I watched the show, but even as a very young lad doubted the efficiency of the Mare's Leg. Nor do I think that Lucas McCain (The Rifleman) would hit much with his fast fire technique.
I guess I thought that Paladin and the guy on, "Colt .45" were the most practical gunfighters on TV then.
I think McQueen was most impressive in, "Bullitt" and as the innovative corporal in, "Never So Few", with Frank Sinatra.
He was very convincing with guns. Most actors lack the ability to really seem as if they've fired real guns. Sometimes, they simulate recoil too late. This bugs me, as it does when they hang up a phone before they've finished speaking on it.
McQueen was the real thing, with guns or in cars. I'd hate to have had to outdrive him!
Gary Cooper and Clark Gable were also more manly than most of today's actors, and they knew and owned guns.
Last night, I saw a, "Star Trek" rerun and realized that Capt. Kirk's phaser muzzle crossed Commander Spock's body a couple of times. Neither actor is pro-gun, quite the contrary. It showed,and often does.
BTW, if anyone here hasn't seen, "Never So Few", get the DVD. You'll probably like it. It's about a group of OSS men and a British advisor leading Kachin guerillas against the Japanese in Burma in WW II. They kill a bunch of Chinese bandits and cause an incident. The cast is first rate, and McQueen made a nice debut. I think Gina Lollabrigida was the babe. Sinatra got her, of course. Good movie, and the guns were appropriate. Even McQueen's Luger could have been captured from the Japs, as they took many from the Dutch in the East Indies and re-issued some.
