DA Lever Action?

[LibShooter]

I'm thinking about a lever action .357 for home defense and plinking. I've never fired a lever action, so I have a couple of questions:

1) Is it safe to leave a round in the chamber and let the hammer down? It seems like this would be the best way to have the rifle ready for HD. Sort of like "condition two" for a 1911.

2) Does anyone make a "Double Action" lever action so you don't have to remember to cock the hammer if one needs to use the rifle in a hurry?

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[average_shooter]

Marlin rifles are designed to allow the hammer to be on "half-cock" with a chambered round. They have a safety that blocks the hammer from striking the firing pin, and on half-cock they can be carried with the safety on or off. However, you do need to manually cock the hammer before firing.

I'm not sure of any DA-lever-action rifles. I'm not going to say there aren't any, because I'm sure someone somewhere has come up with one.

 

[Maverick223]

There are a lot of levers that have no safety. Leaving one half cocked is the "safety" and it is very safe to do so. As far as DA levers, I don't know of any either, so I am going to say that they don't exist.

 

[msiley]

There are no DA lever actions.
There's no need to keep a round in the chamber unless
maybe if your hunting and don't want to make any noise.
You can work the lever fast enough to load a round for SD purposes (with practice of course).

As said above, many levers have half cock safeties and you can keep a round in the chamber,
but you'll need to manually cock it.

 

[Furncliff]

An alternative:

You hear it often in gun shops and elsewhere. I heard it again just yesterday as a salesman was showing a customer a pump 12 gauge.

"yell stop, I have a gun, then rack the pump, bad guy will leave the scene",

Well I have no experience to say it will work, but I can't see any harm in trying to turn someone this way. You could leave the chamber empty, then proceed the same way. The sound of the lever working might do the trick. But more important is your consistent approach to a home invasion situation, you know the chamber is empty, you know you are going to announce and operate the lever.

Make sure your weapon is 100% reliable. The Marlin Jam is a famous affliction. I like my Marlin 1894c, but it jams on 38 spl. occasionally (usually my hand loads), I have never had a jam using .357 mag. in it. I would not hesitate to use one for home defense, but I'd want to have a gunsmith give it a reliability message (actually I would do that with any s.d. weapon) and maybe some night sights.

 

[Maverick223]

You hear it often in gun shops and elsewhere. I heard it again just yesterday as a salesman was showing a customer a pump 12 gauge. "yell stop, I have a gun, then rack the pump, bad guy will leave the scene"

No offense, but that is BS. Do you really want to risk your (and your family's) life on that assumption. It is a risk that I choose not to take, as the consequences are far too grave. I do leave my HD long gun with an empty chamber, but only because the safety is a B!T(H (Saiga 12 shotgun), and always charge it and make sure it is ready when I think that I may have cause to use it (luckily I have never had to use it).

 

[LibShooter]

I'm not concerned about having time to work the lever, I'm concerned that in a a high stress situation, I'll forget. The revolver and auto pistol I shoot every week don't need anything but a trigger pull to go bang... so I thought a rifle that acted the same way would be preferable. If they don't make one, I'm sure I can adapt.

 

[greyling22]

inside the house I would prefer a pistol to carbine. more maneuverable. OUTSIDE is another matter. I'd do better throwing rocks then trying to hit something with a pistol

as a side note I am a big fan of the 357 lever gun. they're lots of fun.

 

[rcmodel]

I'm concerned that in a a high stress situation, I'll forget.

If you easily forget things like loading a gun before going to a gunfight, I just don't know what to tell you!

IMO: Leaving a loaded rifle standing in the corner is bad Juju.
What if the house catches on fire?
What if the round cooks off and kills a fireman on the roof?

If you want a lever-action, get one.
Then plan on practicing with it until operating the lever & loading it becomes second nature!

rc

 

[Maverick223]

IMO: Leaving a loaded rifle standing in the corner is bad Juju.

Define "loaded"...is that chambered or rounds in the magazine (which is in the rifle). If it is chambered I agree (with the exception of my pistol), if it is rounds in the rifle I have to respectfully disagree with you. I keep all of my guns loaded without a round in the chamber, and nearly all of them have the safety on (with the exception of the Saiga 12...due to Kalashnikov not understanding how to make one). A unloaded gun (be it pistol, scattergun, or rifle) is useless in a HD situation.

 

[rcmodel]

I consider loaded to mean Loaded, as in a round in the chamber.

If the rounds are all in the magazine, the gun is not loaded, and a fire induced cook-off will not hurt a thing.

rc

 

[Maverick223]

If the rounds are all in the magazine, the gun is not loaded, and a fire induced cook-off will not hurt a thing.

10-4, agreed on all accounts. I still maintain that the firearm (again in any form) should be charged, loaded, made ready when an engagement is believed to be probable or even possible (e.g.: bump in the night).

 

[rcmodel]

I agree with that too.

I just don't believe it should be leaning in the corner with a round in the chamber all the time!

rc

 

[Maverick223]

I just don't believe it should be leaning in the corner with a round in the chamber all the time!

Then we are on the same page and agreed.