advice please

[cottonstalk]

I have owned a few lever guns but they have long since found new homes.But I am primarily a handgun hunter and am thinking of purchasing a lever gun to occasionally accompany me to the field.Which brand and what barrel length have you guys had good experiences with.Accuracy is my first priority,function second and availability(gun not ammo) and then appearance lastly.Deer,blackbear,and maybe hogs would be the animals it would be used on.Thanks for the info.Oh I guess caliber might help,45 colt.

[grubbylabs]

The only leaver I have ever owned is a Win 94 post 64, However it seems that the more posts I read the more it seems to me that the vast majority of people prefer a Marlin. I think the most popular reasons I have read have been:

1st, fewer moving parts

2nd the action is easier to polish and work over so that it operates very smooth and reliably

3rd may be best reason for your use, is that they side eject making a scope mounting much easier and simper.


Good luck on your search and hope you find a nice one. Let us now what you come up with.

By the way I really like my win it is probably the most fun gun I have to shoot.

[Jack Stanley]

I had a Winchester 94 "trapper" version in that chambering before the lawyers made them put idiot switches on them . It fit all the criteria you mention plus it was nearly as handy to have around as a pistol . I never tried hopping up the loads on it but I suppose it could be done . All I ever fired in it was factory loads and they were very accurate .

Jack

[jblee10]

I have owned a Marlin 336 and don't think you can go wrong with that. The only problem is the microgroove barrel can be tough with cast bullets. I currently own a Marlin 444 and love it with cast or j words. But it's kind of big and heavy. Also have a Puma 454 Casull and one in 357. The 454 is light and handy and hits like a hammer, but it has a rubber recoil pad that spoils the looks. It's a good shooter though. If I had it to do over I would probably just get one in 45 Colt and load it up. I'm sure lots of 45 Colt loads would do well on your intended game. The 357 would do on your intended game and it is a lot of fun to plink with. Take a look at the Rossi 92, which is the same gun as the Puma and priced right. BTW, I put Williams peep sights on both my Pumas.

[Hanzerik]

I have owned a Marlin 336 and don't think you can go wrong with that. The only problem is the microgroove barrel can be tough with cast bullets. I currently own a Marlin 444 and love it with cast or j words. But it's kind of big and heavy. Also have a Puma 454 Casull and one in 357. The 454 is light and handy and hits like a hammer, but it has a rubber recoil pad that spoils the looks. It's a good shooter though. If I had it to do over I would probably just get one in 45 Colt and load it up. I'm sure lots of 45 Colt loads would do well on your intended game. The 357 would do on your intended game and it is a lot of fun to plink with. Take a look at the Rossi 92, which is the same gun as the Puma and priced right. BTW, I put Williams peep sights on both my Pumas.

If you ever want to trade that "ugly" rear stock with a recoil pad for a standard stock with the steel buttplate keep me in mind. :grin:

I shoot a lot of heavy .44 Mag loads and my shoulder gets bruised by the end of the day. I was thinking of cutting about 2" off my stock and getting one of those grind to fit pads put on. But I'd have to fill in the top plate mount screw area with filler and blend it in and refinish the whole stock to match. The only modification I've done to mine is add a sling stud about an inch in from the buttplate. Just not sure I want to change the length of pull, because I love the shortness of the little Carbine; perfect size for a truck (Jeep), trail, woods gun.

I agree, for the price, the Brazilian 1892s are great guns. Very strong and accurate with most J bullets, but can take some experimenting with different cast loads to find the one that shoots the best. My new favorite load is a Ranch Dog TLC-432-265-RF 265gr RNFP (270gr with gas check) over a decent load of 17.5gr 2400. It's not the hotest I can go, but it is accurate out of both of my Rossi guns. I put Marble Arms 1/16" gold bead front on both of mine. A folding rear and tang sight on the Short Rifle, and a Bullseye on the Carbine.
http://home.bresnan.net/~hanzerik/pics/Puma/Right%20Side%202.JPG

OP: Keep an eye on Buds Gunshop (Best Prices), the Brazilian guns will pop up for sell from time to time but don't last long. I saw a nice .357 16" carbine the other day for sell ($400) in the morning and it was gone later in the day. You can find the Brazilian guns on Gun Broker also, but you will usually pay a tad more then from Bud's. You can tell the Brazilian guns from the Italian ones by the price, the Italian ones will usually be twice the price for the same model.

[Throckmorton]

Marlin. easy to mount a scope if needed,american steel and built,easy to clean,very accurate.It won't be cheap,they are very popular,but it will get the job done.

[missionary5155]

Greetings
Get an older one and most any brand will do.
My favorite is an Interarms import 92 model. The other is a Rossi. They both chunk right along. Marlins are nice too.. cost a bunch more and do not shoot any better. Yea I have one..

