why leverguns?

[JNewell]

Something no one seems to have mentioned is that lever actions are generally the flattest actions around. Autos and bolts have various control levers and knobs sticking out...pump rifles tend to have fatter forearms to make gripping the slide to operate the action easier. You can stow a lever rifle in places others wouldn't fit.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Like behind the seat of your truck, or under your right leg one horseback.

The first 22 I ever shot was a Marlin lever gun. That right there is a darn good reason.

Besides, a tricked out choate stocked mini14 with flash lights, laser sights and a bayonet just has no place at a Cowboy shoot.



I prefer the Marlin to the Winchester, though I admit I've never had the priveledge to shoot a Henry (or reproduction)... seems to me like somebody left the fore-end off that rifle.

My first deer rifle was a Marlin 336 30-30. Good sturdy rifle for a youth, but still packs enough punch to kill all sorts of game. probably more game has fallen to the 30-30 in America than any other caliber. 223 and 7.62x39 can't make that claim.

As a shooter, the mini 30 with a 5 round clip and softpointed bullets is VERY much like having a 30-30, and I think would make an excellent rig for white tail. It's also neat that you can "convert it" into a "serious" social rifle by slapping a 30 rounder in it. Having said that, if you can't solve your social woes with 5 rounds of 7.62.. maybe you need backup.. AND more bullets.

Consider this as well... lots of MFG's make lever guns. Only one company makes the mini.

My next rifle very well might be a Marlin levergun in 44 magnum. Just as a companion to my Vaquero.

 

[TrapperReady]

Why a lever gun?

In no particular order:

* Very compact and easy to carry
* Excellent ergonomics for offhand shooting
* Classic styling
* Wide variety of chamberings
* Short length and light weight make it ideal for hunting dense cover
* Nothing to alarm the non-gun folks
* Fun to shoot
* Accurate........ enough
* You can pretend you're a cowboy, just like when you were 5 years old
* Why not -- they've worked for well over 100 years

 

[outdoorman63]

lever guns

have to agree..they are just damn reliable and i dont ever have to worry bout a mag for it....

 

[JNewell]

dont ever have to worry bout a mag

There was the one I dropped, that dented the tube, that put the mag out of commission completely until replaced...

 

[jar]

The original assault rifle.

Custer sure wished he had some.

 

[CZ 75 BD]

AWB does not apply...

also, pistol and rifle can use the same ammo just like the old days.

 

[Yanqui]

I purchased a Mini-14 many years ago at the local gun shop. I was looking at a Rossi 92 SRC in 357 Magnum but the very pretty lady showed me the Mini-14 and said it was a better weapon and used the same ammo the M16 did. I did not know a lot about it so I purchased the Mini-14. It was OK. But the magazines were really expensive. I purchased a folding stock set up but it was awkward to shoot with the stock in the folded position.

I attended a Gun show at the VFW a town away. I saw a neat looking lever action rifle. The receiver had western scene engraving on both sides, the barrel was short and it had a large lever. I asked the seller if he would be interested in a trade since I didn't have the money to buy the lever action. I told him I had a Mini-14. So I went to my truck and brought it to him to inspect. He liked it. We traded and I got the cool looking lever action and a bag of reloads.

The cool looking lever action was and still is a Winchester Model 94 Wrangler in 32 Win. Special. The barrel is 16" long and the lever is a John Wayne lever or a large loop lever.

It is the best deal I have ever made. I can't badmouth the Mini-14 because it really is a neat rifle. But I can honestly say that I have had more fun with the lever action than with a semi-auto and that includes other semi autos I have owned. I sold off my FAL, HK, Galil, and AR-15 back when Heir Bush banned the importation of black rifles. I sold off all my CAR-15's right before Y2K.

I will always keep my Winchester Model 94 Wrangler. I've had it for over 15 years now. But I would never have been able to acquire it if it wasn't for the Mini-14.

Why a lever action? It is a "feeling" that you have. Almost spiritual.

Ha! It's a lever action thing. You just wouldn't understand.

 

[Jaco]

With South Africa's new very restrictive firearm legislation I foresee that lever actions will get more popular here, it can have a good rate of fire, and is small enough to use inside a building.

The pistol calibers are cheap too shoot, and even the .22 Magnum rounds out of that length of barrel makes an adequate self defense round.

 

[jem375]

Every time I pick up my Savage 99A lever action rifle in 308, I ask myself the same question....answer:....it's the best deer rifle that I own.....I put down my Winchester Model 70 in 7MM STW, my Remington 700 in 30-06, and pick up this beauty and go.............

 

[RustyHammer]

If you have to ask, you've never owned one ....

 

[cleve land]

A BLR is one of the handiest,powerful and versitile whitetail rifles I have ever used. I find it much faster than a similar bolt-action rifle.

 

[chaim]

Oh, I haven't noticed anyone (even me) mention this, but an expert can shoot these as fast as or faster than most semi-autos with a lot of practice. Heck, most of us, with practice, can shoot it nearly as fast. I also really like the easy "load on the fly" capability. Sure, loading from scratch is more of a PITA than just putting in a box mag, but it is very easy (unlike a box mag) to top it off on the go after you have touched off a few rounds.

 

[Gary A]

Lot of good things here. Chaim makes a really good point about trying one even if they don't automatically appeal to you. It's fun to say (I'm one who said it) that if you gotta ask you'll never understand, but Chaim is right...give one a try. I'm one with Yanqui also...I'm a big Ruger fan and I've owned a couple of pretty nice Mini-14s and have neither today. I only got so much room and so much time and so much money and leverguns rule the day for me. One of these days I'm going to get a Browning BLR in .308 but until then I'll have to make do with Marlins, Rossi/Pumas, and e Winchesters. (I need to do something about my lonely Winchester.) On a side note: recently I got a Rossi 44 and was a little surprised at how much more the hot Remington 180s kick than standard 240 grain loads. The 240s were nice, the 180s tapped me with that hard butt plate a bit more.

 

[Feral_Goz]

For all the reasons already mentioned. They make a great sound when you work the lever, and a greater sound when you squeeze the trigger.

 

[foghornl]

First center-fire rifle I ever shot was a Marlin in .35Rem. Ever since then, I ALWAYS have a lever rifle/carbine knocking around close at hand.

Kinda 'jonesing' after the Marlin [1895?] Cowboy in .45-70. Loooong barrel, but how many bad things can you put down with 9 rounds of .45-70?

p.s. don't try the Chuck Connors as The Rifleman trick...When I tried the snap the rifle around to eject the last empty, I solidly smacked myself in the forehead.