Slickest lever action?

Well, this certainly has proven out.

big bear said:
Maybe a little contest. The Finnwolf is slick, but the feel of a Winchester 71 closing is not just slick, but "substantial" sorta like a Percheron vs an Arabian horse, or closing a big ol'timey vault door. End of the day my hunting 71 , (restocked after the stock was broken by a horse wreck )puts three 200gr bullets in 1.5" and I pack it anywhere, anyway with no worries. My Finnwolfs are treated like museum pieces and I would never put one on a quad or in a horse scabbard.
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The 71 has a feel of its own, different than the 1886 despite their near identical design- smooth, and crisp is how I would put it. I shot the four Winchesters, the .40-65 I used plated 10mm bullets and surprisingly, it did better than I expected as they’re undersized by .006 for the bore. I suspect the bullet may be upsetting to fit the bore, as they actually shot really well. I’d like to recover one from a water jug or something and measure it to see, but I either have a tight .40-65 or the bullets are growing to fit the bore.

Anyhow, side tracks. The 71 has the most satisfying action feel I’ve enjoyed thus far in this journey. I suspect the tapered lugs have something to do with the difference in feel from the 1886, it slides then clicks shut. It’s the winner, out of what I have on hand, and I prefer the ergos by far to the rest.
 
Final thought, I found the difference with the pistol grip to be on closing. Opening, doesn’t make much difference to me in feel, but it’s far more natural for me to pull the lever to the grip on the pistol grip and close the action. You’re pulling more back, than up as with the straight stock. It’s a small change that makes a big difference to me, in how the movement feels.

The straight grips, while offering cleaner lines, give me a more awkward hand angle that isn’t as natural to close in the last inch of the travel. In summary, I feel the pistol grip is more of a push the hand forward, pull the hand back movement, where the straight stock feels a lot more push the hand down, and pull it up.
 
Slickest, huh? I’ve owned (or do own) an 1873, 1892, 1894, 1895, 1874 Sharps, and an 1886. I must say I really love the ‘73’s. But my favourite is the big bore 45-70 model 1886. Mine is a Pedersoli clone with a 26” round 1:18” barrel and the color case hardened finish. And the tiger stripe wood is pretty. Loading with this is the smoothest lever I’ve ever tried. The loading gate is smooth like butter, even with the big torpedo round. And the action cycles like it’s on greasy rails. My old eyes can get this out to just 300m with the buckhorn sights with a 300gr Campro bullet over 47.0gr of IMR4198 at just over 1900fps. (And the only safety is the halfcock.)

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The 1898 vintage 86 is indeed smoother. But this Browning is sure crisp, it was apparently unfired, in its original box and complete packaging from the 80s. I suspect with some time served, it will rival the old Win. And the ergos of the pistol grip make it feel better to my hand, overall.

There are a couple rounds I feel I would have become an ardent devotee of, .348 and .284 are the two top of mind, if I’d discovered them some time ago. The .348s weight and speed are in my personal goldilocks zone, recoil considered. My .375 Kemano wildcat happens to land in that spectrum too, of bullet weight, powder, speed.

It’s a pragmatic place to be for the North and far West.

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Ardent said:
The 1898 vintage 86 is indeed smoother. But this Browning is sure crisp, it was apparently unfired, in its original box and complete packaging from the 80s. I suspect with some time served, it will rival the old Win. And the ergos of the pistol grip make it feel better to my hand, overall.

There are a couple rounds I feel I would have become an ardent devotee of, .348 and .284 are the two top of mind, if I’d discovered them some time ago. The .348s weight and speed are in my personal goldilocks zone, recoil considered. My .375 Kemano wildcat happens to land in that spectrum too, of bullet weight, powder, speed.

It’s a pragmatic place to be for the North and far West.

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Browning made a series of new productiion Winchester copies back in the 1980s that in my humble opinion are some of the nicest lever actions ever made:
Model 71, rifle and carbine in 348 Winchester
Model 92, 357 and 44 Magnums
Browning 53 in 32-20
Browning 65 in 218 Bee
Browning 1886 in 45-70
Browning 1895 in 30'06 and 30-40 Krag (only 2000!)
No safeties on them, beautiful bluing and finishes. Some came in De Luxe versions with nice engraving (I have 71's,1886, in De Luxe and have seen a 65 De luxe model) Not sure off the top of my head have I seen the others in De Luxe , not sure if they were made.
I was not into lever actions in the 80's, never heard of any of these rifles and had just finished school and started expanding my family so I missed them then. Over the years I have been lucky to acquire all of them (had a 92 in 44mag but sold it to fund some folly,but I later got one in 357Magnum). Most of them I got at great prices because of cosmetic defects (scratches in the bluing). This was actually a good thing as it freed
me to put tang sight s on the 32-20 qand and the 218Bee and a "Climbin Lyman" on the 1895.
They are all fun shooters and accurate. Funny thing though the replica 71's are very accurate but don't have the same "feel" as my original Winchester 71's when you work the actions. Guess 'll just have to shoot them more and slickin them up some more.
If you see any of them for sale buy it (if you don't want it let me know because I will!)
 
