Discreet Urban Carbine

I have a Ruger 44 carbine and a S&W Model 29 to go with it. A Rossi 45 Colt with a Uberti Regulator single action revolver to go with it. A couple of 9mm pistols as nd a rather benign looking Marlin Camp 9. Looking fpr a 357 lever gun to go with a Ruger SP101. Hands down, a pistol caliber lever gun is a great discreet urban carbine. Even the most paranoid busy body would not get rattled if they saw one.

If I were to buy a 357 lever gun, I'd probably lean towards a Henry Big Boy X. Were I no longer able to own an AR or semi auto rifle in general, that'd probably be my replacement.

I love lever actions, but would far prefer an AR with a red dot for any urban situation I could imagine.

If I needed a discreet gun in an urban environment for whatever reason, I'd take a Kel Tec Sub-2K and stick it in a laptop bag.

If AWBs are in effect? Get the Ruger 9mm carbine and take it down.

I would feel safe accompanied by my 357 Mag Vaquero and Winchester anytime,anyplace.

Mr.Revolverguy said:

When people see the AR15 most think you are a bad person for owning one...

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Where the heck do you live that "most" feel that way?!?!

As for choosing a lever gun for SHTF duty, the reason so few choose them is because there are so many better choices. No openly carried rife is discrete, so once you feel the need to pull out a long gun in public, black rifle vs wood stocked hunting gun is a moot point. Go ahead and "cowboy up" if that's what tickles your fancy, but there are much better tools for the job of dealing with urban unrest. Imagine if Kyle Rittenhouse needed to lever another round into the chamber while on his back being attacked by multiple assailants trying to pull the rifle from his hands. Tools aren't a replacement for training, but all other factors equal, you can't turn a mule into a racehorse. The right training AND the right tools are a winning combination.

Fun video thanks!
It reinforces another want, that i dont currently have filled.

I wish they would offer pistol grip stock with normal size loops on PCCS. Even without having a suppressor, a heavy bullet run with a pinch of fast powder can be pretty quiet. Only way to do that in a repeater is with a manual, and a 16"-20" lever gun would do well for 90% of what id want to do with a gun like that.

I have LONG loved the look and the fun of levers. One big downside is price. They are a little more work to make but, the biggest difference is in how many are made. I have long said when the voters let them take the autos away you will see a sudden interest in the levers again. I would really like to have one in .44. Being a manual action you can roll ammo for all different power levels to your need or desire. If I am still around and shooting when they take the autos I will of course have to have a couple levers. One in 10mm would really be the high want for me. One place I know of so far does make a nice one but sadly at a price I am not sure the Wife would not be super mad about

44 Magnum ballistics out of a 16-20" barrel is really something special. 357 Magnum isn't to shabby either. Lever guns handle and point naturally. Lot's to like about them. Still if the balloon goes up and you are walking around with a Model 94 in the open, you will likely get as many odd looks as if you were carrying a Colt 6920.

If you want discreet, it is a Glock 26 buried deep under some clothes.

So here's my take on the discreet part. If someone sees you carrying any gun it's going to raise eyebrows. Here it should put anyone seeing it on alert, as there's very specific places you can go with a firearm and its SUPPOSED to be to-from, nowhere else.

The "discreet" part for me would be the casual observer being more likely to give you the benefit of the doubt if they happen to see you, or your gun, in a less intense situation. Are they more likely to blow off having seen a lever gun, or an all black AR?

My wife shoots a little, and hunts, but she doesn't like ARs, and simply tolerates mine. I promise if she sees one sitting anywhere she doesn't expect it, it will at least raise eyebrows. At the same time, I KNOW for a fact you can have a hunting rifle sitting in the front seat of your truck IN town and not get a second glance.

A fairly anti-gun co-worker of mine, would often comment on seeing my gun cases in the back of my truck, or when I carried them to where I locked them up while at work. Nothing negative really, usually just to ask where I was hunting etc. I used to tinker on stuff after hours at work also, and she had often seen my pile of gun and bow parts sitting in my office.
The only time she was ever actually upset she recognized an AR case, I'd guess because of the empty mags I had in the exterior pouches. If it had been anyone else besides one of us (we were all friends), it's very likely to have ended in a call to the police.

