Let's get one thing straight mdi...

[Stopsign32v]

I love lever actions...These are a few I grabbed to prove it, while I still had light today.

45 Colt no safety Rossi

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48058617482_9252cc1445_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2gdLYD9)



45 Colt round barrel Marlin 1894 from Arizona from a since passed CASS winner that used it in the 1990s. (this one is very dear to me)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48058570153_a7066c3c03_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2gdLJz8)



45 Colt 20" Marlin 1894 "Cowboy Carbine"

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48058616677_c32f2620bc_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2gdLYpg)



45-70 Marlin 1895 Cowboy

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48058616252_d2a3256d59_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2gdLYgW)



44 Magnum Marlin 1894 "Sporter"

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/40904655673_7b1a864b91_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/25jB432)



And for the heck of it, this McNelly Sharps 50-70 because well...It has a lever.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48058568858_174125bfa8_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2gdLJbN)





Now with that out of the way, I'd say it's safe to say I'm a "lever guy". However I still stand by what I say that the lever gun has been surpassed performance wise and ease of use wise by better rifles. Can you still use them for hunting? Yes. Can you still use them to protect yourself? Well yes. Are there better options? Yes.

Same can be said about cap and ball revolvers or bow and arrows. No need to get your feelings hurt though.

This was a half serious thread ;-) Mainly just wanted an excuse to pull out some of them.

[Drew P]

Why did they put such a pronounced curve on the butt end of the stocks on some of the oldies? Seems counterintuitive and cumbersome. I’ve shot a few and thought so at least.
Beauties by the way, thanks for sharing

[Markopolo]

Wow, that sporter is sweet!!! What is the twist in that beauty??

[Taterhead]

Hey, sweet collection! Great photos!

[bedbugbilly]

Ahhhhhh.. . thank you for my morning "fix"! Better than the first cup of coffee! Beautiful rifles . . . beautiful photos! Thanks for sharing! These would make great calendar photos!

[SSGOldfart]

Why did they put such a pronounced curve on the butt end of the stocks on some of the oldies? Seems counterintuitive and cumbersome. I’ve shot a few and thought so at least.
Beauties by the way, thanks for sharing

Drew P I'm not a expert on lever actions ,just a old soldier who grow up shooting them the "curve" was a sign of the times,these were designed for the saddle and attire worn back then.

[MrWolf]

Wow, that sporter is sweet!!! What is the twist in that beauty??

She looks sweet. I don't have a 44. Hmmm. Yea I love my Marlin levers, even have a few...

[Stopsign32v]

Wow, that sporter is sweet!!! What is the twist in that beauty??

If I recall correctly it is 1:38

Made only 1300 of them and only in 1 year, 1973.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/46954949765_798c981c37_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2exfoFp)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/32927041007_9b85340dac_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SaDG8z)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/32927039867_e052361937_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SaDFMV)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47871156491_660897642f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2fWdc26)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47871153931_a9d6e01822_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2fWdbfX)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/32927038147_5ce4bed5db_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/SaDFhg)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47818945742_c0e93621a6_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2fRAAzL)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47818944222_3377fb404a_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2fRAA8y)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47818942622_e9602a378d_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2fRAzDY)

[Stopsign32v]

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/40904652893_7881ddb1bc_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/25jB3d6)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/40904651683_d3f2bddff4_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/25jB2Re)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/47081810434_4bfca2d959_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2eJszWj)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/33993959248_01fb98342f_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TMVVKE)

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/33993957648_bc445b6831_b.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/TMVVh5)

[Markopolo]

Sheesh !!! Your killing me here.... lol .. I want one!

Where the heck did you find it? Or have you had it all those years???

[Stopsign32v]

Sheesh !!! Your killing me here.... lol .. I want one!

Where the heck did you find it? Or have you had it all those years???

Got it about a month ago. It was on Gunbroker for $950 I believe and I called the shop that had it for sale, gave them an offer letting them know I could save them with auction fees, paid over the phone, and they took the auction down. :lol:

[Markopolo]

Have you taken it out dancing yet??? How does it run??? Recoil? Action?

[dverna]

I also love my lever actions. Last count, I have six. Agree with you though that modern guns are better.

When the ****, I will reach for the AR's. Playing "Cowboy" is fun but not the best option when your life is on the line. Heck, can't even justify hunting with them as the bolt action .308's are better suited.

Still love shooting them!!

[Stopsign32v]

Have you taken it out dancing yet??? How does it run??? Recoil? Action?

The condition of it has me thinking about not taking it out. The loading gate doesn't even have wear on it. I'm recklessly saying this, but I don't even know if it has been fired.

When I called the place my intention was to find out if it was for sale in the shop, with 0 bids I wanted to know if I could afford to not bid until the end (I didn't want to bring attention to it with any bids). He said yes it in fact was for sale in the shop and could be sold at any point, great... I asked him to look over it for me as their pictures were not near as detailed as mine, but I knew what it was.

Turns out the widow of a Marlin collector had brought in his collection for this store to sell on consignment for her. My thought is that he purchased this gun new and never fired it, however I have 0 evidence to back that up. I'm believing it and not sure if I want to shoot it or not.

