Thread: Ruger 96/22LR lever actions

Fellas these lever guns are highly sought after here and just wondered if they had much of a following in NZ? Currently out of production, when one turns up in 22LR it commands a premium and is sold rapidly. The 22mag version is a lot easier to find and cheaper for the record. I am assuming as you blokes had the 10/22 available for so long the 96/22 which is a bit of a lookalike would not have been as popular there?

I struggled to sell mine a year or two back

I have the Ruger 96/44. Wanted something to suppress was looking for a Ruger 44mag carbine semi but they were hard to find and sold at a premium , I`m now pleased I bought the lever gun and missed out on the semi. Took about 2 years to find the 96/44 they sold very few here. Come to think of it I know of only three 96/44`s that I have ever come across of seen here.

Originally Posted by res

I struggled to sell mine a year or two back

If someone is looking for one they are near impossible to find, but if someone has one for sale, people who know what they are seem to be rarer still......

I loved the one I had and miss it dearly. But I have a wee Marlin 56 with a box mag (if I ever find the mag....) It is just like the 57 but has a drop out mag instead of the tube mag. I have not seen any other examples of these.

We used a Ruger model 96 lever action 22LR for several years and it was an excellent wee hunter. More accurate than our stock 10/22 semis with 0.7" groups at 50m, and a sweet little unit. Young fella loved it - was an ideal fast mechanical action for youngsters to learn with.

No real faults - one of the best hunter 22 models we've had. Recommended.

An even obscurer lever gun that I have been looking for for a long time (I have a spare mag and barrel) is the marlin model 62 in 30carbine. Short throw and detachable box magazine, looks like a lot of fun.

Sold mine to a forum member on here - would've been a mistake selling it to him, but it did go to a very good home!

On the lookout for another - @res, still got yours?

Im on the hunt for one myself at the moment, heard a good one matches decent bolt action accuracy. That marlin model 62 in 30 carbine has peaked my interest, first I have ever heard of it.

Originally Posted by Gerbs

On the lookout for another - @res, still got yours?

along with most of my guns its gone now

Originally Posted by Gun nut

An even obscurer lever gun that I have been looking for for a long time (I have a spare mag and barrel) is the marlin model 62 in 30carbine. Short throw and detachable box magazine, looks like a lot of fun.

Levermatic I think?

I had one in 96/22mag, Gun city brought it in for me along with a couple of others including a 17hmr.
Shot well for me with the right ammo. 1.5" at 100 mtr for 9 shots which for a light 22 mag with a low power scope I thought was quite acceptable. Rem 33gr and Hornady 30gr.
CCI 40 gr was no good in mine. Hornady 30gr was not ideal on goats, stopped them but mostly due to fragments catching the spine, only 6" of penetration.
Sold due to cost of the remington ammo and I was starting to get into reloading so replaced with 58gr Vmax loads over trail boss in a lever 243.
Z