Home Forums Lever Action Central Lever Actions - General Lever Guns: Best make and model ever? Why or why not??

I think the early savage 99s, the pre. mil. ones! but I had a 86 win. extra light in 45-70, only gun that i have ever realy regreted selling! John

My picks:

Centerfire (in order)
Pre-mil Savage 99
Marlin 336
Marlin 1895
Winchester 1886
Winchester 71
Winchester 1894/94
Winchester 88

Rimfire:
Marlin 39A

(WAYYYYYYY behind)
Winchester 9422
Browning BL-22

I really would love to own a .44 Magnum lever gun.

Savage 99
Model 88
Win 94
Marlin 336
Have them all and like every one of them.

tomuchgun,
I bought the semi-fancy 88 stock from Fajen just before they went out of business. It was a fitted unfinished blank. The 338-08 is a post 64 model ( I think it's better mechanically than the pre 64 ) The other 88 is a pre-64 in 308

Why do you want a lever gun to feel like a bolt action rifle? The very fact they do not feel like a bolt gun is why I like them in the first place.

We only own one lever gun, a Marlin 1885 guide gun. I've never cared for lever guns, but the Marlin is slowly winning me over. The Winchester 1895 has also caught my eye. It was good enough for T.R.

First of all my hats off to some great gun pictures above. Now to the question.

"I'm not asking which rifle is most historically important or even which one is most popular...but rather which is most desirable for what it does and what it is.
Lastly....which caliber would you say is the most perfect for the lever action rifle?"

I think that the 99 Savage stands alone over all other designs for two important reasons. First that it shoots spitzer bullets along with any cartridge of the correct length and its scope ready. Those two advantages eliminate all the others.

I never liked the Winchester 1886 design and I have owned a few. The M71 was always in short supply it seemed and even from the early 1950's were very expensive. I can remember a M71 deluxe at Gagers shop in Windham, CT asking $325 back in about 1963. Even then, as mentioned, they were not around.

The 94's and Marlins are ok for some I suppose its just that I grew up in the scope era and why bother with a 30-30 when you can have a 30-06? I don't consider the Marlin scope ready due to the hammer being in the way and in general a problem for cold weather use.

The M88 came along much later and never caught on as it did not have the look the traditionalists want nor was it an autoloader that many others choose.

A tube magazine is the worst of magazines.

For a caliber you can have almost anything in a 99. I chose the 358 Win.

How does that eliminate the '88, Finnwolf, or (gasp)BLR? Don't get me wrong, I love 99's, and most are accurate rifles. However, the one piece stock designs of the '88's and Finnwolfs may give them an edge IMO.....

Never said I wanted it to, it just does.......

I remain astounded that bolt action rifles are so popular. One would think that autoloaders would have taken over.

The Remington 740's have out sold the M70's by many times over and the M70 is not even made any longer. Perhaps us forum types are living in the past?

Two reasons:

1) Auto-loaders suck on several different levels......

2) And most weekend warrior deer hunters don't know a good rifle from an A-bolt........

Do you still stand by your earlier statement(s) on the '99 "eliminating all others"?

My point on the newer lever designs is that they are no longer a significant part of the market. Here in CT most of the rifle interest is 'tactical'.

It used to be cowboy guns and fast draw.

Personally, I find the best levergun to be whichever one Im currently shouldering. I tend to be partial to Winchesters. Despite all the ballywho about pointy bullets, my levergun loads work just fine out to about 200yrds. I'm not one of those folks who confuses artillery practice with hunting, so 200 or so yards is fine with me.
In my opinion, the marketplace is the last place to make a judgement about much of anything. Folks are lead by the nose with all kinds of propoganda and lies. Some innovations never made it, not because they werent good, but because of a lack of exposure, negative press, or bad timing. Other innovations should have died a quick death, but hung around for god knows what reason. For the life of me, I still dont understand white line spacers.
I don't think that popularity = effectiveness.
It seems to me that just about ever hunter during centerfire season is using a scoped bolt action rifle of some type or other.
Heck, even the in line muzzle loaders all are based on the same monotonous model. If you ask many of these folks, you will get the response that they got themselves this type of rig cuz 1) It has a flat shooting magnum cartridge that is good for waaay out there, 2) It what was recommened by whoever, 3)They read about it somewhere and had to have one, 4) Its similar to what so and so uses and he got lots of game.
Its a rare hunter who really knows much of anything about his weapon.
I do think that I'm the last of a very stubborn breed of levergunners. This, however, has nothing to do with effectiveness of the traditional levergun. Truth is, most of todays hunters have never shouldered a levergun, never used iron sights, never loaded a round of their own handloads.
Just because the majority of folks are ignorant of the real virtues of levergunning and woodcraft does not make these things less viable, it just makes todays hunters the poorer for it.

Well, since no one else seems willing, I'll put in a vote for the 1895 Winchester. I know, I know, I'm wrong, but I just love the damn things, besides, they really are good rifles, just not everyones cup of tea.

Tim

If I had to pick just one super-duper lever gun and a cartridge to go with it, it would be the Winchester Model 65, in .218 Bee.

As much as I love the Model 64, the little 65 is still the "Sultan of Slick", in my book. My favorite version has a 22" rapid-taper barrel, semi-beavertail fore-end, half magazine, pistol grip stock with shotgun butt, and a bolt-mounted peep sight. If I was a gopher, that's the way I'd want to be taken out. Bees rule, ... Hornets drool.

Second place (or is it third?) goes to the Savage 99H carbine, with barrel band, chambered for the .303 Savage cartridge, ... just 'cuz it's so dayumn cool.

I just picked up a 1942 mfg. Winchester 64. It's my favorite lever gun(for now). Don't know how this action can be slicker than a pre-64 94, but mine sure is. Have owned a cupple of Winchester 92's and they're prolly the "slickest' of all lever actions. (presently have a Browning 92 and a Navey Arms 92) Also had a Browning 65, 218 Bee that I let get away.
As mentioned the Marlin 39 is about "tops" for rimfires. Really like my "new to me" Mountie. Also have a Winchester 94-22 which is a close second.
Guss it's really hard to narrow it down to just one that is the best. Gotta own a bunch, just to compare! (grin!)
Virgil B.

I agree with you, Tim. Especially after replacing those buckhorn sights... Love those Winchesters, especially the '95s.

Those buckhorns are awful, I just wish there was an easy way to put a peep on them without drilling holes. Something you never hear about them is their triggers. Mine were all made before WWI and they all have excellent triggers.

Tim

Savage 99's good shooters,great to carry in your hand, beautiful design, easy to load, and unload. I knew an old fellow who always threw his hat on the ground to unload his winchester into.then had to fish a couple out of the snow. I still do that with my marlin 336 and laugh remembering that old man.