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USMCGrunt · December 25, 2012, 03:08 PM

I guess over the years, I've managed to get quite a few lever guns. My Wincheser 94 in .30-30 was my first one and that rifle is quite a fun one to shoot. It's also the lighter of my .30-30s so it's easier to carry but the recoil is a little more snappy.
My pre-idiot button Marlin 336 is my other .30-30 and like most Marlins, is a very accurate rifle. Another advantage is is that taking out the lever screw permits taking the bolt out far more easily than the Winchester desiign and allows cleaning from the rear. Mine came with a scope on it but I got rid of it. Never like the way it looked, spoiled the balance and IMHO, the range a .30-30 is likely to be used at doesn't warrant the need for a scope in the first place. What I didn't like about it as much as compared to the Winchester is that it takes more of a deliberate downward motion on the lever to operate where the Winchester seems to need a slightly less downward motion and more of a forward motion to operate. In any case, I have heard enough problems of the Remlins that any Marlin I look at buying will pre-date the Remington buyout and preferably before the idiot button came around as well.
My pistol caliber levers include a VERY smooth Uberti 1873 rifle in .45 Colt that is a dream to shoot. The down side is that the toggle action isn't as strong as later designs so no hot rodding any loads through this one! My EMF Hartford 1892 rifle in .38/.357 is another good little rifle but the 1892 much like the 1894 Marlins do have a reputation for not working as well with the shorter .38 Special rounds so I have a special 160 grain RNFP mould that takes care of that problem. My other 1892 is an older Rossi carbine that was imported by Interarms years ago. Light, accurate and the .45 Colt round espcially when loaded heavier makes for a pretty good sub-100m carbine.
I think though my favorite out of all my lever actions and the one that gets shot the most (other than my Marlin 39A and 39M...cheaper ammo ya know) is mmy Browning 1886 SRC. This thing is a tank and a 405 grain slug over 45 grains of IMR 3031 is no slouch in the power department. Smooth, accurate, exceptional quiality and attention to detail makes this one my favorite. It's also a fun one to take to work during "team building days" when we go out to the range instead. Guys that are used to M4s and ARs get one hell of a surprise when that old cannon goes off!

Other rifles I want to own one day are an 1860 Henry for the history and an 1866 simply because they are beautiful rifles! I used to have these models but a wife that I had figured we needed money for useless crap and those went down the road.

I WILL one them again one day!!! Another rifle that I have a lot of interest in is a Uberti 1876 Winchester in .45-60. Same smooth action as the 1873 rifles but in a larger caliber that is close to the .45-70. I've heard it best described that if the .45-70 versus .45-60 is similar to looking at a .30-06 compared to a .308 Winchester round. As far as Marlin offerings I would like one day to find a pre-idiot button 1894 in .44 magnum as well as an 1895CB. Never cared for the Mossberg or Henry brand offerings. I guess one of the big things I always loved about lever actions is the history behind them as well as being good shooters that are a lot of fun as well. I guess the Mossberg and Henry brand rifles just don't offer that sense of history and feeling what it must have been like for my forefathers when they came out West here.

December 25, 2012, 03:08 PM	#35
USMCGrunt Senior Member Join Date: February 27, 2000 Location: Somewhere in 14T NT Posts: 730	I guess over the years, I've managed to get quite a few lever guns. My Wincheser 94 in .30-30 was my first one and that rifle is quite a fun one to shoot. It's also the lighter of my .30-30s so it's easier to carry but the recoil is a little more snappy. My pre-idiot button Marlin 336 is my other .30-30 and like most Marlins, is a very accurate rifle. Another advantage is is that taking out the lever screw permits taking the bolt out far more easily than the Winchester desiign and allows cleaning from the rear. Mine came with a scope on it but I got rid of it. Never like the way it looked, spoiled the balance and IMHO, the range a .30-30 is likely to be used at doesn't warrant the need for a scope in the first place. What I didn't like about it as much as compared to the Winchester is that it takes more of a deliberate downward motion on the lever to operate where the Winchester seems to need a slightly less downward motion and more of a forward motion to operate. In any case, I have heard enough problems of the Remlins that any Marlin I look at buying will pre-date the Remington buyout and preferably before the idiot button came around as well. My pistol caliber levers include a VERY smooth Uberti 1873 rifle in .45 Colt that is a dream to shoot. The down side is that the toggle action isn't as strong as later designs so no hot rodding any loads through this one! My EMF Hartford 1892 rifle in .38/.357 is another good little rifle but the 1892 much like the 1894 Marlins do have a reputation for not working as well with the shorter .38 Special rounds so I have a special 160 grain RNFP mould that takes care of that problem. My other 1892 is an older Rossi carbine that was imported by Interarms years ago. Light, accurate and the .45 Colt round espcially when loaded heavier makes for a pretty good sub-100m carbine. I think though my favorite out of all my lever actions and the one that gets shot the most (other than my Marlin 39A and 39M...cheaper ammo ya know) is mmy Browning 1886 SRC. This thing is a tank and a 405 grain slug over 45 grains of IMR 3031 is no slouch in the power department. Smooth, accurate, exceptional quiality and attention to detail makes this one my favorite. It's also a fun one to take to work during "team building days" when we go out to the range instead. Guys that are used to M4s and ARs get one hell of a surprise when that old cannon goes off! Other rifles I want to own one day are an 1860 Henry for the history and an 1866 simply because they are beautiful rifles! I used to have these models but a wife that I had figured we needed money for useless crap and those went down the road. I WILL one them again one day!!! Another rifle that I have a lot of interest in is a Uberti 1876 Winchester in .45-60. Same smooth action as the 1873 rifles but in a larger caliber that is close to the .45-70. I've heard it best described that if the .45-70 versus .45-60 is similar to looking at a .30-06 compared to a .308 Winchester round. As far as Marlin offerings I would like one day to find a pre-idiot button 1894 in .44 magnum as well as an 1895CB. Never cared for the Mossberg or Henry brand offerings. I guess one of the big things I always loved about lever actions is the history behind them as well as being good shooters that are a lot of fun as well. I guess the Mossberg and Henry brand rifles just don't offer that sense of history and feeling what it must have been like for my forefathers when they came out West here.