Saddle Rings

[3Crows]

Well, I bought one for my 9422M and after installing it decided to remove it. It is completely clear to me that aside from not having a horse or a saddle, that the ring will quickly wear an unsightly ring on my receiver. This is a minty fresh 9422M. It has been cared for strictly and aside from a small impression wear a "gun smith" put a scope ring mark (barely visible) on top of the receiver it shows no wear.

I know people use them to defeat the cross bolt safety on Marlins, a dubious enterprise at best, my opinion but my 9422 has only the half cock anyways.

Yeah or nay on saddle rings? I think I would rather have a safety than a worn area on my receiver. Of course, I suppose if I had a horse instead of a Jeep that ring might make sense. Horses make such a mess in the garage though and at work I think my horse would be ticketed for non-acceptable biological emissions.

[Blindstitch]

A lot of Winchesters had rings even when horses were abundant for transportation and many removed the ring portion.

It probably won't wear nearly as much as you think unless you're going to have it rattling around somewhere.

[dahermit]

I have seen saddle rings wrapped with a leather thong to minimize wearing of the Blue.

[FrankenMauser]

I'm not a fan.
They don't look right. They rattle. They ruin bluing (though I'm okay with that, if it's honest wear).

But I do have one on a custom 444 Marlin.
I don't care for it, but I wanted a safety delete and the saddle ring version was the only thing in stock for over nine months. Eventually, I caved in, bought it, and installed it.

Since the safety-delete versions are fixed in place and the pin can't rotate, a fixed leather thong or wrap can eliminate most of the rattle and bluing wear. I'll get it done eventually ... if I don't have a custom replacement machined before then, sans ring. (My newly-discovered machinist is good ... and cheap. )

[T. O'Heir]

They're a Hollywood thing. Especially on a .22.
Hanging a rifle off a saddle horn isn't right anyway. The ring was there for a cavalry troopie's one point sling.

[ThomasT]

When growing up I didn't like the one on my Daisy Red Rider. But I just toughed it out.

[3Crows]

FrakenMauser, I think the same as you. I immediately noticed a rattle aside from potential wearing of the blueing issues. A leather thong might stave that off, the wear and the rattle.

I installed it to utilize the quick take down of the 9422M. Many do not realize that removal of that single screw allows the rifle to be made into two pieces and that was intentional to the design. A thumb screw would be more close to my need so the saddle ring is coming off. And if I ever get a horse to put a saddle on I can always put the saddle ring back on.

[ATCDoktor]

This is 109 years worth of saddle ring wear:

Winchester model 92 (originally chambered in 25/20 rebored at some point to 32/20) dates from 1909.


This old gal rattled around in some sheep herders rifle scabbard for a whole lotta years.

[Blindstitch]

Now that's a well used gun.

[ATCDoktor]

Yeah, it’s been around the block a time or two.











Buuuuut, it still shoots:

Two groups of 5 fired offhand at 100 yards; bottom 5 rounds is with the ladder flipped down, top 5 with the ladder flipped up and ladder at its lowest setting.

[FrankenMauser]

Honest wear. I'm good with that!

[Art Eatman]

Hey, my mother gave me a Daisy Red Ryder for Christmas of 1941. A leather loop on the ring let me hang it on the saddle-horn when I helped my grandfather chouse cows out of the mesquite brush.

It's the cowboy way.

[Driftwood Johnson]

Howdy

The 44-40 carbine at the bottom was made in 1918. But it was refinished sometime so the frame is not all scarred up.






However this little 25-20 shipped in 1928 and has not been refinished. The leather thong does not seem to have helped much prevent the wear marks, which are just about identical to one of the photos ATCDoktor posted. Right down to the rust patterns on the receiver caused by somebody's sweaty hand carrying it through the woods for many years.






I'm not going to remove the rings from either of them, especially not the 25-20. It adds character.

[3Crows]

Those are beautiful rifles for certain and I would not remove the wear rings either as they may have been honestly gotten even on horseback. However, if you acquired a mint 10/10 rifle, would you install a saddle ring. Consider that you might drive a Jeep Wrangler with a rifle holster instead of a horse. Would you install that ring into a mint rifle for visual effect only with no purpose too it, knowing it would wear the finish?

[FrankenMauser]

Consider that you might drive a Jeep Wrangler with a rifle holster instead of a horse. Would you install that ring into a mint rifle for visual effect only with no purpose too it, knowing it would wear the finish?

If the rifle in question had to have "that look" and wasn't an antique specimen ... maybe.
A lot of my lever gun projects are built for a certain purpose, and, in the planning stages, a certain "look" is developed that will go along with that purpose. Sometimes, I even include worn bluing, pitting, or other artifacts into the finished product.
If I was trying to go very 'classic' or 'Old Timey' or 'Cowboy' ... I might consider it, even if I'd never use the ring. (Cue leather wrap for the rattle!)