I agree that I would not carry a mare's leg (even if they existed). They were a Hollywood invention that carries nearly all of the disadvantages of both a rifle and a handgun (large and heavy, but too short to use from the shoulder to gain the accuracy at a distance; requires two hands to effectively operate [despite Josh Randall fanning the hammer for repeat shots]; much lower magazine capacity than a rifle, etc).
I'd absolutely take a rifle or shotgun if I thought there was likely to be trouble (along with as many friends as I could get with
their rifles and/or shotguns) and have a good revolver (or two) for those times when bad things happen without warning. Of course that's pretty much what I do now...
CC Griff