[robertbank]

Bought a Rossi .357Mag last month and I am very pleased. Liked it so much I just bought another in .44mag. If you go Rossi you won't be disappointed. For your kind of hunting and for fun at plinking from what guys have said the .357mag should fill your needs. The .44Mag has more umph if you require it.

Take Care

Bob

[45r]

I found a 24 inch Marlin CB in 45 colt that I like so much the thought of selling it never crosses my mind.If you can find a Marlin in 45 colt at a good price you would probably like it a lot.

[geargnasher]

I have owned a Marlin 336 and don't think you can go wrong with that. The only problem is the microgroove barrel can be tough with cast bullets. [snip]


Key work is CAN BE. Micro-groove barrels work just fine with cast boolits, often even better than cut-rifled barrels because they are more consistent dimensionally. Not as many problems with uneven rifling causing gas leaks.

Glen Fryxell wrote a nice article on MG rifling, and there are three general points he made about loading cast for MG barrels of any caliber: 1. Oversized boolits for the oversized groove dimension of MG rifling (slug your barrel and go off of that), 2. use a hard enough alloy, 3. Use a gas check.

I've found gas checks unnecessary for good low velocity accuracy provided point 1 and 2 are covered.

Gear

[btroj]

Yep,Gear is right. This is the same old microgrooves don't like lead garbage we hear all the time.
I keep the bullets fat, use gas checks, and avoid real soft lead and have no problem. I have gone over 2100 in a 336 with good accuracy and no leading.

Don't believe all you see in print. Sometimes it is a rehash of the same, tired BS.

Brad

[northmn]

Due to my age I also prefer the older hammer only guns without the crossbolts. Marlins are my favorite but I have had Winchesters that were also good. The most misunderstood, slandered and overlooked cartridge I see is the plain old 30-30. A Winchester carbine in 30-30 is a no brainer for cast bullet loads and a Marlin with micro groove will work. Most highly rate the RCBS 180 grain flatnose for cast and I use its equivalent. If you play with alloys and heat treatment its an excellent gun. Lots of good used rifles on the market. Also 30-30 ammo is sold so cheap around here it almost don't pay to handload if you use jacketed.

DP

[excess650]

If you're not opposed to a different caliber, I would suggest a 35 Remington or 45-70 since you have hogs and bear to deal with. Both can be loaded down or up from factory levels, and both are cast boolit friendly. Oh, Marlin or course!

[jblee10]

I don't have much of a problem with the Marlin cross bolt safety. But I don't think that I've ever used it. And never had it set unintentionally. But there is a kit out there that replaces it, making it less visible.

[MtGun44]

Had the loudest CLICK I ever heard a few years back aiming at an impala and the
stupid crossbolt had been bumped on! Animal heard it and ran. I have an o-ring on
it now, can't come on accidentally.
Marlin 1895 GG.
Bill

[EDK]

Praise and horror stories abound for any caliber and any make. I prefer MARLINS and I've shot the hell out a couple of 44 Magnum 1894s since about 1973...had an 1892 WINCHESTER re-bored to 357 prior to that....I have 357, 44, 30/30 and 45/70 Cowboy Rifles, but the various 44s are my go to caliber.

Read Glenn Fryxell's excellent article on 1894 MARLINS at lasc.us...discusses 357, 44 and 45 Colt rifles and load data for all three.

There have been a lot of comments on 45 Colt chambers being way oversize in some MARLINS and excessive re-working the brass. Article in HANDLOADER or maybe RIFLE awhile back and various internet threads here and other places.

Price the gun on gunbroker, etc. 357s go way high...especially the Cowboy Rifles! and are least available. The 44s are more common and cheaper. The 45s aren't real common, but are available and half way reasonable.

[btroj]

I really like my Marlin 45 colt. I have the 24 inch octagonal barrel. I love the way it hangs.
It does have an oversize chamber. It allows the brass to swell which does cause over working after a while. I still get 15 plus loads on a case before they split. Is it a pain? Yes. Is it that big a deal? No.
I don't redline mine as I have a 45-60 to handle those chores. It is my go to gun if I have to help train a deer. Light, handles fast, swings well, and with the rear peep and front bead it is easy to shoot quick.

Brad

[Four Fingers of Death]

If you are going to stick with open sights/peep sights, the Rossi would be the way to go. If however you fancy using scope sights, the Marlins are the go. 94 model Winchesters with the angle eject are scope friendly as well and are often cheap. They are not as slick, but really there is not much in it. I don't know if the 94s came in 45, I suppose they do (or did). My mate has a long barreled 44Mag Legacy and it is a fine rifle, accurate as all get out!

I think if I was only going to have one lever rifle, it would have to be a 30/30.

I remember now, a friend loaned me his 45 Winchester when I neglected to keep the screws on my 92 tight and had a rifle (actually operator) failure. It was a nice rifle, blue was worn off it, but it worked a treat.

The MG bbls are fine with lead boolits, just not fine with any old lead boolit. They don't have as much bulk in the rifling for a given calibre and need a bigger boolit to fill the bore.

