nettlle
Contributing Member
I am considering buying one in a pistol caliber. I have only shot two center fire lever actions. A Winchester Model 94 in 30/30 and a Marlin 1894 in 44 Mag. The Marlin 1894 threw pie plate groups off a rest at 50 yards.
Smoothest centerfire lever actions
- Thread starter nettlle
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.45Coltguy
Member
I have two Henry's, .357 and .45 Colt. Smoother actions than my Win or Marlin. And accurate.
.45Coltguy
Member
Those are nice. Real nice!
BigBlue 94
Member
Winchester 1873
One that is 50+ years old and well broken in. Lever actions are the most complex rifle action I'm aware of with more moving parts than others. They can often be difficult to cycle rounds through. I've seen good and bad examples from just about every manufacturer. But with lots of use most do get better.
In my experience the Winchester 94 tends to smooth up better than Marlin. Winchesters tend to be built with looser tolerances than Marlin which IMO makes them a bit more reliable. Marlins tend to be more accurate. But there are plenty of exceptions, so nothing is carved in stone.
The levers chambered in rifle cartridges are usually more accurate than the ones in pistol cartridges too.
In my experience the Winchester 94 tends to smooth up better than Marlin. Winchesters tend to be built with looser tolerances than Marlin which IMO makes them a bit more reliable. Marlins tend to be more accurate. But there are plenty of exceptions, so nothing is carved in stone.
The levers chambered in rifle cartridges are usually more accurate than the ones in pistol cartridges too.
Pat Riot
Contributing Member
If you are not into Cowboy Action Shooting and you want a “new” readily available lever gun I would seriously look at Henry. CAS shooters don’t like them because they have a longer lever throw like the Winchester 94s.
I do not own a Henry (yet) but friends do and they are smooth. Also, their customer service is excellent. I can attest to that. I have a Henry Single Action. Mine came with a very minuscule blemish that I complained about to them. The blemish was due to a warranty card inside the plastic wrapping of the gun that apparently rubbed a little tiny spot in the barrel during shipping and handling. They offered to repair or replace the barrel, my choice. They apologized profusely for the blemish and the hassle. I ended up not taking them up in it as it’s an outdoor gun. It’ll see more of the same and worse. I just wanted to let them know they should change their packaging practice of putting cards in with the gun before wrapping it up to put in the box.
I do not own a Henry (yet) but friends do and they are smooth. Also, their customer service is excellent. I can attest to that. I have a Henry Single Action. Mine came with a very minuscule blemish that I complained about to them. The blemish was due to a warranty card inside the plastic wrapping of the gun that apparently rubbed a little tiny spot in the barrel during shipping and handling. They offered to repair or replace the barrel, my choice. They apologized profusely for the blemish and the hassle. I ended up not taking them up in it as it’s an outdoor gun. It’ll see more of the same and worse. I just wanted to let them know they should change their packaging practice of putting cards in with the gun before wrapping it up to put in the box.
Speedo66
Member
After changing out the ejector spring for a milder one, and working the action a number of times to mate parts, my Rossi is very smooth with a light action.
So do you want a .30-30 or a .44 Magnum? I would bet the .30-30 Marlin 336 (1895) would be more accurate than the Henry and the Winchester. Smoothness takes time with a new Marlin. I am hopeful that Ruger will address the twist rate in the .44 Magnum 1894. A tube fed, barrel banded lever gun with a rear locked bolt is not going to compete with a bolt action rifle in accuracy but should be under two inches at 100 yards.
This 1973 Marlin 336T is MOA at 100 yards and is plenty smooth after all these years, Winchester 170 grain, it does not like the 160 grain FTX:
This 2016 REP Marlin 336S prefers Hornady 160 grain FTX Lever ammo but here is a target with the same Winchester 170 grain:
With Hornady 160, factory or reloads, it shoots MOA consistently. And it is getting smoother by the day. It is actually the best, functionally, of any Marlin I have owned. And as a data point my new Ruger 1895 SBL is slick and accurate. And the REP 2016 1895 SBL here has smoothed up and shoots wonderfully and I would trust my life to it (or either):
I would look for the cowboy:
3C
This 1973 Marlin 336T is MOA at 100 yards and is plenty smooth after all these years, Winchester 170 grain, it does not like the 160 grain FTX:
This 2016 REP Marlin 336S prefers Hornady 160 grain FTX Lever ammo but here is a target with the same Winchester 170 grain:
With Hornady 160, factory or reloads, it shoots MOA consistently. And it is getting smoother by the day. It is actually the best, functionally, of any Marlin I have owned. And as a data point my new Ruger 1895 SBL is slick and accurate. And the REP 2016 1895 SBL here has smoothed up and shoots wonderfully and I would trust my life to it (or either):
I would look for the cowboy:
3C
horsemen61
Member
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I enjoy most any lever guns but the smoothest I’ve ever shot was a Winchester model 88 in .243
Jim Watson
Member
I would say Henry out of the box, but the CAS winner is an 1873 repro well polished up. A good one is not cheap.
Corpral_Agarn
Member
I don't know what model it is but Ruger made a rotary mag lever gun. A friend let me shoot it the other day.
Very smooth and very fast.
Very smooth and very fast.
mcb
Member
The smoothest actions are the ones that have been used a lot, you can short change that a little by having a good gun smith spit and polish some of the critical parts. I have always like the loose rattling lever of a Winchester 94 or 92 over the Marlin's or Henry's. I can still cycle them as fast but the action has always felt slimmer and more svelt in the hand when carrying. I have a Winchester 9410 (a Win 94 chambered in 410 bore shotgun) and a Rossi M92 (copy of a Win 92) in 44 Mag. My bother and father have Marlin 1894 and they are nice but I like the Winchesters better.
