Do good lever guns still exist?

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

Chain Smoker

Member
Joined
Aug 6, 2014
Messages
29
I'm in the market for a new lever gun. Problem is, there seem to be issues with all the ones being produced today:

Rossi: Notorious for poor quality control.

Marlin: Widely reported to have suffered in quality since being taken over by Remington. I've handled new Marlins recently that had actions so stiff that I thought they were "locked" somehow. They weren't.

Mossberg: Not known for it's rifles, though their 464 is more tempting than the competition right now. Still, the idea of a Mossberg rifle just seems strange to me, like buying that Savage shotgun.

Henry: Most of their rifles have gaudy, ugly, brass receivers and silly octogon barrels that accomplish absolutely nothing but adding weight. In fact, most of their rifles are extremely heavy compared to competitors, which negates one of the most important advantages and appeals of lever guns. Their only decent offering is on the pricey side too, which I would tolerate if it was a company I could take seriously.

Winchester: Extremely expensive, though I may get one if nothing else pans out.



Anyone got any advice?
 
I'd go with the Rossi and either do a couple of small upgrades or send it to one of the guys who does those upgrades for the SASS Cowboy shooters. For the money you can't beat 'em!
 
http://www.henryrifles.com/rifles/big-boy/
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I meant. A revolver-caliber lever gun should not weigh 8.5 freakin' pounds! And that U-G-L-Y brass receiver! People seriously buy these? And to top it all off, it's got that slide-out style magazine, effectively removing the traditional lever gun's last remaining advantage: the ability to fill the magazine without taking the weapon out of battery. I've never seen a firearm designed so wrong in my entire life. It's as if they deliberately designed it specifically to lack every single feature that distinguishes lever guns from other rifles.
 
And as for Winchesters, I forgot to mention that I've heard that they require special tools/knowledge to disassemble and may need to be sent to the factory for maintenance periodically. If that's true, that's unacceptable to me.
 
the wincehsters are just 1892's made by miroku in japan. they're really nice.

supposedly the brand new marlins have finally gotten their act together, but I'd take them on a case by case basis. A stiff action might just mean it's oversprung. And dry. Every stock marlin I have ever handled was oversprung.
 
I've got levers in Winchester, Browning and Uberti. All are very nice indeed. If you can find a Browning (like a 92), they're awfully nice rifles. Generally you get what you pay for... at least, the more you pay the nicer it usually is. My Uberti is a Winchester 1873 clone, and it's a gorgeous rifle. It's smooth, accurate, and the fit and finish is top notch. Yes, you have to pay for it. Have you priced a nice bolt action rifle though? These days, ANY gun is going to cost more than they used to.
 
Many of us on Marlin forums have bought new Marlins and they are great. Mine was made last May and has no problems at all. They are getting much, much better.

The action on mine worked fine but I still had the insides stoned when I had the 'smith install a big loop lever. There's nothing wrong with it.
 
I've been hearing that they've gotten their crap together as of late, but it really irks me whenever I hear widespread bad reviews of firearms from a manufacturer. Guns are very dangerous, and are used in situations where lives may be at stake. A bad one should NEVER leave the factory.
 
Very true, and Remington did some underhanded low-down things for sure. When I bought mine I did not know all of this, I found out afterwards when I joined the Marlin forums and was shocked at some of the things they did. I would not blame anyone for not buying a Marlin for those reasons. But the quality is coming back.
 
I don't think Henry's receivers are brass but actually brasslite.
From another site:
"Both the Goldenboy, and H001 receivers are made of a zinc alloy called Zamak. The name ZAMAK draws upon the basic metallurgy of the alloy group: Z-Zinc, A-Aluminum, MA-Magnesium, and K-Kopper (e.g., German). Remember this is this the receiver cover without serial number so replacement covers can be purchased from Henry, and delivered direct to your home should it become too scratched up for your tastes".
 
There are roughly 14 million perfectly good used Marlins and Winchesters out there. Lots of them looking for a new home. That's how I'd roll.
 