Again I've generally had no issues with the Anti-gunners I've known, and they have actually been few and far between, but nothing triggers that reaction like an all black, hard angle, "assault" rifle, especially if they see it with all the accessories.

To me, "discreet" means easy to keep out of view.

The defensive lever gun concept has a lot of similarities with the scout rifle concept except, inexplicably, the lever gun concept seems to have originated in the era of AR popularity making it utterly DOA.

earlthegoat2 said:

The defensive lever gun concept has a lot of similarities with the scout rifle concept except, inexplicably, the lever gun concept seems to have originated in the era of AR popularity making it utterly DOA.

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I think that is mainly due to the response of some localities and states to said ARs due to that very popularity. I am thankfully still able to own an AR here in Illinois, which is probably surprising to some (it is to me honestly), but I'm always keeping an eye on options if that changes. Some may try to skirt restrictive laws by using CA compliant stocks, fin style grips, and things like that, but not everyone wants to make what some will consider an ugly rifle.

All that to say for many people its a DOA concept, but it fills a real niche in the market.

I'm thinking discrete is overrated these days:





IMHO, IF it gets to the point you need a weapon, then arm yourself with the most efficient, state of the art, legal in your AO, piece of equipment you can get your hands on.

If its that bad I need a rifle I don’t think it’ll matter if it looks like an AR.

I do agree if you keep it over your mantle and dont want to freak out your visiting relatives.

earlthegoat2 said:

The defensive lever gun concept has a lot of similarities with the scout rifle concept except, inexplicably, the lever gun concept seems to have originated in the era of AR popularity making it utterly DOA.

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Um, OK.

I think the "defensive lever gun concept" originated in the era of the mid-1860's, and has plenty of years of validation.

Nobody thinks of lever actions as "urban." Or "discreet," for that matter. These are throwbacks to another time and place. "Discreet" and "urban," above all, would be concealable.

Shoot a lever action from prone under a truck, using the wheels for cover. Reload while in the same position.

Repeating firearms are a quantum behind self loading ones, even leaving out the single loading vs replaceable magazine advantage.

The other factor is power. If I’m going to lug around a rifle sized object I want rifle ballistics, both external and terminal. PCCs are fun and all, and I really like mine, but pistol calibers just aren’t as effective as rifle rounds.

BSW

@BSW summed it up well.

I like levers as much as the next guy but when they don’t compare to an AR platform when the chips are down.

AR’s will be the nostalgia weapon of old sometime down the road, filling that quaint firearm of old that the lever guns held.

Time moves on.

Discreet Urban Carbine

1. When people see the...

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To me having something clearly visible is the opposite of it being intentionally unobtrusive or discreet.

BreechFace said:

@BSW summed it up well.

I like levers as much as the next guy but when they don’t compare to an AR platform when the chips are down.

AR’s will be the nostalgia weapon of old sometime down the road, filling that quaint firearm of old that the lever guns held.

Time moves on.

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Agree. I own both and I like my 336 a lot but if the chips were down I'd reach for an AR platform. I don't think a levergun would be any more discrete around town, either. Any sort of rifle is going to garner attention if someone is carrying it around town. Even an open carry handgun gets a lot of attention, mostly negative.

As to PCCs, I like my Ruger 9mm PCC; with a 32 round Glock mag and a SIG red Dot, it will suffice just fine.

.455_Hunter said:

Um, OK.

I think the "defensive lever gun concept" originated in the era of the mid-1860's, and has plenty of years of validation.

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I see what you did there but many know lever guns have had a resurgence in recent years. I concede, They were never dead before this resurgence but the idea of the “tactical lever gun” that IS a recent fad, is DOA except in the circumstances pointEd out by @BigBL87

I am a fan of lever guns. I think many here know that. I’m also a pragmatist and tend to not find things where they don’t exist.

AR15...Bah!! I'll keep my AR10...Discreet urban lever gun? I have two. Winchester M94 (.30-30) and a Browning BLR (.308). Best hunting rifles ever, but do not have the magazine capacity needed for mass defense.