Lever action madness!

I own the Marlin 1895 Guide, the 1895SS, and the 1895CB:

1895 Guide w/18.5" bbl; 4 shot magazine:
1895G.jpg


1895 w/22" bbl, 4 shot magazine:
1895.jpg


1895CB with 26" oct bbl, 9 shot magazine:
1895CB.jpg



Now one would think that the 1895 Guide would be the handiest, and on the surface it appears that way. However, when actually CARRYING the three, it turns out that the 26" 1895CB is the handiest for carrying and shooting! With a full mag, the balance of the 1895CB is much better, IMO, than that of the shorter 1895 and the 1895 Guide. To me, a loaded Guide is still butt-heavy, and it doesn't help when shooting for follow-up shots. OTOH, a loaded 1895CB cradles in the arm really sweet. It handles much better than the 10 lbs it weighs when loaded, and much better than its shorter siblings.

All that said, for a starter levergun, a person cannot go wrong with a Marlin in 30-30, and they are available just about anywhere in the used rack for reasonable money. Ammo is just as plentiful. The local Wally has ammo for $8.99 a box. They were made in straight grip and pistol grip, and the straight grip (to me) seems to have less recoil and muzzle climb due to less drop of the stock. Against that, the pistol grip is somewhat comfortable in the hand.

Noah
 
I had a Savage 99 chambered in 300 Savage that was a sweet shooting rifle.
To reload for it: I had access to a lot of 7.62 x 51mm brass at the time and it was pretty easy to trim the neck down and resize them for use in it (a lot cheaper too).

My all time favorite lever gun was a rimfire; the old Remington Nylon 76.

You might take a look at this site: http://www.leverguns.com/outdoors/levergunners.htm (This is not the home page for the site, but has some nice photos. I've always liked the look of the Winchester 95 shown in a couple of photos,)

Regards,
Greg
 
It's estimated that there are about 10 million servicable .30-30 caliber firearms in private hands just in the USA alone. This is why virtually every shop that has any ammo for sale in the American hemisphere will always have at least some .30-30 on hand.

My two favorite Marlins are the 336SS in stainless steel and the Model 336Y "SpikeHorn" which has a 16.5" barrel.
 
A Marlin or Winchester .30-30 is hard to beat. Both companies are making nice rifles right now, with a lot of choices in terms of barrel and stock options. I like Marlin for the reciever design, but the Winchester for some of the nice half magazine sporters that they have brought out recently. Of course the Savage 99 in .250-3000 or .300 Savage would be the ultimate lever rifle IMHO, but you have to hunt for one on the used market. I'd avoid the .303 Savage, it doesn't live up to the strength of the action, and it is hard to find ammo. When I was young I read Bradford Angier's book At Home in the Woods, and I have wanted a .250 Savage ever since.
 
If you want high power in a lever action, the Browning lever action BLR is the way to go.

I saw a special about Eskimo hunters and, kid you not, they caught a guy on camera killing a whale with a BLR from the shore. They said that they guy was the best hunter in the village.

I don't know what caliber he was using, but whatever it was it could kill a smallish sized whale with one shot. There was a geyser of blood when he hit it. They said that the trick to shooting a whale is to kill it right after it breathes in so it doesn't sink.
 
cliff355 said:
Noah:

It never occured to me that the longer gun could actually feel handier. Do you ever carry it for any length of time, and if so how does that 10 lbs work out? I notice there aren't any sling swivels on the CB as on the others.
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I've carried it for three-four hours at a time, cradled in the crook of one arm close to the body, as you see "Lewis & Clark-type" frontiersmen do with their flintlocks as depicted in paintings. In the 1895CB, it makes 10 lbs feel like 7 lbs to me. The 1895 Guide keeps wanting to tip backward at the butt, but the mag full of nine cartridges in the 1895CB is (to me) perfect balance for carry and shooting.

Noah
 
Yvsa said:
If I were going to buy a new Lever Rifle it would be the Marlin Guide Gun 1895G in .45-70 of course. The guys here have convinced me of it being the best all around rifle for any and all American large game animals, including man.;) :D :p
And with the assortment of ammo for it good enough for many African Safari hunts as well.:cool:
There is just NO way to go wrong that I can see.:D :cool: :D
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Another vote for this one if recoil doesn't bother you too much. I have a 1895G regular in 45-70. Accurate for a lever gun but a 300 Winchester bolt kicks less. The Guide Gun is ported so that may help the recoil. Otherwise get the 30-30.
 