I’ve encountered this dichotomy in other hobbies of mine, on the original vs Japanese, which causes a personal struggle of desiring originality but being unable to discount what is one of the best made rifles I’ve encountered.

They’re so good they’re no longer knock offs, they’re reinterpretations and tributes crafted with tolerances, materials, and tools not available in the past. I used to enjoy whiskey, and the Japanese make it better than the majority of the old country Scotches, or the Americans’ bourbons. Likewise for motorcycles, I love old Indians and Ducatis in particular, but a Japanese bike makes either look a bit rudimentary.

I’ve been on a path to 90% of my guns being pre-64 Winchesters, but these Brownings get a pass. I’m on the lookout for a 65 .218 like you have, either Win or Browning. I also don’t mind John Browning’s name being on his own designs, there’s some justice in that.
 
If you want a 92 in 10mm, consider the 38-40. It can be steamed up substantially in the 92, but you may have to write your own data.

I had one many years ago, and I did that. Ended up converting it to 44-40, and still have it. Very smooth rifle, and very light.
 
Ardent said:
I’ve encountered this dichotomy in other hobbies of mine, on the original vs Japanese, which causes a personal struggle of desiring originality but being unable to discount what is one of the best made rifles I’ve encountered.

They’re so good they’re no longer knock offs, they’re reinterpretations and tributes crafted with tolerances, materials, and tools not available in the past. I used to enjoy whiskey, and the Japanese make it better than the majority of the old country Scotches, or the Americans’ bourbons. Likewise for motorcycles, I love old Indians and Ducatis in particular, but a Japanese bike makes either look a bit rudimentary.

I’ve been on a path to 90% of my guns being pre-64 Winchesters, but these Brownings get a pass. I’m on the lookout for a 65 .218 like you have, either Win or Browning. I also don’t mind John Browning’s name being on his own designs, there’s some justice in that.
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Mr. Ardent you seem to be a man of similar tastes, though I prefer cognac to whiskey , I find I have a clearer head in the morning;) . I live on the Island but prefer the North, but she who must be obeyed hates the cold. See you on some soft trail down the road and we can discuss Winchesters, Mr. Browning and brown liquors.

Cheers
 
John Y Cannuck said:
If you want a 92 in 10mm, consider the 38-40. It can be steamed up substantially in the 92, but you may have to write your own data.

I had one many years ago, and I did that. Ended up converting it to 44-40, and still have it. Very smooth rifle, and very light.
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For my purposes would only go 10mm for cabinet commonality, I like the idea of just one pistol / carbine chambering. Whether that’s possible, time will tell, I presently have 10mm and .44 which have significant overlap. Married to the 10mm though as we spent a lot of time together in the North Coast bush.
 
Ardent, yer gospel is prose.
Far too much knowledge furr a yung chap.
May I awfer up a suggestion?

I prefer straight rear stocks.
Allows one to position one’s grip where it’s comfortable.

Maybe yer stuff’in too many digits into that chunk oh iron called a lever?

As far as the want ad goes, maybe the Argo chap may have spare inventory in his monstrous collection?
 
kamlooky said:
Ardent, yer gospel is prose.
Far too much knowledge furr a yung chap.
May I awfer up a suggestion?

I prefer straight rear stocks.
Allows one to position one’s grip where it’s comfortable.

Maybe yer stuff’in too many digits into that chunk oh iron called a lever?

As far as the want ad goes, maybe the Argo chap may have spare inventory in his monstrous collection?
Click to expand...
I had a Marlin 1895GS in 45-70 that changed my liking for the straight stock. With the top end loads the modern Marlin lever guns can handle, that straight stock and lever design can be a little hard on the fingers. My Son couldn't live without that gun and now has it. I replaced it with a GBL model, having a curved lever and pistol grip. Problem solved.
Also, and having a curved pistol grip and lever, my favorite lever gun and calibre combo, the Winchester model 71 deluxe in 348WCF. I have one, mint.
 
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