Best levers?

[Chowder]

I do like Marlins...but I don't want a gun that's gonna break easy or jam up all of the time.

My marlin 1894 is my favorite rifle, it has never jammed or broke. It is a New Haven CT made rifle but has never given me the slightest reason not to trust it.

[coldbeer]

I bought my Marlin 1895 gbl over a year ago. It's one of if not my most used rifle with well over 1500 rounds through it in the last year and a half and I've never had it jam, in fact I haven't had any problems with it whatsoever. For $539 nib I can't find anything to complain about as far as fit and finish go either. These days people find something to complain about with every firearm on the market ... except Glocks those are perfect in every way and if you have a problem it's your own dang fault. I don't and never have payed attention to these people because if I did I wouldn't own any guns. I'm not saying it's impossible to buy a problematic Marlin levergun because every manufacturer produces a lemon once in a while, but that doesn't mean every gun they make is junk either. Marlin makes a good levergun at decent price. I'm not saying Marlin makes the best levergun because they obviously don't. I'm just saying they aren't nearly as bad as some people would lead you to believe. I will get a Marlin 1895 stp one of these days those are sweet little rifles.

[jimbob86]

No love here for the Savage 99?

I'd love one if I could find one.

Make mine a 250-3000, Plz!

[fallingblock]

It certainly is among the finest lever actions ever made, anywhere.
Unfortunately they haven't been made for over 20 years now.

[silvermane_1]

there is a a Savage 99 in 300 Savage in my LGS, and not for a bad price IIRC, but alas 300 Savage isn't easy to find, nor is it affordable, unless you're a hand loader, and then components ect. might not easy to find.

[fallingblock]

.300 Savage is a fine deer and black bear cartridge. It was Savage's 1920 answer to a compact .30/06 for their rifle action and in fact served as the design model for the .7.62X51mm/.308 cartridge. It uses .308 projectiles and standard LR primers and the cases can be fairly easily formed from .308 brass, although they are still produced on an annual basis. It's worth handloading to see why these rifles were so popular as woods and saddle guns for so long.

[Clark]

I have (4) Sav 99
I have (3) Ruger #1
I have (2) Win 94
I have (1) Win 92
I have (1) Win 95
I have (1) Sav 72
I have (1) Marlin 335
I have (1) Davenport 1891
I have (1) Win 1885 [Uberti]

I have hunted with the Ruger #1s, the Sav 99s, and the Uberti.

There is nothing wrong with my Uberti 1885 copy. I have no complaints.

I bought a 1901 30 government [30/40 Krag] Win 1895 at a pawn shop in January, took it apart, and got out more than a pound of dirt.
The 1895 is hard to get back together and there is nothing on youtube.

[tahoe2]

silvermane_1; I have been shooting and reloading the 300 Savage over 15 years,
great cartridge , easy to reload, but picky with bullets, it likes Sierra Pro Hunters and Speer Grand Slams in 150 grns the best.
At 2600-2700 fps it'll do everything I need it to.

[gaseousclay]

I would agree with some of the other posts, the Miroku made Brownings and Winchesters are supposed to be high quality firearms. My understanding is that FN originally wanted to produce the Win 94 in the US, but the cost would've been higher than the current Miroku made version. If that's true, I find it highly unlikely that Winchester fans would pay an extra premium for US made. The flip side being that there are plenty who still refuse to buy a Miroku Win 94 because its made in Japan. My feeling is if it's a quality built gun then it shouldn't matter if it's made in Japan, the deer sure aren't gonna know the difference.

It's your money so I say go with your gut and get what you want

[Hawg]

The flip side being that there are plenty who still refuse to buy a Miroku Win 94 because its made in Japan.

I don't care where a gun is made. One of my favorites is a Winchester 97 clone made in China.

[oldscot3]

I like a Savage 99. I have '71 vintage in 308 that's a very good shooter.

I also like the older Marlins. I have a golden 39a and a friend has a 444 that I covet. I would love to tell you how well it groups with 265gr. Hornadys, but no one would likely believe me.

[gaseousclay]

Originally Posted by tahoe2

Never shot a BLR, a Sako Finnwolf, or a Chester 88.
My picks are a Model 99 in 300 Savage, a Marlin 375 in 375 Winchester,
and a Chester 94 in 30-30
90874

Does Sako even make lever guns anymore? I'd love to own a Finnwolf

[newfrontier45]

The Winchester and Browning leverguns made by Miroku are probably among the finest ever produced. I don't care where they're made, they're fine rifles.

[KO3422]

I love my Winchester 94. My Ruger 96/22 is pretty cool too.

[ChasingWhitetail91]

Why limit yourself to rifles, the 1887 Chiappa is a nice lever action shotgun and it comes in a few different models.

[jkpq45]

WV Gunner,

In the OP you speak of a musket and a win 1895, both in 7.62x54. Did you mean x51 (308 win?)

I ask because either of those guns in the x54(R) would be intriguing.

[BigMike349]

Originally Posted by newfrontier45

The Winchester and Browning leverguns made by Miroku are probably among the finest ever produced. I don't care where they're made, they're fine rifles.

I love my Miroku Winchester 1892 sporter. Great fit and finish. The only other lever gun I want is a Turnbull 1886 in 45-70.

[wxl]

Have a 92 Win in 44-40 mgf date 1895, 2 BLRs in 270 & 308 and just bought a Win M88 in 284 Winchester.

[jkpq45]

Yeah, you know, my .450/348 Win Ackley Improved reamer is just sitting there, brand new in the tube from PTG, waiting for me to get a levergun and put it together.

Someday....

[Straitshot]

Although I have not handled or shot one I have heard good things about David Pedersoli's new 1886/71. I have seen pictures and read some reports on them. This might be of interest.

http://youtu.be/FyzM36hOnk0

http://youtu.be/II9vtOy0Tpg

[pete2]

Best was probably the Winchester 88. The
Sako was probably good too but it's more an oddity, never even seen one.

[SaxonPig]

Clark- You do realize the #1 is not a lever action rifle?

I have a couple of lever guns that span a couple of genres. I have the traditional Winchester M94...




A modern reproduction of a classic Winchester model...




Had an itch for a 99 and bagged this one not too long ago. The caliber is obsolete (so the rifle was cheap) but the 303 Savage is a cinch to load your own as brass is readily available.




This makes a fairly powerful compact package...

[Stephanie B]

In the OP you speak of a musket and a win 1895, both in 7.62x54. Did you mean x51 (308 win?)

Winchester made about 300,000 M1895s in 7.62x54R for the Imperial Russian Army during the first half of the First World War. They had guides milled into the receivers to accept charging clips.

Supposedly all of them were delivered to Russia, which is probably why they're kind of rare.

[splatman]

I have a Browning model 71 high grade
In a 348 Winchester. It's a technological
Marvel.

[Jim243]

An older Marlin 336 is a lot better than the newer ones, they can be found all day for $300 and you would not be disappointed in the quality of those rifles. I own one in .35 rem that I absolutely love.

Same here on the older Marlin in 35 Remington, this one's a 2007.

Jim