Why are lever guns so attractive?

[Combat Engineer]

I'm going to buy the new Marlin 44 mag tactical looking one soon as it's available.

 

[Hoosier8]

I love levers. I grew up in the post WWII era where cowboy movies were just as popular as cartoons, if not more. About 8 years or so ago I broke down and got a Henry Big Boy 357/38 and love it. Only put about 50 (if that)_ rounds in it. It’s a beautiful gun and is as smooth as butter. I have often thought about selling it but it’s one of those that I would fully regret selling.

Sometimes you buy something just for the pleasure of knowing you have it. This is mine.

Same here. I have guns I’ve never fired. Guess that makes me a collector. Besides it’s like having money in the bank. Some of mine are worth twice what I paid for them if not more so if the need ever comes…

 

[wisboy]

Recognizing that lever guns hold a special attraction for me. I am not influenced by TV. But , growing up in the North Woods and deer hunting there were always a few 94's being used.
I had to use a single barrel 12G first year....I lined up the shells in front of me and starting blasting away ....no one could figure out who was shooting so fast.
I now own a bunch of levers. Marlin 39's , a bunch of 9422's including a couple High Grades, Winchester 64's ,Winchester 1892's,
Winchester M71's , including one in .450 Alaskan, for growly bears, Winchester 65 in .218 Bee........yes I like and shoot lever guns.

 

[LEaSH]

If Boyd's or someone makes a wood stock for the S&W 1854 I think that would just be so sweet.

I know the blued Ltd edition has one, but whew it's pricey.

 

[Leadeye]

Lever guns are an American icon, a component of history and the frontier. The "gun that won the west" was probably the Winchester 1873 chambered in 44-40. I think that explains our fascination with them more than anything. Very popular today I see vintage Winchesters going for very high money even in worn condition with 44-40 being the caliber of choice. Even the Italian repros are expensive but you can still pick up a deal occasionally.

I like to get my old levers like this 1892 out for hunting or plinking as often as I can. They will probably still be shooting long after I'm gone.

 

[KJQ6945]

Lever guns are an American icon, a component of history and the frontier. The "gun that won the west" was probably the Winchester 1873 chambered in 44-40. I think that explains our fascination with them more than anything. Very popular today I see vintage Winchesters going for very high money even in worn condition with 44-40 being the caliber of choice. Even the Italian repros are expensive but you can still pick up a deal occasionally.

I like to get my old levers like this 1892 out for hunting or plinking as often as I can. They will probably still be shooting long after I'm gone.

View attachment 337244

And I blame/thank you, anytime I do anything with an old gun.

 

[ECS686]

I’m not sure the faster part matters. As far as better that’s dependent. You start throwing a couple 357 or 44 or 30-30 rounds out of a rifle (or anything really)at a home intruder or group shirt if some sanctioned cartel hit (which unless your in that business isnt really up there for most of us) they will loose interest and aren’t gonna be that committed. Several house cameras have shown that

First if you like ARs cool buy them use them I have 2 myself. I also have 2 lever guns both Marlins (JM marked) a 357 and 30-30. We can cherry pic that one cartel hit scenerio however unless you are a retired Jason Borne a lever gun will solve your issues. But you feel like you need an AR by all means do you

Levers to me have a historic persona and something about wood stocks and blued steel just had a wow factor for me that you can’t get with modern sorting rifles.

So for me I am enjoying the resurgence of lever guns!

 

[Hoosier8]

Recognizing that lever guns hold a special attraction for me. I am not influenced by TV. But , growing up in the North Woods and deer hunting there were always a few 94's being used.
I had to use a single barrel 12G first year....I lined up the shells in front of me and starting blasting away ....no one could figure out who was shooting so fast.
I now own a bunch of levers. Marlin 39's , a bunch of 9422's including a couple High Grades, Winchester 64's ,Winchester 1892's,
Winchester M71's , including one in .450 Alaskan, for growly bears, Winchester 65 in .218 Bee........yes I like and shoot lever guns.

Oops, forgot another one. I have a Marlin 39a Golden Mountie JM stamped.

 

[Trapper Jim]

If Boyd's or someone makes a wood stock for the S&W 1854 I think that would just be so sweet.

I know the blued Ltd edition has one, but whew it's pricey.

Forearm looks looks too long for good balance, but we will see when I can handle one.

 

[Leadeye]

And I blame/thank you, anytime I do anything with an old gun.

