I was just curious about the loops on different lever actions. Do bigger loops on the lever serve some sort of purpose, or is it just for aesthetic?
very interesting.I can spin-cock mine. Ain't no big deal, once you dig the front sight into your bicep a couple of times while learning how.
They cut Duke's barrel down to 16", so he could spin it without it getting caught in his armpit.
As you can see, mine is also 16".
Chuck Connors, on the other hand, had long enough arms that he could spin-cock a standard 20" barrel.
The guns had another modification. There was a little teat put in at the top of the receiver.
When the lever is all the way forward (open) the cartridge is out of the magazine and just sitting on the feed ramp (waiting to be shoved into the chamber) held there by nothing but gravity.
When spin-cocking, when the lever is all the way forward, the gun is upside down. If you tried to load a live round (or a blank) with an unmodified gun, the shell would fall out the open top.
The little teat keeps that from happening.