Lever Gun

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LOLBELL

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I am looking to buy a lever 44 mag and have some questions. I don't want to start the which is best argument (but I will be glad to listen to some). First off I don't like the safety, so I thought I'd have to settle for an older gun. I have a lead on a Winchester Ranger but it seems kinda over priced. Today while surfing I came across a thread somewhere about changing the crossbolt saftey out on a Marlin with a Saddle Ring or just a pin. Is this somthing a gunsmith has to do or could a mechanically inclined lineman preform that task? Also what do we think about Rossi's and is there anyway to do away with the safety? I like their price, but is it worth spending the extra for a Marlin or Winchester? Also what about accuracy and the slow rate of twist in the Marlin? I may think of some more later but I guess that is all for now THANKS
 
many will argue with me but they are wrong. Altering or removing a safety on a firearm is horrible idea from a liability standpoint. If the gun is ever involved in any sort of incident the altered safety COULD become an issue and an attorney could use it against you in court. I have asked 3 lawyers who all said they would crucify a guy in court if the gun had been tampered with.

I have a 44 Magnum Winchester Trapper with the safety and I find it to be a minimal irritation at worst. If you simply cannot abide the notion of having the manual safety then buy an older model without it. I urge you in the strongest possible terms not to even consider disabling a safety on a gun.

PS: Any professional gunsmith who would do this on a customer's gun is a fool of the highest order just waiting for a lawsuit.
 
http://www.leverguns.com/articles/taylor/crossbolt_safety.htm

or there are these options http://www.beartoothbullets.com/tech_notes/archive_tech_notes.htm/52

I was really opposed to having a safety on a marlin my first 2 didn't have them, I thought it was the only way to roll. Then I got my 3rd, it had a safety, and irritated me for 5 minutes, then I never thought about it again. Never used it, never caused a problem, it was a non-issue. Now a bigger issue is the build quality of the new remington built marlins. Run, do not walk, away from and new manufacture marlin. I got a bad one (marlin #4) and sent it back to remington. They replaced the whole gun, and when the tech at the factory got the replacement he rejected it and ordered a replacement for the replacement. My saga started 2 months ago, and the gun is supposed to arrive at my office monday. I'm kind of scared to open it.......

The rossi's are pretty good guns too. They slick up even better than marlins, but aren't as easy to do. Marlin's easier to take apart, easier to scope, and generally has better wood. Rossi's are lighter and trimmer. Their sight's aren't very good. I don't know anything about the henry's.
 
I also considered the Henry Big Boy, but they are heavy at best and to me are just too pretty of a gun. I would be scared of scratching that pretty brass. I do like the fact that they are made in USA though
 
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I don't think you could go wrong with any of the common 44 rifles. I prefer one type, but its more personal preference than anything.

I prefer the older type also. I've never heard of anyone that had trouble from changing out the crossbolt, but if you aren't used to either type, it may not matter all that much if it's there or not. The crossbolts are probably safer to unload than the half cock type, especially if you aren't fairly experienced with the action type, tho if you pay attention you shouldnt have a problem. I haven't in 35 or so years of using the old type.


As much as I like the Winchester 94's, I think the Winchester type action that's at it's best in pistol length cartridges is the 92 type. You can find used Browning 92's for about what some of the new guns are selling for, and I think they are head and shoulders better quality guns that anything else I've seen in a 44 levergun, period.
 
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The Marlin crossbolt safety can be tweeked by just tightening up the allen screw that holds it in. Tighten the screw up to the point where you have to PUT the safety on with some force. Then you don't have to worry about it getting activated by accident but it's still on the gun and it still functions for liability purposes.
 
Wait a minute. Y'all mean my Marlins have safeties on them? So thats what that little button is.
 
Any professional gunsmith who would do this on a customer's gun is a fool of the highest order just waiting for a lawsuit.
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Beware legal advice from the peanut gallery. I think your fears are unfounded....


many will argue with me but they are wrong.
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....and your approach, interesting. Does making such a statement automatically preclude all retort from consideration??? I should start doing that. :rolleyes:


Doug Turnbull must be one of these "fools waiting for a lawsuit". For he is removing tang safeties, welding up the hole and installing traditional half cock lockwork into contemporary Winchesters.
 
I have two Rossi/Puma lever actions in .44 Mag. I don't think I have ever used the safety on either one. If I'm not shooting it on the range, then the action is open. If I am carrying it around the woods it is on half-cock. My 20" has a replacement safety plug, but the safety on the 16" is never used. Even if I was to carry it with an empty chamber, it only takes a second to chamber a round.

I prefer the 1892 action over the Marlins, but that is just my preference. Both are good and strong for the cartridges they shoot. As far as accuracy, my guns like Ranch Dogs 265 bullets. I cast them from wheel weights and have no problems with leading.
 
Thousands of us who purchased Ruger MKIIIs have removed the magazine disconnect "safety" feature. Thousands of us have removed the lever "safety" from our 1873s and the Marlins. Thousands of us have removed the magazine disconnects on our 39s and 59s. I'm old school but I bet millions have removed the magazine disconnects from other semi auto pistols.

