heroes John Wayne and Chuck Connors. Loved the Rifleman as a kid and I have been watching it lately while I ride my bike in the basement. Be down there in a few hours.

Gundogblue wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 20, 2021 9:30 am

Ya know that would be an interesting mod especially since the Henry large loops are only $50 bucks and don’t need any fitting. And why wouldn’t they be legal. Nobody ever bother Lucus McCain about his!!!!
Paul

I was referring to the set screw mod, not the lever (large or otherwise). Given the 'reinterpretations' by the ATF in the last couple years it wouldn't surprise me if they had something to say about a "automatic (bumpfire) trigger activation device".

I think it would be fine since the trigger/ lever has to be operated for each shot. Gatling guns are legal since you have to operate the crank for each shot. I like the lever mod idea with the flip type piece BUT you better be very careful when handling it for an unintended discharge!

Nobody messes with Lucas McCain and Marshall Dillion

GunnyGene wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 20, 2021 9:19 am

JEBar wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:58 am

GunnyGene wrote: ↑

Tue Apr 20, 2021 8:48 am

Interesting. Didn't know about the set screw in Connors gun. Think I'll google a pic of it.

many years ago I had a toy replica of it .... it had the flap mounted on the lever that pulled the trigger .... that flap could be set to be out of the way so that the trigger worked as usual or set to pull the trigger when the lever closed .... it fired the old rolls of caps .... worked OK on single shot , not so with rapid fire

Haven't done it in quite a few years, but on my old 9422m I could position my forefinger just right to fire when the lever closed using a finger flip to work the lever. Took some practice to get it just right.

In the opening sequence Chuck didn’t have the set screw at that time. The producers were afraid he would hurt his hands so they installed it.

What is really interesting is he used a 94 Winchester in the early 1880’s.

Here's an accessory for doing this. Just a tight fitting thingie.

http://italentproductions.com/rapidfireleveraction.html

That's neat, and would be a bit less dangerous than a set screw.

RP

When I bought my Henry Lever .30-.30, I also purchased a Henry large loop lever for my rifle. The John Wayne lever and the Chuck Connors lever are both very large, too large for other then twirling. The Henry seems to be the perfect size if you are wearing gloves in the cold. The Henry lever will not fit on a Winchester though.

Koyote wrote: ↑

Wed Apr 21, 2021 9:43 pm

When I bought my Henry Lever .30-.30, I also purchased a Henry large loop lever for my rifle. The John Wayne lever and the Chuck Connors lever are both very large, too large for other then twirling. The Henry seems to be the perfect size if you are wearing gloves in the cold. The Henry lever will not fit on a Winchester though.

Never tried but would think they'd be more likely to fit a Marlin than a Winnie.
As they do come apart similar.

RP