[chaim]

Then, if you want a lever gun, consider it a fun/range/plinking gun and NOT a home defense firearm.

Now, it may be better then a sharp stick, but the hand guns you have are better, MUCH, suited for the home defense use then the rifles your speaking of. Smaller, faster into action, just better for home use.

Long guns have some definite advantages over handguns for home defense. As the saying goes "a handgun is to fight your way to your long gun".

Shotguns have long been well accepted by many shooters as ideal home defense guns. However, any long gun has quite a few advantages.

Long guns have a longer sight radius than a handgun so it is easier to shoot accurately, especially when you aren't necessarily at your best (such as when you are awakened at 3:30am and dealing with a dark house). Other than pistol caliber carbines, long guns have more stopping power. Shotguns and .223 have much more power at short range than any handgun. While 9mm, .40 and .45 don't gain that much velocity (and thus, power) out of a long gun v. a full size pistol, revolver calibers generally do gain a significant amount of velocity and power.

A lever rifle specifically can be a great home defense gun. A 16" lever carbine is quite compact and smaller (and more handy) than most long guns. Capacity is decent, and they can be topped off on the run pretty easily. Compared to a shotgun, recoil is much reduced which can lead to faster follow-up shots, and it is easier to find ranges that allow you to practice with your defensive ammo (around here, I know of only one range which will allow me to practice with 00 buck and it is over an hour away, while many allow pistol/revolver caliber carbines). With practice, a good lever gunner can get off aimed shots just as fast with a lever gun as with most semi-autos.

As far as home defense, some folks need to worry about overpenetration.

That is the issue that has me considering another try with a .45LC lever rifle. .357mag is a high velocity caliber that can have overpenetration issues even out of a handgun. .45LC is a slower round and less likely to go through an attacker and hit something I don't want to hit. I've also begun to consider my 30-30. A rifle sounds counter-intuitive when worried about overpenetration but some of what I've read from hunters, many 30-30 loadings are not particularly likely to overpenetrate. Still, I don't think I'd trust it.

The Uberti '73 Clones are slick, reliable, accurate, good looking and more expensive.

They definitely are beautiful, but a bit out of my price range.

All the comments about specific guns are appreciated. I'm leaning towards a Rossi or Marlin (depending upon what I see at an acceptable price first).

BTW, the 'thin rimmed' .45 Colt hasn't been made in years. All the new .45 Colt ammo has as thick a rim as any other round you might find in a lever action.

That's good to hear. Everything I've read over the years suggests that the thin rim of a .45LC contributes to them being less than reliable in a lever rifle. If that has been addressed there is no reason to avoid a .45LC lever rifle.