Thread: Lever action rifles- thoughts?

After our evil black guns were cruelly torn from us I was at a loss as to what to replace my favorite rifle with.
Being a lefty I have always had problems finding a rifle I liked in a left hand option. All you right-handed mistakes of nature out there may not appreciate how limited the choices are.
I considered the pump action version of the 'evil one' but thankfully considering the latest round of gun grabbing which I pretty much saw coming I decided not to.
I found myself gravitating to lever actions.
I purchased a marlin 30/30 originally and have now had 4 different calibres , only one of which I have moved on.
I found that other shooters started giving me a bit of flak over the lever actions...think you're John Wayne... primitive action... cowboy gun...we live in the 20th century now.... where's your horse...etc.
Now I see the funny side and laughed and joked along ,but I have never gotten so much shit before over the type of rifles I carry. I have found them surprisingly accurate , the 45/70 in particular which really surprised me, and good looking rifles which are fun to shoot. I really enjoy them.

So what do yoi lot think about the venerable lever gun?

My first centre fire was a Marlin .44mag.
Shot my first deer, first goat, and first stoat with that gun. Been in love with the ever since.
Currently have a suppressed .357 and two .22LR's.

Nothing wrong with a lever action at all but I am a purist and believe that there is no place for an optic anywhere on a lever action. In fact any lever action goes from cool to hideous with a scope on it.

My browning bl22 is the most fun you'll have with your pants on! Accurate little rifle too

I’d upload a few pics to really kick this thread off but it isn’t happening

Have a BLR 1973 model .243 Sure the trigger was a bitch but sorted that. 80 odd animals with it not one complaint

Originally Posted by hotbarrels

My first centre fire was a Marlin .44mag.
Shot my first deer, first goat, and first stoat with that gun. Been in love with the ever since.
Currently have a suppressed .357 and two .22LR's.

I've got a 357 . The Marlin baby brother to the mighty 45/70 sbl. Horror's of horrors, I have surpressed it and fitted a scope. I know , I should probably be taken out back and knee capped but rest assured I wouldn't have done that if it was a classic model.... probably. I used to carry the Ar as a walk in daytime goat gun in 223, fit the 22bolt kit and then it became a walk out night time possum gun.
I have started to use the Marlin in the same way. 357 going in , and with the surpressor and 38 it becomes a nice quiet nightime possum slayer. Very handy little rifle that my daughter has really fallen for as well and has claimed as her own.

My lever is the only rifle rifle I bought just because I wanted it, I own others that will do the same job but the lever is just so freaking cool and as you noted a lot of fun to shoot.
I've certainly never copped any flack for owning it

Originally Posted by Rushy

Nothing wrong with a lever action at all but I am a purist and believe that there is no place for an optic anywhere on a lever action. In fact any lever action goes from cool to hideous with a scope on it.

Ummm. You probably would be the one to give me my knee capping then.... two of mine are scoped and the third is fitted with a little pistol red dot....and that one is about to be fitted with the Midwest industries hand guard also.
I was also going to load some photos but probably a good job I can't... I wouldn't want to be responsible for giving you a meltdown...
There's a few photos of the 45/70 on my other threads which is the one carrying the pistol dot and about to get the hand guard although that is going on simply to remove the wood to prevent it getting damage as it is my bush gun. That is also half the reason I made the ammo carrier to protect the wood on the stock....and it looks cool and kinda demands respect with those red tipped torpedoes hanging off the side of it.
I don't know how many of those rounds I've given away to people at the range who have never seen 45/70 before who have been astounded at the sheer size and look of them and practically begged for one to take home...

Great guns, a lot of fun factor to be had working the action, bloody hopeless for shooting from a low prone postion.

Unlike @Rushy I have no problem with a scope on them, in fact I think they look better as long as it's not to large a scope. But then @Rushy loves Waikato beer so clearly a man with poor taste ( none )

My "hideous" Winchester Big Bore 94 .375 (top eject) with side mounted aim point scope has accounted for a shit load of animals over the 30 odd years I have owned it...it may not look right to the "purists" but in that thick shit supplejack Kaimai country it performs really well...it has survived at least three falls from horse back (any horse can be shot from, not all stand around for a follow up shot), As for how accurate it is, if it kicks up dirt near a Cody can at 50 metres from a shoulder shot that is near enough for me.

Ha ha ha ha I have great taste and my preference for Waikato endorses the fact. I also did not like conventional scopes on an AR15 either but I was OK with a small optic like a red dot on them.

Originally Posted by Rushy

Ha ha ha ha I have great taste and my preference for Waikato endorses the fact. I also did not like conventional scopes on an AR15 either but I was OK with a small optic like a red dot on them.

Waikato, thought it had been commandeered by your Mayor and the overpaid boss of Auckland water for Latte drinkers, nothing left for making the poor excuse for beer.

Originally Posted by Rushy

Ha ha ha ha I have great taste and my preference for Waikato endorses the fact. I also did not like conventional scopes on an AR15 either but I was OK with a small optic like a red dot on them.

Any scope on an AR was only for looks as if the first shot missed there were 29 follow up shots to take care of things.

Bought mine 6 months ago.
Was an itch I’d had for a while.
While it doesn’t replace my scoped / suppressed rifles, its great fun.
Looking forward to taking it bush, and chasing sika.

I bought my site name rifle in the early 1970s, still have it and never rectangular flak for it.

But then again it doesn’t look like a ‘cowboy gun’