Which lever action for home defense?

[wleoff]

Here's a couple of HD type lever actions that I have. They're both in 45 Colt. The top one is a Marlin 1894S trapper with a 16 1/2" barrel. The bottom one is a Rossi Ranch Hand. The Rossi would be essentially point and shoot inside a house. I've used the Marlin as a truck gun but never for HD. For HD, I use a couple of Glock 19s with Crimson Trace lasers and a 870 for back up. To each his own.

 

[DriderX]

Marlin 1894C carbine in .44 or .357

Geez, I have some experience-based learning to pass along to the original poster, but I'm almost afraid to jump into this rip-tide of a thread...~

I think a lever gun could make a very good home defense tool. They can be light, compact, light in recoil, very easy to learn and use, and available at every power level one might want from mild to wild.

When I travel to California, where I'm always afraid of falling afoul of their Byzantine gun laws, I usually play it safe and take along a single-stack Springfield EMP 9mm and a compact Marlin 1894C in .44 Mag with two boxes of ammo: 50 rounds of relatively mild .44 Special defensive ammo (for close-in "social work") and 50 rounds of full-punch 240-grain .44 Magnum ammo (for zombies, Godzilla, and anything else unexpected). My 1894C holds 10 rounds of .44 Mag, can be topped off on the fly (an interesting trade-off vs. having a detachable magazine; in some cases the ability to keep the magazine topped off can actually be better), is set up with a very small red-dot reflex sight and even smaller laser, both backed by the factory iron sights.

I didn't set out to build a "tactical lever carbine" but it's sort of turned out that way . Along the way it's simultaneously turned into a really nice little woods-walking carbine, weighing under 7 lbs, its slim receiver easy to carry in the hand, handy for whatever comes along, good out to 100 yards or so. In that role it's pretty much displaced the other two rifles I've previously used in that role: A Mini-30 (which is heavier and doesn't pack as much punch as the .44 carbine) and a Bushmaster Carbon-15 carbon-fiber 5.56 carbine, the latter a delightfully lightweight little rig that is a joy to carry and use, but when its purpose is to deal with the close-up unexpected in the boonies, I have more confidence in a 240-grain .44 Magnum than a 62-grain 5.56 round. The .44 can also do little tricks like fire a good-sized snake-shot capsule.

So if what you want is a lever-action carbine for home defense, go for it. Having owned several different lever guns, my recommendation would be a Marlin, and of the Marlins, the 1894C in either .357 or .44 Magnum. For use in the boonies or occasional hunting the .44 Magnum would be preferable; for home defense either one would work well.

 

[Badlander]

If it's an edge you need go with the Marlin 1895 Guide 45-70. Some Beartooth 525gr pile drivers at about 1600fps should produce one shot stops.
Hate to live next door, or the next door...............

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Ron is defending A 900sf condo in A high rise building. the extra power of A .357 from A rifle as oposed to A handgun is probably of little concern.

I didn't read where Ron mentioned the size or make-up of his domain; maybe I missed it. The 900sf high-rise condo comment was from member jdh to Brian Smith.

The only lever gun I have is a Winchester 94, but it's in .30-30 and I would not want to use it for HD, unless it was all I had. If I was looking for a lever specifically for HD, I would have to agree with HenrySwift and find one in .45 Colt.

 

[Maverick223]

If it's an edge you need go with the Marlin 1895 Guide 45-70. Some Beartooth 525gr pile drivers at about 1600fps should produce one shot stops.
Hate to live next door, or the next door...............

I have no need for such and feel perfectly secure in my choice of 3in. magnum No. 1B...and over-penetration is a minor concern (both with the prescribed load and my location). Rifle cartridges like the .223Rem. will do likewise (WRT over-penetration) when loaded appropriately.

 

[popper]

Lever gun for HD

Marlin. Find a real heavy flat point bullet, load it light. A 22 LR will penetrate sheet rock easily, let the lawyers worry about it. Actually, you can put a 10 penny nail through it by hand without much trouble. I can't shoot a lever from the hip, repeat shots aren't easy, even from the shoulder. After a armed home burglary in my neighborhood years ago, bought a 380 for my wife. She never learned to use it, put it in a drawer. Over the years I have put some thought to HD in a suburban neighborhood. Suggestions, change the locks to the kind that you don't have to unlock to open the door. Keep an old cell phone that will dial 911 on any button push handy(dialing 911 in an emergency is not easy). Get door opening audible alarm, a loud one. If you intend to stand and fight, you need all the time you can get, you won't wake up slowly. Use low flash powder if you want a second shot.
Unless you 'carry' in the house, 'exit-stage-left' is the best alternative. Apartment dwellers have a bigger problem. Maybe my suggestions will be of help.

