Classic western Lever gun?

[p_ham]

Personally I think the Savage 99s are butt ugly. A lot of people like them and they were made in some interesting cartridges.

Id be looking for something chambered in 25-35, 30-30, or 38-55 if it were me.

Somebody mentioned the Win 1873, its a pistol cartridge gun, and its toggle lock isn’t particularly strong. It's fine for black powder level loads. The scaled up version is the 1876, and they're big money.

My picks:
Marlin 1893: 32-40, 38-55, 30-30
Winchester 1894: 25-35, 32-40, 30-30, 38-55
Winchester 1886: 38-56, 40-65, 45-70, 45-90, 33 WCF
Winchester 71: .348WCF

 

[nhenry]

Marlin 336s started production in '48, so it sneaks in there. If you want pre-turn of the century, the 1893 Marlin is your guy. 30-30 is your friend.

It's always been a better design than Winchesters. Fight me.

 

[TN2shot07]

Not my personal favorite in the looks department but why not an 1895 in the boring ol 30-06? Also an option in a big bore if you want to chase something extra fun!

 

[brymoore]

One of my bucket list guns is a Winchester 1895 in 30-06. You can buy new or old in the model.

 

[Johnny Bravo]

Just joking around. I'm genuinely surprised you haven't seen it.

I personally love my old Marlin in .30-30. Easy to find Core Lokts, and they're pretty cheap and practical as far as lever rounds go. Unless you decide to go the box mag route (Savage 99 etc), then you can do better ballistically. But to me, then it's just not quite the same

My advice would be keep it simple and cheap so you can shoot it a lot and have fun

I aqree 30-30 all the way...

 

[Irrelevant]

Personally I think the Savage 99s are butt ugly. A lot of people like them and they were made in some interesting cartridges.

Id be looking for something chambered in 25-35, 30-30, or 38-55 if it were me.

Somebody mentioned the Win 1873, its a pistol cartridge gun, and its toggle lock isn’t particularly strong. It's fine for black powder level loads. The scaled up version is the 1876, and they're big money.

My picks:
Marlin 1893: 32-40, 38-55, 30-30
Winchester 1894: 25-35, 32-40, 30-30, 38-55
Winchester 1886: 38-56, 40-65, 45-70, 45-90, 33 WCF
Winchester 71: .348WCF

so in terms of ammo availability...?

 

[Pahoundsman]

You can’t go wrong with a Winchester model 88 in the old reliable 308 or 243. Fast handling and a joy to shoot. I have several in my collection and they get the job done.

 

[JT88]

You can’t go wrong with a Winchester model 88 in the old reliable 308 or 243. Fast handling and a joy to shoot. I have several in my collection and they get the job done.

As long as we're talking about beauty, I think the Winchester 88 is even uglier than a Savage 99, but maybe that's just me

 

[morley.tyler]

IDK guys, that 99 is kinda butt ugly.

a poor man's Winchester 88

 

[MTLabrador]

Thanks to the endless campaign ads being forced on me I know that Jon Tester uses a Savage 99 to defend Big Sandy against marauding grizzly bears and Chinese spy balloons. Can’t argue with that.

 

[ccc23454]

Thanks to the endless campaign ads being forced on me I know that Jon Tester uses a Savage 99 to defend Big Sandy against marauding grizzly bears and Chinese spy balloons. Can’t argue with that.

View attachment 306015

I am so tired of his commercials

 

[MTLabrador]

I am so tired of his commercials

In all fairness his competitor’s ads are considerably more obnoxious.

 

[Forkyfinder]

In all fairness his competitor’s ads are considerably more obnoxious.

That's like deciding if a pine cone or corn cob is more suitable for wiping.

We aren't even into bullshit season yet, 11 more months of it!

 

[JT88]

Thanks to the endless campaign ads being forced on me I know that Jon Tester uses a Savage 99 to defend Big Sandy against marauding grizzly bears and Chinese spy balloons. Can’t argue with that.

View attachment 306015

And he drives a square body chevy. Nope, I'm betting he borrowed a neighbor's rig for the commercial

 

[noharleyyet]

Personally I think the Savage 99s are butt ugly. A lot of people like them and they were made in some interesting cartridges.

Id be looking for something chambered in 25-35, 30-30, or 38-55 if it were me.

Somebody mentioned the Win 1873, its a pistol cartridge gun, and its toggle lock isn’t particularly strong. It's fine for black powder level loads. The scaled up version is the 1876, and they're big money.

My picks:
Marlin 1893: 32-40, 38-55, 30-30
Winchester 1894: 25-35, 32-40, 30-30, 38-55
Winchester 1886: 38-56, 40-65, 45-70, 45-90, 33 WCF
Winchester 71: .348WCF

The 71 .348 would do it for me...but the 30-30 is easy peasy ammo

 

[Perlodid]

so in terms of ammo availability...?
View attachment 306014

Yeah the criteria of readily available ammo really cuts down a lot of the classic options. I think that's alright though. If I wanted a classic western lever gun in a caliber where I never had to worry about ammo, I would get a pre-1964 Winchester 94 in 30-30, no question. Nothing fits this aesthetic more than the 94 to me, and I know I'm not alone in that opinion. If you had to have one lever, I'd make it a 94. An old Marlin would be great too, but somehow they have ended up even more expensive than the Winchesters lately around me. YMMV. Also maybe this is just my bias but I feel like the Marlins are more iconic in the Northeast and Midwest versus the Winchester being more of a classic Western gun. Same thing with the Savage 99. I feel like I will always picture a 99 in a Northwoods deer camp in the 1930s before I think of one being used out west.

The only other consideration in my mind would be an 1892, but the only common cartridges it's chambered in nowadays would be 357 mag or 44 mag. The only hangup is that you would either have to settle for a gun made after 1950 or find an old one that got rechambered at some point. I think the converted ones are pretty interesting, but some people don't like that.

 

[HSi-ESi]

I would love, love, love a Win 1886 in .45-70 or .45-90.

 

[FairWeather]

Have you already tried checking what your local gun stores and pawn shops have?

I know you laid out pretty clear criteria, but you just might find something that speaks to you and feels right in your hands. It may or may not be pre-1950, but what’s that really matter if the design hasn’t changed since the 1890s?

 

[Irrelevant]

Have you already tried checking what your local gun stores and pawn shops have?

I know you laid out pretty clear criteria, but you just mind find something that speaks to you and feels right in your hands. It may or may not be pre-1950, but what’s that really matter if the design hasn’t changed since the 1890s?

WA doesn't really have used gun stores anymore as best I can tell...

Pawnshops were a bust every time in went in one.

 

[Nick87]

WA doesn't really have used gun stores anymore as best I can tell...

Pawnshops were a bust every time in went in one.

What?!