Marlin
Winchester
Rossi
Uberti
Henry
Savage
Ruger
Browning
Other
Marlin! easy to strip, solid, accurate, timeless... what else can i say? my .444 is easily my go to gun. but my henry .22lr gets high marks for fun factor on the cheap!
"The only way to bag a classy lady is to give her two tickets to the gun show, and see if she likes the goods."
-Ron Burgundy
ghh3rd I see you are the one that bought that GBL off Guns America right out from under me! LOL Made me have to spend an extra $50 and buy one of the ABLs listed there. Just goes to show, hesitate and you loose!
I don't own a ruger, nor a Browning, but I've got at least one of all the rest and my favorites are Marlins, except for one Winchester 1895 30-40 Takedown. That said My 94s get a lot of play time especially with cast bullets. 311-419 and 8 grains of herco is a ton-o-fun.
10-28-2010--Update now I do own a Browning! Finally found aModel 53 in32-20 that I could afford. -- Pick it up Saturday.
Last edited by rintinglen; 10-27-2010 at 10:42 PM. Reason: got new gun!!!.
I voted for the Marlin mostly because of the variety of calibers and the ability to mount different styles of sights or scopes with ease. I love my 1895SS 45-70- a great shooter!
However, I love the traditonal styling of the Winchester 94! Love that look- especially the 94 Antique SRC with the case hardened reciever and scroll engraving. I also like the Canadian Centennial carbine model- that short octagon barrel is really nice. I also really like the Big Bore 94 in 375 Win, too.
In the Winchesters, I PREFER the top ejects! I prefer straight stocks over pistol grip styles, too.
I hate the push button safety versions of either, but I can tolerate one on a Marlin, but not on a Winchester. It ruins the looks and styling.
It was a tough choice!
USMC 1980-1985
The 1886 Ubertis are almost here! I may have to revise my choices.
"I'll help you down the trail and proud to!" Rooster Cogburn.
"Slap some bacon on a biscuit and let's go! We're burnin' daylight! " - Will Anderson (John Wayne) "The Cowboys."
SASS Life Member No 82047
http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k228/4fingermick/
Psycholigist to Sniper; 'What did you feel when you shot the felon Sargeant?'
Sniper to Psycholigist; 'Recoil Ma'am.'
From my Irish Ancestors: "You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was."
this maybe considered heresy with all the classics listed & their cartridges but i vote for my model 88 win in 284....handles like a 28 ga. o/u...first wife found it posted on the bank billboard with a 4x weaver...$125 in 1973....action was herky-jerky but a winter of polishin' all the guts made it like a hot knife slippin thru soft butter....spent all spring & half the summer putting it back together tho....
my dad's model 64 in 30WCF is the other favorite....he bought it right after WWII in a grocery/hardware store in espanola,nm....it's smooth slick....
Last edited by Chapped Lips; 09-05-2010 at 04:46 PM. Reason: balance
Oh, definitely the Ruger #3 action because accuracy with cast bullets was the whole point.
Didn't need another shot anyway because I never killed nothing with a second shot if the first one didn't connect.
I always fancied a Ruger No1 in the tropical trim in 45/70, but I have three 45/70s, I don't need anymore. Besides, the way my shoulder is going the trapdoor is about as strong a load as I can handle at the moment.
"I'll help you down the trail and proud to!" Rooster Cogburn.
"Slap some bacon on a biscuit and let's go! We're burnin' daylight! " - Will Anderson (John Wayne) "The Cowboys."
SASS Life Member No 82047
http://s89.photobucket.com/albums/k228/4fingermick/
Psycholigist to Sniper; 'What did you feel when you shot the felon Sargeant?'
Sniper to Psycholigist; 'Recoil Ma'am.'
From my Irish Ancestors: "You've got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was."
Hmmm Marlin versus 8 "others" !
And Marlin has 50% of the vote !
And over twice as many as the Second Place company
Parker's , 6.5mm's and my family in the Philippines
Winnies look better ,give me a 1873 any day
Uh how bout one of each? I currently have Uberti, Marlin, Rossi and Winchester on hand, but last week I worked on a Burgess. My all time favorite is the Winchester M1886.
I own a few Henrys, various Winchesters leverguns, tried out the Rossi Pumas, but on a whim (when I found out they were closing the plant down) I bought a Marlin 1894 Cowboy in 357 magnum, its easily the best of the breed for handling, accuracy, fit and finish.
Sad thing is, is that I used to dismiss and scorn Marlins, figured they were for those who couldn't find Winchesters, man was I ignorant and wrong.
Damn shame Remington will probably cheapen them to a level beneath the Rossi, I'm going to make a point to purchase a few more older model marlins,
Marlins seem to fit and have a better action. John Wayne never reached for one in the movies or they would cost more than they do. They never quite had the PR work that winchester did.
I love all of my Marlins, especially my 1895 guide stainless 45-70. That is a 444 in my Avitar.
This country has gone to hell but now there is hope for us.
I have 'em both, in several calibers.
Marlin comes out on top by a wide margin.
STRONG... Simple design... ACCURATE... sanely priced... easier with optics.. responsive factory.
What's there not to like?
The foe-hammer is a Marlin GBL in .45-70, just got it a few weeks ago.
But my deepest love, and therefore my vote, is for my Browning 92 in .44 Mag. It will handle anything in North America this side of 200 yards, is deadly accurate, and IMHO is the most beautiful rifle I have ever seen. Also my BL-22 was my first rifle, and I can't imagine a quicker-handling, slicker little rifle. Someday I'll add the 26" oct bbl 1886, and hopefully sooner rather than later a 53 in 32-20. And let me never forget the 65 in .218 Bee!
Marlin 45-70 Co-Pilot... enough said...
I realize this is not a factory rifle, but its the only rifle they (WWG) offer this conversion in...
http://www.wildwestguns.com/copilot.html
Last edited by TonyM; 10-08-2010 at 01:01 PM.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |