Do it all levergun

Stainless Rossi R92, 16` 357 is my choice.

I wouldn't have any hesitation to use my Rossi for self and home defense. Same story for my 4" 357 GP100. If the Democrats manage to confiscate my ARs and Glocks they'll do just fine.

Winchester 9410, a Winchester 94 chambered in 2.5 inch 410 bore shotgun. I hunted everything from dove to whitetail with that gun. Fun gun.

I'd be looking at one of the boxfed lever action rifles. Savage 99, Win 95, Browning BLR, and Henry long ranger. The Henry is probably the easiest to find and I'd either go with the 6.5CM or 243 Win for the most versatile cartridge. Toss an LPVO or MPVO on top and I can't think of a wider net to cast while staying in a lever action.

I'd go Henry in 45-70. Big as you need but trapdoor loads are mild. You won't hold many rounds but you shouldn't need many

Really, I'd feel pretty well up with my Marlin 1894 in .41MAG. My Honorable Mention would have to be my Savage 99 in .308; obviously, it has half the magazine capacity, but it loads faster... through the open breech... than the Marlin. Once you get beyond 50yds, the ballistics of the .308 overtake the .41. Being a true rifle, the 99 isn't quite as handy as the shorter Marlin.

For a Do-It-All levergun I would go with my Rossi Model 92 in .45 Colt.

I like my Marlin 1894 in .44 magnum with a red dot.

Demi-human said:

I’ve never found a problem eleven rounds of 44Magnum from a stainless lever couldn’t solve.

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This right here...^^^

Of course I do prefer my AR, but I would not feel undergunned one single bit with one of my my combat cowboy carbines in either .357 or .44 mag.
The Chiappa takedown, is the .44 mag, the Rossi is the .357.

Assuming self defense means defense against human aggressors in close quarters situations the Marlin 1894 in 44 Mag or 357 Mag would be my two choice. I like the extra power of the 44 Mag but I have to admit that the 357 Mag is probably the most practical choice especially when paired with a DA revolver in same caliber.

bearcreek said:

Flintlocks were in continuous use in that role for some 350 years, far longer than the lever action. Has something changed, rendering them ineffective? No, they're just as effective as they always have been. What's changed is what the opposing party is likely to have.

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But the subject is lever guns, not flintlocks.

35W

What he uses.

These:



No, you are not seeing double. Stainless steel and laminate for rugged climates and the ability to load down to where it shoots like a big .22 Short or all the way up to loads just short of the mighty .458 Win Mag! Big holes rule the day! And night!

3C

I have a Winchester model 94 in 30-30 ... I reload for it and cast bullets from 115 grs. to 200 grs .
The 30-30 can be downloaded to hunt squirrels or uploaded to hunt deer and hogs .
Works pretty well as all around rifle , even in a defensive situation ...
But ... I've always wanted a Lever Gun along the lines of a model 92 in ... 41 Magnum !!!
Marlin made one years ago but my buddy wont sell his . I think Henry makes / made a lever gun in 41 Magnum and that one may just be the ticket !
I reload and cast many bullets in 41 Magnum ... my Avatar is my model 58 S&W in 41 Magnum .
Having a revolver and lever action rifle both chambered in 41 Magnum would be so Cool ...
The 41 Magnum in a rifle would make a very sweet deer, hog and defensive rifle !
Gary

I "liked" several posters for choosing .357 and that isn't a bad choice at all. But, I'd more than likely grab my .45 lever as I have two .45 Colt revolvers to go with it. Loaded.
And plenty of ammo sprinkled around the house.

Do it all … one of my Marlins…336 in 30-30

If a person prefers a 94 … thats great too

I have Winchester and Marlin lever action rifles and like them both. For the use described in the OP I would take my Marlin 1894S .44 Magnum sporting Ghost Ring sights and stoked with Speer 270 grain Deep Curl JSP over 20.3 grains of H110.

I'm a big fan of the 30-30.
I would keep my SRC '94 as my one.

What's wrong with a lever gun for self defense? They've been in continuous use in that role since approximately 1860.

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Only in movies and on TV. In the real world there are several disadvantages to using a lever action.
The military evaluated lever guns but briefly chose a single shot before quickly moving to bolt rifles. Lever guns were issued to some National Guard units but were never used as a front-line military rifle.

If for some reason a semi-auto was not an option, I'd choose a compact "scout style" bolt rifle for exactly the same reasons the military chose bolt guns over levers.

Comparing bolt guns to levers a bolt rifle is:

Cheaper
Lighter, if in the same barrel length
More accurate
More reliable
Shoots more powerful cartridges
Greater effective range
Can be reloaded faster
Can easily be shot prone, supported and from behind cover. To operate a lever action requires the shooter to expose himself to return fire

The only minor edge a lever gun has is rate of fire. If you're goal is to simply fire 5 or 6 rounds in a hurry, you can do that faster with a lever action. But if there is a requirement that all 5 or 6 rounds actually hit a target it is a draw.

But between a lever in 44 mag or 30-30 my 1st choice is one of the Marlins made with a straight grip. Those are somewhat hard to come by so my 2nd choice is a Winchester. Those tend to be lighter and more compact than the pistol gripped Marlins.

Compared to 44 mag recoil is about the same. The 44 usually holds a few more rounds, but it isn't worth giving up the better accuracy and longer range capability of 30-30 to me. Rifles in 30-30 are a lot more common and at better prices too.

bearcreek said:

Hunting what? That's the biggest variable here.

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Exactly!

Savage 99 in .308.

.45Coltguy

But, I'd more than likely grab my .45 lever as I have two .45 Colt revolvers to go with it. Loaded.

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I'm with you .45Coltguy and I have four wheelguns in .45 Colt to keep my Model 92 company!

Atta boy bannockburn! Good looking bunch right there.

336 in 30-30 is great choice. All of the pistol caliber recommendations above run out of steam at 100 yards. Hunting was one of your criteria and the Hornady polymer tipped 160 grs over Leverevolution give you 2400-2450 fps, making it a 200 yard proposition.