If Ca bans assault weapons, consider a lever action as an alternative

[LiveLife]

While I like semi-autos, always had a soft spot for .357 Mag revolver/lever action combo.

I could be interested in 40S&W/10mm lever action to go with my Glock 22 and 20SF - https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2017/11/01/10mm-40sw-ranger-point-precision-1040ss/

 

[Drail]

I too am a huge fan of having a sidearm and a rifle/carbine in the same caliber.

 

[Elkins45]

I voted “reasonable” but I would look at one of the pump action ARs as a substitute simply because it will accept a detachable magazine. Lever guns take a while to reload. Even if you are limited to 10 round mags it would still be quicker.

Remington needs to reintroduce the 7615 if that happens.

 

[labnoti]

Don't look back, but let the market work out the solution. The solution to future bans or regulations is in the future, not the past. For a preview of what that might look like, consider Franklin Armory's non-semi-automatic "digital action" rifle.

 

[LiveLife]

Interesting ... And I thought my Just Right carbine with detachable magwell with 9mm/40S&W/45ACP conversions was neat.

 

[CoalTrain49]

So a shotgun with an 18 inch barrel is more maneuverable indoors than an AR carbine with an adjustable stock and a 16.5 inch barrel?

Sorry. The topic is lever guns. Shotguns, AR's and pistols are not the topic.

But I would be happy to debate that if you would like to start another thread.

 

[kcofohio]

When I was looking for a lever action (nostalgia) to accommodate my 357 mag. revolvers, I read about the Ruger 77/357. I was/am sold on the idea of a bolt action more than the lever action. Sure, levers hold some childhood fondness, Rifleman, and the old westerns. But as was pointed out by jmr40 in an earlier post, if shooting from concealment, the bolt generally allows for a lower profile. If a squib were to get stuck in the barrel, I could go at it from either end to clear by removing the bolt. And the 77/357 only weights in at 5.5 lbs.

Eventually, I plan on getting the 77/44. In rifle cartridge, I only have the 8x57 in bolt action, and more than enough ammo and reloading supplies for my lifetime.

 

[JSH1]

I shoot rifles left handed so I like lever actions better than bolt. A lever does anything I need a rifle to do so I voted it makes for a reasonable substitute.

If he is worried about future legislature, most high-capacity magazine bills I've read specifically exclude centerfire lever-action rifles with a tube magazine.

 

[loneviking]

I’m with JSH1, as I am also left handed. I find bolt actions, even LH ones to be cumbersome compared to a lever action.
With a lever action there’s no magazines to fail. You just keep shucking shells in the loading gate and moving. My Marlin 36 is only about 6 lbs, so it’s not as heavy as a 9 lb Scout type rifle. And the 30-30 is more of a shove than the slam of a .308, which is important as you get around 60 years old and up.
And if there’s enough bad guys or zombies to need an AR15, you won’t find me sticking around that AO. There isn’t a defensive position that can’t be overrun.

 

[WestKentucky]

Of COMMON guns, I would settle for nothing other than a Marlin in 357 mag if I were forced into a position such as would be my take on the needs of a rifle in that unspeakable place. That is simply because they are slick, handy, quick, and hard to screw up. Another route though is a lot less common, in the form of a straight pull bolt action rifle. I don’t know what time difference there might be between a turn locking bolt and a straight pull but when milliseconds count you might save a few.

But then there’s a Mossberg/Remington/Savage/Benelli 18” gun that can spit out 357s a dozen at a time and do it absurdly fast. Make mine a Remington 11 chopped fore and aft with a leather strap serving as a sling. The old Bonnie and Clyde whippet will work just dandy.

 

[Pat Riot]

Being very used to shooting with lever guns, I shoot Cowboy Action and I do not shoot wimp loads, I would disagree with anyone that thinks you cannot be fast and accurate with one. Sure, some CAS shooters power down their ammo for competitions but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t be darned fast anyway with standard loads.

I also own a couple different 30-30 lever guns and I had a couple bolt guns. I could shoot the lever guns a lot faster than the bolt guns. Why? PRACTICE!

If you always practice with a certain genre or platform of guns, of course you will be faster and more familiar with that particular type of firearm.

If somehow all semiautomatic long guns were banned I would look at a pump action upper for my AR. (Yes, I have one.) If the AR was banned overall I would definitely rely on my lever guns.

Lever guns aren’t as fast as semi auto and reloading is not fast at all but it is what I am most familiar with so that is what I would pick as an AR substitute.

 

[Gary A]

While it is true that lever actions are slower to reload, it is also true that they can be topped off anytime prior to running dry (if they have a loading gate), much like a pump shotgun.

 

[chicharrones]

SMLE in rapid fire.

Looks like light loads being fired. Ought to be a good representation of a pistol caliber bolt gun like a Ruger 77/357.

 

[Dave DeLaurant]

The Ruger 77/357 comments reminded me of Ruger's discontinued Model 96 lever action in 44 Magnum. Does anyone here have experience with one of these?

