Best Lever Action Rifle?

[Rod]

I agree, and my compliaments Rod, nice collection of oldies. My family of four, some old and some of newer vintage, pales by comparison. All shooters. From the top down;
Winchester Model 71 Deluxe, 348WCF and my favorite lever gun.
Marlin model 1895GS, 45-70.
Marlin model 444S, 444 Marlin.
Marlin model 1894, 44-40 and the first centerfire rifle I ever shot.

John:
I sure like your Winchester Model 71, it looks in excellent condition. I've always admired them. The Marlin 44-40 is a real keepsake for you and looks to be in nice condition.
Rod

 

[a j cave]

When talking "best" a Turnbul should be mentioned. For mostly range shooting get a 22. Then save for a second hunting gun. That will lead to a 3rd and so on. Check with friends & other shooters, see what you can try. Buy what you like. Just remember you will probably shoot far more 22 shells than any other, & at a large saving.

 

[torontogungal]

Lookied at a Remlin 1895GS that has been completely customized with parts (trigger, ejector, XS full rail sighting system) from Wild West Guns and a cowboy action polishing and spring replacement job.
Was out to the range with the owner and fired the gun with green box 405 grain factory ammo.
This gun is the slickest lever I've cycled in a while and we were getting really tight groups
at 50 yards firing from a seated position without a rest and elbows resting on the bench.
I asked him if the gun was for sale and he said anything is for sale for the right price and considering his time and work and the cost of the custom parts and the fact that he had plans on making it his #1 hunting gun he said he wouldn't let it go for less than $1200.
Take it or leave it.
I left it.

 

[SandRoad]

The "Best" lever ever built is the Savage 99. Period.

You are right, no doubt about it, Savage ....... second best to a Sako Finnwolf.


Have a few Savage 99s and a couple Finnwolfs, and others. I like the older Marlins too.

 

[albertaal]

No, not at present, but one day perhaps. The closest I have is an old well used 1894 Marlin in 44-40. As I'm the only other gun nut in the family, when my uncle decided to 'thin' things out a little, he gave me the pick of the litter. I choes the Marlin as it was the first centerfire rifle I had ever shot. In the Bowron Lake area, when Dad & my uncle were out for Moose, my cousin & I used to sneek the old Marlin out for some 'informal' target practice.

It's use now is relegated to cast bullet shooting and off hand practice.

John,

That is a real beauty of a 44-40.

 

[albertaal]

I have a Winchester 92 in 44-40. It probably isn't the "best" lever action, but it sure is a fun blaster.

I had a real nice Winchester 55 in 30-30, it is a great handling bush rifle. My #2 son has it now.

 

[Chuck3436]

Lookied at a Remlin 1895GS that has been completely customized with parts (trigger, ejector, XS full rail sighting system) from Wild West Guns and a cowboy action polishing and spring replacement job.
Was out to the range with the owner and fired the gun with green box 405 grain factory ammo.
This gun is the slickest lever I've cycled in a while and we were getting really tight groups
at 50 yards firing from a seated position without a rest and elbows resting on the bench.
I asked him if the gun was for sale and he said anything is for sale for the right price and considering his time and work and the cost of the custom parts and the fact that he had plans on making it his #1 hunting gun he said he wouldn't let it go for less than $1200.
Take it or leave it.
I left it.

That's the Marlin 1895 "Alaskan Co-Pilot" and it is one real beauty of a customized lever. Someone in Canada should import these things, I think people would snatch them up fast. They are probably hands down the best customized lever big bore out there. Although after Canadian import pricing, the .45/70 would probably be nearly $3k after taxes.

h ttp://wildwestguns.com/copilot.html

The Alaskan CoPilot
The World Standard for Big Bore Lever Guns!

NO OTHER RIFLE IN THE WORLD COMBINES SUCH POWER AND PORTABILITY:
We take a factory-made Marlin 1895 and completely dissemble it. Using precision machined parts, the rifle is converted to a takedown. We cut the barrel, port it to reduce recoil, and recrown it at 16-1/2, 18 or 20 inches in either .45 or .50 caliber. The front sight is remounted using a fiber optic front bead for high visibility and our original Ghost Ring Sight is installed. Before reassembling, a reliability tune is performed on the action for feeding, extracting and ejecting. Our patent pending Trigger Happy Kit is installed for a crisp clean 3 pound trigger pull. The action is modified to allow use of the new .457 Wild West Magnum while still allowing use of standard 45-70 loads, or is set up for the big .50 Alaskan. We install a Pachmayr Decelerator pad to help with recoil and Parkerize the rifle. A 21"x9"x2" soft carry-case is provided with each package.

