The current lever action collection....

[5.56X45mm]

From top to bottom

Marlin 1896 Guide Gun - .45-70 Government (Factory ported barrel) (Price - Free

)

Winchester 1894 Ranger - .30-30 WCF (Pre Cross Bolt Safety) (Price - $250

)

Marlins 1894 CSS - .357 Magnum (Price - $670 I wanted one ASAP and paid the price for it.

)

Henry Model H001 Rifle - .22LR/L/S (Price - $67 after Bass Pro Reward Point used

)

 

[Yin717]

I've heard many conflicting views about weapons like these. Stuff like, it is easy to reload but it can easily break and you'r screwed when that happens. But I'm not much of an expert. They look rather good and of good quality. But I'd love to hear your opinion on them.

 

[5.56X45mm]

I've heard many conflicting views about weapons like these. Stuff like, it is easy to reload but it can easily break and you'r screwed when that happens. But I'm not much of an expert. They look rather good and of good quality. But I'd love to hear your opinion on them.

The late great Col. Jeff Cooper called them "Long Island Assault Guns" for a number of reasons. Back when it was the lever action rifle and the single shot rifle. The lever action was "THE" gun that every soldier wanted. The lever action was saw combat from the American Civil War to World War One and the Russian Civil War when the Reds and Whites killed each other. Confederate troops called the Henry Rifle "That man Yankee rifle that you load on Sunday and shoot all week".

The Turks had them when they fought the Russians in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877
The heavy casualties suffered by Russian forces can be partly attributed to large quantities of Model 1873 Winchester lever action repeating rifles purchased at the beginning of the war. Turkish soldiers were able to maintain a high rate of fire versus their Russian counterparts, who were armed with single shot Berdan rifles they had to pause to reload. The success of these rifles-and their 15 round magazines-proved the military value of large capacity magazine weapons to skeptical ordnance officers in Europe and the Americas, prompting a major change in technology and tactics. By 1890 every major army had adopted a magazine fed bolt action rifle. (Source: John Walters, Rifles of the World, Second Edition, 1998)
US Troops, settlers, cowboys, and Indians used them during the expansion in the west. The Battle at Little Big Horn when Gen. Custer and 7th Cavalry were defeated were defeated by Lakota that were armed with a number of different model lever action rifles. 7th Cavalry was armed with single shot breech loading .45-70 Government 1873 Carbines.

In the Spanish American War, US Troops were armed with 1892 and 1896 Krag Rifles and Carbins (Bolt Action Rifles) and also some were armed with Winchester 1895 Lever Actions chambered in .30-40 Krag.

In WWI, Russian troops were armed with Winchester 1895s in 7.62x54r and some US troops were armed with Wincheser 1894s in .30 WCF. Most went to US Troops working in the US. They were called "Spruce Winchesters" by collectors. They went to US Signal Troops cutting down Sitka Spruce Trees. Combat troops in Europe needed M1903s and M1917s so the Winchesters were used by troops state side. Also early US Pilots had Winchester 1894s in their air craft.

US Dough Boy armed with a Winchester 1894 in .30 WCF

 

[5.56X45mm]

As for today. A lever action rifle isn't number my one choice for a rifle in a gun fight. But the first rule of a gun fight is..... BRING A GUN.

A lever action has some pros and cons.

Pro
Legal in the majority of places in the USA
Capacity isn't bad
Caliber selection is good
Not considered "aggressive"

Cons
Slow to reload
Limited in ammunition capacity compared to modern rifles
If a jam happens, that weapon is out of the fight 9 out of 10 times
Can be "short stroked"
Lots of parts compared to a bolt action rifle

Using one for self defense isn't a bad choice though. You just need to know their limitations. The upside to a lever action is most of them you can treat like a modern shotgun. You can "shot one" and "load one", you can top off your magazine a round at a time.

Most modern weapons like AR-15s, you can't do that. You must replace the entire magazine.

