Looking at lever action carbines

[swmn]

I am wanting a 45 Colt lever. For the money I have a hard time planning to pay twice as much for something that isn't a Rossi R92.

I don't need a 454/45 Puma. I got a Marlin 1895GG in 45-70 for the deep woods, I am looking for a 45Colt as a boat gun, something I can load light for the future grandkids to learn on, range toy, that sort of thing.

Do I really need to spend double the $ up front for something other than the R92? If the platform is a good fit for me, which I suspect it will be, which of the higher dollar options should I consider in the future?

Thanks

 

[Amigo Will]

The Rossi can be smoothed up and work for your needs.

 

[AGL4now]

I have a Winchester M-92 "TAKE-DOWN" with a 16" Octagon Barrel .45 Long Colt. Not what your willing to buy but it is available.......

 

[tvfinak]

Win 94 .450 Marlin

Win 94 .450 Marlin

The Win 94 in .450 Marlin is a lightweight compact versatile lever gun but they are hard to find. All kinds of bullets available for the .45-70 so you can load it up or down for the kids or woods.

You can do the same thing with your Marlin, but the Win 94 is a smaller lighter gun - not much larger than a Win 92.

I am wanting a 45 Colt lever. For the money I have a hard time planning to pay twice as much for something that isn't a Rossi R92.

I don't need a 454/45 Puma. I got a Marlin 1895GG in 45-70 for the deep woods, I am looking for a 45Colt as a boat gun, something I can load light for the future grandkids to learn on, range toy, that sort of thing.

Do I really need to spend double the $ up front for something other than the R92? If the platform is a good fit for me, which I suspect it will be, which of the higher dollar options should I consider in the future?

Thanks

 

[ADfields]

Get you a Rossi 92 off gunbroker and slick it up. They are not hard to slick up and clean the nasty dipped stock finish off, maybe shoot it with Duracoat for boat life . . . you end up with a better using gun than a Winchester for a lot less money even if you have the work done.

Oh yea, get one of the Steve's Guns sights to replace that stupid bolt safety . . . its a two for one money improvement.

 

[rbuck351]

I have the Rossi 92 in 454 and 20" and really like it. It will shoot the lightest 45Colt or the heaviest 454 Casull loads. Mine worked great right out of the box with the only mod being removing the stupid safety and replacing with a peep. I load a 260gr cast at about 1200 fps that is fun for the wife and I load a 317gr cast at about 1980fps. Mine is blue but you can get them in stanless.

 

[normK]

I have the Rossi in 454 and one in 44 mag. Nice shooting rifles and they are short, light, and the stock seems to fit me just right

 

[FL2AK-Old Town]

You can't possibly go wrong with a Rossi 92 lever gun. I've had one in 357 for about...god since I was a teenager. I used to load 357's down so low the rifle didn't even kick. Great for target and small game. Load it with HSM Bear loads and it's a marginal bear gun. Makes a great short range brush gun on deer. I carried it my first many years up here-until last year in fact. 45 Colt wold be even better.

I'm a Winchester fanatic and come from a Winchester family, but I would never pay a grand for a Jap Winchester. Don't let the guys with Jap guns fool you-the Rossi is every bit as good, and once the gun is made overseas, you may as well go for the more affordable gun. Take that 500 you saved and buy ammo.

In fact, if you find yourself down here in the near future, you can take mine to the range and try the fit and finish before you buy.

PS: look for one of the Interarms guns, not the Puma; although the Pumas are great guns, the Interarms Rossis have no lawyer safety. Then again, you may like having the safety.

 

[Smokey]

Ya might want to look at Henry's, pretty well priced between Rossi's and Winchesters.. The ones I have handled are sure smooth...Made in the USA

 

[ADfields]

Ya might want to look at Henry's, pretty well priced between Rossi's and Winchesters.. The ones I have handled are sure smooth...Made in the USA

Good guns and all but I cant stomach the complete lack of a loading gate myself. I like to be able to load um back as I go, opening the tube renders the gun useless and positions it way out of shape for any using till its locked back.

 

[Smitty of the North]

Fuhgiddabouddit.

LAs are way to spendy these days, and as a rule, they hain't even accurate.

SOTN

 

[FL2AK-Old Town]

Fuhgiddabouddit.

LAs are way to spendy these days, and as a rule, they hain't even accurate.

