Ep 33. The Money Gun

In The Rifleman season 1 episode 33, titled "The Money Gun," Lucas McCain (played by Chuck Connors) and Mark McCain (played by Johnny Crawford) find themselves caught up in a wild scheme to rob the North Fork Bank. The episode opens with two men, Eddie and Frank, discussing their plan to use a specially-made gun that shoots bags of money in order to rob the bank. However, when they test the gun out, they realize that they need more money bags in order to make their plan work.

Meanwhile, Lucas and Mark are out for a ride when they stumble upon the two thieves burying a bag of money in the ground. The thieves try to play it off as if they are simply burying their savings, but Lucas is immediately suspicious. He goes into town to speak with the sheriff, Micah Torrance (played by Paul Fix), and reports his suspicions. Micah is skeptical at first, but when Lucas points out some inconsistencies in the story, he agrees to investigate.

Lucas and Mark head back out to the spot where they saw the thieves burying the money, but when they dig it up, they find that it's just a bag filled with rocks. This only heightens Lucas' suspicions, and so he decides to launch his own investigation into the matter.

As it turns out, Lucas' suspicions were right on the money (no pun intended). He discovers that Eddie and Frank are planning to use the money gun to rob the bank, and he immediately alerts Micah. Together, they hatch a plan to catch the thieves in the act.

The day of the robbery arrives, and Lucas, Micah, and a few other key players are waiting inside the bank for the thieves to strike. When Eddie and Frank burst into the bank with the money gun, they are met with a barrage of gunfire from the waiting lawmen. In the ensuing chaos, Eddie and Frank are both killed, but not before they accidentally shoot one of their own accomplices in the process.

After the dust settles, Lucas and Mark return to their ranch, where they reflect on the events that have transpired. Although they are relieved that the thieves were caught and justice was served, they are also saddened by the loss of life that occurred. The episode ends on a somber note as Lucas reminds Mark that, while they may have won this battle, there will always be more like it in the future.

Overall, "The Money Gun" is a tense and action-packed episode that showcases the skills of the show's talented cast. From Chuck Connors' stoic yet determined portrayal of Lucas McCain to the thrilling shootout scenes, this episode is a standout installment of The Rifleman's first season.