Like I said earlier, Col. Jeff Cooper called them the "Long Island Assault Gun". The main reason is because in place like New York City (Long Island), AR-15s, M1 Carbines, AK-47s, etc are illegal. But a lever action is still legal. In a pistol caliber model you can get a capacity of ten to twelve rounds. Which if you can't own a semi-auto rifle then that's not bad. Quick to fire, can be topped off, chambered in common calibers like .38 Special, .357 Magnum, .41 Magnum, .44 Special, .44 Magnum, .45 Colt, .44-40, .38-40, and other calibers. You have a fairly small compact package with a good caliber.

In the end are lever actions a bad choice for general home self defense? No. Would I take one into combat operations tomorrow? No.

 

[A Can of Man]

Great info!
I kind of wondered back in the old days when they were trying to get higher rates of fire, why didn't a system like the revolver actually work out on a rifle?

 

[senojekips]

I've never liked them personally, I believe that they are basically, not well designed.

They are relatively uncommon here in Australia, and among all of the shooters that I have known I have never known anyone to take them seriously as a practical weapon, for either accuracy or ease of maintenance, usually owned by "yippee shooters" who couldn't shoot to save themselves. I've never seen one that I actually wanted to stop and pick up.

That's just my experience.

 

[Yin717]

Thanks for the info. I good insight. I now have better knowledge of lever action rifle's! lol.

 

[A Can of Man]

I've never liked them personally, I believe that they are basically, not well designed.

They are relatively uncommon here in Australia, and among all of the shooters that I have known I have never known anyone to take them seriously as a practical weapon, for either accuracy or ease of maintenance, usually owned by "yippee shooters" who couldn't shoot to save themselves. I've never seen one that I actually wanted to stop and pick up.

That's just my experience.

So basically it fails in accuracy, reliability and ease of maintenance?

 

[senojekips]

So basically it fails in accuracy, reliability and ease of maintenance?

In my opinion,... yes.

I qualify my answer regarding the "reliability", by adding. That never having owned one, nor closely inspected a great many of them, I can't say that they are definitively "unreliable", but having seen several disassembled, the general mechanics of the action does nothing to inspire any great faith in them. I would much rather use a nice bolt action.

 

[5.56X45mm]

In my opinion,... yes.

I qualify my answer regarding the "reliability", by adding. That never having owned one, nor closely inspected a great many of them, I can't say that they are definitively "unreliable", but having seen several disassembled, the general mechanics of the action does nothing to inspire any great faith in them. I would much rather use a nice bolt action.

The Aussie vs American view.... the Lever Action rifle is strictly an "American Rifle". Here in the States the Lever Action is something that is respected and honored.

I find a well made lever action rifle tough as heck and a great rifle for being out in the middle of nowhere. As a combat rifle.... the Bolt Action wins in most categories. That is for one reason though.... The Lever Action is an older design.

But there are some newer designs out there. The Savage 99, Winchester 1985, and Browning BLR. The first two are Pre 1900 designs but are 100% awesome. The Savage has a rotary magazine and when it came it it blew the market away in the calibers it can chamber. Calibers that beat the .303 British, 7.92x57mm, and the .30-06. High pressure, high speed calibers that could easily take dangerous game. In the Mid 50s; the Savage was redesigned with a detachable box magazine and was chambered in calibers like the 7.62x51mm. Many Savages were chambered in military calibers.

The Winchester 1895 was a lever action designed from the ground up with a box magazine. Chambered in calibers like ,30-40 Krag, 7.62x54r, .30-06, and others. The Winchester 1895 did see action in WWI, The Finnish Civil War and the Russian Civil War. President Theodore Roosevelt had a Winchester 1895 chambered in .405 Winchester Magnum and took it to Africa. he killed a TON of big game with it.

The Browning BLR is a modern day designed lever action. Chambered in high pressure calibers. The common stuff. 7.62x51mm, .30-06, etc.... Detachable box magazine, take down design, accurate as sin.

