What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?

Welcome to the Leverguns.Com Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here ... politely.

Moderators: AmBraCol, Hobie

Forum rules
Welcome to the Leverguns.Com General Discussions Forum. This is a high-class place so act respectable. We discuss most anything here other than politics... politely.

Please post political post in the new Politics forum.
Post Reply
User avatar
Old Ironsights
Posting leader...
Posts: 15084
Joined: Mon Apr 02, 2007 9:27 am
Location: Waiting for the Collapse
Contact:

What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?

Post by Old Ironsights »

C2N14... because life is not energetic enough.
מנא, מנא, תקל, ופרסין Daniel 5:25-28... Got 7.62?
Not Depressed enough yet? Go read National Geographic, July 1976
Gott und Gewehr mit uns!
User avatar
AJMD429
Posting leader...
Posts: 31932
Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2007 10:03 am
Location: Hoosierland
Contact:

Re: What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?

Post by AJMD429 »

Doctors for Sensible Gun Laws
"first do no harm" - gun control LAWS lead to far more deaths than 'easy access' ever could.


Want REAL change? . . . . . "Boortz/Nugent in 2012 . . . ! "
User avatar
gamekeeper
Spambot Zapper
Posts: 17322
Joined: Thu Sep 06, 2007 3:32 pm
Location: Over the pond unfortunately.

Re: What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?

Post by gamekeeper »

I guess you could have had Custer run for President..... :shock:
If more men loved and cherished their wives as much as I love bacon the world would be a much better place.
User avatar
Hawkeye2
Levergunner 3.0
Posts: 709
Joined: Mon Nov 30, 2009 8:46 pm
Location: Winchester, VA

Re: What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?

Post by Hawkeye2 »

"What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?"

They hadn't? :o Every movie I ever saw growing up showed them with Winchester '92s & Colt '73s from 1865 on and some elite CW units even had them. :D
User avatar
Griff
Posting leader...
Posts: 20803
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 4:56 pm
Location: OH MY GAWD they installed a STOP light!!!

Re: What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?

Post by Griff »

But... with the Army buying up Winchester's 1876s, would Winchester have pursued Browning to design a better repeater, i.e. the 1886? Would Marlin have taken those contracts away with its 1881? And, would either company have allowed Springfield Armory to build their designs? Did they even have the manufacturing capacity, without S-As help?
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93

There is a fine line between hobby & obsession!
AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
User avatar
Griff
Posting leader...
Posts: 20803
Joined: Sat Mar 31, 2007 4:56 pm
Location: OH MY GAWD they installed a STOP light!!!

Re: What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?

Post by Griff »

Or... would have S-A, having lost its military contracts to Winchester and then Marlin,, have broadened its horizons, found JMB; making the 1886 a S-A product?
Griff,
SASS/CMSA #93
NRA Patron
GUSA #93

There is a fine line between hobby & obsession!
AND... I'm over it!!
No I ain't ready, but let's do it anyway!
User avatar
marlinman93
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 6432
Joined: Sun Apr 01, 2007 3:40 pm
Location: Oregon

Re: What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?

Post by marlinman93 »

Griff wrote: Sat Sep 08, 2018 8:10 am But... with the Army buying up Winchester's 1876s, would Winchester have pursued Browning to design a better repeater, i.e. the 1886? Would Marlin have taken those contracts away with its 1881? And, would either company have allowed Springfield Armory to build their designs? Did they even have the manufacturing capacity, without S-As help?
Yes, as Winchester spurred John Browning to design the 1886 not based on possible future military contracts, but because of Marlin's Model 1881 that was chambered in much heavier/larger cartridges than the 1876 Win. So regardless Winchester wanted the 1886 to compete with the 1881 Marlin, which it did very well. So well it surpassed the 1881 Marlin, and Marlin had to drop the 1881 and replace it with the stronger Model 1895 in the same calibers.
Both Winchester and Marlin could easily have kept up with Springfield Armory had they gotten military contracts for the 1881 or 1886. Marlin did offer the 1881 for military trials, but was sabotaged when they specified small primer cases in .45-70, and Winchester supplied large primer cases to the tests.
The Army didn't want repeaters anyway, as the Generals felt poorly trained soldiers would "waste ammo" if armed with repeaters.
Pre WWI Marlins and Singleshot rifles!
http://members.tripod.com/~OregonArmsCollectors/
User avatar
jeepnik
Advanced Levergunner
Posts: 6830
Joined: Sun Apr 08, 2007 1:39 pm
Location: On the Beach

Re: What if...the US Army adopted Lever Guns in the 1870s?

Post by jeepnik »

Interesting video. But, I'm not sure I agree with having three different rifle calibers. That's bound to increase logistics problems. And that at a time when logistics was pretty darned complicated already.

Personally, sticking with the .45 colt for the handgun makes good sense as the round did exactly what it was supposed to do and was in inventory. One levergun cartridge, I'd go with 45/70 as that was by 1873 the standard would have given good range and rapidity of fire plus excellent terminal ballistics.

As to the "long range" cartridge I can't fault their call, but that would change pretty darned soon once the "modern" ammo became available.
Jeepnik AKA "Old Eyes"
"Go low, go slow and preferably in the dark" The old Sarge (he was maybe 24.
"Freedom is never more that a generation from extinction" Ronald Reagan
"Every man should have at least one good rifle and know how to use it" Dad
Post Reply