Researching lever action to buy

kbdplinker said:
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
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Don't buy a new Henry.
I did. I never use it because it's too nice.
If I was doing it again, I would buy something used in stainless.
Something I'm not scared to carry and get bumbed and nicked.
 
TriggerHappyHippy said:
Don't buy a new Henry.
I did. I never use it because it's too nice.
If I was doing it again, I would buy something used in stainless.
Something I'm not scared to carry and get bumbed and nicked.
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lol. I know the feeling. This purchase whatever brand will be my most expensive of anything I have. Although the big boy x looks pretty robust, not such a work of art. I have a Savage MII BSEV (I know… but it’s a really nice looking piece and is a tack driver). I handle it with care.

There’s a lot to be said with great woodwork. And it seems to be (at least presently) largely not a magnet for ban lists
 
Don't be fooled by the Chiappas either. Perhaps you're old enough to remember the old Trooper classic: "A 3 dressed up as a 9". I bought a saddle ring .357 trapper in 16". She had me at hello on the rack. At the range for our "first time ", we had a few jitters but soon settled down on the bench. Sadly , I was unable to hit a paper plate at 15 yards reliably. Oh and the rear sight, the old ladder style, fell off at the gun shop. Choose these beautys at your peril!
 
kbdplinker said:
lol. I know the feeling. This purchase whatever brand will be my most expensive of anything I have. Although the big boy x looks pretty robust, not such a work of art. I have a Savage MII BSEV (I know… but it’s a really nice looking piece and is a tack driver). I handle it with care.

There’s a lot to be said with great woodwork. And it seems to be (at least presently) largely not a magnet for ban lists
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I bought a brand new Henry Side Gate brass reciever in 4570. I'm considering selling it.
It's too nice.
 

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Alex McKr said:
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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Thanks for the follower info and follow-up, Good to know!
 
kbdplinker: Just out of curiosity, I did a quick retailer search. Managed to turn up something that may interest you.

On the Ellwood Epps site: Miroku-Winchester 1892 carbine...chambered in .357. Very competitively priced too, compared to others I've seen.
Well worth checking out.

As a matter of interest, I own several Miroku-Winchester rifles. Model 1873's. Uberti, too. Used in cowboy action competition. Superb build quality, in my opinion. But, I have also had the opportunity to handle as well as shoot the Miroku-Winchster Model 1892. I would not hesitate to buy one, if I had a spot for it. Already own an 1892 Rossi. Chambered in .357.

In my view....Miroku-Winchester: best 1892 lever rifle on the market. Hands down. First class build quality, inside and out.

If within your budget, one of the Winchester 1892's is well worth considering. A little more complex to disassemble/reassemble for cleaning, maintenance, etc...than either Marlin or Henry. But top quality rifles, nonetheless.

Al
ps: Noticed C10's message right after posting mine. An 1873 is even simpler to maintain. Removable side plates making it dead easy to access internal parts for cleaning, or maintenance. These rifles are also very simple to disassemble/reassemble. Pricier than the 1892/1894's etc. But, still worth a look. As mentioned, I own several 1873's : Uberti and Winchester. Great rifles.
The real killer now, is which way to go? Plenty of choices. Sorry, if this causes more confusion.
 
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kbdplinker: A couple more thoughts on 1873 lever actions. Opinions based on first-hand experience.

Best 1873 rifle, right out of the box: Miroku-Winchester. Very smooth operating and accurate. Rugged and dependable.

Best 1873 rifle, for easy availability of spare or competition parts: Uberti.

Uberti: Typically a bit stiffer operating than Winchester, out of the box. Closely mirrors original Winchester 1873 rifles, in this regard...heavy main spring, etc. Plenty of lighter tension replacement springs, etc. available to lighten them up. Not hard to swap out.

Note: Winchester/Uberti springs, do not interchange. Rifles differ internally, in several regards. Externally: Very nearly identical.

Barrel length is a matter of choice. From my experience: 19"-20" barrel. (Carbine vs rifle). Best balanced and easiest to use. Magazine holds 10 rounds....so good capacity.
My own personal preference: Rifle...20" barrel.

Either brand has it's own advantages/disadvantages.
Still, either a good choice. Both, beautiful, classic western rifles.

Note: I still would not turn my nose up at a Henry Big Boy. A good, all around rifle. This info simply offered to showcase other rifle options.

Al
ps: Either brand(Uberti, Winchester) comes stock, with steel cartridge follower.
 
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kbdplinker said:
I intend to get good use out of mine when I get one. I’m not getting it to hide it away as a collector!! Pretty just means I get to enjoy it more
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Figure out the model you want to go in the .357 and then go find one. There a still lots available, you might just have to look harder for it. Don't limit yourself to a local dealer, unless you just want to walk in and handle one, and walk out with it.

Yea okay, levers are in high demand, but there are plenty out there.
 
Buy yourself a Uberti 1873 short rifle 20 inch barrel or the Uberti trapper with 16 1/8 inch barrel. Lots of after market option available.
Best Lever action rifle out there. As far as caliber 357/38 or 45 colt, really depends on what the purpose is!!
 
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Added note the marlin JM series in cowboy limited or cowboy competition are great also. Hard to find and not much as aftermarket option though.
 
Well I bit the bullet. I found a Big Boy H012GMR in stock at a GTA store and I picked up the one and only they had this morning.

I thought long and hard about Winchester and Uberti, but the prices were just a little too high for me. Rossi was nice but styling was not quite what I liked for the $1500 range. I really wanted the S&W 1854 357, but they aren’t here in CA yet. Really the 1854 would have probably been only about $300 less than the S&W but 🤷‍♂️

I decided to move quicker since I saw the report about ammo prices rising due to tariff disputes. I thought since there is little stock anywhere including US, and possible increases in FA prices too so get one while I can, and Feb. 3rd is on Monday if the US follows through with the tariffs.


The transfer bar safety is interesting. I was looking all over for something more traditional, or even half “rooster” <- got filtered 😂

I’m sure I’ll get lots of fun out the Henry. Help with my RPCC withdrawal. This one kinda goes with my Heritage Roughrider Ranch.

Thanks to everyone for all your suggestions, recommendations and tips!
 
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I would prefer a 44 magnum due its hunting versatility.
A little more recoil and boy does it drops animals.
357 has limited hunting capability. It works but very limited imho.
44 mag will drop almost everything within the right range.
Marlin, Winchester would be my first choices. But too expensive.
Rossi is coming out with their R95 version of Marlin's 336 in 44 mag, 357, and 350 buckhammer.
That would be 400-1000 bucks cheaper than the above.
These r95s are very very nice rifles.
 
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