Advantages of lever-action over bolt-action?

[thaddeus]

Lever action rifles have always had a place in my heart even though I have never owned one myself. There is something rugged and trusty _appearing_ about them. My local gun shop has a great selection of them at decent prices, and I am tempted to get one, except that I am saving up for a Rem700 right now that I will be slightly customizing and so I can't see any need for a lever action.

This leaves me wondering what the differences are in performance, meaning things like: true ruggedness, portability, speed etc. I would not expect the lever action to go out to far, so range is not the issue but every thing else.
Is there any reason that you would honestly grab a lever action if you could grab a nice bolt action scout rifle instead? Any situation or area where the lever action excels, and how much so?

thanks,
thaddeus

 

[Art Eatman]

Ruggedness, portability, speed. Hmmm.

Leaving out the issue of a scope, a bolt-gun is more rugged.

Portability? The lever-gun is flatter and generally lighter.

Speed? That's a function of training and practice. The lever-gun can be quicker for a second shot, since there is inherently less hand-movement. But trained SMLE shooters can shoot rapid-fire as fast as a semi-auto (aimed fire, dammit).

To a certain extent, lever-guns cost less.

But, the primary question remains: What is your intended purpose? Always, "Whatcha gonna do with it?"

I imagine the lever-gun will always have some nostalgic attraction, and they are indeed fun to shoot--particularly in the low-recoil, "basketball trajectory" cartridges.

FWIW, hope it helps...Art

 

[cornered rat]

There is one reason why I pick bolt over lever...bolt designs are simpler and, at least on the ones I used, recovery from a jam or split case is easier than for lever or semi-auto...YMMV

------------------
Cornered Rat
ddb.com/RKBA Updated March 20
"Turn in your guns, get a a free tattoo on your arm"

 

[AC]

Lever actions are faster firing than bolts. This can be made as a general statement as most bolt fanciers do not use SMLEs. I see this point contended fairly frequently by bolt fanciers but levers are definitely faster. Another advantage to the lever is that they are easier to carry. I've hunted with scout rifles in bolt action and lever action configurations and the bolt action is often slung while walking since carrying it in two hands is fine for still hunting but tiring when going from point A to point B. The receiver is too large to comfortably carry in one hand for long. A lever action is easily carried in one hand due to the slim reciever so it is in your hand when you need it. A lever can easily have the magazine topped off while the rifle is still ready for immediate use. You don't have to open the action to accomplish this. Lever actions are not as robust so they aren't as good for military purposes and they have slower lock times than bolt actions.