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School me on Lever guns

9K views 129 replies 56 participants last post by  PhotoFeller 
#1 ·
So I was at my outdoor range the other weekend, and somebody had a lever action .45-70.
They very graciously let me shoot it, and I love it.
However, I know nothing about lever guns, and am wondering what space in my safe, or what possible application this could serve, other than the "Ooooh, Kewl" factor.
I don't hunt, and I'm hesitant to get into a caliber that is going to be outrageously expensive, because I don't reload (one day, but not today...).
I was thinking about one in .357, because I already shoot that in pistols, but I have also seen them in 30-30 at the local funstore.
I really know nothing about the platform, but am interested.

Learn me up, gang.
 
#33 ·
I have a Marlin 45-70 and a 30-30.

I think the best caliber is the 30-30 since they are ubiquitous. Just a classic western gun in a great caliber. Every gun owner should have a 30-30. :rock:
Agreed! Pre-64's are pretty cheap now too.
 
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#35 ·
I believe you are referring to the year manufacturing changes were made by Winchester that resulted in a decline in quality of its firearms. Pre-1964 rifles were considered to be substantially more desirable, quality wise, and market prices reflected a considerable premium for the older guns.

I didn't realize pre-64 Winchester prices had declined. Whats going on there?
 
#34 ·
Since you are not going to hunt , although you could hunt deer at the 100 yd. range with it and you want something affordable to shoot , I would pick a 1873 in .357 . Now you have to decide how much you want to spend on one . Winchester and Uberti will be in the $1100 dollar range and the Rossi about 1/2 that . I like the 1892 also because it is lighter and stronger , but I have heard that they don't cycle 38's well and that is what you will be shooting if you want to shoot on a budget and don't reload .
 
#36 ·
While I own a Winchester 94 just for the enjoyment of having one of the most famous rifle models in our country's history, I am much more a Marlin lever gun devotee. My Winchester was clean when I bought it and I haven't fired it, so I have never disassembled it to explore the innards that make it work.

I have heard that Winchesters are pretty complicated to disassemble/reassemble compared to Marlins and other lever guns. Maybe some of you Winchester owners can confirm or dispel the notion that their design is more difficult for performance of routine maintenance and repair.
 
#39 ·
I'd love to have a stainless 1895 someday... like this:

 
#43 ·
I had the 20'' GG version of that, shot home cast
555gr boolits from it, that is one of the guns I wish
I still had, still have a marlin 30-30 and two Rossies
in 454, a 16'' and a 20'' and a sh1tty Rossi in 357.

We on this ranch have had five of the Rossies in 357 and everyone has needed major work to make
them function.

Their CS is sh1t too, not a good company.
 
#42 ·
I prefer older Marlins built prior to Remington's buyout (2008 and older iirc) and pre 1964 Winchesters. In 2009 or so when it was bought out, Remington fired all the old Marlin employees, and moved some of the equipment over and tooled up some new equipment. Due to all of this the guns are not the same in my opinion. The old guys that had been making them forever are gone, and they are not made in the same place or with the same tools. The new guns are all about profit rather than craftsmanship.

I've got a Marlin 1895 in 45-70 that I love. Great bluing, smooth action, hand checkered walnut, etc. Luckily there are tons of the old ones out there.

 
#45 ·
I shoot lever guns a lot. I have owned a lot of lever guns.
Rossi. Copy of the Winchester 92. Most 357's will not feed 38 special. All of them are very rough actions due to piss poor machining practices.
Henry never owned one, have seem maybe one or two function properly enough to make it through a match.
Winchester Clones, Uberti. Uberti makes Henry, 66 and 73 for their brand as well as Stoeger, Cimarron Taylor & Co and Beretta. Fine rifles that will run fast out of the box.
Winchester 94, they are ok in rifle caliber as the action was designed for it. Other than that stay away.
Marlin. The JM Marlin is the one to get. Although some of the gunsmiths are reporting that the quality of the new Marlins has improved.
The 1985 in 45-70 can be had about any way you want it to fit your tastes. I do prefer the 24 inch barrels.
The 336 in 30-30 or any of the other calipers is decent but again I prefer a 24 inch barrel.
My favorite Marlin right now is a 94 Cowboy. 24 inch barrel, 357 magnum. Hitting 8 inch plates out to 200 yRds is very easy. I do use a tang sight for this.
Somebody always says well my stock lever gun made by _______ runs 100%. Run 10 shots through it in under 3 seconds and report back. If it does it then. Welcome to the one percent club.
 
#46 ·
I prefer older Marlins built prior to Remington's buyout (2008 and older iirc) and pre 1964 Winchesters. In 2009 or so when it was bought out, Remington fired all the old Marlin employees, and moved some of the equipment over and tooled up some new equipment. Due to all of this the guns are not the same in my opinion. The old guys that had been making them forever are gone, and they are not made in the same place or with the same tools. The new guns are all about profit rather than craftsmanship.

I've got a Marlin 1895 in 45-70 that I love. Great bluing, smooth action, hand checkered walnut, etc. Luckily there are tons of the old ones out there.

