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.