The Rifleman

[minuteman32]

Just got through watching "The Rifleman" on METV, the episode called "The Anvil Chorus".

5:30 pm The Rifleman The Anvil Chorus
"Nils Swenson, North Fork's blacksmith, volunteers to take the marshal's place for a few days while Micah attends a wedding in another town. To help maintain peace, Nils institutes a policy that anyone coming into town must turn in their weapons, getting them back when they leave. This plan backfires on Nils when some dishonest men are in town."

Can't believe this one's still in circulation.

 

[Spikedog]

I love The Rifleman. It's on Saturday mornings here. My son and I have been watching it for a couple of years now.

 

[T-Mann]

Yes,

I have loved this show for years and years. It comes on METV every night from 6-7 two episodes (in the South Bend Area) right before M*A*S*H for an hour. Then it comes on A&E on SAT morning for an hour (2 episodes). Yes...I watch it probably 3 or 4 days out of the week!

 

[superjoe76]

I watched one a few weeks ago where he shot a pistol out of a gunslingers hand! Oh yeah!

 

[Jack Burton]

It was a surprising western in many ways. Lots of opportunity for solid, moralistic teaching between dad and son, and also lots of people being killed. Almost averaged at least one an episode. Much more bloody than some westerns. By the time the entire run of the show was over I figure that McCain had killed well more than 150 people.

 

[BE Mike]

I watch it pretty often. It is surprising to see so many stars on the show. I suppose most of them weren't stars then. I recently saw a show with Sammy Davis Jr.

 

[K_W]

The problem I have with the Rilfeman is...

In one episode there is a scene with him in a stage coach with two ladies and one makes a comment about a screw on the lever of his gun... he says it to make it fire when he works the lever... but...

...if that's true then every time he does his spin cocking move, it should go off, but it doesn't....

 

[possum_128]

The problem I have with the Rilfeman is...

In one episode there is a scene with him in a stage coach with two ladies and one makes a comment about a screw on the lever of his gun... he says it to make it fire when he works the lever... but...

...if that's true then every time he does his spin cocking move, it should go off, but it doesn't....

The screw was a thumb screw, he just backed it off for spinning. Got a close up view of it at the Cody museum a few years ago.

 

[T-Mann]

The problem I have with the Rilfeman is...

In one episode there is a scene with him in a stage coach with two ladies and one makes a comment about a screw on the lever of his gun... he says it to make it fire when he works the lever... but...

...if that's true then every time he does his spin cocking move, it should go off, but it doesn't....

Another feature of the rifle was a screw pin attached to the large loop lever which was positioned so as to trip the trigger when the ring was slammed home, thus allowing Lucas to rapid-fire the rifle, similarly to a semi-automatic pistol. The trigger trip screw pin was also used in two configurations. Sometimes Chuck had the screw head turned inside close to the trigger. Most of the times he had it on the outside of the trigger guard with a lock nut on the outside to further secure its position. In some of the episodes the screw was taken out completely when rapid fire action was not needed. When properly adjusted, this screw “squeezed” the trigger when the lever was fully closed.

 

[Jack Burton]

I watch it pretty often. It is surprising to see so many stars on the show. I suppose most of them weren't stars then. I recently saw a show with Sammy Davis Jr.

That was neat feature of the old cowboy shows, especially those that were not set in a town for the location each week. When the star wandered the west such as Josh Randall in Wanted Dead or Alive it really chewed through a lot of actors each week. Now we can watch those same shows and recognize so many faces and names that no one knew about then.

 

[Jack Burton]

Some interesting links...

The Rifleman remake, The Rifleman reboot, new series

Eagle Squadron Productions

 

[LegatoRedrivers]

I loved watching that show with my Grandpa when I was younger. I would stay with my grandparents for a bit every summer vacation. They would set me up in his "hunting room" in the back.

Today people are all up in arms about having a firearm in the house with kids, but that room was full of hunting rifles. Don't even know for sure if they were locked or loaded... I never opened the gun cabinet to take one out and check.

Maybe kids are different nowadays, but I wouldn't even take the BB gun out to the backyard to play with it without asking Grandpa first.

Sorry, a bit off topic. I never knew about that thumbscrew. When I got a bit older, I always wondered how he fired that thing so freakin' fast.

 

[Diesel24v]

I used to sit and watch it everyday after school with my dad and occasionally with my grandpa. It used to be on every weekday around 6 on WHMB channel 40 on antenna. Not sure if it is anymore because I don't get that channel. They played Bonanza and Gunsmoke on that same channel too.

 

[lrahm]

Great channel for picking up old TV shows.

 

[Hookeye]

If you want to remember Chuck in a fond manner, don't watch this

 

[Neal]

Johnny Crawford is now about 65 years old. Most of the other actors that were on the show are dead. Michael Landon, Dan Blocker, Peter Whitney, John Anderson, Richard Anderson, Whit Bissel, and a bunch of other lead and character actors were guest actors on the Rifleman, some of them many times. I watched this show back in the early 60's with my dad. Until just recently, it was on every day @ 4:30 PM on a local Indianapolis channel. Watching it for the last couple years sure brought back memories. I still love that Rifle.

 

[calcot7]

The problem I have with the Rilfeman is...

In one episode there is a scene with him in a stage coach with two ladies and one makes a comment about a screw on the lever of his gun... he says it to make it fire when he works the lever... but...

...if that's true then every time he does his spin cocking move, it should go off, but it doesn't....

Yea, I also wondered about that. There must be another screw somewhere.

 

[Paladin]

Great westerns from years past

Those were the days when westerns had class and great actors. Have Gun Will Travel was my favorite. It is a shame that the westerns, if any, today are not the same. It is hard to find good actors with responsible morals.

 

[bluewraith]

If you want to remember Chuck in a fond manner, don't watch this

Such a horrible movie.. but filmed here in Kokomo!

 

[Neal]

Such a horrible movie.. but filmed here in Kokomo!

I was not aware of any movies filmed in Kokomo. Is anything in the movie recognizable? Was Chuck Conners a bad guy in this one?