I have a close friend in upstate NY that was invited to Illion shortly after the purchase for consultation on the lever gun line,because of his expertise tuning Marlin lever guns.

He was impressed with his general tour on day one,the shotgun production line and handgun line however it ended there.

The lever gun production line was on old machines and it appeared to him that Remington had already let most of the long time employees go. He asked a fellow a question of the carriers and the fellow handed him a lever,he put the lever down and picked a carrier from the bin and addressed the angles with the VP who accompanied him on the tour.
He called me latter that night and said he had little hope for any improvement in Marlin lever gun quality under the new Remington control,time has proven him correct sadly. SJ 40
 
#49 ·
That's interesting and sad. I've read accounts over on the Marlin forum posted by some of the old employees about how they were all given the boot. Supposedly the old machinery that had been in place forever was trucked over pretty roughly and given to guys that had never worked it before.

I looked at a new Marlin about two months ago at the local guns store. It was one of the models with the octagon barrel, and the corners of the octagon were cut pretty crisply near the receiver, but the barrel was almost completely round near the end of the barrel. The bluing looked good on the barrel, but didn't match the receiver at all which was sort of flat finished. I also much prefer the old checkering to the new laser cut stuff.
 
#48 ·
However, I know nothing about lever guns, and am wondering what space in my safe, or what possible application this could serve, other than the "Ooooh, Kewl" factor.
I have a Marlin Guide Gun in .45-70. My rationale for purchasing it was in case I get invited to participate in a Bigfoot hunt or if I ever need to put down an escaped circus animal. :supergrin:

 
#89 ·
^^^ This is not quite accurate.

I purchased a NIB 1894CB (Cowboy Gun) in .44 Magnum, in 2010, from a gunshop in Ashland, VA., called "Green Top". They had two in stock.
IF memory serves me, it has a 2009 manufacture date.
I'll have to dig it out of the safe to double-check.

Sportsman's Outdoor Superstore currently shows a NIB 1894 in .44 Magnum. (Currently IN stock.)

Here's a listing of what they have in the way of centerfire Marlins/Remlins/Marlingtons.

http://www.sportsmansoutdoorsuperstore.com/category.cfm/sportsman/lever-action-firearms/brand/MARLIN

I swore that I would never buy a Remlin/Marlington, but, I went against my word, and just took possession on the 20" octagonal barreled 1895CB. (The box calls it an 1895CBA.)

http://www.sportsmansoutdoorsuperst...8/marlin-1895-cowboy-45-70-lever-action-rifle


Looking forward to seeing how it handles and shoots.
 
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#53 ·
I have a Marlin 30AW 30-30 that I love. I always wanted to own a lever action when I ran across this one. I don't get to shoot it much, but it's one of those guns I don't plan on ever getting rid of. I rescued it from a pawn shop about 20 years ago and it was LNIB when I paid $175.00 for it. I think the 30AW was a basic wood stock 336 that was sold at Walmart at the time.
 
#66 ·
Your Marlin must look like this one. Mine came from the used rack in a little gun shop in Ft. Myers for a slightly higher price than yours. The only difference I can see from a regular Marlin is that the stock and forearm aren't walnut.

Plant Shrub Plant community Botany Garden
 
#54 ·
I have two lever actions, Marlin 1895 in 45-70, shoots flat out to 150 yds with a scope. I also have the Golden Trigger M39 in .22lr. Micro-grooved barrel and flat to 75 yds. without scope. Scope, 100 yds. It is expensive to plink with the 45-70, cheap with the .22.
 
#55 · (Edited)
Potential Marlin buyers should be forewarned that acquiring 1 will likely be followed by needing #2, #3, etc. I can testify to the allure of these old-style lever rifles.

When an opportunity arose to buy a Model 336SS-LTD in .35Rem, I jumped on it. There were other Marlin buys...before and after this one.

Once the itch starts, it's hard to stop.

Brown Product Line Tan Metal
 
#60 ·
I've had a 'thing' for leverguns, since I was a kid, watching "The Rifleman"!!

I just ordered my 3rd .45-70 Marlin. This is an 18.5" Cowboy Rifle.
http://www.sportsmansoutdoorsuperst...8/marlin-1895-cowboy-45-70-lever-action-rifle

It will join my 1895G "Guide Gun" and 1895CB "Cowboy Rifle" with 26" barrel, in the safe.

I also have an 1894 CB "Cowboy Rifle" in .44 Magnum, and a Winchester 94 Trapper, in .44 Magnum.

I stumbled onto a Winchester 9422 XTR last year, walking through Cabela's.
It followed me home, like a little, lost puppy.
It is a thing of beauty. Built in the early '80s and looks as if it's never been loaded or fired.


There's just "something" about a levergun, and octagonal barrels are my favorite!!!!!!!!!
(And I really like the thump of the .45-70 handloads!)
 
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#69 ·
I also have a Rossi 92 in .357mag, trapper length. Love that thing. Talk about PURE fun, it actually has a real nice trigger and is about as handy as a long gun can be. I don't think it weighs 6lbs. I use it primarily for a camping/hiking/atv gun, and a (concealed) familyroom defense gun. This is one of those guns (like my Ruger Montado .357) that I'll never sell.
 
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