Why The Lever Action?

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The Rabbi

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As someone with very limited knowledge of rifles, I am curious what advantages the lever action has over either bolt or semi. I admit they look cool and I occasionally think about a Marlin in 45-70.

Also, anyone think the new Smith .460 cartridge would go great in a lever carbine?
 
The lever action is uniquely "American" it was designed here and flourished here, although it has made an impact overseas (the Russians were massacred at the Battle of Plevna because the Turks had Winchester 1866s in addition to their single shot rifles, so the sudden appearance of a wall of guys with 14-shooters vs single shot Russian rifles= death for lots of Russians).

They are designed to be light and handy. They are. Shooting on the move or from horseback (I've heard, haven't tried it on horse), and making quick snapshots, are easy with a levergun and sometimes more easy with one than a bolt gun.

Their design is well balanced and good to carry all day in the hand without being encumbered.

Although a good bolt action man can equal it, without using a semiauto, many people are faster with a levergun than a bolt. Your hand can't slip off the bolt handle as the lever has your hand "in" it.

Older levergun designs need flat-front bullets from the tube magazine, but the Savage 99 (1899!), Winchester 1895 and the newer Browning BLR all had/have box magazines to fit modern rifle rounds and don't give up the levergun's other attributes. Teddy Roosevelt loved his '95 in .405 Winchester as he had a solid hitting hard use rifle that was fast and accurate.
 
That's the first thing I thought of when I saw the ST article on the .460 XVR! I've been holding off on getting another large bore Marlin just because I knew something like this would come along!

They're going to have to loose that nose on the rounds pictured in the magazine though. Something with a flatter nose or more on an ogive would be much more...useable...in a tube fed lever action.

-SC
 
That's the first thing I thought of when I saw the ST article on the .460 XVR! I've been holding off on getting another large bore Marlin just because I knew something like this would come along!
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It sure seems like a natural. It would solve some of the trajectory issues of the 45-70. If it could chamber the Casul and .45LC it would be a winner. But I suspect the chamber dimensions are an issue.
 
One thing I like about my Marlin is when you cycle the lever you don't have to come off the sights like you do with a bolt action.
 
I am curious what advantages the lever action has over either bolt or semi. I admit they look cool and I occasionally think about a Marlin in 45-70.

If you like calibers such as the 45-70 the lever rifle gives you several models to choose from by various makers. Can't think of any bolt or semi-auto 45-70s out there? So that is one major advantage right off the bat. How about 45 LC , 444 , 30-30 , 35 Rem or 357 mag? The lever gun is well suited to these cartridges. And as mentioned - they look cool! :)
 
A lever rifle in the new .460 Magnum would be cool.

Note, however, that Marlin was advertising a planned .475 Linebaugh / .480 Ruger lever carbine for much of last year (the "1895RL") but they eventually had to scrap the idea, reportedly because of durability issues.

The .460 Mag should be at least as hot as the .475 Linebaugh. Gives one pause. On the other hand, people shoot ferocious short-range rifle rounds like the .450 Marlin in lever guns without too much trouble. Perhaps it's a pressure problem rather than a raw-energy problem. I don't know enough about the ballistic info to say.

I'd like to hear more about Wild West Guns' custom .500 S&W lever rifles, since they presumably had to confront the same issues.
 
Ruger #1 in 45-70, NEF handi rilfe in 45-70...

The only advantage a Lever has over a bolt gun is magazine capacity.

Bolt guns are more accurate, usually lighter, less prone to malfunctions (fewer moving parts), have stocks that better lend themselves to scope mounting....etc etc.

I like the "old" lever guns in odd ball calibers just for plinking fun and collecting. Nothing made in the last 60-70 years appeals to me in a lever gun.
 
One of the traditional strong points of the lever action is is flat receiver design. This flat receiver makes it easier to pack a levergun in a saddle scabbard or the like than a bolt action. They're a natural to throw behind the seat of a tractor or truck seat, or to strap to a backcountry pack without worrying about a protruding bolt catching on stuff.

It's generally NOT as easy to work a lever action from the prone position as would be a semi-auto or boltie or single-action, but it *can* be easier to work a lever-action from the shoulder than some bolt actions.

My favorite levergun is the Savage 99 - I still regret selling my 99C chambered in 308Win.
 
I don't know that I would classify lever guns as less accurate than bolt action rifles. With handloads in an 1895 Marlin, a lot of people shoot .75 inch groups at 100 yards. Do a search on the topic here and you'll see what I mean. I personally have never shot a group that small with mine, but they shoot right around an 1.25" at a hundred yards. I think if I had the trigger worked on that would help shrink the groups.

