lever guns

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

As a left handed shooter, I have always enjoyed shooting lever action rifles, is a lot easier to use left handed, than a right handed gun, other than a Browning pump, or a Ithaca 37 pump, the both eject out the bottom.

Left handed guns have always been a lot more expensive. Up until covid, lever guns were a lot less expensive. Truth is there is actually no reason for the high dollar price on lever guns, other than the can get it , generally
people are kinda stupid, if they would not pay the high price, the price would come down,

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

More likely, if people will not pay big $$ for a much-diminished levergun demand, the manufacturers will just stop making them.

Hunting is becoming less and less popular with each, increasingly urbanized, generation. Lever actions are not optimal for home defense against rioting mobs, nor prepping, nor gun games (aside from Cowboy Action), nor long-distance paper punching.

They are a niche market and largely range toys at this point, not to mention the high price and limited availability of .30-30, .45-70, and other traditional lever action cartridges.

I still see a limited future for new lever-actions, but only as nostalgic heirloom-quality guns, thus expensive.

I really, really want a new, steel and wood Savage M99- but chambered in modern cartridges like .223, 300BO, or .350L. Hell, Id even love a .22LR.
But I fully expect to pay over a grand for one, and thats fine by me IF the quality is there.

 

[Hookeye]

The market is the market.

IIRC even Remington Express could be had lefty.

 

[Hookeye]

BTW, I rather like Ruger #1s and Browning Citoris............totally ambi.
Am a righty, so that didn't matter to me.
Still picked em.

 

[Ranger99]

When I was young, you didn't just
go to the gun store and pick up a
left handed anything. You could
put up a deposit and order some
expensive lefty something.
Since I was left handed, it was
pretty tough figuring things out.
It was more or less, " here's a gun,
figure things out or not. ."
I learned to shoot firearms and bows
both righty since they're the most
commonly available.

Yes. Available lever rifles are way
too expensive IMO at this point
in time. I won't be buying any new
for myself anytime soon.
Won't be paying $2.00 a pop for
any ammunition of any sort
either. I've still got a few dozen
reusable arrows that I know for
a fact that will take whatever
game I might need to put in
the freezer

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

well, I reload for all my guns except 22 LR, and I still would like a good 1886 45-70, Browning 1895 30-06, a new Browning or Henry 308, and a good 92 in 45 colt.

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

I have a Henry Golden Boy 22, a Henry all weather 45-70 with the loading gate and 18.5 inch barrel, and a Rossi 38/357. Folks down here in south Alabama still hunt, hogs, gators, and deer. In most places here can get one a day, during deer season, but they are kinda small

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

I also have pistols, and I reload for them too,

 

[dobedo]

As a left handed shooter, I have always enjoyed shooting lever action rifles, is a lot easier to use left handed, than a right handed gun, other than a Browning pump, or a Ithaca 37 pump, the both eject out the bottom.

Left handed guns have always been a lot more expensive. Up until covid, lever guns were a lot less expensive. Truth is there is actually no reason for the high dollar price on lever guns, other than the can get it , generally
people are kinda stupid, if they would not pay the high price, the price would come down,

I have 3 Henrys went to lever actions 40 + years ago. I started with a 1920 Model 94 Winchester given to me by my father-in-law and it had only been shot 5 times. A couple years back I acquired a Big Horn Armory model 89 in .500 S&W magnum. The ejection was at the top like the old Winchester and perfect for us lefties. My first rifle was a bolt action 30/06 M77 Ruger. I had it for 1 year just sucked for a leftie.

 

[chicharrones]

As a left handed shooter, I have always enjoyed shooting lever action rifles, is a lot easier to use left handed, than a right handed gun, other than a Browning pump, or a Ithaca 37 pump, the both eject out the bottom.

Left handed guns have always been a lot more expensive. Up until covid, lever guns were a lot less expensive. Truth is there is actually no reason for the high dollar price on lever guns, other than the can get it , generally
people are kinda stupid, if they would not pay the high price, the price would come down,

It seems like everything but ARs and poly framed pistols have gone full stupid in pricing.

Leverguns, Ruger revolvers, pre-lock S&Ws, houses, trucks, cars, groceries . . .

It makes life a PITA when my salary doesn't keep up.

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

funny part is Turkey is building 1911s for less than 400 dollars and seem to be realy good rendictions, and Tisas builds a copy of the Browning high power for about half what an original costs

 

[chicharrones]

funny part is Turkey is building 1911s for less than 400 dollars and seem to be realy good rendictions, and Tisas builds a copy of the Browning high power for about half what an original costs

Yep.