Upside to all lever action designs. They're 100% ambidextrous. Doesn't matter if you're a lefty or normal. All designs can take scopes without much hassle and most designs are accurate to do the job.

I have four, as you see and plan on getting more. They're great and I don't feel under armed with my Lever Actions. But also they're a American thing. :thumb:

 

[A Can of Man]

For me it doesn't matter where it's made.
If it's good it's good. If it's bad it's bad.
If my countryman tries to sell me a bad weapon that my life may depend on, he is still a douche bag and the weapon is still a bad weapon.

 

[Yin717]

I've never liked them personally, I believe that they are basically, not well designed.

They are relatively uncommon here in Australia, and among all of the shooters that I have known I have never known anyone to take them seriously as a practical weapon, for either accuracy or ease of maintenance, usually owned by "yippee shooters" who couldn't shoot to save themselves. I've never seen one that I actually wanted to stop and pick up.

That's just my experience.

In my opinion,... yes.

I qualify my answer regarding the "reliability", by adding. That never having owned one, nor closely inspected a great many of them, I can't say that they are definitively "unreliable", but having seen several disassembled, the general mechanics of the action does nothing to inspire any great faith in them. I would much rather use a nice bolt action.

With you there. I could never trust myself, I'd just fear I would overuse or overpush it and snap the thing clean off or something.

The Aussie vs American view.... the Lever Action rifle is strictly an "American Rifle". Here in the States the Lever Action is something that is respected and honored.

Too true. I don't really think the Lever Action Rifle caught on in Britain.

 

[George]

Great info!
I kind of wondered back in the old days when they were trying to get higher rates of fire, why didn't a system like the revolver actually work out on a rifle?

Colt made revolving rifles & carbines in the percussion cap era. Some were used in the Civil War. The problem was potential chain firing of rounds in the cylenders, good way to get a ball through a forearm. 2 regiments saved the Union Army @ Chicamauga. 1 with .56 Colt revolving rifles & the other with Spencers. By the cartridge era the lever guns had superior performance to the revolving rifle. US troops in the post C.W. period wern't armed with lever guns, the Spencers & Henrys were quickly phased out after the War ended. Trap Door Springfields were used. The Wichester '73 is the gun that won the West(in civilian hands), along with various other Models of Winchesters & other Brands long dead. The 30/30 is credited with taking more Deer than any other round.

 

[A Can of Man]

Interesting.
I wonder how they managed to avoid that problem with revolver pistols but not revolver carbines or rifles.

 

[George]

Interesting.
I wonder how they managed to avoid that problem with revolver pistols but not revolver carbines or rifles.

The word "potential" is used because it might not have been anything more than something to worry about. One of those cases where I don't know if there were documented chain fires or not. Today most seal the front of the cylenders with Crisco or other lube/sealer as a precaution. A pistol held @ arms lenth wouldn't cause a problem compared to a rifle.

 

[5.56X45mm]

Interesting.
I wonder how they managed to avoid that problem with revolver pistols but not revolver carbines or rifles.

Big problem was that when a revolving rifle chain fired, the shooter would lose his support hand since it was in front of the cylinder . With a revolver (pistol); if it chain fired nothing happened to the shooter.

 

[George]

Obviously auto loading rifle is a better choice, but if you've seen any Cowboy shooting events, a revolver, lever gun & double barrel can be very effective.

 

[A Can of Man]

Big problem was that when a revolving rifle chain fired, the shooter would lose his support hand since it was in front of the cylinder . With a revolver (pistol); if it chain fired nothing happened to the shooter.

True!
I've actually not heard of revolvers chain firing but then again my experience with revolvers is zero.

 

[5.56X45mm]

True!
I've actually not heard of revolvers chain firing but then again my experience with revolvers is zero.

Black powder Cap 'n Ball revolvers chain fire. Modern cartridge designs don't.