The Mare's Leg is the name given to a customized shortened rifle used by Steve McQueen's character on the television series Trackdown (guest appearance).

[2] The term "mare's leg" was introduced in 1957 in the TV series Trackdown, where Steve McQueen first appeared as a bounty hunter.

[3] Steve McQueen and his Mare's Leg went on to star in the CBS TV series Wanted Dead or Alive.

McQueen was involved in the final design, suggesting the duck-bill hammer and enlarged lever loop, and initiating a redesign of the custom holster.

[6] As of the 1980s, one of the original guns was on display at the now closed Spaghetti Station Restaurant and Museum (999 Ball Road, Anaheim, California).

This auction took place in Paris in the presence of actor Steve McQueen, and the money raised was donated to the French Movement for Children's Villages (an association renamed in 2013 "Action Enfance").

A number of companies have marketed functional reproductions of the Mare's Leg, making them the same way as the original, by cutting down Winchester rifles.

These reproductions also have the same legal restrictions as the original: a rifle may not have a barrel length less than 16 inches (41 cm) without obtaining a tax stamp from the ATF, in accordance with the National Firearms Act.

Since they are newly manufactured as pistols and sold subject to handgun regulations, rather than cut down rifles, they avoid legal difficulties.

[14] In 2008, Legacy Sports International introduced their version of the Mare's Leg, made by Chiappa Firearms, in Italy, imported[where?]

[20] The Model 1887 Mare's Leg was prominently used by the title character in the film Terminator 2: Judgment Day, portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

One of the guns used in the film was modified with a pistol grip and an oversized loop on the trigger guard, allowing the character to fire and cycle the action with a one hand reverse spin.

[20] This in turn has popularised the gun's portrayal in various pop culture, mostly in shooter video games, where they mimic the cycling and reloading actions from the movie.