Looking for a lever gun, but know nothing about them.

What is the least expensive lever gun cart? not including 22lr.
What is the best selling lever gun?

Looking for hunting, and just keeping around the house.

Thanks!!!

Talking today's market, I'd have to believe that the 30/30 is the least expensive ammo to be found and the Marlin 336 series to be the biggest selling lever rifle in 30/30. I can find places with Winchester 30/30 loads for about 13 bucks a box and others with bulk ammo at $62.50/100 rounds (just a hair less). Not a thing wrong with either the 30/30 or 336, IMHO!

ADDED: Looks like the bulk ammo for .44 Mag (also found chambered in modern levers) is a tad less expensive at $55.50/100 as is the .357mag at $47.50/100. These rifles are much less common and generally more expensive to purchase new or used though.

__________________
A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote
a blank check made payable to "The United States of
America" for an amount of 'up to and including my life.
That is honor, and there are way too many people in this
country who no longer understand it.

Yep, for fun shooting, cheap plinking and a dual-duty gun, I'd suggest a .357 mag chambered Marlin 1894 or Rossi Model 92. Both are extremely durable and accurate, light-weight lever-actions and the .357 can shoot inexpensive .38 specials to your heart's content for plinkers, and move up to potent .357's for hunting javelina, feral hogs, deer, and even black bear within reasonable ranges and shot placement.

TNHunter is right though, the .357 carbines will run a little more money, at least in the used market for a nice shooting rifle, whereas I've recently seen Marlin 336 .30-30's for about $200 dollars quite regularly in our local pawn shops. I guess it depends if you're going to shoot it enough to factor the difference in ammo price into your needs.

Either way, leverguns are addicting... you can't stop with just one!

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Marshall
Romans 1:16



Beartooth: A Bullet Worth Waiting For!

I would have to second both of the above. Any of the three calibers (and .45 Colt as well) once you begin to reload are extremely versatile and economical to shoot. My hardest part is deciding which one to carry when I go out!

Yeah, the 336 is just about the only way to go if you want a low cost rifle. You have quite a few options as TnHunter and Marshall said. Including the, excuse me *gasp* (TnHunter probably gets why I gasped ) , the 308 Marlin and the 338 Marlin if you want some reach.

That’s it! Walk toward the light!

Honestly, if I were looking for one, traditional lever action rifle today, it would be a hard choice between the 357 Magnum Marlin 1894, the Taurus 1892 copy or the Marlin 308MX in 308 Marlin Express.
Your expressed desire for a double duty rifle puts the nod toward the 357 Magnum. When you start looking at all of the different configurations of the Model 1892 clones, it will confuse the issue.

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slim

I know the original poster said EXCEPT .22 LR but IF you were including it, I have a Henry Golden Boy and love it.

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Paul Andrew Milligan

The M92 Rossi's can be had for about $500, and they shoot as well as anything in .357/.44Mag. Watching several guys at a Cowboy Silloutte shoot with them last year, they shoot extremely well. They come in barrel lengths from 16"-24".

The Marlin 1894's are tough to find and cost more, but feel more substantial. Remlin/Marlington comments aside, they are probably worth the price. The Winchesters made in Japan are exceptional, they would give you a mean case of "sticker shock".

On the otherhand, I picked up a beautiful M336/.30-30 last year for $215. It shoots like a champ with jacketed and cast loads. With cast bullets and Trail Boss, it's in the recoil class with a pistol round lever gun, or a bit less.

Jeff,
If you can up up with the money, try to pick up a used pre-1964 Winchester
model 94. You will have a good rifle that you can always get your money back
on if you decide to sell it. It will work on just about anything except really large
game. The value will go up as the years go by.

Zeke

Good used 30-30 carbines can be found in nearly every shop. Last few years the pricing has gone up. But genuine deals can be found.

I like the 30-30 a lot. Mostly because of moderate recoil and predictable game killing lethality. But lever actions have always been my favorite and probably always will be, too.

TR

I understand the idea of a pre-64 model 70, with controlled feed and the like, but what makes a pre-64 model 94 special? Did the manufacturing for these take a turn at that time also?

__________________
"A gun is like a parachute.



If you need one, and don't have one,



you'll probably never need one again!"

In a nutshell YES everything Winchester produced in 1964 took a nose dive in quality. Many milled steel parts were replaced with plastic and stamped tin. Many short cuts were taken in construction and materials. They for the most part did work but were nowhere near what the older models were.

I have 336s in 35 rem and 38-55, 92 in 454, 99 in 300 savage, 94s in 32 special and 30-30. If I had to chose just one it would be the 30-30 trapper.

I think mine dates to 1962, so I guess I'm glad I kept it all these years. I haven't done much with it in quite a while, but I'll probably get it out up in the Siskyous this year.

__________________
"A gun is like a parachute.



If you need one, and don't have one,



you'll probably never need one again!"

While I'd agree that the M70 & M94 saw much change in production in '64, two other popular centerfire rifles made by Winchester at that time had very little change on them. Both the M88 & M100 only had very minor cosmetic changes. This involved only the checkering on both rifles going from hand done simple point patterns as on the M70 rifles to a stamped basketweave & oak leaf pattern. A little known fact about the M88 is that it is actually Winchester's third best selling centerfire lever gun, trailing only the models 1892 & 1894 and ahead of other Winchesters like the 1886 and M71.

__________________
A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote
a blank check made payable to "The United States of
America" for an amount of 'up to and including my life.
That is honor, and there are way too many people in this
country who no longer understand it.