[rbernie]

Which do you prefer, and why?

[Gunrunner]

Before I ever bought a lever action rifle I liked the looks of the pistol grip and figured that's what I'd get. Instead, I bought a Marlin 1894 and later a Winchester 9422, both with straight grip stocks. Both rifles feel good to me when shooting and I've come to like the looks of the straight grip. I'd still like to buy a pistol grip model one day.

[Dr.Rob]

It's harder to find a 336T (that's a stright stocked 30-30 from marlin) but it matched the 39A in looks and feel.

Straight stock it is.

[Stickjockey]

Doesn't matter. Just go shoot the thing.

And every Savage Model 99 I've seen has had a pistol grip stock. They're pretty traditional.

[larryw]

My personal favorite is the straight grip, for my build (large w/ long arms), they just feel better.

But I voted that it doesn't matter. Lever guns tons 'o fun!

[rbernie]

And every Savage Model 99 I've seen has had a pistol grip stock. They're pretty traditional. I dunno - that 1899 is a relative newcomer to the block compared to its peers. :D

[JNewell]

Have owned and fired many of each in all calibers from .22 to .45-70. I think that the rifles handle better from .30-30 up with a PG -- but YMMV.

[jefnvk]

Just don't look right with a pistol grip.

[pbhome71]

Same here. I think pistol grip looks ugly on a lever gun.

[Hawkmoon]

Just don't look right with a pistol grip.
Ditto

[Vern Humphrey]

To me, a lever gun is a horseman's gun. I drop my Winchester 94 in the saddle boot and it rides there like part of the horse. Pistol grips and big, bulbous forearms just don't go with saddle boots.

[rbernie]

I think that it looks goofy without one, but what I'm wrestling with is whether it handles differently/better/worse with one.

[MrMurphy]

My first lever was a Marlin 30A (low end 336) with a pistolgrip.

My current is a Marlin 1894S .44 Mag with a straight grip.
Either works.


Pistol grips did exist back then on leverguns, I've seen photos of 1886's with them.

[WhiteKnight]

My first lever gun (a Daisy Red Ryder) had a pistol grip, so now straight-stocked ones feel wholly unnatural.

[Onmilo]

I have owned and used both styles,
I own straight grip lever guns at the moment but that Winchester Packer Carbine looks pretty good to me so my situation might change.

I voted to just grab a good lever gun and go shoot the bloody thing.

[JNewell]

Just don't look right with a pistol grip

Well, just don't tell 'em in New Haven...they've been making them that way since the 1870s! :D

My lever action gripe is those huge forearms Marlin puts on most of their lever actions (with and without pistol grips).

[rbernie]

I dunno - this just looks right (http://www.winchesterguns.com/prodinfo/catalog/detail.asp?cat_id=534&type_id=086&cat=003C)

[macavada]

Do the pistol grip lever guns have a shorter throw of the lever to cycle the action? Or, is it the other way around? Or does it not make any difference?

[landon74]

I like the feel of the pistol grip over the straight stock....

[Kamicosmos]

Straight here.

Oh, and yeah, I like straight stocks on my lever guns too. :D

[MashBill]

Straight for me too. They just look and feel right.

[glazer1972]

I like the straight grip cause I like to dance with the one who brought me!

[Quickdraw Limpsalot]

I have one of each, and to be honest I don't notice any difference when shooting them. I guess if I really wanted to be picky I could find differences, but I'm not picky.

[MrMurphy]

I like Marlin Fore-ends...... used to military rifles, having this little splinter of a foregrip doesn't feel right to me. So the fat foreend of my 1894S feels just fine. :)