Your favorite Lever Action Rifle?

Marlin's 1895 is a sweet lever gun. I had a Marlin lever gun in high school and I'm still kicking myself for parting with it in my youth.

These days I have a Rossi Model 92 in 357 Mag (Pre cross-bolt safety) circa 1994ish... 20-inch barrel. It's not the best lever gun out there obviously, but I was pleasantly surprised how smooth and accurate it was right out of the box.

It really rocks with Fiocchi 142 GR FMJ truncated cone, and Fiocchi 148 GR semi-jacketed hollow point. consistent 3" group @ 100 yards.

I'm a traditionalist when it comes to lever guns. I find the M92 very appealing. It's simple and does the job. It's a keeper.

my M1873 Winchester short rifle in .357 / .38spl, is my short range favorite
for longer ranges my 1976 Marlin 336 .30/30 that's been fired maybe 50 times is it.

they're oddly identical in their smoothness.....but the Marlin has that "new car door stiffness" that the Winchester doesnt.......plus, lets face it, the 1873 IS the coolest lever-gun EVER made !!

still my first lever: an original jm marlin 30-30 in stainless. i didn't realize at the time that it was likely close to the last run to come off the original marlin line.

thankfully, henry still makes a mighty fine lever.

I have but two lever guns, both Marlin guns, a 1894 C in 357 Mag it sports a 2-7 scope and shoots 200 Rem RN into .5 inches with H-110. The seating depth is set with a revolver cylinder and it will feed through the action. Then I have my favorite Cowboy Silhouette gun, an original, first model 444 Marlin Rifle, I bought it new in 1969, from NRA President Dick Riley, of Hookset, New Hampshire. The 444 shoots cast 200 gr Lyman’s into 1 inch at 200 meters with Unique. It has an old 60s steel 2x Bushnell in a tip off scope base, a real nice hunting scope.

Rapier said:

I have but two lever guns, both Marlin guns, a 1894 C in 357 Mag...

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Marlin 1894C in 357 Mag... that's what I had in high school. It was given to me by a Cherokee Indian friend of my dad's when I was 16. He was a Korean War vet... very interesting guy. I met him one night when I was hanging out with my dad at the VFW. Despite our age difference we hit it off and became fast friends.

One day he came over to the house with the Marlin and a Ruger Blackhawk in 357 Mag. He said he didn't have any kids of his own and he wanted me to have those guns. A couple years later I sold them like an idiot. Young and stupid, I had too many hobbies... girls, fast cars, and girls. (I know I said girls twice, but they were that important at the time) :blink:

I have a Marlin lever action .44 magnum. I love it! It has all the power I need or want. It's accurate and it's easy to move around it with in a car or building. When you point the working end at a bad guy they swear that they're looking down the barrel of a train tunnel because it's so big in diameter.

Herd Sniper said:

I have a Marlin lever action .44 magnum. I love it! It has all the power I need or want. It's accurate and it's easy to move around it with in a car or building. When you point the working end at a bad guy they swear that they're looking down the barrel of a train tunnel because it's so big in diameter.

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I was really torn between 44 Mag and 357 Mag when I was looking at the Rossi M92s 25 years ago. So much so I dragged my feet getting around to getting one because I couldn't decide. I'd had a Marlin in 357 Mag so knew I liked that caliber in a lever gun, but I argued with myself for a while because the 44 Mag was really calling my name. Since I had a 357 Mag revolver I finally went with the 357 Mag in the M92 so I'd have a six-gun and a lever in the same caliber. The cowboy side of me won out... the advantage of the two having ammunition in common. I haven't ruled out a 44 Mag in the future. I only have the one lever gun. To my mind that's not enough.

The good thing about the 44 Mag and 357 Mag in the Marlin 94s is that they have several advantages in common; handguns and rifles both to carry, full length and a shorter cartridges, hard cast reloads to sub 22 LR cost and without much effort they both can be shot with very low recoiling loads built for ladies, youngsters and folks with physical disabilities. Both Marlins use a flat center mounted scope base and also the same style slide on or full attachable recoil pad.

However the 357 guns without the cross bolt are increasing in value by leaps and bounds and getting more unobtainable by the day, around here. Cowboy action shoots are driving the price

Levers are my favorite rifle, I have 22, 17HMR, 357, 41Mag, 44 Mag, 30-30, 35 Rem, 375 Winchester and 308 Winchester in Rossi, Winchester, JM Marlin and Henry. I love them all, my favorite is the one I grab to shoot that day.

marlin 336

Mine is a older mid 1960s 336 in 35 cal, has taken many a deer, and will be passed on to the grandson to keep it up.

I have a Savage 99 like new, I don't shoot it much and a Marlin 56 Levermatic in .22lr.

I have four levers. 1892 Rossi, 1895G Marlin, 1894 Marlin, and 1873 Winchester. Of the four each has advantages and disadvantages. The 1873 is silky smooth. The 1895G wakes you up in the morning. The 1894 Marlin is accurate as the day is long. When its time to go to the Range the Rossi gets the nod more than the rest.

LousyShot said:

I had a Henry .357-.38 for a couple of years, the one in the dark steel (not brass) finish. It was a fine rifle, but I wasn't using it very much and I sold it. If Henry expands its line of side loading leverguns to include that caliber, I might pick up another. I was really attracted to the "mechanics," if you will, of that levergun, more than shooting it, and the workmanship.

Here she is...

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the "tube loading" aspect of the Henrys has always caused me to shy away from their big bore rifles......
don't misunderstand.... I LOVE HENRY RIFLES.......and have a H1 .22lr (early 2nd year production model) and an H1M in .22 WMR.....that I wouldn't trade for a used Harley......GREAT guns !!
but anything larger than a .22 loading through a tube (including the Spencer rifle) just spooks me.....

Edit to clarify:...actually it's the removable brass follower tube that spooks me