In the pilot, originally written for Gunsmoke (1955), Chuck Connors' character was named John McCain, he had no children and he was a dead shot with a pistol. Arnold Laven decided to make McCain a widower with a son whose weapon of choice was a customized Winchester rifle.
Chuck Connors initially turned down the role of Lucas McCain because the salary was too low. The show's producers considered James Whitmore and John Anderson for the role, but when they saw Connors' chemistry with Tommy Kirk in Old Yeller (1957), they realized he was the best choice for the role. They made him another offer, with a much higher salary, and he accepted.
In an interview, Producer Arnold Laven said that the rifle Chuck Connors used was the same one used by John Wayne in Stagecoach (1939).
This was the first network television series to portray a single parent raising a child.
Sammy Davis Jr. appeared in Two Ounces of Tin (1962) as outlaw Tip Corey. Sammy proved himself to be quite handy with a gun. His quick draws and twirling actions with the weapon were all done by him, not a stand-in. The cast and crew were very impressed with his skills.