More than 60 years after its debut, The Rifleman remains a beloved staple of American television. The series, starring Chuck Connors as widowed rancher Lucas McCain and Johnny Crawford as his son Mark, stood out for its blend of thrilling Western action and heartfelt lessons about honesty, courage, and family. Its portrayal of a single father raising his son was groundbreaking for the late 1950s. While the show often captured the spirit of the Old West, it wasn’t always historically accurate.
In the episode “End of a Young Gun,” McCain is seen wearing Wrangler jeans—a brand not introduced until decades later. Yet fans cherish such quirks as part of its charm. Behind the scenes, the series was a true family affair. Connors’ real-life son, Jeff Connors, made a brief but memorable appearance in the episode “Tension,” adding authenticity to the show’s theme of father-son bonds.
Connors almost missed out on the role of Lucas McCain after initially rejecting the offer due to pay. Producers, impressed by his work in Old Yeller, later gave him partial ownership of the show—a move that made The Rifleman his defining career achievement.
The Winchester rifle, featured prominently in the show’s iconic opening, was the same prop once used by John Wayne in Stagecoach (1939). Guest stars like Sammy Davis Jr. and baseball legends Duke Snider and Don Drysdale also added star power, helping The Rifleman cement its legacy as one of television’s most enduring Westerns.