[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Lever Gun (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 9/6/2006 8:10:31 PM EDT
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Well, Ive been wanting a lever gun for a while. And I finally have the cash coming in to buy one. I was thinking of a Marlin 1895G or 1984. My big decision comes to the cartridge. I want a .45-70 however .45 LC would be easier to find and cheaper, plus I can fit 10 rounds in the tube instead of 4. What do you guys think? Im open to all GOOD sugestions. |
| It all depends on what you are planning to do with it. If you want to hunt anything on the North American continent, then the .45-70 is the only way to go. If you are just hunting medium size game, then I would go with a .44 magnum lever action and a nice .44 magnum revolver to go with it! |
You know what I meant!!!!|
I DO have both, I like both the same - they're both great rifles. I also have one in .44 mag. I do find myself shooting my 1894 Cowboy .45 Colt a lot more than my 45-70 (the .45 Colt is less punishing). So - I also say get both, but if you can't, you need to decide what you want to do most. If you want the rifle for plinking and having fun the .45 Colt wins, if you want a hard hitting brush gun for hunting the 45-70 wins, if you want to hunt light game get the .44 mag. If you choose the 45-70 you WILL have to reload or you will go broke, if you choose the .45 Colt reloading helps, but is not necessary. |
You answered your own question, Its sounds like to me you would be happiest with a .45 LC. |
I'd go broke feeding my Mod94 45 Colt if it weren't for my reloading hobby. For an economy lever plinker and light hunter I'd go 357/38 if I didn't reload. |
Hee Hee, yes I guess you're correct. I also reload for my .45 and I've forgotten how easy it is to lever off several hundred rounds..... Still - I guess it's just me but all of my calibers have to start with a .4something.... 
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Why would he go broke with the .45-70? We've got a .45-70 and there's no shortage of ammo and none of it is any more expensive than, say, .30-06. Whereas there are exactly two stores in my area that sell .45LC and it's pretty expensive in both. None of the others stock it because there isn't enough demand for it. |
Why do you say that? My sole hunting gun is my Winchester Model 94 in .30-30 with a cheap Tasco scope attached to the side of the receiver. It's never once failed me when hunting, especially pigs. I think the OP would have more fun with .45-70 than .45LC. |
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Another interesting option would be to split the difference. Have you looked at the Rossi/Legacy Sports International Puma? It is a replica of the Winchester model 1892, and is available in .454 Casull. IIRC, the 20" barrel version holds nine rounds, and the terminal ballistics of the .454 out of a 20" barrel compared rather favorable with 45-70 factory loadings. You would have to handload, because .454 factory loads will break you. However, you could also light load the .454 down to .45LC velocities and have a very pleasant plinking rifle as well as a potent deer/hog/bear buster that would even drop elk effectively at short range. My $.02, good luck with whatever you choose. CO |
Someone finally made a lever gun in Casull!  How much? and is it any good quality wise? |
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The holdup was finding a levergun action that could handle 65,000 psi. Turns out that when made of modern steel the 1892 action is a tank. The last report I read indicated that there were at least a couple of them that had gone through 2k rounds and were still running like a top. They can be had on Gunsamerica for around $400-$450. Here's one. Or, just go to GA or Gunbroker and do a search on "puma". CO |
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IMO, your first lever gun should be a 30-30. You can find one in excellent condition at any pawn shop in America for $175-$250 depending on your bargaining skills. Ammo can be had for as little as $7.00 a box for quality hunting ammo. That's competitively priced with 44 mag or 45 colt prices with the same performance up close and longer reach if you need it. If you must have a .4x caliber lever gun, I would recommend a pistol caliber to match a revolver for convenience/standardization. |
No you wouldn't. And all my Cowboy guns are in .45lc, and my brothers are in 45lc, too. (Except for his original '86 in 40-65 but that don't count), and I wouldn't recommend it for other than Cowboy action shooting. The 44 is better in a lever gun If you need the oomph then 45-70 will supply IF you handload or buy cartridges that are specially made for MODERN long guns. Standard off the shelf 45-70 is downloaded for Trapdoor Springfield pressures. For hunting 44 mag off the shelf provides 44 Magnum performance. Off the shelf 45lc is loaded to pressures that won't blowup original Colts. If you want 44 Magnum performance in a 45lc, it's easily reachable by handloading (or Cor-Bon and a few others who make loads for Rugers and other stronger guns), but off the shelf 45 is a little weak. The 44 mag has a bigger stronger rim than the 45lc. You can note that NO original era lever guns were made in 45lc, the rims weren't strong enough. That said, if you are looking for a fun gun to shoot. Then by all means get one in 45, but for most serious applications the 44 is better, especially if you don't reload. I happen to prefer rifles or carbines using the Winchester M92 action. I have never seen any of those fail in a CAS match. I have seen a few Marlins fail. Again, this is my personal observation. The Winchester 94 action is NOT overly suitable in either 44 or 45, it's designed for the longer cartridges and it has a hitch in the git along. 92s are designed for the short cartridges and they can be as smooth as silk. Model 73s are alledgedly smoother, but they definitely are unable to take modern pressures. Marlins are also very smooth. You can probably find 45 cheaper because a lot of cowboy shooters use it. Not many use 44mag as it is not a period cartridge, and the classic or replica lever guns generally aren't chambered for it. Try a M92 based rifle that has had enough rounds through it to smooth it out and you'll love it. Try a 94 in a short cartridge and you won't. |
