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That was Chuck Connors second TV series, Branded. The Rifleman started each episode with Connors rapidly "fanning" shots from his custom, ring-levered Winchester 76, most likely into the carcas of some miscreant.

True story --- I dated Chuck Connors' niece years ago. His nephew, now a world famous deep sea fishing expert, is still a close friend of one of my brothers.

Connors' brother was a priest, one of those great priests of yesteryear who carried a Godly manner in a very masculine frame. He was a great athelete and just as handsome as his brother, maybe more so. He was just the kind of priest that has become exceedingly scarce in the Catholic Church today. As I see it, the Chuch's current troubles are directly traceable to that scarcity.

Both of his TV series were worthy, but The Rifleman has classic status, IMHO. Each episode was a little, 26-minute morality play, usually relating somehow to Lucas McCain's struggle to raise and instill good moral values to his son, Mark, without a mother. A great series and a testimony to a vanished America.

"His nephew, now a world famous deep sea fishing expert, is still a close friend of one of my brothers."

Years ago I went deep-sea fishing while on vacation in Florida. The first mate was a dead ringer for a very young Chuck Connors (early 20's). Everyone in the entourage made that observation because the resemblance was so striking. He just grinned sheepishly and said, "Yeah, everybody says that." I wonder....