Here are some of the best-known and lesser-known examples:
1. Lucas McCain’s “future” rifle
The show’s most famous prop is Lucas McCain’s customized Winchester rifle. However, the series is set in the early 1880s, while the rifle used on screen is based on the 1892 Winchester, a model that would not exist for another decade. The famous rapid-fire spinning action was also a Hollywood modification rather than a historical firearm feature.
2. Wrangler jeans decades too early
Sharp-eyed viewers noticed the distinctive “W” stitching on Lucas McCain’s back pockets. Those are Wrangler jeans—but Wrangler wasn’t introduced until 1947, over 60 years after the show’s setting. This is one of the series’ most famous anachronisms.
3. Modern hairstyles
Many of the male actors sport 1950s and early-1960s haircuts instead of authentic Old West hairstyles. Several women also wear hairstyles that reflect the era in which the show was filmed rather than the 1880s.
4. Oklahoma timeline error
Lucas and Mark are said to have moved from Enid, Oklahoma. The problem is that Enid did not exist until the 1893 Land Run, years after the period in which the series takes place.
5. Lucas spins the rifle while “loaded”
Occasionally Lucas twirls the rifle around one hand before firing. Because of the rifle’s modified trigger mechanism, performing that stunt with live ammunition would have caused the gun to discharge during the spin. In reality, the rifle had to be unloaded for those scenes.
6. Different horses in the same scene
In the episode “The Pet,” Lucas is saddling Razor while Mark pets him. The next close-up suddenly shows a completely different horse standing in the same position—a classic continuity mistake.
7. Visible studio equipment
In a few episodes, production equipment accidentally appears on screen. For example, in “The Pet,” the shadow of filming equipment can be seen on a fence post as Lucas and Mark leave the ranch.
8. Obvious stunt doubles
Fight scenes sometimes reveal stunt performers. In one barn fight from “The Pet,” the actor playing Haskins is briefly replaced by a stuntman whose hairstyle is noticeably different.
9. Clothing changes between shots
Several episodes contain wardrobe continuity mistakes. In “Outlaw’s Inheritance,” Mark rides toward the ranch wearing only a shirt in the long shot but suddenly arrives at the porch wearing a jacket in the close-up.
10. The disappearing rifle
In “First Wages,” Lucas jumps onto his horse without his rifle in its saddle scabbard. Seconds later, while riding, the rifle has magically appeared.
11. Mud that disappears
Also in “First Wages,” Lucas falls into muddy water during a fight. One shot shows his shirt soaked with mud, but the very next shot the mud has vanished while the shirt remains wet.
12. Prop fireplace
In “Outlaw’s Inheritance,” viewers can briefly see an electric studio light glowing inside a fireplace, revealing that the fire effect is part of a set rather than a real fireplace.
13. Modern clothing details
Many men’s shirts button all the way down the front, a style that did not become common until the 1920s, decades after the show’s setting.
14. Paper writing pads
Characters occasionally use paper pads that resemble modern notepads, even though this style of stationery would not have been available during the period portrayed.
15. Historical medical mistakes
In “The Pet,” Mark receives an anthrax vaccine. Human anthrax vaccines were developed many decades after the 1880s, making this another historical error.
Despite these mistakes, The Rifleman remains one of television’s most beloved Westerns. Most viewers were far more interested in the relationship between Lucas McCain (Chuck Connors) and his son Mark (Johnny Crawford) than in the occasional continuity slip or historical inaccuracy. In fact, many fans consider spotting these little bloopers part of the fun when rewatching the series today.