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Ok, I have an odd question. Would it be possible to hand reload .45-70? Im not really interested in the modern day cartridges personally, yeah they are cheaper to get ammo for and more versitile however im looking for somthing period. I hear a lot of good things about the .45-70 round and I see many of you have them. |
Abosultely! I hand load for all my rifles and handguns including my 45-70 and 45-90. I also cast my own bullets for the 45-70 and 45-90 although you don't have to as cast or jacketed bullets are readily available. I just ran some quick numbers here using prices from Midway USA. Factory ammo for 45-70 is about $67/100 my handloads for the same 405gr cast bullet are about $25/100 once you take the initial brass cost out of the equation. Factory ammo for .45LC is about $46/100 vs $12/100 for handloads. Factory ammo for .44Mag is about $40/100 vs $16/100 for handloads. Also if you "roll your own" you can tailor the load to almost anything you want to do! |
Would you by any chance have a decent guide for doing it? Im not exactly in-the-know about reloading. |
Start with the Lyman's 47th ed. Reloading Handbook, it's a very good book on handloading for beginners. I'll bet you can find it at almost any decent gun shop. Once you understand how to reload then you'll know what questions you need to ask. |
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Lever Gun Lineup: Winchester 94 30/30 Marlin 336 30/30 Marlin 336 35 Remington (Handload this with bullets ranging from 158 to 220 grains) Puma 454 Casual/45 Colt The new Hornady LeveRevolution Ammo, 160 grain boat-tail soft spire point has breathed new life into the lever action 30/30 for those who do not reload. They averaged 2332 feet per second out of my Winchester 94 with 20 inch barrel. If you reload you can best this with a spitzer boat-tail, but only one in the chamber and one in the magazine otherwise you might get a real bang! This is also available for the 35 Remington, 45/70 and 450 Marlin. Lever Guns Rule!  |
The 45lc is not a very traditional lever gun cartridge. Due to black powder fouling, lever guns justally have tapered cartridges such as the 44/40. That said, have the 45-70 cowboy and it is a hoot to shoot. Also have a win 92 in 44/40 that is great fun. I reload, shoot a lot more with the 44-40, never want to pop off too many full 45-70 loads in a given day with a light gun. |
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I had an 1895, it was just fine but it has a bit of a modern look with the white spacers and cheesy stock. Last year I found an 1886 Browning in 45-90. One of the Winchester Blackpowder series of rifles from Miruki. It works with all 45-70 and 45-90 loads. It flattens deer using 405 gr bullet at 1350 fps, you can load it another 200fps faster with no problem. I also have 300gr loads at close to 2000fps that are fun to shoot. I like 45-70,45-90 and classic big bore rifles. Given the choice, I'd opt for something classic. The cheap jacketed Remingtomn 405sp load is about 10 bucks a box and available everywhere 30-06 can be found. I like reloading the caliber, big straight walled cases are easy to work with and fun to shoot. |
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Here is the 45-70 of your wet dreams. No safety, great condition. Marlin That is a hell of a nice gun right there. For a practical rifle I would say the 45-70 is too much gun most of the time. You might consider the 44 mag in a lever gun like the Marlin 1894 or Browning B92. The Marlin is more practical since it will accept a peep sight, conventional scope, or scout scope. The Browning is cooler and I killed a deer with one last year. The 44 mag is like the Hammer of Thor on stuff. |
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I had a 30-30 Winchester 1894, and now have a .357 mag Marlin 1894C. I love the 1894C. It's makes a great plinker (.357 can be had for cheap) and you can even hunt small game and small whitetail with it with appropriate loads. It also makes a not unreasonable home defense gun, if you're not going for something better like an AR. |
| I bought a Marlin LTDIII which has an extra round in the tube (over the guide) and has an octagon bbl. My brother has the guide (both rifles in .45-70). Awesome, fun rifles to shoot. If paying for the ammo is a factor, consider reloading. And if anyone thinks a 45 LC can take any animal in north america, I suggest making sure they have the front sight removed before taking it to AK. |
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geez guys u forgot this badboy if u want to cover all the basis this will do you well havent hunted w/ it but have shot it and really like it alot on the will buy list Model 444 A big bore favorite that combines the power of the big 444 Marlin cartridge—which generates nearly 1.5 tons of muzzle energy—with the quick and super-smooth Marlin lever action system. Its 22" barrel makes the 444 a real joy to handle, no matter what the conditions. Caliber 444 Marlin Capacity 5-shot tubular magazine Action Lever action; side ejection; solid top receiver; deeply blued metal surfaces; hammer block safety. Stock American black walnut pistol grip stock with fluted comb; cut checkering; rubber rifle butt pad; tough Mar-Shield® finish; swivel studs. Barrel 22" with deep-cut Ballard-type rifling (6 grooves). Twist Rate 1:20" r.h. Sights Adjustable semi-buckhorn folding rear, ramp front sight with brass bead and Wide-Scan™ hood. Solid top receiver tapped for scope mount; offset hammer spur (right or left hand) for scope use. Overall Length 40.5" Weight 7.5 lbs. ok thought of another also-----Model 1895M in 450 Marlin-----big bangs are cool! 
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I just looked for the LTD's and they look awsome! I hear the LTD2 had a 24 inch barrel and a full length tube magazine that held 9 .45-70 rounds. To bad you cant get them anymore 
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