School me on lever guns

ST19AG_WGreymon · Aug 31, 2018

Wife's been watching too much Longmire on Netflix, she's a country girl at heart and loves that stuff (horses, farm-stuff, etc.). :rolleyes:

In any case she finally showed some interest in shooting, I usually have to drag her to the range.

She wants a Winchester Model 94 like in the show. I'm looking at one chambered in .357 mag since it can also eat the tons of .38 special she has from her bedside S&W Model 36.

I know next to nothing about lever guns. Anything I should know before I pull out my wallet?

Jimbob2.0 · Aug 31, 2018

Check out the lever porn thread for inspiration.

Really you cant beat a lever gun for fun shooting and pistol calibers make it all the better.

.357 is a good choice but also the most popular and lowest quantity.

If you can get a Winchester Trapper in .357 you get a very quick handling reliable carbine. Just picked one up in .44 this morning, already have the .357 and .45 so...…….

Expect to pay $800+ for a Winchester.

People criticize the Rossis. I have a couple and like them, they wont win prizes for fit and finish but run well and are accurate. If you are patient one can be had for around $450.

Jury is still out on the Remline Marlins. I bought two from HogSniper and they certainly were worth the $425 each I paid but they feel heavy and cumbersome compared to the Winchester or Rossi. But that's because they have really wide forearm stocks. Quality is no where near where the Marlin made guns were but they seem to function ok.

John from MD · Aug 31, 2018

I suggest a Rossi Model 92 rather than a Winchester 94 as the Winchester action is made for longer cartridges. The Rossi 92 was made for pistol cartridges and is more compact and the action is easier to manipulate. They are also much cheaper than the Winchesters, which might be hard to afford on E5 pay. :rolleyes:

Here is one for sale

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/784408891

Clifjr · Aug 31, 2018

I know it’s not a 357/38 but I got a 30/30 Winchester 94 up at the last Gettysburg show for $250. 30/30’s don’t kick too hard and the ammo can be found cheap. The Winchester action is not a very tight action and Rossi is a copy of the Winchester. I have a Rossi in 357/38 and they do make a nice gun but they get a bad rap from their lack of customer support and parts availability. Remington made Marlins can be hit or miss with function and fit but the older Marlins with a JM proof marked barrel and generally considered better but more expensive if you can find one. Henry’s get good reviews but the no loading gate on the receiver turn off a lot of people. I’m not familiar with the tv show so I don’t know what gun they have on it.

Jimbob2.0 · Aug 31, 2018

John from MD said:
I suggest a Rossi Model 92 rather than a Winchester 94 as the Winchester action is made for longer cartridges. The Rossi 92 was made for pistol cartridges and is more compact and the action is easier to manipulate. They are also much cheaper than the Winchesters, which might be hard to afford on E5 pay.

Here is one for sale

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/784408891

Good suggestion though I would hold out for a 16" barrel in stainless, the shorter barrel is so much more fun and really doesn't hurt the accuracy of a pistol caliber carbine and only has a marginal effect on velocity.

Usually KYGCO is one of the better places to get them, especially when they have blems. Never been able to tell the difference between a blem and non blem Rossi I suspect its more of an inventory thing.

Just remember it takes some patience as they come in in waves, when supplies dry up the online retailers auto price databases drive them up then a shipping container gets cleared and the price plummets. https://www.kygunco.com/

Melnic · Aug 31, 2018

Think she would be interested in a Henry lever action 22?

They shoot great and the standard sights are easy to shoot

Look through the sights of what you buy. I don’t like the buckhorn sights myself

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

John from MD · Sep 1, 2018

I never thought of the Henry 22 but that is a great idea. My wife had a Winchester 9422 for years and it was her favorite long rifle. While the Winchesters are now collectables, the Henry's are readily available and affordable. I believe the Walmart in Severn carries a couple of different models.

ST19AG_WGreymon · Sep 1, 2018

Thank you for the responses guys. I'll probably hit up a gun show or two with her so she can handle the some of the models you pointed out.

sgt23preston · Sep 1, 2018

One word of warning...

In my experience, 38's do NOT fly well out of a lever gun...

357's do fine, but the power of 38's is too low & most of the energy is used up getting the bullet out of the barrel...