In terms of smoothness, the Win 1873 actions that I have handled are very smooth. I consider the toggle action used in those early rifles weak, and prone to get out of order, but the action is smooth. Smoothness is just one criteria, I went for the Marlin M1894 because that was the only pistol round capable lever action I could find in 1982. I think I purchased it at the K Mart on Main Street in Texarkana TX, that store ain't there any more. Not certain if the chain still exists, have not seen a K Mart in a while.
With time the action became slicker. And it goes bang. Shoots within four inches at 100 yards. My main complaint is the size of the lever loop. It is too small for my fingers, when the rifle recoils my fingers get bruised if they are inside the loop. I am 100% certain the loop was sized for appearance, not for human hands. I see this all the time, particularly with handguns. The larger the caliber of handgun, the larger the grips. It is not as if super sized humans are firing the larger handguns, the grips are sized to appear proportionate with the frame and cylinder. Humans hate asymmetries and instinctively act negatively toward asymmetrical objects. So, objects are sized, not for function, but for aesthetics. And because of that, this lever hurts my hand.
With time the action became slicker. And it goes bang. Shoots within four inches at 100 yards. My main complaint is the size of the lever loop. It is too small for my fingers, when the rifle recoils my fingers get bruised if they are inside the loop. I am 100% certain the loop was sized for appearance, not for human hands. I see this all the time, particularly with handguns. The larger the caliber of handgun, the larger the grips. It is not as if super sized humans are firing the larger handguns, the grips are sized to appear proportionate with the frame and cylinder. Humans hate asymmetries and instinctively act negatively toward asymmetrical objects. So, objects are sized, not for function, but for aesthetics. And because of that, this lever hurts my hand.
Bearded Phil
Member
My Henry .357 was pretty smooth out of the box but after a year of use and 1500+ rounds through it the lever is like butter.
My 45-70 is about the same age with only 500ish rounds through it and is near the same.
My 30-30 that I just got about 1-1/2 months ago is a little stiff, specifically at the lever detent* that locks the action. I polished up the detent but the spring is still stiff, just needs to be worked.
Like others have said, the more a lever gun gets used the smoother it gets. There's probably not an option you'll be disappointed with from the major players so long as you stay with it and give it time to break in.
Edit: Henry parts diagram calls it the "lever plunger"
My 45-70 is about the same age with only 500ish rounds through it and is near the same.
My 30-30 that I just got about 1-1/2 months ago is a little stiff, specifically at the lever detent* that locks the action. I polished up the detent but the spring is still stiff, just needs to be worked.
Like others have said, the more a lever gun gets used the smoother it gets. There's probably not an option you'll be disappointed with from the major players so long as you stay with it and give it time to break in.
Edit: Henry parts diagram calls it the "lever plunger"
Hokkmike
Member
The smoothest lever I have fired, and I have fired .44 mags (Win), .30-30's, .444 Marlines, .32WCF Special, and the .45LC is the Marlin 1894 Cowboy Limited, was the .45 (LC). Worst accuracy was from the .44 mag.
greyling22
Member
The smoothest are mine that I've worked over. 
After that, as issued from the factory, the '73 Winchester clones, the 92's then....maybe the Henry's, Winchester 94's Marlin 336, then 1894 in that order.
BUT, they are all over sprung, rough, and dry. A lever gun requires an action job to sing. Of those, the marlins are by far the easiest to slick up. The Winchester 92's can be made slicker, but they are far harder to do.
I've never dug into a Henry. They're fine guns, but they just don't do much for me.
My Marlin 44 mag took a little work before it would shoot right. If I was you, I'd focus on the 336 you have. Lighten the springs and do a bit of polishing and you might have something you like a lot. The 1894 can get a lot smoother than the 336, but if it won't shoot, I would t put any effort in it right now.
After that, as issued from the factory, the '73 Winchester clones, the 92's then....maybe the Henry's, Winchester 94's Marlin 336, then 1894 in that order.
BUT, they are all over sprung, rough, and dry. A lever gun requires an action job to sing. Of those, the marlins are by far the easiest to slick up. The Winchester 92's can be made slicker, but they are far harder to do.
I've never dug into a Henry. They're fine guns, but they just don't do much for me.
My Marlin 44 mag took a little work before it would shoot right. If I was you, I'd focus on the 336 you have. Lighten the springs and do a bit of polishing and you might have something you like a lot. The 1894 can get a lot smoother than the 336, but if it won't shoot, I would t put any effort in it right now.
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jag1954
Member
I'll second that.
RainDodger
Member
My Browning 92 in .44 Magnum is quite smooth, but the Uberti in .357 Magnum is smoother. Different types of action though. Both are sweet. As for accuracy, I can hit more consistently with the heavier Uberti/.357 than the much lighter B92/.44. <edit-the Uberti is an 1873>
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Bill_in_TR
Member
What, no lovers of the Browning BLR? I have one in .308 and it is a sweet shooter. The biggest aggravation is that it is magazine fed and the price of magazines is obscene.
greyling22
Member
Blr a neat rifle, but nobody in their right mid would ever call it smooth, what with that camming ratchety action. Dont get me wrong, I'd love to have one. Savage 99 is another neat lever gun that isn't particularly smooth
SwampWolf
Member
The smoothest lever-action rifle I've ever operated is the Winchester Model 1886 and its virtual twin, the Model 71; albeit, the length of the throw isn't as short as some. Another candidate for "most smooth" in my experience is the Sako Finnwolf.
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