Thinking about getting a lever action, but.....

[Wildernesshunter]

Just sayin.... I currently own three levers, 2 Winchesters and 1 Rossi. Dad owned a half-dozen. The only ones that cycled like butter and were reliable were the Winchesters.

I really wanted my Rossi 44mag to 'be good' and it won't cycle... I have spent an additional $100 on it and it still won't work. I am done with it.


.......

 

[MarkCO]

Yeah, I tried a Rossi many years ago. I was nervous to pick up a Henry, but it is nice, as is my JM Marlin. They cycle like creamy peanut butter.

 

[vtchopperdude]

My JM Marlin has had no issues. I put a peep sight on it, and run bulk ammo through it and it does great! I just picked up a Henry 45-70 and it seems to run well too. My very first rifle was given to me by my grandfather over 20 years ago. It is a Henry 22LR Golden Boy. Great rifle! Never had any issues with it! I also have an Uberti 1866 Winchester in .45 Colt and it does great as well. Obviously compared to something like a modern AR, lever guns have their quirks, but for what they are, they function well and are reliable.

 

[stagpanther]

I really wanted my Rossi 44mag to 'be good' and it won't cycle... I have spent an additional $100 on it and it still won't work. I am done with it.

Rossi model 92's are often like that--I think it is unwritten tradition that they were made messed up--both of mine I had to extensively rework to get to shoot well, but they shoot quite nicely once I figured out the (many) things to tune. I've read about people getting lucky and having great shooting ones right out of the box, but that hasn't happened to me.

 

[Savvy_Jack]

Winchester 73', so easy to take apart, even a caveman can do it!

 

[The Happy kaboomer]

I have owned and shot lever guns forever. I have NEVER taken one completely down to clean it. Not Needed. As stated above. Clean the bore, wipe it down good. Open the action and clean the bolt face and what you can see and be happy.

 

[vtchopperdude]

Has anyone chopped their barrel on a lever gun? My Marlin is the standard 336W with the usual 20.25" barrel. I would like to make a brush gun out of it and have the barrel cut down to 16 inches. Anyone had this done with a Marlin? Any recommendations on gunsmiths who know their way around a Marlin? About how much would that cost?

 

[vtchopperdude]

Took the Henry rifles out today!

 

[MarkCO]

Has anyone chopped their barrel on a lever gun? My Marlin is the standard 336W with the usual 20.25" barrel. I would like to make a brush gun out of it and have the barrel cut down to 16 inches. Anyone had this done with a Marlin? Any recommendations on gunsmiths who know their way around a Marlin? About how much would that cost?

Not off the top of my head. But any full service gunsmith would be able to do it. Heck (depending on state laws of course) anybody with a machine shop would be able to squarely cut off the end of the barrel. Then a crowning tool from Brownell's would let you crown it at home.

If I find a cheap, complete 30A/336 in .30-30, I plan to cut the barrel to 16.5, then rebore it to .414 SuperMag, replace all the springs, Cerakote it and refinish the wood.

 

[Rob96]

Recently picked up a Henry BB X in 45 Colt. Also managed to get Hornady XTP's as well as Missouri Bullets 255 Keith SWC's and powder for both as well as 2oo pieces of once fired brass. Now I just need large magnum pistol primers as I am set up for regular loads.

 

[Pumpkin]

My first deer rifle was a 30-30 M94 Winchester. I really liked that gun until the bluing started wearing off of the receiver. It was a post 64 with the iron washed alloy that could not be re-blued. I ended up trading it for an old M36 Marlin, so much nicer and tear down for cleaning could be done blindfolded, 1 screw to remove.
The Winchester was another story, taking one of those apart and putting it back together is not for the faint of heart! If you don't have any mechanical skills leave it alone, clean it from the muzzle.

 

[Hellcat1]

FWIW, I recently purchased a Winchester Model 94 SRC, made in 1920. It looks like it's been used a LOT over the past 100+ years, and some experts who have seen the gun say that looks like it has never been apart. Yet, it works flawlessly. So I'm not sure that I'd be too hung up on how easily the gun can be taken apart to clean.

YMMV


Frank

 

[Scribe]

I have a Rossi .44, 16 inch barrel, bought it new three and a half years ago. I keep it well lubed and have dismantled it about three times for cleaning. Disassembly was complicated but I did it step by step off a video on YouTube. So far I have put about 3,500 rounds through it, almost all hand loads and it and it works with magnum or special cases and I have had no problems with FMJ flat nose, semi wad cutter or round nose bullets. It definitely prefers 240 grain bullets over 200 grain. I shoot this more than anything else in my collection and would happily have another.

 

[Joe-ker]

This is what I do in my Henry. 38s with round nose will function, but the occasional hang up has convinced me just to stick with .357 cases now on.

 

[Rifletom]

vito, what's your decision? We gotta know!