Lever action rifles

[Triggerh4ppy]

I think about alot of things. Like what if surplus ammo for com-bloc countries dry up, so I thought to myself "Maybe an investment in a traditional well established firearm purchase is in order" I want something in 30-30 for its widespread availability,range of fire, and decent cartridge capacity (6).
Ive checked things out a little and im thinking I want something like a 94 model real traditional. I see these things on the gun racks for almost next to nothing (used of course) Is there anything I should be watching out for and other advice you can give me?

[LifeInPa]

You know they make most lever action rifles in 38/357 Magnum chamberings including the Model 1894, right? Unless you hunt this might be a better choice since you can use the same ammo in both a revolver and the rifle. This is the route I am going when I get around to buying a lever action rifle. Those are very common calibers that will always be around and you can always shoot 38's to save money.

[Triggerh4ppy]

You know they make most lever action rifles in 38/357 Magnum chamberings including the Model 1894, right? Unless you hunt this might be a better choice since you can use the same ammo in both a revolver and the rifle. This is the route I am get around to buying a lever action rifle. Those are very common calibers that will always be around and you can always shoot 38's to save money.

what kind of range are we talking about? and is it cheaper than 30-30?

[LifeInPa]

what kind of range are we talking about? and is it cheaper than 30-30?

I will look into the pricing as that's not something I know of off the top of my head. Now for performance based on what I read in the past it should be just fine for target shooting and self-defense within 100 yards but for hunting and shooting beyond 100 yards the 30-30 seems to be superior. I don't hunt, I don't shoot past 100 yards (Don't think I can shoot past 50 yards with my current skills anyway) and I don't like the idea of adding another caliber for just one firearm. I found an article that I read awhile back that discuss 30-30 vs. 357/38's in a lever action: Lever-Action Ballistics: .30-30 vs. .357 Magnum

I will quote some of the stuff that stood out to me:

Our .357 Magnum carbine: a new-production Marlin 1894C. It has an 18″ round barrel, weighs a little over six pounds, and holds 9+1 rounds.

Our .30-30: an early-1990s Winchester Model 1894 ‘Trapper’ with a 16.5″ barrel. It weighs six pounds and holds 5+1 rounds.

-With 125-grain handloads, the revolver averaged an even 1300 feet per second and 469 pound-feet of energy, while the carbine delivered 1937 fps and 1041 lb-ft. That’s a 49 percent velocity increase and a 122 percent increase in energy from the same cartridge. Yowza.

-With Remington 125-grain JHPs, the revolver got 1442 fps and 537 lb-ft. The carbine got 2038 fps (!) and 1153 lb-ft, for a 41 percent velocity gain and 98 percent boost in energy.

-Shooting the 158-grain .38 Specials, the revolver clocked a leisurely 676 fps and 160 lb-ft. The carbine achieved 944 fps and 313 lb-ft, a 40 percent increase in velocity and a 96 percent increase in energy.

The .357 Magnum basically doubles its kinetic energy when it’s fired from a carbine, and it almost earns a promotion to the Big Leagues of rifle ballistics. But not quite. The result is substantially more powerful than a .30 Carbine, but even on paper it takes the most exotic .357 loads to equal the most pedestrian .30-30 loadings. And the .30-30 still dramatically outperforms these exotic .357s at longer ranges.

If you plan to use your gun on bigger game or at ranges past 100 or 150 yards, the .30-30 is your clear choice. While the 16″ Trapper is very handy, consider an 18″ barrel which will give you an extra round of magazine capacity and a small ballistic increase.

If your gun is likely to be used primarily for recreational shooting, hunting medium game within 100 yards, or defensive use, the .357 is superior. Its higher capacity and lower recoil are more suited to such applications where the extra power and penetration of the .30-30 would be wasted.

I will look into the prices and post my findings.

[LifeInPa]

Just doing a quick search on ammoseek.com seems to confirm that .357 Magnum is cheaper. A box of 50 .357 cost on average $15-$17 while .30-30 Win cost $15-$17 for a box of 20. That's a big difference in price and .38 Special is probably a few bucks cheaper than .357 Mag.

.357 Magnum

.30-30 Win

[Shodan]

I was under the impression that every American was required to own a 30-30.

Look into the Marlin's too if you decide to go 30-30.

[calypsocoral]

I think about alot of things. Like what if surplus ammo for com-bloc countries dry up, so I thought to myself "Maybe an investment in a traditional well established firearm purchase is in order" I want something in 30-30 for its widespread availability,range of fire, and decent cartridge capacity (6).
Ive checked things out a little and im thinking I want something like a 94 model real traditional. I see these things on the gun racks for almost next to nothing (used of course) Is there anything I should be watching out for and other advice you can give me?

Winchester 94 30-30 carbines can be had for pretty cheap-- but be careful of some of the recent ones, as Winchester took a hit in quality for a few years, before the Connecticut plant was closed-down and production was moved to the Browning plant.

If you are looking at a new .30-30 for a reasonable price, I would recommend the Mossberg 464. The newest ones have a fiber optic front sight, as well as your choice of silver Marinecoat or blued finish. I own one and love it. The action felt a little "clunky" at first, but, after a couple of hundred rounds cycled through it, the action has smoothed-out nicely. The only major difference between the Mossberg and the Winchester is the safety-- the Winchester has a trigger safety, whereas the Mossberg has a tang safety.

[ar15jules]

I was under the impression that every American was required to own a 30-30.

Look into the Marlin's too if you decide to go 30-30.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

[Tim Ault]

A carbine in 357 is a good idea as ammo is cheaper But the rub is try finding a used one for anything close to what you can find a common 30/30 for on the used gun racks , one could buy alot of ammo for the price difference. Another is you can find 30/30 pretty cheaply Ive seen it for 8 bucks a box not as cheap as .357 but you got more power and range with it.and its just as easy to find as .357 ammo

[LifeInPa]

A carbine in 357 is a good idea as ammo is cheaper But the rub is try finding a used one for anything close to what you can find a common 30/30 for on the used gun racks , one could buy alot of ammo for the price difference. Another is you can find 30/30 pretty cheaply Ive seen it for 8 bucks a box not as cheap as .357 but you got more power and range with it.and its just as easy to find as .357 ammo

The price of the rifle is something you have to face one time, the price of ammo is something you have to face everytime you go shooting. After seeing what 30-30 cost I bet you the price difference in ammo is going to catch up to you quickly. So even if the 357 lever action cost you $600 and a used 30-30 cost $300 after a year or so of shooting the 30-30 is going to cost you more. Plus as time goes on ammo prices will go up and the price of 30-30 will hurt you even more. Finally you have the benefits of shooting even cheaper 38 Special when you like and you can hold 3-4 more rounds with the 357/38 lever action.