Spin and Flip cocking

['88Scrat]

You see this in old westren movies a lot. The hero fires and spin cocks a lever action in one hand while saving the girl with the other.

I was wondering what the best rifle for this might be. I was thinking along the lines of a Winchester 92 or 94 but its only speculation.

I ask because I worked in a bar for a while and got pretty good at doing tricks with liquor bottles, in class I always spun a pen around my fingers, and my "pocket" knife is a actually a Benchmade 51 balisong (a butterfly knife) that I can do some really cool tricks with. A rifle seems like the next logical step really.

For the record I have no intention of EVER doing this with a loaded rifle but simply knowing how to do it to satisfy my own curiosity has me interested enough to check into it.

 

[Jim Watson]

John Wayne and Chuck Connors did it with '92s.
There is just too much monkey motion in the '94 for it to work very well.
You will note that the Steve McQueen "Mare's Laig" knockoffs are built on '92 actions.

 

[egor20]

In El Dorado when Cole Thorton is partially paralyzed in his right arm and he uses a Winchester 1892 to twirl in the gun fight at the end of the movie against Nelse McLeod, Jason's hired gun.

http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/El_Dorado#Winchester_Model_1892

 

[bamaranger]

shorty

Chuck Conners carbine was shortened to something like 14 in bbl to facilitate his twirling.

Gosh I loved that show.

 

[BigMikey76]

My favorite example of this was in True Grit when John Wayne was charging down four bad guys with his '92 in his right hand and his revolver in his left holding the reins in his teeth. Classic scene.
As I recall, the lever on John Wayne's rifle had an expanded loop. I am not sure if that was to facilitate spin cocking, or if it was just because he preferred it, but I know the big loop was specifically mentioned at the beginning of El Dorado when the sherriff, J.P. Harrah, said that he had set his up the same way.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Story is that John Ford was looking for a gimmick for John Wayne's character during the filming of Stagecoach, and someone came up with the idea of modifying an 1892 to allow it to be spin cocked.

The modification was made, and the first time Wayne tried it the barrel came around, caught him square in the chin and knocked him out cold.

That's when the spin cockers became short-barreled carbines...

 

[BlueTrain]

I believe John Wayne's carbine is in the Warner Brothers museum. You might want to go see it if you're ever in L.A.

 

[Willie Lowman]

What was the shotgun that Ahnold flip-cocked while riding a Harley in Terminator 2?

I taught myself to do something similar with my 14" 590A1. A sort of a open the action, twirl shotgun, thrust gun forward to close action type maneuver. I first did it with a 20" barreled gun that required me to turn sideways so I wouldn't hit my face or shoulder with the barrel... The 14" SBS is much easier.

Kids, don't try this at home.

 

[Mike Irwin]

"What was the shotgun that Ahnold flip-cocked while riding a Harley in Terminator 2?"

Probably a Winchester Model 1901.

Could have been an earlier 1887, though.

 

[WV_gunner]

I got a magazine about the gun in terminator 2. All I remember was it was a Wichester 10 gauge.

 

[kraigwy]

I learned at a very early age, that you cannot spin and flip cock a Daisy Red Ryder BB gun.

Dern near broke my fingers.

 

[aarondhgraham]

Hello Kraigwy,,,

I think that was a universally learned lesson,,,
No matter how many of us twisted our fingers dang near off of our hands,,,
Every one of us young id-jits had to try it thinking that maybe we just needed to do it harder.

Aarond

 

[aarondhgraham]

Serious question though,,,

Why couldn't it be done with 1876 Winchester rifles,,,
Every time I see it the 1892 is being used.

Aarond

.

 

[DPris]

The film versions involving leverguns have all been large-loop 92s.

The 92 may or may not feed in spincocking, without being altered. The 92s on the Rifleman were altered for feeding blanks reliably.

The more common story about Wayne's Stagecoach gun is that it was devised between Wayne & veteran stuntman Yakima Canutt.

It will work with a large loop 94, as an emergency-only experiment I've done it with a 16-inch .30-30. If one arm's injured, the gun CAN be run with the other.
A Rossi 16-inch .45 Colt 92 would not feed when tried about 14 years ago, dropped rounds on the carpet.

Connors used a 20-inch carbine, there were two Winchesters & one Spanish El Tigre copy used during the show's run. He was tall enough & had long enough arms to pull it off.
He was ambidextrous & could use the carbine with either hand.

Wayn'e original 92 had a short barrel, I've seen sources listing it as 15 inches in .32-20.

The 76 Winchester might be possible, but a much larger & clunkier gun to try it with, and you may run into feeding problems (c'mon, you KNOW it'd be tried with live ammo by somebody).

The toggle link actions are quite different from the later Winchesters, I don't know what kind of stresses would be involved in spincocking one.

The large loop lever is an absolute requirement for spincocking & to that degree of "largeness" there's no other benefit.

It does add room for gloved hands, but that result can be obtained with a far smaller enlarged lever.
Denis

 

[Jim Watson]

A '76 or even a '73 is a heavy gun with a long lever throw.
It would take a weightlifter to twirl a '76.

 

[RedBowTies88]

Wonder if you could do it with a marlin guide gun?

 

[Strafer Gott]

IIRC Old Iron Jaw played "The Rifleman". I stand by 20 inches.

 

[Deja vu]

I think about trying it with my 1895 (18 inch barrel) but every time I hold it I change my mind.

 

[giaquir]

I don't see how the round chambers
without falling out or jamming.
Just Hollywood stuff

 

[TX Hunter]

Im a John Wayne Fan, and have watched all his Westerns, and a couple of his War Movies. I think the Spin Cocking looks cool, but sounds like it has the potential for danger. Guns are not toys, and real life is not a movie. Everyone needs to remember that. Be Carefull Folks.