The "Sporter" has a unique 22" HEAVY barrel that no other 44 Magnum has. The balance of the gun is exceptional and the action is very very different from my other Marlins. It is very...mechanic sounding and metal on metal. Almost sounds like a 12ga racking. The build quality is leaps and bounds above that of even my JM Marlins. It's an outstanding firearm!

[mdi]

Boy, I guess I really flipped his switch! Technologically speaking, yes there are more advanced firearms designs available, but to relegate millions of firearms (I won't even hazard to guess how many millions of lever guns have been manufactured or are in use today) to a "nostalgia only" category is just plain silly (and a bit ignorant). The only "ergonomically" better gun than my 44 Mag. lever gun is perhaps my 10-22. Yes, my Garand and AK are quicker to reload, in a **** situation, but 10 shots with the ability to "top off" is no reason to consider my lever gun an "antique". I can deliver a lot of lead down range almost as quickly as a Garand or AK and just as accurately (way more accurately than my AK). I could prolly go on with how much I like my 44 lever gun, but I'm reminded of the old saying about "wrestling with a pig..."

[Markopolo]

Wow Stopsign... very cool.. I had heard about them being made, but never seen one in real life. Not much written about them either. Sure would be cool to take one out.. I am afraid, if I had one, it would be out in the trenches.. prolly best that I don’t have one...

Marko

[John Boy]

I love lever actions...These are a few I grabbed to prove it, while I still had light today.
Stopsign - all your rifles look like hoarded safe queens. Their just pieces metal & wood if you don't shoot them.
Including vintage falling block levers and magazine levers - I have 31 (22Rf to 50-70 and metrics) and they all have been to the range. Come on - give them the real light of day

[skeettx]

You motivated me to take a picture of some :)
Win Big Bore in 375 Win
Marlin Cowboy in 38-55
Win 1886 in 45-70
http://i67.tinypic.com/2uzy0oz.jpg
What fun

P.S. John Boy, they are shooters, I just do not drag them through the gravel and I do oil them

[Stopsign32v]

Wow Stopsign... very cool.. I had heard about them being made, but never seen one in real life. Not much written about them either. Sure would be cool to take one out.. I am afraid, if I had one, it would be out in the trenches.. prolly best that I don’t have one...

Marko

Marko

I really encourage you to get one, they are worth the money and will only go up in value. I looked into making a clone but it isn't as easy as it sounds sadly.

[Stopsign32v]

Stopsign - all your rifles look like hoarded safe queens. Their just pieces metal & wood if you don't shoot them.
Including vintage falling block levers and magazine levers - I have 31 (22Rf to 50-70 and metrics) and they all have been to the range. Come on - give them the real light of day

Oh no, these aren't safe queens I just gently place them down when I'm not shooting them. The Rossi gets the most use as I love the simplicity of 45 Colt reloading and the top eject is just the bee's knees.

[Stopsign32v]

You motivated me to take a picture of some :)
Win Big Bore in 375 Win
Marlin Cowboy in 38-55
Win 1886 in 45-70
http://i67.tinypic.com/2uzy0oz.jpg
What fun

P.S. John Boy, they are shooters, I just do not drag them through the gravel and I do oil them

Now THAT is a bunch! Thanks a lot skeet, now you reminded me not only do I need a 38-55 but I also need a 1886.

[murf205]

Drew P I'm not a expert on lever actions ,just a old soldier who grow up shooting them the "curve" was a sign of the times,these were designed for the saddle and attire worn back then.

I have asked the same question and the very knowledgeable people I asked said that it was the thinking of the period that the curved butt stock kept the rifle in place, against your shoulder better than a "shotgun" style, as they refered to the straighter butt. From my experience of shooting the curved butt rifles, it does indeed keep the rifle in place but with the heavy calibers it is a bit more painful. Some "drool" worthy rifles here, thanks for the pics.

[JSnover]

I have asked the same question and the very knowledgeable people I asked said that it was the thinking of the period that the curved butt stock kept the rifle in place, against your shoulder better than a "shotgun" style, as they refered to the straighter butt. From my experience of shooting the curved butt rifles, it does indeed keep the rifle in place but with the heavy calibers it is a bit more painful. Some "drool" worthy rifles here, thanks for the pics.
It indexes better to the shoulder/armpit and it's far more pronounced on a lot of target rifles, morphing into the 'hooked' buttstocks on a lot of high-end models.

[WRideout]

I once owned an older Savage 99 in 300 Sav which I (unwisely) traded for a Browning Buckmark 22 LR pistol. Wonderful old rifle. I'll get over the loss sometime.

Wayne

[rondog]

Why did they put such a pronounced curve on the butt end of the stocks on some of the oldies? Seems counterintuitive and cumbersome. I’ve shot a few and thought so at least.
Beauties by the way, thanks for sharing

It fits the shoulder nicely, and comes in handy for butt-stroking people in the face with it.

I absolutely LOVE my levers with crescent buttplates, it's definitely a major factor in making up the order of my wish list. I'm definitely lusting after rifles more than carbines.

[Stopsign32v]

I absolutely LOVE my levers with crescent buttplates,

Ditto

Looking at my books, most of the lever actions of the time had crescent buttplates.

With that said I really wish someone would make a clone of the Whitney-Kennedy. :(

[redhawk0]

The curved butt kept the rifle shouldered better when riding a horse. Flat butts would slip off....and that's not so good if you're hunting dangerous game or a soldier in battle.

redhawk