===

On the slightly off-topic subject of the Ruger 77/357, I'd like to add a couple comments about my early model 77/44. When I bought mine back in 1999, the model had just come out and the 4-shot mag was still buggy -- I sent my original three mags back to the factory and received slightly altered mags that have worked fine. I also had problems with the bolt stop, so much so that I made a redesigned replacement from thick sheet steel to greatly increase the contact surface with the left bolt lug. This is an important part when it comes to fast bolt manipulation, which is otherwise easy with this action. I haven't seen a recent 77/357 to check whether Ruger did some kind of similar improvement to the bolt stop. BTW, the 77/22 Volquartsen mag release fits this series, possibly with some minor fitting -- I added one of these to my 77/44 early on. I also fitted an NECG peep sight to the rearmost scope mounting point, and have it mounted on my rifle as a backup to an old 1" tube red dot. I had to take some metal off the sight to allow full bolt travel in the rear scope position.

 

[P5 Guy]

Looks like light loads being fired. Ought to be a good representation of a pistol caliber bolt gun like a Ruger 77/357.

.303BRIT

 

[chicharrones]

.303BRIT

Yep. That gun is pushing that shooter around a bit more.

 

[BigBore44]

Yep. That gun is pushing that shooter around a bit more.

Ahh. The “Mad Minute”. A fun exercise I’ve tried a few times. I suppose if the object was making loud booms and not hitting anything, it’s certainly quick. There’s plenty of guys who do it faster and smoother though.

And then there’s this guy....

Granted this is a world record. But no bolt action shooter can even come close. So the speed argument is settled I think.

 

[Sistema1927]

I voted "Reasonable Substitute" because the lever has been giving bad guys dirt naps for over 150 years. The first rule of a gun fight is "have a gun", and one can do much worse than a good lever. I sent my Rossi 1892 in .45 Colt to Steve ( https://stevesgunz.com/ ) for an action job and it is now slicker than snot. Either that or my Marlin 1894CS in .357 would serve me well if all of my AR's and other semis were no longer in existence.

 

[<*(((><]

Yup good luck keeping up with a bolt action with someone who knows how to run a lever.

 

[P5 Guy]

A hit with a 22LR beats a miss with a 45-70

 

[Skylerbone]

Again we have no idea what the OP’s son is currently using his AR for and if a lever action would be a suitable replacement.

If the thread title were “If California bans shotguns consider a lever action as an alternative” I would argue that 30-30 isn’t suitable for shooting skeet and not ideal for hunting turkey, ducks, or geese. Enough gun isn’t necessarily the right one for the job at hand. Considering the (IMO) greater versatility of the AR I feel it’s safe to say a lever action won’t be an alternative to the AR any more than an AR would be to a shotgun in some instances.

There have been plenty of threads arguing merits of one or another type firearm for defense, and that seems the direction responders have taken in this thread, again with no real guidance on what is meant by an “alternative”. I could use a .22 lr to hunt elephants, arguing for reduced recoil, less muzzle flip, faster follow-up shots, and I’ve just been trampled by an charging elephant.

 

[Picher]

For home defense a lever gun will work just fine. I don't own an AR and really never felt a need for one. I don't own a lever gun either. I do own a bunch of pistols though and train with them almost every week. If you can put 8 rounds into a paper plate at 25 yards in 5 seconds I really don't see a need for an AR or even a lever rifle.

Training is the key, not the firearm.

You're all set if ever attacked by paper plates!!!

 

[pirkfan]

One of my first lever guns was a 38/.357 model 92 Rossi carbine with a 16 inch barrel. Under 5 lbs unloaded. You just don't get a handier rifle than that, and I've got lots of others. It's seen way more shooting than most of the others, it's accurate, and with a King's patent loading gate and a 10 round (38 spl) capacity, you can just keep on shooting all day by topping off the magazine while still "loaded for bear", unlike an AR which sooner or later is going to require a mag change.

 

[Paul7]

Where does your son live? What does he do? Does he have legitimate family ties there that go back more than a generation? Those really need to be answered. And what is his freedom worth to him? It’s more than just a $600 AR we’re talking about. It’s the AR, the taxes, the crime, the cost of fuel, the cost o homes, the quality of the schools, the quality of the jobs.

For example. $200k in Oklahoma will buy you 10 acres of your own land and a 2,000sq ft home. Gas is $2.15/gallon. Our public schools are generally good schools. Our tax rate is 8.5-11%. We don’t have a lot of crime as long as you stay out of certain places in Tulsa and OKC. Good careers everywhere. From burger flippers to Google tech systems analysts. Door greeters to space and aviation engineers. If you can’t make it in Oklahoma, you have problems.

We don’t have the ocean. But we’re halfway to either of them.

If he just has to stay, I’d say an 1894 Marlin in 357 or 44 Mag would definitely fit the bill. 10+1 of either is no slouch in the firepower department.

And awesome hog hunting on OK.

How about an M-1 Carbine? At 100 yards it has the energy of a .357 Magnum at the muzzle.

 

[CoalTrain49]

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