SOTN

I detect a sense of sarcasm and comedic relief there.

 

[mike h]

They are expensive.

They probably aren't as accurate as a comparable bolt action.

 

[Smokey]

Good guns and all but I cant stomach the complete lack of a loading gate myself. I like to be able to load um back as I go, opening the tube renders the gun useless and positions it way out of shape for any using till its locked back.

Andy, if'n ya have "run'er dry" on something about to eat ya and ain't changed it's mind yet I am not sure the reloading process will mean much at that point! I am thinking a bayonet would be a plus about then? Gulp!!!
On the other hand its kinda nice to drop the fill rod and empty the tube vs jacking them all out..
Do the 16 in bbl LA in 45LC get efficient powder burn or does the 20 inchers have a plus side?

 

[ADfields]

Andy, if'n ya have "run'er dry" on something about to eat ya and ain't changed it's mind yet I am not sure the reloading process will mean much at that point! I am thinking a bayonet would be a plus about then? Gulp!!!
On the other hand its kinda nice to drop the fill rod and empty the tube vs jacking them all out..

I don't mean after you run it plumb dry, I mean after you shoot some you can put some back in the gate and never have the gun out of service.

Good point on the unload but it's more fun to pretend your Chuck Conner once in a while . . . and it's a good test for feeding issues, muzzle in a safe direction naturally.

Do the 16 in bbl LA in 45LC get efficient powder burn or does the 20 inchers have a plus side?

Good question . . . don't know, never tested 45 Colt. I suspect velocity returns after 16" with 44mag or 45 Colt would be very little.

With a 20" 454 you gain about 300fps over an 8" revolver . . . so 25fps per inch. But I never tested shorter 454s, it could be stagnant or even slowing after 16 or 18 for all I know.

Hardly a comparable caliber but I have tested 16" and 20" 256wm side by side (EKC's 20") and 20" was about 250fps faster. Also the 20" was almost pleasant to shoot lighter loads in without ear protection . . . the 16" CRACK flat out sucked.

I have a 16" model 94 45 Colt here now so I'll shoot that over the chronograph when I take it out and save some of the same ammo for the next time a 20" comes through.

 

[mike h]

Chuck Hawks has a graph of 44 starting with a 18 inch barrel and then cutting off one inch at a time all the way down.

18 inch down to to 11 inches loses about 100 fps.

11 to 8 loses about another 100 fps

8 to 6 a little more than another 100 fps.

It really casts some doubt on the snubs, with a 1 inch barrel shooting 750 fps, where the same round with a 6 inch barrel was about 1300fps.

As in, what's the point of the magnum if you're going that short?

 

[Smitty of the North]

They are expensive.

They probably aren't as accurate as a comparable bolt action.

I'm convinced they are never as accurate as we've come to expect from a BA.

I wonder if those Octagon barrels are more accurate on a LA. There must be some reason they were so popular in olden days, other than looks.

Smitty of the North

 

[Smitty of the North]

I detect a sense of sarcasm and comedic relief there.

Nope, nothing sarcastic, or medical about it.

I just think the ones I like, are too expensive, when the accuracy is so limited.

Smitty of the North

 

[Smitty of the North]

Good guns and all but I cant stomach the complete lack of a loading gate myself. I like to be able to load um back as I go, opening the tube renders the gun useless and positions it way out of shape for any using till its locked back.

There's a possible downside, that could easily be overlooked. Thanks for mentioning it.

SOTN

 

[Smitty of the North]

Andy, if'n ya have "run'er dry" on something about to eat ya and ain't changed it's mind yet I am not sure the reloading process will mean much at that point! I am thinking a bayonet would be a plus about then? Gulp!!!
On the other hand its kinda nice to drop the fill rod and empty the tube vs jacking them all out..
Do the 16 in bbl LA in 45LC get efficient powder burn or does the 20 inchers have a plus side?

I would hafta think that there IS an advantage to the 20" barrel over the legal 16.25".

The Henry Big Boys,henry the ones chambered for 357, 44 Mag. and 45 Colt, have Octagon barrels, and weigh in heavier than the Round Barrel 30-30, and 45-70 LAs.

Howsomever, they hold 10 rounds, and the beegest and tuffest bars will usually give up after 5 rounds if you can get that many into him.

No doubt, EKC, could do 8 rounds, and the last 3 would be wasted.

Smitty of the North