THE ALASKAN COPILOT™
Barrel cut and crowned 16.5, 18.5 or 20 inches
Takedown rifle conversion
WWG Recoil Control Porting System
Wood Stock Cut to Your Length of Pull
Pachmayr Decelerator pad
Action tuned for reliability
WWG Bear Proof Ejector installed
WWG Trigger Happy Kit installed and set at approx. 3lbs
Safety Vented Magazine Tube
WWG Original Ghost Ring Sight with Threaded aperture
Williams Fire Sight in red or green with skeletonized hood
Mil-Spec Parkerized finish
Soft, padded carrying case
Test Fired
Alaskan CoPilot in .457 WWMagnum/45-70 $1980.00
Alaskan CoPilot in .50 Alaskan $2230.00
Also available in 30/30, 35 Rem, 44 mag, 357 and 45 Colt $1999.00
Deduct $385.00 if you provide us with your rifle

 

[brandon__porter]

Mod 94 30-30

Agreed.

X2 1963 Mod 94 30-30 open sights!

I owe my life to that rifle and many and I mean many suppers to it as well. Last deer I shot was with it, 120 yards 130gr hand loads, coming straight at me, took a neck shot right under the chin, he was in the freezer. Never to another step.

Brandon

 

[torontogungal]

That's the Marlin 1895 "Alaskan Co-Pilot" and it is one real beauty of a customized lever. Someone in Canada should import these things, I think people would snatch them up fast. They are probably hands down the best customized lever big bore out there. Although after Canadian import pricing, the .45/70 would probably be nearly $3k after taxes.

h ttp://wildwestguns.com/copilot.html

The Alaskan CoPilot
The World Standard for Big Bore Lever Guns!

Maybe it's just me and the heat but I detected in the terse replies to asked questions an inflated attitude problem with the WWG people on the phone (after 3 or 4 unanswered emails) and got the impression that they were less than enthusiastic about exporting anything other than parts to Canada.
Maybe it was just me and the heat but I couldn't feel the love in my dialogue with them.

 

[torontogungal]

X2 1963 Mod 94 30-30 open sights!

I owe my life to that rifle and many and I mean many suppers to it as well. Last deer I shot was with it, 120 yards 130gr hand loads, coming straight at me, took a neck shot right under the chin, he was in the freezer. Never to another step.

Brandon

Levered one of the new Japchester 94s at the range this spring.
It reminded me of my Miroku made Browning BLR.
Indeed as I discovered the gun is made by Miroku of Japan.
A real pretty piece and as smooth as a mountain lake in the mornin but you'd better take out some smelling salts before you look at the price tag.
The kid said he paid over $1200 all included cause he wanted a "real Winchester" and not one of "those cheap clones".
I saw pictures of Oliver Winchester in literature and he didn't look Japanese to me but not wanting to burst the kids bubble I moved on down range.
I think I paid $89.95 for my first 94 back in the 60s with a box of 170 grain power points thrown in.

 

[kamlooky]

If there were a pair of 30-30's on an even keel, one being the 94 Winchester and the
other a Marlin 336, I would pick the Marlin.
Ten years ago I would of picked the Winchester.
Savage 99's I don't have taste buds for.
But for serious hunting, the BLR gets my vote.
Here's my little gal I got from a now trusted fellow Nutzs.
That is glare on the receiver.
This little hunny shoots to please and amazes me with the tight
groups she puts out.
There is something about a Marlin action and trigger the Winchesters
haven't copied.

 

[John Y Cannuck]

IMO, hands down the best carrying lever guns are the '94 Winchester carbine, and the '92 Winchester carbine, or clones of same.

The '94 is my go to gun, if I'm hunting and walking for long periods with a lever, and it's taken deer/bear/moose in 30-30. In the same year several times. Newer versions of the 94 can be scoped low over the action if that is your thing. Me I use a receiver sight. Scopes make these guns clunky.

My '92 in 44-40 has taken both deer and bear. I would never stretch the 44-40 to moose, although I know it used to be done on a regular basis. Again, receiver sight here.

The BLR is nice, but for me, it just doesn't have the appeal that a traditional design has. I've heard claims of stellar accuracy, but examples I've tried have never proved any better than other modern designs. It's available in a wide range of decent big game cartridges and is easily scoped.

The full stock leverguns, the Finwolf, the 88 Winchester and the 99 Savage can be had in hard hitting cartridges, and tend to be fairly accurate. Though not any better then the BLR. all can be scoped, and feel to me, less clunky with a scope than the more traditional designs.
I used a 99 Savage for a while, but currently pack an 88 Winchester for moose, and sometimes deer and bear..

Marlin has gone through a lot of issues since it was taken over by the group that owns Remington. The quality control issues are largely superficial, but they exist, check your rifle over well if you go this route.
They are still decent shooting guns, and for some, they have more appeal than my Winchesters. They are largely side eject guns, and that means they scope easily, but are still clunky IMO with a scope.

Winchester and Marlin have some excellent big bore rifles in cartridges such as the 444, and 45-70. If you are, or desire to be a handloader, the 45-70 is a dream cartridge, it can be tailored to do damned near anything.
These rifles hit hard at both ends. They are top quality, very reliable, and reasonably accurate short range rifles, but are heavy suckers with a full load of cartridges.

There are a lot of older, or short lived chamberings out there. They work and kill well. Just be sure you want the hassles of finding fodder for them.

