I like lever rifles don’t get me wrong. But when the chips, or in a guided hunter’s case the $$$, are down I want things as bombproof as possible. Leverguns inherently aren’t.
I'm interested in these statements, and I'd like you to elaborate. What do you mean by "Leverguns inherently aren't [bombproof]"?
They have an extra hole, the loading gate, for “stuff” to get in, IE dirt, mud, leaves and whatnot. And are not as easily field stripable in the case of the Marlin and nearly not field stripable in the case of the 1886/71.
The entire repeating function of all centerfire Marlin lever aside from the Levermatics in 30 Carbine and 256Win rely on a part called the carrier rocker or dog to function. This tiny part is about 3/32 thick with a built in stress riser in the bottom of the hook. One round hung up on a feed ramp or halfway out of the mag tube when the follower seizes because the tube has sand in it and that hook will pop right off the carrier. Leaving you with a jammed rifle that will be a slow loading single shot when you get the stoppage cleared. I bet I replaced a couple hundred of those dogs over the years. The extractor is a little square of sheet metal about 3/16x3/16x.020” brazed onto a piece of spring steel. It generally makes contact with a spot on the case rim about 1/16”wide.
Talked with lots of guys who were dead set on “reliable” iron sights on their hunting rifles. I would guess I replaced 2 dozen front blades every fall and 50 of the factory Marlin rear leaves a year. Can’t remember the last time I heard of someone with a decent quality scope of somewhat recent manufacture fogging up. I personally broke the front sight off of my rifle 3 times during my decade hunting AK, some broken when I took a fall or a rifle slid off where it was leaning. Never had a scope lose zero or fog during that time, including hunting in coastal rainforest and once taking a tumble almost 30 feet off a rock face and landing on my scope with the rifle slung across my back.
There’s a reason no military used lever rifles in any meaningful capacity. They just aren’t as tough as a good bolt rifle as well as being more difficult to keep running in the field under poor conditions.