View attachment 337254

That's a bowl full of fresh 32-20 in that picture.

 

[KJQ6945]

That's a bowl full of fresh 32-20 in that picture.

I was admiring the bowl as much as the ‘92 SRC.

I’m back up to around 4-500 rounds again, plus another 100 or so empties.

 

[Pepi]

Love these (Used on Wind River. Did a lot of damage)

 

[92FSTech]

The levergun is classic. Actually shooting them is classicer.

I'll agree with this. Owning things just to own them, but never using them, is pointless in my book. They become just "stuff" taking up space in the safe, and a liability because all you're doing with them is protecting them from damage, corrosion, or theft. If you're not shooting it, it's not fulfilling it's purpose. The insane price increases in recent years are a huge bummer, because what used to be a utilitarian tool that everybody's dad or grandad used to kill woodchucks and put venison on the table has now become a collectible to be hoarded, and that was never what these were intended to be.

The joy of a levergun is in using it. Working that action and being able to send big old 405g junks of lead (or 255s, 240s, 180s, 150s, or even 40s) downrange and ring steel or drop a deer or a squirrel is where it's at. Most of mine are more accurate on paper than they have a right to be, too, and their light weight and trim profile makes them easy to shoot well from a variety of positions.

My .44 comes west with me on vacations and serves the role of a camp gun. There's just something about boondocking in the Rockies or the desert and sitting around a fire with a lever-action propped against the trailer and a big-bore revolver on your hip. If I ever make that big trip to Alaska that I've been planning, and I can get it through Canadian customs, the guide gun in .45-70 will be coming along. The .357 is a cheaper, lower-recoil alternative for plinking steel and has done it's time as a deer gun. The .45 Colt shares ammo with my Blackhawk, and is an absolute tack driver on paper. If I ever get back into deer hunting, it's probably the one I will use. I've actually gotten the least use out of my .30-30, but it still gets out and has some rounds put through it every now and then.

If I'm going to be in a fight with people, I'll pick the AR every time, but for big critters that don't shoot back, a big-bore, deep penetrating levergun offers some advantages. And that's not to say it won't work just fine on people, too, if required.

 

[MrSmitty]

I have only 1 lever gun, a Rossi in .357, it is now, and will be for a long time, my favorite rifle. If I ever have to drive to, or through a commie state (say going to Maine through New York) I will have my Rossi....10 rounds of .357, just comforting..
Went to the range a while back, and we had a pumpkin out at 25 yards, my wife asked if I could hit it ( sure hope so...lol) When I hit it first shot, it exploded and my wife was impressed, me...just another day...

 

[Hoosier8]

Shooting the Rossi 44 mags leave my shoulder bruised the next day. Shooting 44 special is a lot kinder!

 

[Mij]

The levers are attractive to me probably because I made my best shot ever on a deer with one. 101 stepped off paces on a running, leaping deer. Rem. 336 in 30-30. Deer took off running took a leap, I shot mid leap, she hit the ground dead doing a heels over head role n never moved again. Scoped with see thru rings. This was just after hunting pheasants for a few weeks.

At the time I had two lever guns. A Win 94 Canadian Centinel, (sp) and the 336. I found another shiny object I couldn’t live without, the other guy wanted one of my levers in trade. I gave up the Win. Thinking the 336 was the strongest action of the two. Don’t know if I made the right choice or not, but I came away with my Ruger Blackhawk in .357.

That was about 30 years ago, I’ve still got both guns. Rifle n Pistol.

 

[Ziggidy]

Lever guns are an American icon, a component of history and the frontier. The "gun that won the west" was probably the Winchester 1873 chambered in 44-40. I think that explains our fascination with them more than anything. Very popular today I see vintage Winchesters going for very high money even in worn condition with 44-40 being the caliber of choice. Even the Italian repros are expensive but you can still pick up a deal occasionally.

I like to get my old levers like this 1892 out for hunting or plinking as often as I can. They will probably still be shooting long after I'm gone.

View attachment 337244

Beautiful

 

[Mgderf]

Lever guns are less than optimal but Horse Operas made them great again.

Horse operas!

 

[Ingomike]

It is amazing that such a short period of time in our countries time is so prolific in our entertainment…

 

[Mij]

Horse operas!

Ya those, and Clint Walker standing on the edge of a cliff shooting at a 20 ft. tall grizzly in the “Night of the Grizzly “. Using a mod. 94.