Turkey vs US: Cost of Living, Salary & Prices comparison

The average cost of living in Turkey ($724) is 70% less expensive than in the United States ($2433). Turkey ranked 131st vs 7th for the United States in the list of the most expensive countries in the world. The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 0.9 months in Turkey...

livingcost.org

 

[9x56MS]

More likely, if people will not pay big $$ for a much-diminished levergun demand, the manufacturers will just stop making them.

Hunting is becoming less and less popular with each, increasingly urbanized, generation. Lever actions are not optimal for home defense against rioting mobs, nor prepping, nor gun games (aside from Cowboy Action), nor long-distance paper punching.

They are a niche market and largely range toys at this point, not to mention the high price and limited availability of .30-30, .45-70, and other traditional lever action cartridges.

I still see a limited future for new lever-actions, but only as nostalgic heirloom-quality guns, thus expensive.

I really, really want a new, steel and wood Savage M99- but chambered in modern cartridges like .223, 300BO, or .350L. Hell, Id even love a .22LR.
But I fully expect to pay over a grand for one, and thats fine by me IF the quality is there.

Don’t tell my savage 99, Browning BLR or Marlin 336 as they may start acting uppity and not wanting to go hunting in the rain or snow anymore. Check out a Savage 99 in 300 savage or 358 win.

 

[e rex]

I have a Marlin 93 lever rifle that my Granddad gave me many years ago, like it a lot but I also like my Remington 760 slide action.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Been on a jag with levers for hunting, and range toys, for a long time. The only one with a scope is a '94 Marlin.
The habit of traditional Winchester/Browning to toss their empties straight out the top has always complicated their use with optics. The late, angle eject models were never a hit.
I use tang sights on my Mirokchesters. Yeah, they are expensive, but if you enjoy good machinery, they are worth the money. The Rossi versions aren't as wonderfully made, but they are serviceable.
BTW, there was a spell there that neither the Winnies nor the Rossi were available much of anywhere.
Moon

 

[jmr40]

Truth is there is actually no reason for the high dollar price on lever guns, other than the can get it ,

I'm going to disagree. I can remember back in the day when a new Marlin or Winchester 30-30 sold for under $200 and used ones under $100. This was when a new bolt action was $250 ish. When I looked at the complexity of a lever action and the hand fitting required to put one together I always felt they were undervalued. A bolt action rifle is far simpler, and lends itself to mass production much more so than a lever gun. When I compared the 2 I always felt bolt action rifles were the ones that were overpriced.

Today that is reversed. You can now get a bolt action for 1/2 what a lever action costs whereas that was the opposite for most of my life. The way I see it this is just a market correction.

Which for me has been a good thing. I have always preferred a bolt gun to use but have a deep appreciation for the workmanship it took to build a lever action. I bought up quite a few Marlin and Winchester lever guns when I could get used ones cheap and have sold about a dozen in the last few years at a good profit. If people are fighting to give me $1200 for a rifle that I paid $200 for they can have it.

 

[Hookeye]

funny part is Turkey is building 1911s for less than 400 dollars and seem to be realy good rendictions, and Tisas builds a copy of the Browning high power for about half what an original costs

And what is the resale value of such clones?

 

[3Crows]

As a left handed shooter, I have always enjoyed shooting lever action rifles, is a lot easier to use left handed, than a right handed gun, other than a Browning pump, or a Ithaca 37 pump, the both eject out the bottom.

Left handed guns have always been a lot more expensive. Up until covid, lever guns were a lot less expensive. Truth is there is actually no reason for the high dollar price on lever guns, other than the can get it , generally
people are kinda stupid, if they would not pay the high price, the price would come down,

The prices of lever guns and guns in general reflects the new normal that affects prices of everything. Demand for guns is high and supply is tight across the board. Marlin was out of the market for nearly three years. The supply is tight and it will be several years yet before Marlin under Ruger is fully ramped up. In due course availability should damp price gouging even of the popular models. But prices will never go back to the past, even the relatively recent past. A rising tide floats all boats, do not expect prices for quality used lever guns to do anything but continue an upward trend.

 

[.45Coltguy]

I'm going to disagree. I can remember back in the day when a new Marlin or Winchester 30-30 sold for under $200 and used ones under $100. This was when a new bolt action was $250 ish. When I looked at the complexity of a lever action and the hand fitting required to put one together I always felt they were undervalued. A bolt action rifle is far simpler, and lends itself to mass production much more so than a lever gun. When I compared the 2 I always felt bolt action rifles were the ones that were overpriced.

Today that is reversed. You can now get a bolt action for 1/2 what a lever action costs whereas that was the opposite for most of my life. The way I see it this is just a market correction.