Aiming with 38's involves aiming well over the target...

So my advice is to use 357's or better yet 30-30's...

357's are accurate (5") to about 75 yards, 30-30 are much more accurate for 100+ yards...

I have a Marlin 336 XLR in Stainless that is excellent, simple to clean & deadly accurate at 100 yards...

BossmanPJ · Sep 1, 2018

Jump on GB or Winchesters website and check out the 1873 and 1866 rifles. They are now made my Miroku and are of excellent quality. Both are readily available in 357 and handle 38 Special fine. You could also look into Uberti 357 lever rifles. The closest in appearance you will get to the 1894 that Longmire carries is an 1892 in 357 mag. These are also readily available.

I am typically on the Henry bandwagon but the big boys in 357 are heavy compared to Winchesters and other like them. the golden boy 22’s however are not too bad.

I know of a member that is selling a Winchester 357 lever rifle that is beautiful. PM if you want his contact information.

Neutron · Sep 1, 2018

A lever gun in.357 mag is a whole lot of fun. Shooting .38's out of it is something I'm sure your wife would enjoy. There is very little recoil but enough to make you aware that your shooting more than a little.22. Ammo is cheaper than .357 or 30-30. If you just want something to shoot at the range, I would stay away from the 30-30. Too much recoil and more expensive ammo to shoot for very long.

rouchna · Sep 1, 2018

Check this one out. Use code NDV and get it for $600 shipped. I’m picking up a similar model with the brass receiver this weekend.

https://www.brownells.com/firearms/...pecial-blue-7--sku100402638-90416-184026.aspx

Jimbob2.0 · Sep 1, 2018

rouchna said:
Check this one out. Use code NDV and get it for $600 shipped. I’m picking a similar model with the brass receiver this weekend.

https://www.brownells.com/firearms/...pecial-blue-7--sku100402638-90416-184026.aspx

Just make sure you know if she wants a side loading gate vs. tube loading. That's the one thing that drives me crazy about a Henry. Frankly, I prefer the system in Rossi's .454 Cassull line where you can do both but I don't know of any other gun that does that.

RonRJA · Sep 1, 2018

My fiancee and I have shot my future father-in-laws Henry Big Boy in .357 and loved it. I have been looking at getting a lever gun as well, most likely in 30-30 though. I will say the process of loading the rounds through the tube in the Henrys was not nearly as annoying as I thought it would be. I am tempted to go the Marlin route because of the side ejection if I ever wanted to put a scop on it.

BossmanPJ · Sep 4, 2018

RonRJA said:
My fiancee and I have shot my future father-in-laws Henry Big Boy in .357 and loved it. I have been looking at getting a lever gun as well, most likely in 30-30 though. I will say the process of loading the rounds through the tube in the Henrys was not nearly as annoying as I thought it would be. I am tempted to go the Marlin route because of the side ejection if I ever wanted to put a scop on it.

You cannot go wrong with a Henry as long as the weight does not bother you.

Inigoes · Sep 4, 2018

Get her a Rossi ranch hand, with a big loop in the lever.

John from MD · Sep 4, 2018

The only Rossi .357's around are used ones. It appears they are only importing .44's and .45's lately.

DutchV · Sep 4, 2018

Be careful if you shoot .38 through a .357 lever gun. It is very easy to foul the chamber, then have a .357 case get stuck and shear off during extraction. Not a lot of fun to fix.

ezracer · Sep 5, 2018

I had a Marlin 1894C ( JM stamped barrel ). It was a fun little gun but not really accurate enough for me. About a 3-4 inch group @ 75 yrds. and 4-5 inch groups @ 100yrds. This is with .357's. Not any fun with .38's.

It had very little recoil and was a light (5-6 lbs) and fast handling weapon. It could be an OK home defense gun but I MUCH prefer my AR.....especially for quick follow up shots!!!
:party29:

Gorba · Sep 5, 2018

For many, many years I hunted deer and javelina with a Winchester Model 88 in .308 caliber. In fact, I still own it. Not only is it a smooth acting piece, it's also darned good looking. It's certainly worth tossing into the mix as you and your wife consider which one to buy. Good luck in your search. I've found the anticipation is almost as enjoyable as the acquisition.

School me on lever guns

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