In either the guide gun package or just regular ol' 1895 it's hard to beat. I had the 1895 as well as a 336 and shot mostly 45 LC out of the 1895. The 336 is also an awsome gun and quite loud on an indoor range. It'll get lots of looks. If I could only have one it would have to be the 1895GS.


- D
 
God I love this forum. Thanks for all the replies, I'll end up with a marlin 30-30 most likely. This not being caused by recoil sensitivity, I love shooting 50 bmg rifles, but mostly by price. The 30-30 is less money for the actual rifle, and a dollar goes farther when buying ammo ( I haven't started reloading just yet) :footinmou Again, you guys are awesome.
 
BlondieAlmostEdge said:
God I love this forum. Thanks for all the replies, I'll end up with a marlin 30-30 most likely.
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BAE you won't go wrong with a .30-30.:D
The old standby .30-30 has been around for a long time and has served well on both man and beast And they don't romp yer arse into the ground every time you fire the thing either, good all around caliber IMO.:D :cool: :D

There's probably been about as many deer killed with a .30-30 as there have been with the little .22 long rifle hollow point rimfire. I'm betting the .22 has killed more deer than any other rifle if the real truth were known.:(
 
mrostov said:
If you want high power in a lever action, the Browning lever action BLR is the way to go.
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Maybe I just had a lemon, but I had a BLR in 7mm08 and it has one of the junkiest firearms I've ever had. On its best days it never got better than pie plate accuracy, the lever wobbled from side to side, and the magazine fit very loosely into the reciever, causing a rattling noise. But the wood stock was one of the most gorgeous I've ever had. Maybe the older ones were better made.
 
BlondieAlmostEdge said:
A couple quick questions for all of my fellow gun nuts. I'm looking into getting a lever action. What are everyone's preferences for manufacturer, caliber, etc? I've been eyeing marlins but I'm not too picky. The only caveat I'm going to add is no pistol calibers please, I'd like to be able to buy my own ammo immediately (I'm 21 next january).
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The lever action is the traditional deer rifle in North America, and still has much to recommend it. The two best selling sporting rifles in history are both lever actions (the Winchester 94 and Marlin 336). Lever action rifles have traditionally been chambered for what are probably the best balanced of all medium range cartridges, the .30-30, .32 Special, and .300 Savage. Anyone who buys a Winchester 94 or Marlin 336, or a used Savage 99, in one of these three calibers has as good a medium range deer rifle as has ever been made. For the person who wants a flat shooting lever action rifle, the Browning BLR or Savage 99 in .243 Winchester or .270, fills the bill. The BLR in 7mm-08 and the Savage 99 in .300 Savage qualify as all around rifles.

The Model 94 Winchester may be the world's perfect rifle. From 1894 to 1963 the Model 94 lever action rifle had been manufactured using high quality forged steel parts and stocked in genuine American black walnut. The metal finish was a highly polished blue and in the later part of that era the stock had a gloss finish. It was . . . a legend in its own time, and an American icon. It was also the world's most popular sporting rifle, and still is with over 5,000,000 sold by 2001. All angle ejection Model 94's are drilled and tapped for scope mounts.

The reasons to shoot a Model 94 one hundred years ago are even more important today. Who can argue with over 100 years of dependable service? The 94 can take tough conditions -- snow or rain, mud or dust -- and keep working. Every caliber has a level of recoil you can handle, helping you stay on target. It is compact and lightweight, able to go where you want to hunt ... in the rugged, thick conditions where game like to hide.

It hunts the way you hunt today: fitting easily on an ATV rack or strapped onto a backpack or up in a cramped treestand or leading the way through an overgrown thicket. Few would dispute that more deer have fallen to the Winchester Model 94 than any other rifle in history. Winchester model 94 Timber Carbine is chambered in .444 Marlin; an awesome cartridge. The Timber Carbine is built on the big bore action. The barrel is a compact 17 3/4" long and is ported to keep the recoil under control and with virtually no muzzle climb. With its good looks and balanced handling, this may be the ideal heavy brush gun for bear and deer hunting. The compactness is perfect for tree stands and in deep heavy cover.

Winchester 94 comes in 11 different varieties of the model 94 and 6 different calibers. Winchester Model 94. Height: 12". Length: 15".

NOTE: Price: Depends on used condition, caliber selected and where you buy it. Online auctions may be the least expensive method of buying a rifle. Be aware, you are from California and you do need an FFL in California and you do need to have it shipped directly to the FFL first, before you can take ownership. :) :) :)

iBear
 
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