Lever action rifles

[antenna]

In another thread, I asked about the robustness of lever actions vs. bolts. What makes me nervous is the answer I received. Someone said that levers are a real @#$% to take apart to clean. Is this the only way to clean these or are they cleaned from the bore? I am just about to buy one, so I want all the info I can get concerning them.

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"Stop forest fires--ban matches."

[cartman308]

my dad has an older mariln 336. it's not to hard to clean. granted its a little more difficult to clean than a bolt action, but it isn't impossible.
i have no idea if winchesters are harder or easier.

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.308 WIN: The ONLY cartridge you will EVER need!

[Grayfox]

You normally don't take lever guns apart for cleaning. You will have to clean the bore from the muzzle end, but that's not a real problem with just a little care. Most of the innards can easily be cleaned with a brush. A can of spray cleaner can get the tough spots. I've got one 30-30 that I've owned for over twenty years. I think I've had it apart twice and its still in fine shape.

[Robert the41MagFan]

That is the real advantage of the Marlin design. With a screwdriver the lever is removed and the bolt comes right out. Very easy. I think that the only big advantage with the Winchester is the pressure it can handle in the Big Bore and Bush Gun. They are both about 10,000 PSI higher than that of the Marlin. I like the look of the Winchester more, but the finish quality of the Marlin is a bit better.

Robert

[Chad Young]

In actuality,it is not too hard to drop the bolt out of a Marlin so you can clean the bore from the rear. Open the lever about 1/2 way, remove the lever screw, pull the lever out the bottom, and the bolt slides out. You can then pull out the ejector unit and have straight access to the bore. Personally, I just clean from the front and use a muzzle guard and a coated single-piece rod.

Here in Florida, the Marlin and Winchester lever actions in 30-30 are practically *mandatory*; if they get any more popular, they may have to start issuing them to new arrivals at the state line. I was at the range three weeks ago and counted no less than 12 lever action rifles in .30-30, .35 Rem, and .32-20. It was about a 60/40 mix of Marlins and Winchesters and all but two were in .30-30. I guess when you rarely take a shot past 50 yards, it is just not necessary to have the power of a 7mm Magnum.