leveraction reliability

RescueRiley

RescueRiley

Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Messages
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I know another gun post...but before I go and by things I like to here the voices of the people that have used them... manufacturers tend to publish only positive reviews of thier products so I find asking on the forums useful regardless of what type of equipment When I was young and lived in a more rural setting I had several firearms 2 shotguns, and a bolt action and a semi auto .22 when I moved to the city I had to sell them but am now beginning to purchas firearms again, the only firearm I currently have is a remington spartan double barrell 20 gauge sxs "it's awesome" but I'd like to buy a small camp .22 I've heard from a lot of knowledgeable people so far in regards to different types of firearms I have never nor do I know anyone who owns a lever action rifle and was wondering how they fare in regards to reliability/accuracy and maintenace (cleaning etc.) any thoughts would be appreciated thanks the model in particular that I'm currently considering is available at my local shop its' the henry youth leveraction it's 33 inche OAL weighs just under 4lbs, and will chamber .22s/L/LR
 
Henry makes a pretty good lever gun. I've got a some friends who have them in .45 Colt, I believe. I've not much experience with them in .22. I can only tell you that the I've really not ever read a negative review about them, and some people really love them. Here is a just one thread I found about them at THR.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=220674&highlight=henry+lever

(Oh, if you ever have more firearm/shooting questions, you would be tapping a wealth of knowledge by visiting THR (The High Road). It's an excellent community, and a lot of information to search through.)
 
I have a couple of Marlins. A model 39 mountie from the early 70s, and a 39A from the late 60's, and a 39TDS from the early 90's. I'm the original owner and they have been shot ALOT! I am excusivly a .22 shooter for many years now, and I use about 1500 to 2000 rounds a month.

I have never had a malfuction with any of them.
 
I bought a Henry .22 in the same model at a yard sale for 90 bucks. It had been fired a few times previously, and the owner told me he had gotten it at Walmart. I cleaned it up and zeroed it and found that it wasn't zeroed. I floated the front sight over and never had a problem since. I use it to procure quail for food in my front yard. I have loaded the tube with combinations of all kinds of ammunition and have never had a malfunction. I give it my approval, and the more you fire it the smoother the action gets. I love levers, and have a few. My .02
 
My Pop still has it. I bought the Ruger 10-22 but still like his Marlin just as well.

Sorry for the hijack::o
 
There's a forum called rimfirecentral where Henrys generally seem to get good marks. I wouldn't mind having one of the Henry pump action .22s.

I have a 50s Marlin 39A that's absolutely fantastic. Solid and absolutely reliable. Easy to shoulder, and as accurate as I let it be.
 
Get the Marlin 39 & don't look back. American made & all steel. Nothing cheap about it. Arguably, it's the best lever action out there. Winchester's are nice too. Handle them both & see which one feels better to you. Although I prefer the Marlin, you won't go wrong with either one. Henry's have a smooth action, but overall the gun does nothing for me.
 
Find a used Marlin and give it to your grandson.

other options, the BLR22 and the 9422, both good, but the marlin is the best
 
Sounds like a buyer's market. The only bad review I've seen is that they're noisy to chamber, and this is bad if you need to take a second shot. Comments?

Regardless, traditional lever-actions are just plain cool.
 
GibsonFan said:
Sounds like a buyer's market. The only bad review I've seen is that they're noisy to chamber, and this is bad if you need to take a second shot. Comments?

Regardless, traditional lever-actions are just plain cool.
Click to expand...

Nothing quiet about the 1st shot, so what's the problem in regards to noise on the 2nd? :confused:
 
Well, yeah. That's kind of my point; that's the harshest criticism I've seen lately, and I don't think it would make a difference very often.

Here's the quote:

"One of my personal favorite action types to use while perched in a tree happens to be a semi-auto. I like this action for a reason that could seem a bit odd for most. I don't care to "throw lead" at a deer in the hopes of a hit, but rather prefer the semi-auto for it's lack of noise between the 1st and subsequent shots. Think about that for just a moment. After firing a semi-auto there is no further noise from which a deer can discern direction of danger. Many times in rolling hills and gullies, valleys and ravines, a deer's ears get fooled by direction of a sudden loud noise. Thus, if there is no additional noises from someone "racking in" another shell, the deer may continue to be confused as to where the (BANG) sound came from. I have taken a deer due to just this phenomena when my 1st shot missed and the deer ran towards me. Because I was using a semi-auto I was able to then fire again, collecting my venison."

from: http://www.chuckhawks.com/rifles_treestands.htm

It's an interesting concept, just his $.02 I suppose.
 
Mick57 said:
Nothing quiet about the 1st shot, so what's the problem in regards to noise on the 2nd? :confused:
Click to expand...

Well for one thing if you are hunting for food (survival) what Gibson fan said is so true. Deer do get confused as to where the sound came from. I know this from experience. I used a auto loader for years, and would very highly recommend a auto loader for hunting. The only draw back they have is some people perceive that they have superior firepower with an auto. I took a buddy of mine hunting one afternoon and heard some shots on the other side of the property. Three shots total. The first two was real close together. To close together. I told my buddy someone missed a deer. And he said how do you know that? I said that the second shot was so close to the first shot that he had to be thinking about the second shot before firing the first one. Sure enough, it turned out to be my ex-brother in law. He missed. A semi auto is a great hunting tool if you perceive it as a single shot. Make that first shot count, than you will never need that other shot. But it is very reassuring to have several rounds at your finger tips, just in case.
 
I don't think you can go wrong with any recognized brand-name manual action gun. I have an old pump-action Winchester .22 (not an octagonal barrel, but an early one nonetheless), and after sitting in a closet without a case for an estimated 40 years, the gun shot great. Everything worked fine, and it was pretty darn accurate. All I did was make sure the bore was clear and that was it. I have nothing against semi-autos, but manual guns are a ton of fun to shoot!
 
I've got a 30-30 marlin lever action. I love that gun. One inch groups at 100 yards, and makes a sizeable exit wound (on Texas whitetails) at that distance. It is, however, more of a pain to clean than a bolt action. More parts, and the bolt can't be removed. I took all of my firearms out of the safe a couple of months ago to give them each an once over. All were in pristine condition, except for the marlin that I couldn't cycle. I don't why, but the action wouldn't budge. After a few minutes of cursing and pulling the lever released. That is the only problem that I have had with it in 14 years of ownership.

Between the marlin and the winchester, I prefer the marlin.
 
magneto said:
Well for one thing if you are hunting for food (survival) what Gibson fan said is so true. Deer do get confused as to where the sound came from. I know this from experience. I used a auto loader for years, and would very highly recommend a auto loader for hunting. The only draw back they have is some people perceive that they have superior firepower with an auto. I took a buddy of mine hunting one afternoon and heard some shots on the other side of the property. Three shots total. The first two was real close together. To close together. I told my buddy someone missed a deer. And he said how do you know that? I said that the second shot was so close to the first shot that he had to be thinking about the second shot before firing the first one. Sure enough, it turned out to be my ex-brother in law. He missed. A semi auto is a great hunting tool if you perceive it as a single shot. Make that first shot count, than you will never need that other shot. But it is very reassuring to have several rounds at your finger tips, just in case.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I know the story of your ex-brother-in-law all too well. Like you said, make that 1st shot count & you won't need another. While you may highly recommend an autoloader for hunting, I highly recommend spending enough time at the range to know a particular gun's capabilities & your own. And FWIW, bolt action rifles (which can be just as loud as a lever to chamber a round) far outsell any other centerfire rifles for hunting.
 
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