Researching lever action to buy

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kbdplinker

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Hi all,

I’m looking into lever action rifles to possibly buy

I want to use it for casual (non competitive) target shooting/plinking on private land range. 50-100 yards

I have (in storage of course) a Ruger PCC that I used for this which I really enjoyed.

I’m looking at the S&W 1854 (and possibly the Henry equiv) in 45 colt. I prefer the traditional styling rather than tactical.

Trying to make sense of the different types of 45 colt. There seems to be colt and colt long, and 45 ACP. Which one does this rifle use? I know it specifies 45 Colt but when searching for it in different retailer sites they all show up and “45 Colt” specifically seems limited choices if any.

Reason I’m looking at 45 Colt is lower cost ammo. And since it’s not for hunting (I have other options for that), 357 is pricy and the 1854 doesn’t seem to be available anywhere in 357 (not out of stock, basically not listed)

Any thoughts for this or other recommendations are appreciated since I’ve just started looking.

Thanks
 
If your just using it for plinking and a non reloader I would go with the 357. Much more ammunition available and easier to get. 45 Colt is an excellent cartridge but ammunition is harder to find and more expensive than 38/357. I reload so costs are reduced with either cartridge, especially with casting my own bullets.
 
kbdplinker said:
Thanks all. Looks like 357 is my best option. Now I’ll have to keep an eye out for S&W 1854 in 357, or another brand if I can’t get that one in one of my local stores
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Don't forget the Rossi '92, Likely the most affordable one out there. Not as nice as a Winchester but also not as expensive either.

Some people bad mouth them, but I assume a lot of that is just parroting what they have heard, not real experience.
I have been through a few of them, someone always wants it more than I do and makes an offer I can't refuse so I let it go. Then I regret selling and go on the hunt for another, and repeat. LOL
My current Rossi '92 is a stainless one in 454 Casull, not much it can't do.

For a fun, economical plinker, 357 mag would be a good choice, with the ability to also shoot 38 special as well.

Nothing wrong with the 45 Colt (45 Long Colt, same thing). Forget all about 45 ACP with regards to lever guns. You will have to reload for it to be economical, (that goes for any cartridge though)
 
I would go with an 1892 in .357 mag and, as others have mentioned, use .38 Special for plinking. My 1892 in .44 Mag is under 6 pounds - or a full pound lighter than the Henry and Smith and Wesson. It felt much livelier in my hand than the others. Second choice would be a Marlin 1894 Classic.
 
I'll go with the consensus. For your needs, a Rossi 1892, Marlin 1894, or equivalent Henry Big Boy chambered in .357, would be a good choice. Likewise, the S & W offering. Far more pleasant to shoot, than the .45 Colt. Recoil being very mild with .38 Special target loads.. Perfect for plinking. Also, much more readily available ammo. Easy to reload...plenty of components.
All will perform about the same. For maintenance purposes, the Marlin would be the easiest to care for. Dead simple to take apart, for cleaning. Likewise, the Henry...which is very similar to the Marlin. Not familiar with S & W (have not had one apart) but, appears to be Marlin 1894 inspired, too. The 1892 is a bit more complex to disassemble/reassemble. Not hard, when familiar with it, but nowhere as simple as the Marlin 1894 design.
 
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This thread reminds me I have a Marlin in .357/38spl pre safety. I haven't shot it since I got my first SKS about 18 years ago. The Marlin's a beaut but for plinking fun I prefer the commie cannon. Good luck with your quest OP, fun hobby.
 
A lever action in .44 Mag is a viable consideration as ammunition is readily available, although more expensive than .357 Mag. I chose the Henry as the mag tube is easy to unload, and you can put a rail on the receiver. The Rossi and Winchester lever actions I have used never presented any issues. The Marlin's had bad press for a while due to reported quality control issues, but there are plenty of people who have never had issues with theirs. I have no experience on S&W's new lever action, so I can't comment on those. Levers are fun to shot and can double for predator control when camping.
 
I’m really just at the trailhead on all things firearms . I have shotguns ,rifles and handguns .
But I have heard that it’s a good idea to have a lever action in the same cartridge as a handgun you have .

I have a handgun in .357 and 44 magnum
So which way to go ?
Leavenworth
 
Leavenworth said:
I have a handgun in .357 and 44 magnum
So which way to go ?
Leavenworth
Click to expand...

Get both! I only have a .44 Mag revolver, so I opted for the .44 lever action rifle, and I was already reloading 44 Mag.

I often see the .357 selling point is that you can use .38 Special, but there are some videos out there about using the shorter case of .38 Special in a lever action and it fouls the chamber area and could cause feeding issues for .357 mag cases. I don't use .44 Special in my lever action for this very reason. Shooting .357 or .44 Mag in a lever is manageable to the vast majority of shooters.
 
Still building a list of possible models. Seems there are limited choices of 357 models in Marlin, Rossi and S&W in Canada. Not just an out of stock situation but not even listed at the dealers. There’s a ton of citadel, Derya and Canuck, but I’m not particularly interested in those. Marlin only has a 357 stainless/laminate. S&W doesn’t have a 357 1854 listed at any retailer. I think the S&W 1854 is a new model that just came out in fall 2024? Maybe it’s just delayed here. I’m leaning towards Henry Big Boy. Still some time to wait for stock availability so no hurry.
 
Sooner or later you're gonna have to say "To hell with my shoulder" and get a 45/70. If you wanna shoot straight wall pistol cartridges, these are way more Bueno.
 
I have a Henry big boy steel in 357.
Excellent rifle. Very accurate and cycles very smoothly.
Reloading has been fun. Lots of choices
I'd recommend It for sure
 
kbdplinker: You are right. Lever rifles are scarce on dealer's shelves, right now. The S&W1854 is brand new on the market. Announced last year, as you correctly note. About all one can do right now, is keep a watchful eye on retail sites, and wait for new stock to arrive.

The supporting dealers on this site being an excellent resource.

The Henry Big Boy is an excellent rifle. Well built, accurate and smooth operating. Have shot one....plus other Henry rifles, fairly extensively. These make a great plinker, chambered in .357. You could not go wrong in choosing one of these rifles, in my opinion.
Likely some of the best customer service in the industry, too. I have spoken to Mr Imperato personally, on several occasions. He believes very strongly in his products, and stands behind them, fully.

If I had a beef with the rifle ( this applies to other brands, too), it would be the plastic cartridge follower. These eventually fail. A stainless steel replacement, is the way to go.
Note: Steel replacement followers are available for Rossi rifles, for example.
Have not seen any, as yet, for Henry. Most followers though, seem to be very similar in design and function. So, it may be entirely possible to adapt one for use in a Henry. Something to consider.

Though you don't reload and may not have adequate space right now, it is still worth considering, for possibly in the future. Reloading opens up a lot of options, when it comes to attaining top accuracy and performance, from any rifle. Even if you only wish to plink on a casual basis.
You'd be surprised how little space a reloading set up takes, with a bit of careful planning.
In the meantime, be sure to save your brass...should reloading become an option. Also, there are always other reloaders that will gladly take any brass cases off your hands.

As for .45-70...you're right. Not the best for plinking.

Al
ps: Update: I did some looking around. Would not be surprised if a steel Marlin follower would work. A good source for these: Palo Verde Gunworks LLC. Have ordered products from this source, on several occasions. Ships to Canada.
 
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