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Posted: 3/22/2019 6:21:23 PM EDT
I guess most of us have heard the saying that a lever action was the "first assault rifle."
I was thinking about the knee jerk reactions in New Zealand and thought if automatic weapons were no longer available. For the sake of discussion assume that tomorrow every semi automatic rifle did not exist so what would we turn to? Pump shotguns or bring out grandpa's 30-30? I like my pump guns but also like the idea of a 200 to possibly 300 yard capable cartridge and rifle. Bottom line, I'm leaning toward either a 94 or 336 with the Marlin being scoped with a true 1x4 illuminated reticle and the 94 with a full aperture ghost ring sight. What do you think about the LEVERevolution load for distance and plenty of 150 or 170 for general purpose? I like how you can load additional loose rounds as you may need them. I would consider adding a 357 to the cabinet if they are as dependable feeding enough to "bet your life on?" I like the increased capacity but fear reliability due to rim's. Yes I know the 30-30 is a rimmed cartridge but never heard of feeding reliability issues. Thoughts? |
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A 5.56 lever gun that feeds from a 20 or 30 round internal box magazine fed from stripper clips would be pretty handy in places where laws are full retard. Threaded for a can too since no action cycling would make it nice and quiet.
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A 5.56 lever gun that feeds from a 20 or 30 round internal box magazine fed from stripper clips would be pretty handy in places where laws are full retard. Threaded for a can too since no action cycling would make it nice and quiet. View Quote |
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Swords and muskets all around boys.
If you want a lever gun by all means own one. |
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Coffin Nails - For a Few Burgers More |
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I'd feel far from outgunned with my 336. It's got a crappy cheap optic on it at the moment; I'll buy a Weaver 1-3x20 soon.
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I guess most of us have heard the saying that a lever action was the "first assault rifle." I was thinking about the knee jerk reactions in New Zealand and thought if automatic weapons were no longer available. For the sake of discussion assume that tomorrow every semi automatic rifle did not exist so what would we turn to? Pump shotguns or bring out grandpa's 30-30? I like my pump guns but also like the idea of a 200 to possibly 300 yard capable cartridge and rifle. Bottom line, I'm leaning toward either a 94 or 336 with the Marlin being scoped with a true 1x4 illuminated reticle and the 94 with a full aperture ghost ring sight. What do you think about the LEVERevolution load for distance and plenty of 150 or 170 for general purpose? I like how you can load additional loose rounds as you may need them. I would consider adding a 357 to the cabinet if they are as dependable feeding enough to "bet your life on?" I like the increased capacity but fear reliability due to rim's. Yes I know the 30-30 is a rimmed cartridge but never heard of feeding reliability issues. Thoughts? View Quote The recoil impulse is short and small yet what the bullets do when stricking things is immense. Load up 158gr XTP’s and they wound better than 5.56. |
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A 5.56 lever gun that feeds from a 20 or 30 round internal box magazine fed from stripper clips would be pretty handy in places where laws are full retard. Threaded for a can too since no action cycling would make it nice and quiet. View Quote |
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If laws are retarted to force you away from semi auto, guaranteed you also can’t have more than 10 rounds and definitely no can allowed. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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A 5.56 lever gun that feeds from a 20 or 30 round internal box magazine fed from stripper clips would be pretty handy in places where laws are full retard. Threaded for a can too since no action cycling would make it nice and quiet. |
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Right now in the ban states I don't believe any restrict capacity of manually operated rifles with non detachable magazines. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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A 5.56 lever gun that feeds from a 20 or 30 round internal box magazine fed from stripper clips would be pretty handy in places where laws are full retard. Threaded for a can too since no action cycling would make it nice and quiet. |
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Right now in the ban states I don't believe any restrict capacity of manually operated rifles with non detachable magazines. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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A 5.56 lever gun that feeds from a 20 or 30 round internal box magazine fed from stripper clips would be pretty handy in places where laws are full retard. Threaded for a can too since no action cycling would make it nice and quiet. |
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California has single-party rule of government right now with no prospects for a change any time soon. With that, there has been a lot of justifiable fear of an outright ban on semiautomatic rifles.
Were that to happen, you could see a rush to buy lever actions of a magnitude probably not seen before. Imagine several million gun owners needing replacements for their chosen home defense rifles, overnight, with the stroke of a pen. I wonder how long it would take to satisfy that much demand; to build that many rifles? A lever action chamber in 38 or 357 would fill that role as well as anything else that isn't a semiautomatic could. I have been watching and waiting. Perhaps, it is time to act, in advance of the rush. Maybe buy two. :-) |
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Old Glenfield model 30, just waiting on the low rmr mount. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/101965/FD43E07A-005D-4288-9350-AB83A39874B1-889212.jpg View Quote |
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The Marlin 336Y would be my choice.
