Time travel-Which lever-action would you pick?

[six 4 sure]

Things were a little slow today at work which caused my mind to wander. I’ve always loved lever-actions, I have several, but nothing really cool. I’ve wanted an orginal 1886 for awhile now, but nice ones are quite pricy. I’d also like a 1876, but those seem to be even more expensive and are even harder to find. So here is my question.

You get one trip back in time to pick a lever gun. What would you pick, and how would you have it optioned? As a side note, what do you think was the most accurate cartridge lever-action's were chambered in?

My pick. Winchester 1886 36†barrel 50-110-450.

Six

 

[Soap]

What year?

 

[BerettaNut92]

Why, when I can time travel back 15 years and buy boatloads of HK91s and HK93s and HK41s and lotsa lotsa lotsa lotsa mags?

 

[thisaway]

19th century: Marlin 1881 .45-70
20th century: Savage M1899 .300 Savage

 

[telewinz]

Marlin was the better lever action rifle then as it is now, better stronger design.

 

[jimbo]

I would dip back into 1886 to get a "1 of 1000" Yellowboy with 24" barrel in .40 WCF. Yeah baby!!!

I have heard of folks asking up to $50,000 for a "1 of 1000" Winchester rifle. No, I wouldn't sell her.

 

[jacks308]

A winchester '92 in 32-20 or 25-20 or a marlin in the same calibers . Most likely a carbine with a round barrel and shotgun buttplate . And some kinda modest engraving . Hope I don't hafta pay for it with real money like they had to .

Jack

 

[JohnKSa]

Stainless Marlin 45-70.

Even if you have to make your own powder & bullets it will still be effective. Just carry a lot of primers...

 

[Jim K]

Well you really can't travel in time, no matter what the fiction writers say, but the guns did. You can still buy many of those old timers although prices may be high. Even well made repros get me in the 19th century mood pretty quickly.

FWIW, my time-travel dream goes something like this:

"Mr. Colt, since your factory here in Paterson is not doing too well, I'll buy all the guns you have on hand at a discount..."

Of course, then Colt would have had enough capital to keep going, and I would return from my foray into the past to find Colt Patersons selling for $89.95 on a good day.

Jim

 

[goon]

Winchester 1876. All the advantages of a Winchester and power and range too. I think it was most likely the most versatile rifle of the era, except you couldn't hunt small game with it.
Well, you could, but...

 

[Tom B]

I would go back to the 1950s and buy a NIB Winchester 94 in 30WC. IMO the BEST of all lever actions! I keep reading about other brands having "stonger" lever actions. How many here have worn out or broken the lever action assembly on any rifle other than a loose pin or screw? If so you need to stop spin cocking it while riding your horse like the "Duke"!

 

[DMK]

A couple .44 Rimfire Henrys.... and a *case* of Colt SAAs!

 

[Soap]

I suppose I would go with a .44 Rimfire Henry like DMK. I'd be sure to bring back 50K rounds of ammo with it

 

[BigG]

Maybe I'd take the Jennings. Of course, that would mean whoever has it now, wouldn't.

 

[Mike Irwin]

Savage 99, .300 Savage.

If I can go back in time, my 99 can go back with me.

 

[BloodyCicero]

It would be hard to buy a rifle if you time travelled back to the 19-cent and had to pay with money, since you would need money from that time, or else they would think you we're a counterfitter. My choice would be marlin

 

[BloodyCicero]

It would be hard to buy a rifle if you time travelled back to the 19-cent and had to pay with money, since you would need money from that time, or else they would think you we're a counterfitter. My choice would be marlin

 

[Jim K]

Cicero, there is plenty of 19th century money (silver, gold, and bills) around at pretty reasonable prices. When you get the time machine working, let me know and we will work something out.

Jim

 

[cheygriz]

Winchester 1886 in .45-90.

flat shooting, hard hitting and could use universally available .45-70 ammo in a pinch.

Second choice, 1892 Winchester in .44-40

 

[tex_n_cal]

How on Earth could you not pick doing a favor for Teddy Roosevelt, and being gifted with one of his original .405's, that he took to Africa?

Hmmm...ya know, his Holland and Holland brought a million bucks plus at auction a few years ago - it will never hunt again

I wonder where the .405's went? I think he had three of them on his long African safari?

 

[Hand_Rifle_Guy]

I'd like a Burgess Colt in .44 WCF. (Winchester-"Look, you've gotta quit making a levergun that's better than ours, we have enough problems with Marlin as it is. Leverguns are supposed to be OUR thing. Look, we've got this snazzball set of revolver prototypes we were contemplating producing, but maybe we could just forget about those...")

A Winchester Hi-wall in .50-140.

Or maybe a Gemmer-Sharps in .40-90 Sharps Straight.

Perhaps a Martini-Henry in .577-.450.

Hey, they're all lever-operated. Nobody specified repeaters...

I wouldn't turn down an 1887 Shotgun either.

But most of all, I want a Large-frame Lightning in .45-70. Oops, I suppose that's not a levergun...