Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Gunsmithing Make a lever action into a single-shot?

I know this sounds wacky, and it is probably just a mind game for me, but the circumstances are this:

I may be moving to Mississippi in a few months, and MS has a "Primitive Weapon" season. It specifies that you can use a black powder muzzleloader OR: " single shot, breech loading, metallic cartridge rifles (.35 caliber or larger) and replicas, reproductions, or reintroductions of those type rifles with an exposed hammer".

I don't want to buy another rifle just to hunt deer for a couple of weeks each year, but if I could easily convert my Marlin 1894 .357 lever action rifle to a single shot, it should qualify under their requirements - load from the breech end, have an exposed hammer and be .35 caliber or larger - and as a bonus, I can easily mount a low-powered scope (yes, scopes are allowed in primitive weapon season).

Now, just to make things a bit more difficult, it's just as important that the conversion be EASILY REVERSED, because I want to be able to use the rifle as a repeater for the rest of the year.

Any brilliant ideas? A plate that blocks the riser when the lever is operated so nothing can come up from the magazine? A small depression in the plate where it meets the open barrel to guide the bullet into the chamber?

I'm going to pose this question to my gunsmith when I see him in a week, but I'd love to have the puzzle at least partially worked out before I give it to him.

Thanks for any suggestions!

Plug, like the shotguns for waterfowl? Take out the spring, replace with wooden dowel, leave the follower in.

I'd run it by the deer cops.

Either plug the magazine with a dowel or if that isn't enough to satisfy the fish cops remove the magazine spring and follower.

I may be weird here, but I never heard of anyone on these pages making an excuse for NOT buying another gun.

I'd think it would be far easier, to merely purchase a H&R Handi-rifle in whatever chambering turns you crank. A .357 would seem natural, perhaps with the chamber lengthened to .357 Maximum if you desire more power. That being said, .std .357 woks fine on deer within it's range limitations. My buddy has taken 3 in Mich. with complete penetration at ranges from 45 to 75 yds. (standard .357) I think he uses the Hornady FTX. I have shot his .357 (Marlin 1894) and hitting fist size rocks at 100 yds is no trick at all. I went 5 for 5 prone @ 100 yds w/2.5 Weaver with a post reticle. And from what I've read, EVERYONE here is a better shot than I am...

Yup.

It's one thing to have your ideas and run them by your gunsmith but the comment about running it by the "deer cops" is probably the most important. If you get an approval get a name and have it with you when you are hunting.

All good advice!

Thanks!

Actually, I think you could run the dowel down inside the spring. That way all parts stay in the gun.

( I have a small problem with putting things like that where I "won't forget where they are"......... . )

I'm still looking for those 3 cans of 7828 that I have somewhere..... I think. Either that or they turned into 4350!

No need for 5 dollars you can use any firearm in Mississippi for primative season.

Want to explain this?

During any open season on deer with primitive weapons after November 30, a person may use any legal weapon of choice on private lands only, if the person is the title owner of the land, the lessee of the hunting rights on the land, a member of a hunting club leasing the hunting rights on the land, or a guest of a person specified above.

This is from Mississippi wildlife and fisheries web site. The private\public lands is where things change. This change was made about three years ago. The 5 dollar fee allows this.

OK - that's fairly clear. If you are rich enough that you don't have to hunt public lands, anything goes for $5 fee. If you can only afford to hunt public lands, you have to buy a primitive weapon.... even if you happen to have one for regular season. Nice.

So why do they insist on calling it a primitive weapon season. instead of a weapon of choice season?

Rhetorical question.....

Mississippi is full of hunting leases mostly from paper companies. We have a very liberal season starting from the weekend before Thanksgiving going to Feb 15. It is more about generating revenue than anything else.