Which for me has been a good thing. I have always preferred a bolt gun to use but have a deep appreciation for the workmanship it took to build a lever action. I bought up quite a few Marlin and Winchester lever guns when I could get used ones cheap and have sold about a dozen in the last few years at a good profit. If people are fighting to give me $1200 for a rifle that I paid $200 for they can have it.

Back in the mid 70's, Woolworth dept stores were selling Win Mod 94's for $79.00!! Penny's had Win Mod 94's for $98.00 in '78. A lot of my friends bought those in the day.

 

[chicharrones]

Back in the mid 70's, Woolworth dept stores were selling Win Mod 94's for $79.00!! Penny's had Win Mod 94's for $98.00 in '78. A lot of my friends bought those in the day.

When they were as ubiquitious as ARs in 2023.

Reminds me of the local Woolworths running regular adds in the newspaper in the early '90s of surplus M1s for $300 and M1 Carbines for $200. I still couldn't afford them and got an SKS instead.

 

[Pat Riot]

I saw a new Marlin 1894 “Classic” .44 Magnum yesterday. The MSRP is $1,239.00. The store had the price of $1,249 on the tag.
This surprised me because Ruger’s guns are always usually a couple hundred bucks under MSRP. I thought maybe that had changed.
It turns out that Sportsman’s Warehouse has the 1894 listed at $1099.00.
Bud’s has the 1894 listed at $1499.00.
Grab-A-Gun has it listed at $1299.00.
Midway USA has the 1894 at $1459.00


It appears to me that not only are manufacturer’s prices high, but as you can see we have stores and suppliers jacking prices around. It seems to have become okay to price gouge.

Well, they can ask whatever they want. That’s their business. They obviously don’t need my money so I will just go ahead and double my money…by folding it and putting it back in my pocket.

It is not the consumer’s job to keep these businesses afloat. Hell they all already have us Beta Testing their inferior products.
I am not going to buy just to keep them in business. That’s what me and everyone else did during CoVid. That’s over now.

Links to the businesses with their prices that I listed above.

Marlin 1894 Classic Blued Lever Action Rifle - 44 Magnum - 20in

Marlin 1894 Classic Blued Lever Action Rifle - 44 Magnum - 20in - Improved manufacturing processes create tight tolerances, resulting in a reliable, attractive rifle. Multi-layered quality control procedures, including daily function and accuracy audits and multiple inspections, result in a...

www.sportsmans.com

"Marlin 1894" for Sale - Buds Gun Shop

Browse our "Marlin 1894" for Sale on BudsGunShop.com. Use our advanced product search tools to find exactly what you are looking for!

www.budsgunshop.com

Search results for: 'Marlin 1894 classic'

grabagun.com

Marlin 1894 Classic Lever Action Centerfire Rifle 44 Remington Mag

Ruger is proud to announce the reintroduction of the Marlin Model 1894 Classic chambered in .44 Rem Mag. The Model 1894 Classic features the traditional...

www.midwayusa.com

 

[3Crows]

I will be getting an 1894SS as soon as they come out in either .44M or .45C.

 

[Hokkmike]

They are a niche market and largely range toys at this point, not to mention the high price and limited availability of .30-30, .45-70, and other traditional lever action cartridges.

Quote condensed by me... I think they are bit more than just "range toys". If they are a "niche market" it is a pretty BIG one. More so than, for example, pump action rifles or single shots. I think a large appeal comes from cartridges that are suitable for BOTH handguns and rifles. One thing sure, they are classic Americana - and THAT is cool.

 

[sevt_chevelle]

Lever actions have a dying market/fan base.

People my age, am 43, didn't grow up watching westerns, don't idolize the Duke and therefore don't by large buy lever action guns.

Guys younger than me, could care less about levers.

My club has a CAS club, it's nothing but retirees and gets smaller every year.

It's also pretty darn easy to make things cheaper in another country when their wages would be considered slave wages in the USA and they don't have an EPA to worry about.

 

[3Crows]

There is about nothing more unappealing to me than yet another black AR type aluminum platform rifle. Talk about a range toy. They are nothing but range toys with the possible exception of hog elimination. What purpose other than banging away rapid fire where allowed does a high cap semi-auto rifle pretend to accomplish that a lever gun or bolt gun could not accomplish better? How many times does a hunter need to shoot a deer before it is dead? Spray and pray something connects? I will keep with lever guns and I am not of a mind they are dying out. The market has grown smaller for hunting and sporting weapons for all types of traditional arms because the market now is indeed---RANGE TOYS --- that are tacti-cool. Or long range target shooting sports at a range with a chassis rifle which is therefore also a RANGE TOY.