If they can successfully make a lever gun in .500 S&W Magnum, I wouldn't see why any of the new Super Magnums S&W is working on wouldn't be good choices for a lever gun as well. I don't know the dimensions of this .460 but if it's long enough, perhaps it would be suitable for a rebarrelling and conversion to .357 Maximum something that would interest me greatly.
 
Lever-actions are also pretty easy for us lefties to use. If I had to depend solely on manufacturers making left-handed rifles, I'd be in trouble.
 
Plus, you have the advantage of tactical reloading while firing the rifle. Let's see you top off a bolt action while you are moving.
 
The only advantage a Lever has over a bolt gun is magazine capacity.
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I'm gonna hafta call that mistaken. The advantage of a lever gun is Rate Of Fire. True, with a traditional tube-fed gun, it's maybe only faster for the first 11 rounds. But for those eleven rounds, I'd bet big money that if you took 100 non-shooters and trained them for a set time with, oh, say an 1894, and trained 100 non-shooters with the bolt gun of your choice, the lever-shooters would far outstrip the bolts for rate of fire, for at least the first dozen shots.

I frequently shoot an 1894 at local 3-gun matches where it's the only non-semiautomatic rifle, and usually place in the top third or better. I don't think I could do this with a bolt gun, and doubt many others could either.
 
Ruger #1 in 45-70, NEF handi rilfe in 45-70...

The only advantage a Lever has over a bolt gun is magazine capacity.

Ok - then name the currently available bolt action rifles in 45-70. The above mentioned are not bolt actions. The lever action actually has the 45-70 cartridge chambered in many rifles. The bolt action does not. To me that is a an advantage which is indisputable.


I'd bet big money that if you took 100 non-shooters and trained them for a set time with, oh, say an 1894, and trained 100 non-shooters with the bolt gun of your choice, the lever-shooters would far outstrip the bolts for rate of fire, for at least the first dozen shots.

I would have to agree , I am MUCH quicker shooting my lever rifles compared to my bolt actions.
 
Ok - then name the currently available bolt action rifles in 45-70.
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They say a picture is worth a thousand words.....
pix94483250.jpg


Gibbs .45-70 Enfield

Frank
 
Leverguns just 'feel right' as your first deer rifle.

I prefer Marlin's side ejection over Winchester's top eject and feel that the Marlins are overall more robust.

Winchesters are elegantly lightweight, esp. the model '92.

But if I was looking for a 'sledgehammer' like 454, 460, etc, I'd go with a Marlin as the base rifle.

I carried a Marlin 336 for years as a hunting rifle, and it still goes to Elk camp as a 'back up'.
 
I'm sorta partial to old-style rifles. I've had a couple of Marlins over the years,and they seem to 'fit' me better than the Winny.

And, lever guns are just 'cool'. but don't try the "Lucas McCain Rifleman Trick" of spinning the gun around on its lever to eject the last spent round. All that you will do is just smack yourself in the face with it..... :eek: :eek:

Never mind HOW I know, I just know
 
Leverguns are sort of like sweet tea. We just like 'em.

My favorite is a 94 Trapper in 44 Magnum.
 
I have 3 lever action rifles,

Winchester 94 pre 64 30/30
Marlin 1894CB 45 Colt (this one hold 12 330gr hard cast rounds @ about 1600fps velocity) :what:
Marlin 1895 GS 45-70 (4 300gr to 550gr rounds in the tube) :D

I carry the 45 Colt or the 45-70 in the bush for bear protection. These are the easiest guns to carry that I own and both will give me clover leaf clusters @ 50 yards with iron sights when I do my part.
 
m gonna hafta call that mistaken. The advantage of a lever gun is Rate Of Fire. True, with a traditional tube-fed gun, it's maybe only faster for the first 11 rounds.
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Sorry, didn't know we were discussing the "tactical virtues" of hunting type rifles..

Same for the "loading while you're moving" comment by another poster..

Maybe I'm the only one left on this board that feels this way, but I personally couldn't give a rats behind about rate or fire or tactical anything.

Most of the time if you don't hit what you're shooting at with the first shot, you're never gonna get a chance to shoot at it again anyway... if you do, your chances of hitting it decrease exponentialy with each additional shot. (assuming it's moving and has a brain)
 
Unless it's got a flashlight hanging off the end of it, it ain't tactical anyway. :p
 
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