And as for Winchesters, I forgot to mention that I've heard that they require special tools/knowledge to disassemble and may need to be sent to the factory for maintenance periodically. If that's true, that's unacceptable to me.
Click to expand...

I've heard things like that too. I also heard the moon landing was faked, Elvis didnt really die, and sasquatch was running the country. No, wait, thats aliens were running the country.

That may in fact be true, some people may not be up to dealing with Winchesters, though there really isnt much reason to take them apart. They can be cleaned and maintained without taking them apart just fine, and theres zero chance of losing parts that way also. I use mine in all sorts of weather, and doing a complete disassembly every maybe 20 years is probably a bit more than is really neccesary. I still remember how.

FWIW, I discovered the super secret knowledge of how to take a winchester 94 apart when I was 14, with no books, no internet. I took pretty much everything apart, even though there wasnt really much reason to, it was just interesting to me.

It depends on what you want the gun for. Theres plenty of very good used guns of all makes floating around the markets. If you are patient you can find some good deals. I see little reason to buy a new one when good used ones are around, and for less money generally.
 
Chain Smoker;

Another vote to go to the used market. About the only new lever I'd consider would be the Browning except for one thing, - - - - - - - - - - - - - as we were handling one a friend of mine referred to it as; "The hunchback of Morgan Utah" I can't get it outta my mind. Couple that with the fact that I need a lever gun about as bad as I need to take up dropping bowling balls on my foot, and they're toast.

900F
 
bamajoey said:
I don't think Henry's receivers are brass but actually brasslite.
From another site:
"Both the Goldenboy, and H001 receivers are made of a zinc alloy called Zamak. The name ZAMAK draws upon the basic metallurgy of the alloy group: Z-Zinc, A-Aluminum, MA-Magnesium, and K-Kopper (e.g., German). Remember this is this the receiver cover without serial number so replacement covers can be purchased from Henry, and delivered direct to your home should it become too scratched up for your tastes".
Click to expand...
I think that's just the rimfires. Centerfires are brass.
 
I like Marlins. I would buy A new Marlin If I could examine it before I bought it. I have 9 marlins but want A Winchester 92 in .45 Colt. The Jap made Winchesters are sweet. Pricy but sweet.
I will never own another Rossi.

I completly agree with the OP on Henry rifles.
 
Have you looked at a Browning BLR? It has a box magazine and is a pretty nice gun. Browning also makes a nice 22 lever action rifle.
 
Henry centerfires ARE brass, as mentioned.
They're doing lighter guns in some models.
Some actually like the tube loading, you can do it all day without losing skin on your "loading" thumb. :)

The Winchester 94 is infinitely easier to break down & re-assemble than the 92.
The Marlin is much easier than either.
Marlin quality is on the upswing.

The Browning leverguns never saw Utah, beyond a few display and test pieces. No commercial Browning lever-action repeater was ever built here.

The Rossi can be slicked up nicely.
Denis
 
chain, what caliber you looking at?
Click to expand...

It would be a hunting rifle, and I'm leaning towards the .30-30, of course. However, a .357 is tempting. It's my favorite cartridge, and I already reload for the .357, as I have many revolvers in the cartridge. It would also have lighter recoil and blast than the .30-30, and would be just as good out to 100 yards. It'll be an iron-sights-only weapon, and I doubt I'll ever use it past 100 yards, so I want something short-range that maximizes every other advantage.
 
Just went thru this myself. I wanted a 44 mag and a 357 mag and wound up buying used (like new) on GB. Got an older Win. 94 and an older JM Marlin. Had to pay a good price but I've for two beauties to play with.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

T
  • Locked
Current lever action rifles
2
Replies
28
Views
2K
DDDWho
DDDWho
M
  • Locked
Lets talk lever guns...current roundup
2
Replies
29
Views
3K
BigBore44
BigBore44
G
  • Locked
Lever Action Scout
2
Replies
42
Views
3K
416ruger
416ruger
S
  • Locked
Why fewer side eject levers?
2
Replies
42
Views
4K
Scrumbag
S
T
  • Locked
Best lever action rifle?
2 3 4
Replies
82
Views
9K
Tentwing
Tentwing
Back
Top