Lever actions as hunting guns

duke1

duke1

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I must admit that I have never used a lever action for hunting purposes so my experience here is zero. I would like comments on the following:

1. How dangerous is the magazine design (tube fed) of the Winchester 94? My grand son was told when he took his safety course that this was the most dangerous rifle ever built.

2. How much of a noise problem is there in pulling the hammer from the safety position to the firing one. This relates to hunting deer in close up areas.

I had bought him a beautiful Win 94 CPR COM in 32 W for his birthday and for his first gun to start hunting deer this fall. After comments from the instructor on the magazine, and telling this to his parents, his mother (my daughter) is reluctant to have him own such a gun.

I proceeded to take the gun back in exchange for a Browning BLR in 308 with a detachable magazine. The only thing that bothers me a bit is the noise generated when taking the safety off and will this spook a deer close by?

Any comments?

Duke1
 
duke1 said:
I must admit that I have never used a lever action for hunting purposes so my experience here is zero. I would like comments on the following:

1. How dangerous is the magazine design (tube fed) of the Winchester 94? My grand son was told when he took his safety course that this was the most dangerous rifle ever built.

2. How much of a noise problem is there in pulling the hammer from the safety position to the firing one. This relates to hunting deer in close up areas.

I had bought him a beautiful Win 94 CPR COM in 32 W for his birthday and for his first gun to start hunting deer this fall. After comments from the instructor on the magazine, and telling this to his parents, his mother (my daughter) is reluctant to have him own such a gun.

I proceeded to take the gun back in exchange for a Browning BLR in 308 with a detachable magazine. The only thing that bothers me a bit is the noise generated when taking the safety off and will this spook a deer close by?

Any comments?

Duke1
Click to expand...


#1- Bulls**t. There is nothing unsafe about the Winchester '94. Some people should NOT be teaching hunter safety courses.

#2- Cocking a hammer is generally more quiet than racking the bolt on a bolt action.
 
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Some people like to scare with false facts, tube magazines should never be load with pointed bullets, but only with flatpoint type. I used and shoot marlin in 4570 with reloads that can kill flat an elephant, with the tube magazines loaded to top capacity,with no problem at all. And now, Hornady offer a pointed polymer tips bullet for certain calibers who are tube fed,seems to work, haven't tried them myself, but saw or hear nothing against them, Who is that trainer?? someone can complain against this Bad a**

Good day
Yves
 
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Damn, there should have been a lot more accidents in my family I guess, probably 15+ Winchester 94's among our deer camp. Mine is 112 years old and has yet to explode in anyone's hands...

The instructor was probably referring to the chance of a slam fire (point of one round setting off the primer of the one behind it) in a tube mag, which is pretty damn low.

As for the safety thing, once I'm on my watch/alone I would normally have a lever gun in half ####, round chambered, and no other safety. As noted, pulling back the hammer can be done very quietly with some practice.
 
Who was the instructor feeding bull#### like that?
Someone should tar and feather the jackass, or strip him of his license.


If you can feed that kind of BS in a course, what else is this jackass teaching that is incorrect?
 
levers

With all the lever actions out there, you would think you hear alot more about all these accidents. Levers actions are fine, safe as any other rifle.
Only rule to remeber is only use flat nosed bullets in a tube mag
 
DarrylDB said:
If you can feed that kind of BS in a course, what else is this jackass teaching that is incorrect?
Click to expand...

I had to correct another CFSC instructor after he told the class full metal jacket cartridges were illegal. :rolleyes:
Another confronted me in front of the class saying the SKS I was showing them was prohibited. :bangHead:
 
shot a few animals with levers now and never had an issue with them in fact I just agreed to buy the wife a new ss laminate 308 marlin express lever gun before hunting season this fall, shot moose, bears and deer with everything from a 94 30-30, 94 307, marlin 444, marlin 45-70 and never had an issue other than having to gut the animal ;)

calage1.jpg
 
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Ignorant BS, to say the least. If you're REALLY worried about the click from cocking, you can thumb the hammer back with the trigger pulled, and while holding the hammer fully back, you release the trigger and then release the hammer; there will be no click.
 
'Boo said:
#1- Bulls**t. There is nothing unsafe about the Winchester '94. Some people should NOT be teaching hunter safety courses.

#2- Cocking a hammer is generally more quiet than racking the bolt on a bolt action.
Click to expand...

+1.

I hunt with an open sighted .450 marlin lever gun. fantastic experience and very safe.
 
Thats the funnies thing I've ever heard..... Some Duded up yahoo city slicker instructor that has no clue about the Legendary Winchester 1894 or any tube feed mag. Rifle. The Winchester 1894 was one of the most sold rifles every to be made! And any young or old shooter should consider themself lucky to carry such a legendary rifle. And its 100% safe.
 
Sorry gents, but the instructor was absolutely right. No other rifle has to be cocked, action close, unsaved to be unloaded. This up to 10 times depending on caliber. No other gun than a lever can so easily discharge during the unloading process. Not talking about the problems related to tube mags that won't allow a check by look and feel! That is why muzzle control is so important at any time. Last year a boy got shot by his own father here in NS during unload. The newer models (I never had one) have cross bolt safety, right? If somebody found a different system to unload a lever I'm ready to learn something new! In my opinion a lever is pretty cool but a bad starter gun, like Porsche is a bad starter car.
 
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Martin said:
This up to 10 times depending on caliber. .
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huh? caliber has nothing to do with it. how many rounds you put in the tube does.

and who goes hunting with 10rds in the tube anyways?

a lever gun, like any gun, is only as safe as the owner. your arguments are bull####.

I don;t belive in safeties and NEVER use them. a firearm is either loaded or empty.
 
i've always found the crossbolt safety more of an inconvience than anything else- keep forgetting the darned thing can even ''slip" on-
 
Amphibious said:
huh? caliber has nothing to do with it. how many rounds you put in the tube does.

and who goes hunting with 10rds in the tube anyways?

a lever gun, like any gun, is only as safe as the owner. your arguments are bulls**t.

I don;t belive in safeties and NEVER use them. a firearm is either loaded or empty.
Click to expand...

I agree well said!!!!
 
Martin said:
Sorry gents, but the instructor was absolutely right. No other rifle has to be cocked, action close, unsaved to be unloaded. This up to 10 times depending on caliber.
Click to expand...

Obviously you too have little experience with a '94.

Right from the initial bolt opening NONE of the rounds in the mag - be they 10 or more - need to be chambered in order to unload the magazine. The lever just has to be brought forward enough to pop the cartridge up on the elevator at which point they can be rolled out of the action by gravity.

Unloading a rifle by chambering every round as it pops from the magazine make no more sense with a lever action rifle than it does with a bolt action.
 
Martin said:
Last year a boy got shot by his own father here in NS during unload. If somebody found a different system to unload a lever I'm ready to learn something new! In my opinion a lever is pretty cool but a bad starter gun, like Porsche is a bad starter car.
Click to expand...

yea its called point it in a safe direction LIKE down rather than at your kid, thinking your instructor may have overlooked that one eh :rolleyes::D

but hey all those who beleive this crap Ill give you $50 for your old leverguns so you dont get hurt ;)
 
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Last year a boy got shot by his own father here in NS during unload.
Click to expand...

Maybe we should make IPSC rules mandatory for all...muzzle direction?

How did this gun discharge? Was it:
A/ finger on the trigger? or
B/ an unsafe firearm?

There isn't a C to this question.

I know I wasn't there, so I can't pontificate but I have unloaded my Marlins before entering the truck on many, many occasions...
 
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