They were on sale for like $300 each a few years back. I should have bought a few of them. They may not be an AR15, but 30-30 has a great punch. 5+1 capacity of 30-30, add a HPG butt cuff and a cheap sling. Function check, zero with cheap hunting loads, throw them in safe and forget about them. Great for a road trip in unfriendly territory, a kids hunting rifle, a loaner during a natural disaster, etc... Unlike a cheap AR, it doesn’t need accroutments to go with it. Yes, we can buy a $500 AR, but usually it needs sights and magazines at a bare minimum. It may not be the right choice for everyone, but for many it makes sense to have one in the safe. |
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The Marlin 336Y would be my choice. They were on sale for like $300 each a few years back. I should have bought a few of them. They may not be an AR15, but 30-30 has a great punch. 5+1 capacity of 30-30, add a HPG butt cuff and a cheap sling. Function check, zero with cheap hunting loads, throw them in safe and forget about them. Great for a road trip in unfriendly territory, a kids hunting rifle, a loaner during a natural disaster, etc... Unlike a cheap AR, it doesn’t need accroutments to go with it. Yes, we can buy a $500 AR, but usually it needs sights and magazines at a bare minimum. It may not be the right choice for everyone, but for many it makes sense to have one in the safe. View Quote And you can pick up a spare magazine for the price of a butt cuff and have something a tube fed lever action doesnt, a back up magazine. And compare the price of a spare mag for a DBM lever gun to an AR mag And if you're after cheap, good quality bolt action rifles with scope can be had for less than most lever actions. I've got ARs that cost less than what I've spent on my decked out 336. And if we're starting from scratch on a tight budget and couldn't have an auto, I'd be looking at a bolt action in 308. |
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And if you're after cheap, good quality bolt action rifles with scope can be had for less than most lever actions. I've got ARs that cost less than what I've spent on my decked out 336. And if we're starting from scratch on a tight budget and couldn't have an auto, I'd be looking at a bolt action in 308. View Quote I bought a Wal Mart clearance Ruger American .308 a few years ago as well as a clearances Nikon Scope. I had a hunting ready rifle for $235 OTD. Get the deals while they can be had. |
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There is truth in all of it. 15 years ago, it was easy to find a 30-30 for $150-$200. Now it’s easier to find a $550-$600 AR than to find a $300 30-30 in good shape. I bought a Wal Mart clearance Ruger American .308 a few years ago as well as a clearances Nikon Scope. I had a hunting ready rifle for $235 OTD. Get the deals while they can be had. View Quote |
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Don't over think this.
Rossi's are OK, but they are the bottom of the barrel. I sold my 92 in .357, it worked great. Dude I sold it to said it jammed all the time. Obviously ammo related. Choose wisely. I would buy a 336 or 336Y as mentioned. I have 2 336's that are accurate enough by lever gun standards, and never fail to go bang, ever. I have Ashley rail systems and sights (ghost ring and huge blade front ) One has scout one conventional 1x4. Iron, or glass, they are ready. A few other easyt mods like large loop, and elastic ammo holders on the butt stock. I have lots of other lever guns, these are defensive rifles. I usually buy every 30/30 ammo I can find and try it at 100Yd. They are all good to hit 100 yd, steel targets. Lever Evo is pretty cool, gaining a Slightly flatter distant shot. (300 Yd. zero ) . If I needed to punch tiny paper groups at long distance say 700 Yd., I wouldn't be shooting a 336, I would be running! Lever guns are cool, PC, nostalgic, and outside the box. They are not Perceived as EBG`s, I'm told. The Interwebs are full of stories. I think LE will strip me of a lever gun, just as quick as an EBG. They are not immune from forfeit yet..... |
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Don't overlook the older designs like replicas of the Winchester 1866 or 1873, even in "obsolete" calibers. These rifles are reliable and the actions work fast, compared with an 1892 or 1892. You'd be hard pressed to legally justify defensive use past the effective range of .44-40.
InRangeTV subjected an 1860 Henry replica to their mud test and it did shockingly well, even with the slot down the middle of the magazine tube. The 1873 has a dust cover over the ejection port and a fully enclosed magazine. I'm sure it would do even better. Attached File Mine is a Cimarron Firearms (made by Uberti) 1873 Sporting Rifle in .44-40. It holds 14 shots and will push a 219 grain bullet downrange at over 1300 FPS, with black powder handloads. I could push it ~10% faster and still stay under 13,500 CUP with Reloder 7. As for ammo availability, if you wait until there's a crisis, you're doing it wrong. (This goes for any cartridge, of course.) I have a large stash of Starline .44-40 brass, cast my own bullets, and keep plenty of powder and primers on hand. .44-40 allows a lot of flexibility in loads with jacketed or cast bullets, and it'll work well with a variety of powders ranging from the Holy Black, to IMR-4227, Reloder 7, Unique, or Herco. |
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I wouldn't feel under gunned with a 336 or an 1894. Marlins are pretty simple inside and easy to take apart unlike the Win leverguns and their clones.
