Why The Lever Action?

[MrMurphy]

The Henry 1860 was used in fairly large numbers (several thousand) both as individual purchases and unit purchases by some units.

The Winchester 1866 (upgraded with loading gate and forearm) was used to slaughter the Russians by the Turkish Army in the battle of Plevna.

The Winchester 1892 was adopted in limited numbers as a supplemental rifle for the Royal Navy in WW1 (several thousand).

The Winchester 1895 was in it's "Musket" variant, with a stripper clip guide, adopted for use by the Army in the Phillipines, during the Phillipine rebellion around 1900-1920 or so) in some numbers. I've seen one of these personally. While they were never adopted in large numbers by an army, they were originally intended for warfare and have always found their way into wars here and there.

 

[mustanger98]

Thinking of the 1895 Winchester and Theodore Roosevelt's in .405, I just remembered that TR also had one in .30-40 Krag while in command of the Rough Riders. He would have had it in .30-40 because while the standard issue was a Krag Jorgensen, the Winchester still offered commonality of ammo and there wasn't much difference if any in what passes for "tactical reloads" since the US gov't wasn't using anything with stripper clips yet.

IIRC, the Russian gov't had a lot of 1895 Winchesters in 7.62x54R with stripper clip guides.

 

[Ash]

I have read the most common Winchester M95 is the Russian model. The Russians still have thousands of them, but apparently want a good bit for them on the open market. Not willing, I assume, to sell them for $10 each.

The lever-action gun is a superb weapon that was king of the hill until WWI, when doughboys fired their Enfields and Springfields and got to know the bolt-action. Such actions are cheaper to manufacture and are thus understandably prefered by the major companies.

They make an excellent brush gun and are just as accurate in the field (perhaps not at the bench, but that is another place). An older design, they are none-the-less very capable today and much more at home on the ranch or farm (or just the woods).

In the end, though, the question is why not? The are reasonably powerful, offer good range and are capable of good accuracy (better than Ruger Mini-30) and best of all, in emergency situations such as hurricanes or earth quakes, the leveraction is much less frightening to the uninitiated when you carry one to defend home and hearth. In most situations, it will perform that job just as well as an SKS/Ruger Mini.

Ash

 

[12GA]

I admit they look cool and I occasionally think about a Marlin in 45-70.

Yes, they do look cool and are a lot of fun.

 

[McCall911]

Also, anyone think the new Smith .460 cartridge would go great in a lever carbine?

Maybe so, Rabbi, but the one that has attracted my attention is the Marlin 1895RL in .475 Linebaugh / .480 Ruger:

http://www.marlinfirearms.com/firearms/bigBore_levrAction/1895RL.htm

 

[JNewell]

the Marlin 1895RL in .475 Linebaugh / .480 Ruger

Last I checked, Marlin had some problems and was not actually planning to deliver that model.

 

[McCall911]

Last I checked, Marlin had some problems and was not actually planning to deliver that model.

Bummer!
Well, that's okay because I had as much need for such a thing as I need yet another hole in my head.

 

[sturmruger]

I love Marlin lever guns!! I have my great-grandpa's 1894 that he purchased in 1898, it is chambered in 30-30. My family has shot several elk, a mountain lion, two black bears, and numerous deer with this gun. I like lever guns because they are so easy to shoot. After just a couple of shots working the lever is almost second nature. The first deer I ever shot was witha a Marlin in .44 mag. I have never enjoyed shooting a bolt gun. It isn't that I can't do it, but it just doesn't feel as natural to me as a good Marlin lever gun.

 

[MrMurphy]

I'm a bolt action man (Lee-Enfield, Springfield, etc) but leverguns are still lots of fun.

 

[Roadkill]

My "use it" rack from left to right holds a DSA FAL.308, Colt SP2 in .223, an AK in 7.62x39, a Marlin 336 30-30, an Anshutz bolt action .22, and a Winchester Mod 97 12 Ga. The FAL is for bad folks, the AR 15 for coyotes, the AK my canoe/kayak/truck, the 30-30 for deer, the .22 for squirrels, and the 12 ga for possums, feral dogs, or anything else out here in the woods that aggravates me. The lever action is smooth, powerful, reliable, 150yd dead on accurate, easy to carry in the brush, great for camping, and doesn't seem to draw the same attention at a campsite or leaning on a tree on the river while fishing as the others do. I am completely comfortable with it and confident I can easily stop any critter in North Alabama with it from bothering me. And it is hell on deer.

rk

 

[Ash]

Now, I have absolutely nothing wrong with SKS or AK rifles, AR's for that matter as well (have owned Chinese, Russian, and Yugo SKS's, an NHM-91 and a Bulgarian Milled AK, plus a Romak-3). Yet, in the Kayak or campsite, the leveraction is just as competent and much less fearsome. Having had sheriff deputies raid my campsite before (I was with three other guys and two dogs, we were backpacking and had made camp by this lake, dead tired, and they showed up saying they heard people were doing drugs at the lake. We were unarmed as we were hiking and rifles get very heavy on the trail, and beside the fact nobody had shown up to the lake to notice our tents to then go tell the deputies that we were even there and thus the deputies were lying, we weren't doing anything illegal. We were trying to sleep (and trying to keep the dogs from poking their heads out of the tents and getting shot).), I would rather them not jump to conclusions about my intentions. An AK can do that, a Marlin won't. If nothing else, that is the beauty of the leveraction rifle. It is deadlier than an SKS (more powerful and much more accurate), yet much less likely to cause alarm. A levergun doesn't make you a wild-eyed crazy militia type whereas an SKS does (I'm describing a stereotype only, by the way).

And, if you get hauled into court for defending hearth and home, it is much more shocking that you had an "AK-47" over a 30-30. After all, demons posess AK's, as we all know, but the spirit of Uncle James is all you get out that Winchester.

Ash

 

[buzz meeks]

Good post, Ash. The lever guns are also so much handier than the ComBloc rifles that many people compare them to. There is no charging handle and no extended magazine to get hung up in a truck cab or canoe bottom.