 

[jimniowa]

For HD and SD I have the following in addition to pistols. At home I have a 12 ga 20" Coach Gun loaded with 3"#1 buck. In my truck I have Marlin 1894P, 16.25" barrel loaded with 250g hard cast SWC in .44 mag. This works for me.
Jim

 

[Red Cent]

 

[Jeb21]

I have a Winchester in 38/357 with a 20" barrel. I bought it for Cowboy shooting. It has also served as home defense weapon.

 

[Red Cent]

That guy is Santa Fe River Stan. He shoots out of Orlando, FL. Not too shabby.

 

[CMUnderWoody]

I can't help but wonder how many people have actually fired off a round inside their dwelling, or one similar. I can assure you, it will not be fun.
The issue of home defense is a funny story, and if you plan on doing it by any means, the story just gets longer.
A lever action? Sure why not. If I knew someone was walking up to my door to do me harm, a .357 or .45 colt lever-boy would gladly do the harm. But with a house full of kids and dogs, I have to expand the arsenal. I can't just throw lead around like i used to.

Which brings us back to the door alarm and a dog as you first line of defense. if you don't know they are coming, your window of defense gets smaller and so does your ability and timeframe to raise a gun, and thats assuming you are sleeping with it.

I have to manuver around my wild-sleeper of a woman and try not to shoot through my kids wall or send led down the hall to me dear old grandmothers door.

But if you aren't worried about it, don't worry about it. Whatever you get, If it is really for home defense, set up a mock bed out in the woods, surround it by three sides of plywood and practice getting up at the sound of a buzzer (door alarm). If you still think the lever is the choice for your scenario, Then either Marlin or Rossi will do....But really that should be a few paces back in your arsenal. Perfect Zombie Apocalypse choice....

 

[bigfatdave]

Which brings us back to the door alarm and a dog as you first line of defense.

which isn't really applicable to picking out the exact lever gun ... I'll assume the OP has his layers set up and is just picking out a new toy that also fills the extra role.

 

[CMUnderWoody]

I love a good lever-gun. For the sake of having a lever gun, not for defending my apartment, but my farm...hell yes

 

[AKElroy]

As my front seat truck gun in pig country, my 94 .30-30 has been swung into action on more moving game than any other gun I own. It is the only gun I have taken running game with, and I have done so on too many occasions to count. Several decent deer, and dozens of pigs & even a coon or twelve.

It occurs to me that as a result I have more "Live" training experience with that levergun on a moving target than any other gun I own. Not that I shoot it the most, but I do shoot it at moving stuff the most.

Since it is usually the only gun with me on my no-season weekend trips to the lease, it sits next to the bed as my only line of defense in the trailer. I sleep really well in that trailer.

 

[RugerMcMarlin]

rondeer10mm, I think you should get a .357 mag lever action carbine, any one of your choices will work just fine. 357 is plenty.

200-250lb dumb a's slow down 357 bullets nicely.

 

[Speedgoat]

I just got a Winchester (Japan) Model 92 Large Loop Carbine in 45 Colt. I am really impressed and think that the rifle was actually nicer than I had anticipated. I think it'd work pretty dang well for what you're looking for.

 

[Sig88]

Get the Marlin. They make great rifles. I've had a 357, 44 and 45-70. Wished I had the 357, it was a fun rifle. Marlins are great rifles so you don't have to worry about quality. Just make sure you clean it before you shoot and break it in with about 75-100 rounds. Chambering may be a little rough but it smooths itself out.

 

[whetrock]

I'm pretty fond of the good ole' 92 action so I'm gonna say go with the Rossi if I were to go with a Marlin however I might opt for an older model (I hear they are better quality) also I believe in tight quarters the .357 from a carbine or pistol will be just fine and deliver more than enough power it's all about shot placement anyways.