The New Lever Action Pistols - I Think a Missed Opportunity

[ikocher]

As much as I like my classic lever actions, I do appreciate some of the options that are coming out from a functionality position. I saw that Henry has that Bear's Leg (I like the pun) and Rossi is doing a pistol version of the R95. Both allegedly have around 13 inch barrels. I was thinking about turning one into an SBR and refinishing it to be more akin to the original Winchester factory 14 rifles but I don't like registering guns and I really don't like excise taxes.

It hit me they sort of missed an opportunity to do the 14 inch option so that we could go the pin-and-weld route if you were like me and wanted a suppressor. If they had, you could have done the PnW for a 16 inch barrel then added the stock without the stamp being needed.

It was just a thought but on our Little Farm in GA, I've not run into any hunt were I needed to take a shot past 100 yards and one of these SBR'ed lever actions could be just great if setup right. My Marlin 1894 with it's 16 inch barrel is fine and all but I do wish it was shorter.

[AJMD429]

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I really like integrally suppressed barrels as an option on leverguns, and I have one "16" barrel levergun in 22 LR set up that way. It is one of my favorites to introduce new shooters with - topped with a red-dot open-style sight, it is intuitive to aim, quiet, no recoil at all, and 'unintimidating' (as all leverguns pretty much are) to even the city-folks. I don't even tell them it is a 'suppressed' gun (cuz that might scare them). We shoot off the bench at 6" gongs at 50 yards and of course they hit 95% of their shots. That gives them confidence so that as we transition to other 22 LR carbines then a 38 Special levergun, they barely notice the gradual step-up in noise then slight recoil. I do have a suppressor I can put on the 16" Marlin 357/38, but an integral one would be nice and not affect the balance so negatively.

I do like 'SBR's and agree with your distaste for paperwork, although since I'm pretty public about my views, I did bite the bullet and register my SBR's.

[ikocher]

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I really like integrally suppressed barrels as an option on leverguns, and I have one "16" barrel levergun in 22 LR set up that way.

I like the sounds of this. Would it happen to be one of the Ruger model 96's? I assume that's the easiest one to do that with.

[AJMD429]

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I really like integrally suppressed barrels as an option on leverguns, and I have one "16" barrel levergun in 22 LR set up that way.

I like the sounds of this. Would it happen to be one of the Ruger model 96's? I assume that's the easiest one to do that with.

Yep - I used a Thompson Machine 'Operator' that is made for the 10/22 - it took about ten minutes and one allen wrench to install. Would have been only five minutes, but it ALSO took a small file and an extra few minutes to hand-file the second extractor-cut in the barrel face (the 10/22 only has one ejector and the 96/22 has two). Note the shank/turned length of the barrels are the same on the 96/22 and 10/22 but NOT on the 77/22. WIth regular ammo it is quiet, since 22LR is so quiet anyway, and with standard (vs high) velocity it is ghostly-quiet....shooting it into a snowbank in the winter all you hear is the firing pin click. I used a router with a 1" round-tip bit to enlarge the stock channel for a free-floated end result. Very handy.



Since suppression makes a 22LR even 'dirtier', I plan to drill a hole into the right side of the bolt just big enough for a WD-40 'little red tube', so I can spray out the firing-pin channel and clean it that way more frequently than usual.

I've seen (at gun shows) 77/44 and 96/44 both set up with integrally suppressed barrels as well. Custom jobs though (barrels are threaded into the receiver unlike 'dovetail-joint' seen on the 10/22 and 96/22). The 77/44 was used by a big-city nuisance-animal disposal unit so they could deal with raccoons and feral cats and so on discretely, and the 96/44 was just a 'ranch' gun like mine.

I think even a tube-loader could function with an integrally suppressed barrel, as the magazine tube could be a bit bent to offset as it leaves the receiver.

[pinefd]

Living in a state where all NFA items are illegal, I can't go the SBR or suppressor route, so I have to settle for the stock lever action pistols, a.k.a "mare's leg". But I have to say, I love them as-is, and they're a lot of fun to shoot!

Here's my Chiappa Mare's Leg takedown model, in 45 Colt:





And my Heritage 92 Ranch Hand, in .357:






Frank