The Briefing Room
General Category => Sports/Entertainment/MSM/Social Media => Shooting Sports => Topic started by: Elderberry on December 11, 2019, 12:32:03 pm
-
Guns by John Taffin
My passion for most of my life has been sixguns but not far behind this is the same feeling for leverguns. Now, at this stage of my life, I am expanding my PPP to a rifle. My goal is to come up with a rifle — preferably a levergun — which is the long gun version of a Perfect Packin’ Pistol.
Building The Base
When my Rossi .357 Magnum arrived, I found it certainly was not a Perfect Levergun by any means but it was a good base. The action was gritty and the trigger pull was
8 lbs. I turned it over to my friend, gunsmith Milt Morrison, to smooth up and get the trigger down more in the neighborhood of 3-4 lbs. Since this was a stainless steel rifle, which to me says a weather-beating rifle, I felt the stock needed more than the stain finish it came with. At this stage of my life I doubt if I will ever be out in really bad weather, but someday one of the grandkids or great grandkids will have this as a companion levergun and carry it in all kinds of weather. With this in mind, I had Milt refinish the stock and also work down in the barrel channel and under the parts of the stock that could not be seen to make sure they were also protected from the weather.
My first shooting experience with the standard iron sights was definitely up and down. If I really concentrated, I could put three shots in 1-1/2" at 40 yards, however they could just as easily spread out to 4". Better sights were definitely in order so I had the boys at Buckhorn drill and tap the left side of the receiver for a Lyman Model 66 receiver sight. While they had it, I asked them to cut the barrel back to 16-1/4".
More: https://gunsmagazine.com/our-experts/the-perfect-packin-rifle/ (https://gunsmagazine.com/our-experts/the-perfect-packin-rifle/)
-
Nice article. I love lever guns and he did nice work. The Lyman receiver sight is awesome in performance; less so in appearance to my eye. When a choice has to be made, I take performance.
I also agree with his aside comments about the 7mm-08. What a terrific round.
Thanks for the post.
-
Nice article. I love lever guns and he did nice work. The Lyman receiver sight is awesome in performance; less so in appearance to my eye. When a choice has to be made, I take performance.
I also agree with his aside comments about the 7mm-08. What a terrific round.
Thanks for the post.
I love lever guns as well. I have a collection of Winchester 1894's.
-
I love lever guns as well. I have a collection of Winchester 1894's.
Jealous. I have one post-64 1894.
-
Jealous. I have one post-64 1894.
My very first rifle was a lever action and I've loved them ever since. It was the Ithaca M49 22 single shot. My next was the Marlin Glenfield 30. Lastly the Marlin 1895 45-70.
I'm partial to the Williams Foolproof receiver sights. I put them on all my lever guns as well as my Rem 760 pump.
-
I use my Marlin .44 Magnum as a brush gun, but right out of the box with factory sights, I was picking off 12 Ga. shotgun hulls lined up on a plank at 50 yards. Wonderful rifle! Good for deer down in the breaks and brush.
-
There is no such thing. That's why carbines are made and sold.
-
I too love lever guns, and prefer them for brush... And like just about everyone, I grew up on a win '94 30/30...
I am actively seeking another one, having in my latter years gone on to a marlin 45/70, with the idea that since I am not as light on my feet anymore, the extra knock-down would be beneficial, as running/avoidance just ain't in the cards.
But I miss that ol 30/30 that lived nearly its entire life resting in the Navajo pattern seat cover scabbard of my pickup, when it was not in my hands... That ol workhorse, wholly unappreciated, never made it to the honored gun racks in the back window - Those reserved for high-powered hunting guns with scopes, that were transient in the overall environment. but that 30/30 was ever present, and somehow, it no longer being there seems a mistake.
So I am putting it back. And while the 45/70 will remain my go-to brush gun, for the day-to-day in the valley, and even up into the foothills, where I am not likely to run into griz or moose, that ol girl will be more than sufficient for the short hikes I am presently capable of, and for in the saddle. And being ever-present in its customary place, I don't even have to worry about forgetting to include it in the loadout, nor the 2 boxes of shells that never left :)
The only thing that tempers that resolve, is one of them pretty brass Henry's... And the possibility of carrying one round - 45 Colt - for everything... I will not use pistol rounds in a brush gun up in the back country, but here in the valley... It would pass just as easily as that venerable old 30/30 for deer and coyotes... If I do finally go back to .45 Colt for my pistol, which is likely, that consideration will come into play. And brass... I do like that brass.
-
Jealous. I have one post-64 1894.
My dad has a Model 1894 that was made in 1894 an' has " One In One Thousand" stamped on it's hexagon barrel. It use to be my Grandmothers deer rifle. Both my dad an' I have gotten deer with it. It was prolly one of the best lever guns designed.
:pop41: