If it weren't for American made I would be all over a browning. For American made stick to Henry or marlin. The winchester a are good guns for sure but they are nowhere near as smooth as marlin or Henry. Most 336 or glenfield model 30 are smooth as glass and the Henry guns aren't too far behind. Side eject on marlins guarantees you won't be doing any buttcrack burn dances when hot brass finds ways to go over your head to places it shouldn't go. As for caliber, 30-30 is a classic but there are some other really good choices including a few box-fed lever guns in calibers like 308. If you want some thump then 45-70. If it were me, I would just hit the pawn shops until I found a good one and country of origin not be a player. You still are helping an American business by being a paying customer.