 

[torontogungal]

The Remlins and Rossis can be rough out of the box but if you're good with your hands they can be spiffed up to be superb shooting and great looking guns.
A good friend of mine is a licensed machinist, as well as a furniture and cabinet maker and took a few gun smithing courses stateside.
He gave me a 16" Rossi model 92 in .357 Mag that was reworked from butt plate to muzzle crown that is my favorite woods carry gun for deer.
The crappy jungle wood was replaced with the most beautiful walnut furniture I've ever seen on a rifle and the factory sights were replace by a brass Skinner system that even my old eyes can group well with.
Don't scoff at a .357 Mag for big game.
The venerable old .357 is a much more kick ass cartridge in a closed receiver rifle with a
16" barrel vs a vented action revolver with a 4" barrel.
For a small frame girl (128 pounds last physical check up weigh in) like me the minimal recoil and less than 5 pound weight is ideal.
I will be "blooding" (first big game kill) that superb little 92 this fall.
A Manitoulin Island deer hunt at another friends farm is already in the works.

 

[kamlooky]

For a small frame girl (128 pounds last physical check up weigh in) like me the minimal recoil and less than 5 pound weight is ideal.
I will be "blooding" (first big game kill) that superb little 92 this fall.
A Manitoulin Island deer hunt at another friends farm is already in the works.

You do know that photos are x'pected aye?...........

 

[John Y Cannuck]

One part of me wants to replace the wood on my original '92. It's god awful. But then I get to wondering where each of those nicks and scratches came from....
Plus I think of my wallet of course!

I would keep the original wood with it, if ever I did.

 

[torontogungal]

When talking "best" a Turnbul should be mentioned. For mostly range shooting get a 22. Then save for a second hunting gun. That will lead to a 3rd and so on. Check with friends & other shooters, see what you can try. Buy what you like. Just remember you will probably shoot far more 22 shells than any other, & at a large saving.

The Pedersoli model 86/71 deluxe grade rifle with the match grade barrel is a fantastic looking and shooting firearm.
A guy I know from my club who lives a couple of blocks away from me has one and is constantly singing it's praises.
He let me shoot it and I was impressed.
It is configured like a Winchester model 71 but in .45-70 GVT instead of .348 Winchester.
There's one on the Canadian Doc Rowland website that's been there for months and is going for a little over $1100 that I'm considering.
It's not the deluxe model but I like the streamlined, no frills, practical looks of it.
It looks like a gun that could be sitting in a corner of a prospectors log cabin back in the early 1900s.
The problem is that I've got 2 45-70s now and don't want to part with either of them.
Decisions, decisions.

 

[kamlooky]

One part of me wants to replace the wood on my original '92. It's god awful. But then I get to wondering where each of those nicks and scratches came from....
Plus I think of my wallet of course!

I would keep the original wood with it, if ever I did.

Super Old Mod Fart, not sure if you know or not, but the wood is stamped
with the serial number or part there of, of it.
My rear wood on my old 1892 Winchester 44-40 is tattered, cracked and missing slivers of wood on top of both sides the upper tang.
My old gunsmithing buddy had a spare rear wood for her and he said to
keep the original for authenticity.
He showed me inside the top tang wood relief where there is a number stamped into the wood.
I never would of found it if he hadn't shown............showen.....showed....
oh for poops sake. He pointed it out to me.
There, yu'all happy with me written now?
Take a boo and see for yourself you in BIG BLUE.......

 

[two-dogs]

>No.1 Browning BLR
>No.2 Sako Finnwolf
>No.3 Winchester 94 pre '64
>Marlin & Savage - not in the running in this contest!
and 1-3 not nesseccessarlilery in that order! and how's that for gr-8 spelling?
sorry, I don't know what the hell happened to my spell check on this site!
Henry, Rossi and Ruger, different league!

 

[John Y Cannuck]

Super Old Mod Fart, not sure if you know or not, but the wood is stamped
with the serial number or part there of, of it.
My rear wood on my old 1892 Winchester 44-40 is tattered, cracked and missing slivers of wood on top of both sides the upper tang.
My old gunsmithing buddy had a spare rear wood for her and he said to
keep the original for authenticity.
He showed me inside the top tang wood relief where there is a number stamped into the wood.
I never would of found it if he hadn't shown............showen.....showed....
oh for poops sake. He pointed it out to me.
There, yu'all happy with me written now?
Take a boo and see for yourself you in BIG BLUE.......

Yes, there was something there, but the years have taken their toll, totally unreadable. I found it during my early load development for the rifle, when total disassembly was needed several times to remove unburnt powder that filled the action. Rel 7 didn't work out well. Velocities were good, but what a mess!

 

[pisces-guy]

Marlin's having some quality control issues, outside of that their .308 MX series that you can get in stainless-laminate is accurate and a good shooter with Hornady Leverevolution bullets. At this point I'd go with the Browning BLR, a solid performer and has a good reputation for accuracy.