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I'd have no problem using one on my lever guns for HD or defending the farm if SHTF.
I actually use a 12 gauge mossy for HD now. I have AR's but am so familiar with levers and pumps, they are second nature to me, can use without thinking. |
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Old Glenfield model 30, just waiting on the low rmr mount. https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/101965/FD43E07A-005D-4288-9350-AB83A39874B1-889212.jpg View Quote |
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If something like that was to happen right now, I feel a Ruger American would be a better choice for me, with the amount of 5.56 and .223 I have, plus its ability to use AR magazines.
Though if a company was to produce a box magazine fed 5.56/.223 lever action that worked with STANAG magazines, or had the ability to be fed by stripper clips, I would likely buy one the first chance I got, regardless of the then present legality of semi-autos. Unless there happens to be 9mm lever action rifles. I also got plenty of 9mm that I could feed it with. |
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Have a JM Marlin 1894 Cowboy Limited 24 inch barrel in .44spec/.44magnum. If that was the only rifle I could own, I would not have an issue with it.
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The Winnie 94 Trapper in 44 Mag would do very nicely in a defensive role. Add a set of XS ghost ring sights and a light and you have a powerhouse, big bore that holds 9 rounds and is 34" in length.
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In various rooms, I have:
Browning Auto-5 12g loaded with Buck and ball AR 1892 with .45 LC Lever revolution. I would not feel under gunned with any of them. |
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For the longest time my only two firearms were a Marlin 336 in 30-30, and a SAA clone in 357.
I didn't get killt in da streetz. Never got in a gunfight though |
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I think you have that backwards. In an urban environment, you do not want a lot of penetration, as your family and neighbors are close by.
Am I mistaken? |
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Would I trust and be able to use any of my levers.. yes, without a doubt. Is it my first choice... not by a long shot.
Ive come to the realization that beyond training and proficiency i want to be able to bring as much to the fight as i possibly could within reason. I want a rifle with as much ammo as tactically possible as my ready. I dont even put anything less than a 30rnd in my HD AR and am thinking about switching over to 40's.. 20's are cool and retro.. but not when you gotta shoot things for real. I also want a semi auto.. one less thing to worry about when I go tunnel vision and poop my pants in the heat of the moment. Id be afraid that my 3030 or 4570 would just destroy my hood too. "he killed all 4 bad guys lined up... then the neighbors car" "what was he shooting?" "HSM 430gr hardcast bear load" "whoa" |
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I have a 44-40 that I use for HD. I can't get the wife trained to the point where she'd reliably be able to operate anything else. A Winchester 1892 is stupid easy.
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I'd rather have a Winchester 1895 if I were going to be limited to a lever gun. They're fought in several conflicts and use a better rifle round. That said, nope, I don't own one (yet). I wouldn't feel terrible about having to use my Winchester 94 in 30-30 in some settings or even my Rossi 92 in .357. Both have proven accurate and reliable and both rounds will get the job done within their limitations. I've killed deer with both.
When my grandfather was alive he carried a 16" Rossi then a Winchester Trapper .357 in his travel trailer since it was legal pretty much everywhere. I know of a couple of other people who do the same thing (most in .357, one in .44). |
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I would have no qualms using any of my lever guns for defense...
Having said that... If you live in a "ban state" and they keep chipping away at what they allow you to own, despite your civil rights... at what point is the line crossed? I dont mean violence.. I mean, if where you live because such a left wing hell hole that your civil rights are no longer honored, and you cannot fight back... why stay? |
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My Marlin 336 with a Lyman peep rear has killed more animals than I can count. If I were up against any thug I would not feel under gunned. Quick repeatable shots. Wonderful firearem. I gave it to my nephew because i love him that much.
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The 5.56 AR platform isn't ideal for a HD weapon in my view even though I have both an AR carbine and rifle. It's big, bulky receiver and large blast and flash don't recommend it to many who've actually shot it indoors at night without hearing protection. With defensive ranges in the 25 to 30 feet range at most, the .223/5.56 comes in a distant 3rd in my high velocity carbine performance in addition to being much larger and less user friendly to employ.
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The 5.56 AR platform isn't ideal for a HD weapon in my view even though I have both an AR carbine and rifle. It's big, bulky receiver and large blast and flash don't recommend it to many who've actually shot it indoors at night without hearing protection. With defensive ranges in the 25 to 30 feet range at most, the .223/5.56 comes in a distant 3rd in my high velocity carbine performance in addition to being much larger and less user friendly to employ.
View Quote IMO, relative to lever actions, the 16" barrel is better than the 20" barrel from a home defense perspective. Maneuverability in my narrow hallways is the key. The 16" carbine fits more easily in the hall better than the 20". |
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I don't think I'd feel truly undergunned in a HD scenario with any of my centerfire leverguns.
.357, .30-30 or .45-70 are all capable rounds. I'd probably grab my Marlin .357 first due to capacity, but any would certainly work on anything but a large invading party. |
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