Personal preference.
 
I have a Rossi in .357. I like it a lot. It hasn't given me any trouble, is light to carry and is fun to shoot. Mine has the safety on the bolt. I'm considering removing it in favor of a peep sight.
 
I think the safety is probably a good idea, on the whole, I prefer to think about them like Cindy Crawfords mole, while it might be the first thing you see, you could probably learn to live with it. I was taught that the second click back on the hammer was safety. Otherwise, I think I would think about the original design of the rifle, I had a post 1964 Winchester 94 in 44 mag that was picky as hell about ammo. But the action was designed for rather longer bottle necked cartridges, 25/35, 30/30, 38-55 etc. Winchester mod 92's were for pistol length catridges 32/20, 38-40, 44-40 and the like, should make the Rossi's right on the mark. If Marlin is your brand go model 1894. The best looking lever action, is a model 73 winchesterish Cimmaron clone that my buddy Dave wont turn loose of. oh and when I here bitching about Rossi wood, I think of how many truly rough used,Winchester 92s I've seen with GUMWOOD stocks, and how these rossis should look perfect in about 110 years. But thats just me.
 
Now a bigger issue is the build quality of the new remington built marlins. Run, do not walk, away from and new manufacture marlin. I got a bad one (marlin #4) and sent it back to remington. They replaced the whole gun, and when the tech at the factory got the replacement he rejected it and ordered a replacement for the replacement. My saga started 2 months ago, and the gun is supposed to arrive at my office monday. I'm kind of scared to open it.......
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So are the new Marlins lower quality now or is this an isolated incident.
 
I have looked at the B92's. That would be the gun I would choose. I will keep watch on this auction. The only Brownings on G/B yesterday were the Centennial models, which are rather high priced and a rifle I would not want to use as a woods rifle.
 
Shame on you! a brass framed Henry is an AMERICAN Masterpiece, its art, its , ,its well it IS heavy But shame on you anyway. For your penance you should go buy one, or don't you like AMERICAN guns. My brother has one of the henry 22's he pissed and moaned about the front sight being nylon, but then one fine day he was forced to admit he could adjust it windage wise by shaving it with his pocket knife. Any way my daughter took it from him and wont give it back. Which is fine he wants one of the Henry Pump 22s. I think every right thinking American should go out and buy a Henry Rifle, and remember what Steel and Walnut, and a little brass can produce! pun intended
 
A brass framed 1860 Henry is an American masterpiece. That brass monstrosity the current Henry Repeating Arms (zero lineage from Benjamin Tyler Henry and zero in common with the original) puts out is not. Yes, I love "AMERICAN guns". That is, quality american guns. Quality american leverguns and I have a dozen of them. Finely polished and blued steel and walnut. Brass where applicable. Shame on me? Shame on Imperato for cashing in on the famous name with his overpriced, overweight and overpolished junk.


...remember what Steel and Walnut, and a little brass...
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...pot metal and plastic. :rolleyes:
 
I really want to respond Craig C, but I am in awe of your knowledge of history, and overall broader depth of undertanding. I really feel like it would be futile to try and compete. I wonder what it would cost to make an 1860 Henry rifle today, in America, or beg a museum to let me shoot theirs. But your probably one of those lucky old duffers who actually has one, with a supply of 44Henry Rimfire and shoots it. I appologize for questioning your patiotism. What else did Wikipedia say about the henry?
 
I have asked 3 lawyers who all said they would crucify a guy in court if the gun had been tampered with.
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Some of us consider the addition of superfluous "safeties" to be tampering worthy of crucifixion. ;) or maybe :evil:

I have had over thirty years use/familiarity with leveration rifles with only the traditional half-cock safety. Old Marlin 336, Marlin 39, Winchester 1894. I find the additional cross-bolt (new Marlin) or tang safety (new Winchester) to be an unncessary distraction. Since I own both an 1950s Marlin 39 .22 and a newer 336W .30-30, I put a neoprene O-ring in the groove of the cross-bolt safety so both guns have the same safety protocol on which I have instinctively been conditioned to rely.

On that Rossi/Taurus bolt safety on the Puma:
Code: 
      "OFF":            "ON":               My alteration:
                         _                                
       F                | |                     F         
      ___               | |                    ___        
     /   \____         /   \_____             /   \       
    (     ____)       (     _____)           (     )      
     \   /             \___/                  \   /       
      | |                                      | |        
      | |                S                     | |        
      |_|                                      |_|
I found the "wing" the most annoying part. I removed the safety lever and removed the "wing" sculpting the lever into a teardrop shape and lowering the protrusion of the thumb piece and re-installed it. Using a bamboo skewer and paint thinner, I picked the paint out of the "F" for fire, and filled in the "S" with a brighter color. The safety can be used for unloading purposes, but with my stronger spring behind the ball detent. It is less likely to be accidentally flipped on (OR OFF) without the "wing" protrusion but with a lowered thumb piece, and a stronger spring.
 
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