[Smoke-um if you got-um]

45 Colt would be fine but 30-30 would be much more versatile based on your description of needs. Lever guns in 30-30 would also be much more available as well as ammo if you should be out somewhere and have to purchase "factory" stuff. 30-30's are also great with the 170-180 cast bullets. If your 45 Colt "Jones"(kidding) is non-negotiable the gunmaker choices are much more limited as well as expensive. An older Marlin, made by Marlin, would be, and is, my choice of 30-30's.
:drinks:

Mike

[Four Fingers of Death]

I can't imagine why people who accept without reservation, safties on the rifles and pistols they used in the military, in the field hunting, at the range and for home and personal protection, but get completely bent out of shape when a safty appears on a lever gun. beats the heck out of me, just don't make a lick of sense.

[robertbank]

I can't imagine why people who accept without reservation, safties on the rifles and pistols they used in the military, in the field hunting, at the range and for home and personal protection, but get completely bent out of shape when a safty appears on a lever gun. beats the heck out of me, just don't make a lick of sense.

When it comes to guns and women where does "sense" ever come into the discussion. When S&W came out with their M&P 9MM there was a very vocal group who just wouldn't consider the gun unless it had a manual safety. Put one on a Lever and guys eyes cross. Go figure.

Take Care

Bob

[northmn]

I think its a matter of visualizing the safety being bumped on as one individual mentioned and not getting game. The cross bolt safety on my Marlin is not really a safety as a hammer block. A safety permits me to carry a gun ready to fire when the safety is off. On my Marlin if you pull the trigger the safety lets the hammer fall but does not let it go bang. Its really not a bad idea for loading and chambering a round as I guess there have been a few accidents where the hammer slipped when being lowered on a lever. I live with it on my Marlin CB, but it is another gadget to worry about.

DP

[pls1911]

Gearnasher's right...
I read all the whining about cast bullets in marlin as a kid, college student, and still as an aging old toot, and still wonder what the howling is all about. I've never had any problems with 30-30 cast in any of a couple dozen Marlins, ancient iron to near new....
Cast 'em hard , size 'em big, shoot 'em straight.
Life's that easy...
I actually cast 'em soft then heat treat 'em VERY hard...
Lyman 31141, RCBS 180FP, Saeco #316, or Ranch Dog/NOE 165.. they all work fine and are sure killers.

[GH1]

I assume from your original post that you're looking for a levergun to match your revolver, right?
I know the .45 Colt can be loaded to near .44 mag performance, so I would think it would be up to the chore. A few folks have mentioned the Micro-Groove barrels but Marlin doesn't use them any more, so if you buy new it won't be an issue.
I own a Marlin in .357 and it's proven itself to be a fun, reliable shooter so I have no reason to believe the .45 Colt would be any different. But I have no experience with other makes.
GH1

[Jeff H]

Mausers and Rugers have formed the majority of my experience base except for a few levers along the years, but with that ignorance comes a certain inherent objectivity.

Browning BLR in .257 Roberts (one of my favorite rifle cartridges) - It was my brother's, but I shot it more than he did. I had it for several months while developing loads and found it to be 1) odd, and 2) an excellent and accurate rifle. Never knew if they made it in handgun cartridges, but it sure would be a good platform for, say the .357 max and .460 S$W if it were not for detachable staggered box magazine.

Pre-Safety Marlin 1894 in .44 mag. - extremely well designed and made and ran without a hitch. It was broken in before I got it and I had only to replace the ejector, which I had to find as an aftermarket part. Marlin put me onto the guy who made them, which I thought was good of them. I let this one go because of the recoil. Loads that were just fine in the Super Blackhawk were simply not fun in the Marlin. As a hunting tool, it would have been fine, but I like to shoot a lot for fun and couldn't shoot that one a lot. Neck injuries make me a recoil whimp. I know a woman from WV who gets along with hers just fine and she is smaller than I am. It did "feel" heavy and the forearm was bulbous, but that part is easily fixed if you do't like it.

Just got a Rossi '92 in .357 and am pretty impressed with it out of the box, though there are some obvious minor improvements in order, stated elswhere in this forum, and probably agreed on by most who have one. I have not shot it (hope to today) so I cannot report on that. As far as being handy, holy cow, it's like handling a .22 - actually it's handier than my own .22 - a Ruger 10-22. Cycles easier than my Red Ryder ;-) but not as smoothly as that Marlin did..... yet.

[357Mag]

COtton' -

Howdy !

Not exactly what you asked or specified, but....

I whole-heartedly recommend a Marlin 336 XLR in .35 Rem.
This would be a 24" barrel, stainless; and w/ laminated wood.

Mine is just stupid accurate,. and bench manners ( for paper shooting ) is much nicer than the older M336SC .35 Rem I used to campaign.

With regards,
.357Mag