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The work was done by Stembridge Gun Rentals, with
an included 16 October 1958 dated Stembridge invoice
noting all three guns by serial number (852678, 468096, and
130985) and “reshape lever ring”. It is also noted that all three
received a wide hammer spur at that time, which is no longer fitted
on this example, and a replacement loading gate is also noted for this
gun specifically. Another invoice dated two days prior notes “#852678
issued to Steve McQueen 10/10/58”. It is noted that the Bureau of Alcohol,
Tobacco, and Firearms were not consulted prior to the airing of the show,
and that the producers ended up having to pay an additional $1,100 in
taxes and fees to make the guns compliant with the National Firearms
Act of 1934. Included scans of the original registration documents for
number 852678 and number 468096 are included with the gun. Of these
three guns, the included documentation notes that only this example
and serial number 468096 were found in May of 1970 when David Weisz
had purchased MGM Studios props and costumes, some of which MGM
had inherited from Four Star Productions, and planned to auction them
off. At the time of this sale, Walter O’Connor and Doug Boyer were tasked
with making all of the firearms ready for sale. It was O’Connor and Boyer
who removed the original functional barrels from the two “Mare’s Legs”
so they would no longer be classified as Class III firearms by the ATF. The
two guns were buried at the bottom of a box of miscellaneous parts,
which Boyer then purchased for $40. Boyer later replaced the barrels with
solid stock so they could be reassembled, gave this example to Walter
O’Connor in appreciation for helping him land the job, and later sold
number 468096 to the Autry Museum of the American West, where it is
believed to still reside. Included with the gun are letters from six of the
eight previous owners, providing detailed documentation of
the path this gun traveled so that it could be offered to the
public now.
The show was popular with audiences, and it slowly won
over critics, reaching number 16 on the top rated television
shows chart for the 1958-1959 season and then reaching
number nine on the chart for the 1959-1960 season. For the
1960-1961 season, the show was moved from its Saturday
night time slot to Wednesday night and viewer numbers
declined, particularly as it was up against the popular show
“The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet”. The final episode of
the show aired on 29 March 1961, but its impact on Steve
McQueen’s career and on American pop, western, and firearms
culture were lasting.
“Wanted Dead or Alive” launched Steve McQueen into a legendary
acting career, becoming not only a Hollywood star, but also an antihero
personified, “The King of Cool”, and a fashion and cultural icon. He went
on to star in a multitude of iconic films including “The Great Escape”,
“The Thomas Crowne Affair”, “Bullitt”, “Le Mans”, and “Papillion”. McQueen
was the perfect storm for Hollywood stardom, finding appeal across a
wide range of audiences, with women wanting to be with him and men
wanting to be him. In many ways, he represented the “Man’s man” of the
1960s and 1970s, enjoying fast cars, classic motorcycles, fine clothes,
precise watches, and desirable firearms, all things that have cemented
him as a masculine icon to this day.
The “Mare’s Leg” itself was also launched into similar stardom and cultural
icon status. After its appearance in the hands of Josh Randall, the “Mare’s
Leg” surged in popularity. Various companies, including Marx and Denix,
produced toy versions of the unique firearm, and many companies
continue to make prop/toy versions of it to this day. Fully functioning
versions of it also became popular among anyone willing to pay the ATF
fees associated with a short barreled rifle. Today, multiple companies
continue to make “Mare’s Leg” firearms, most of which are manufactured
as pistols, and thus avoid restrictions associated with the NFA.
The gun itself appears to have to have started life as a standard Model
1892 rifle, with the included factory letter only indicating that the serial
number was applied on 15 July 1918, before it was modified to its
current, influential, and legendary configuration.